2005 Chevrolet W3500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2005 Chevrolet W3500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine250.0%
- Electrical125.0%
- Transmission125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
PURCHASED 2005 EQUINOX ON 12/14/04 FROM CRANE CHEVROLET IN CLIFTON, NJ. HAD A FUNNY SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SMELL GOT WORSE. INFORMED BY AN AUTO-GARAGE THAT I NEEDED A FLUSH-SHOULDN'T NEED A FLUSH UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES. HAD APPROX. 14,000 MILES. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AMONG OTHER THINGS. GM NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TO DATE CONTACTED ME FOR THIS RECALL OR ANY OTHER RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ON (5/27/05) TRUCK TO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED SERVICE OF RECALL NOTICE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED HIS COMPUTER AND SAID, "OH YEAH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM". THEY REPLACED COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO LEAVE TRUCK FOR A HOSE TO BE ORDERED. GOT THE TRUCK BACK-SMELL NOT AS STRONG, BUT STILL THERE. TOLD (BY DEALERSHIP-SERVICE AREA), IT WAS A RESIDUE PRIOR TO COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SHORT TIME ELAPSED SMELL GETTING STRONGER AND NOISE (GROWLING NOISE) FROM EXHAUST. AGAIN FOR SERVICE (AT 17,083 MILES ON 7/8/05). THEY PERFORMED A FLUSH. GOT TRUCK BACK STILL HAD SMELL. ON 9/13/05 AT 21,272 MILES BACK FOR SERVICE AGAIN, IN ADDITION TO SMELL SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING VENTS ON THE DASH BOARD AND THROUGH THE DEFROST VENTS ACROSS THE FRONT/BOTTOM OF MY FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE MARKING OVER THE MIDDLE RED MARK, INDICATING THAT THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING. SERVICE RAN THE CAR FOR 4 HOURS WITHOUT ANTIFREEZE -REPLACING IT WITH WATER. DEODORIZER WAS PLACED INSIDE THE VENTS. 9/25/05 HAVE THE TRUCK BACK STILL HAS ODOR AND SMOKING FROM THE VENTS. ODOR AND SMOKING HAPPENS WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON OR OFF. ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM; TRUCK IS IN PARK POSITION SHIFTED TO DRIVE POSITION AND IT WENT IN REVERSE, THIS HAPPENED TWICE. TRUCK HAS NOT START WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION KEY THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN THE SAME INSTANCE. IT TURNED ON AFTER THE THIRD TRY. THIS HAPPENED ONCE. *JB
VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY OWNER.*AK *TC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
PURCHASED 2005 EQUINOX ON 12/14/04 FROM CRANE CHEVROLET IN CLIFTON, NJ. HAD A FUNNY SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SMELL GOT WORSE. INFORMED BY AN AUTO-GARAGE THAT I NEEDED A FLUSH-SHOULDN'T NEED A FLUSH UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES. HAD APPROX. 14,000 MILES. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AMONG OTHER THINGS. GM NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TO DATE CONTACTED ME FOR THIS RECALL OR ANY OTHER RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ON (5/27/05) TRUCK TO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED SERVICE OF RECALL NOTICE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED HIS COMPUTER AND SAID, "OH YEAH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM". THEY REPLACED COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO LEAVE TRUCK FOR A HOSE TO BE ORDERED. GOT THE TRUCK BACK-SMELL NOT AS STRONG, BUT STILL THERE. TOLD (BY DEALERSHIP-SERVICE AREA), IT WAS A RESIDUE PRIOR TO COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SHORT TIME ELAPSED SMELL GETTING STRONGER AND NOISE (GROWLING NOISE) FROM EXHAUST. AGAIN FOR SERVICE (AT 17,083 MILES ON 7/8/05). THEY PERFORMED A FLUSH. GOT TRUCK BACK STILL HAD SMELL. ON 9/13/05 AT 21,272 MILES BACK FOR SERVICE AGAIN, IN ADDITION TO SMELL SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING VENTS ON THE DASH BOARD AND THROUGH THE DEFROST VENTS ACROSS THE FRONT/BOTTOM OF MY FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE MARKING OVER THE MIDDLE RED MARK, INDICATING THAT THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING. SERVICE RAN THE CAR FOR 4 HOURS WITHOUT ANTIFREEZE -REPLACING IT WITH WATER. DEODORIZER WAS PLACED INSIDE THE VENTS. 9/25/05 HAVE THE TRUCK BACK STILL HAS ODOR AND SMOKING FROM THE VENTS. ODOR AND SMOKING HAPPENS WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON OR OFF. ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM; TRUCK IS IN PARK POSITION SHIFTED TO DRIVE POSITION AND IT WENT IN REVERSE, THIS HAPPENED TWICE. TRUCK HAS NOT START WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION KEY THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN THE SAME INSTANCE. IT TURNED ON AFTER THE THIRD TRY. THIS HAPPENED ONCE. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
PURCHASED 2005 EQUINOX ON 12/14/04 FROM CRANE CHEVROLET IN CLIFTON, NJ. HAD A FUNNY SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SMELL GOT WORSE. INFORMED BY AN AUTO-GARAGE THAT I NEEDED A FLUSH-SHOULDN'T NEED A FLUSH UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES. HAD APPROX. 14,000 MILES. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AMONG OTHER THINGS. GM NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TO DATE CONTACTED ME FOR THIS RECALL OR ANY OTHER RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ON (5/27/05) TRUCK TO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED SERVICE OF RECALL NOTICE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED HIS COMPUTER AND SAID, "OH YEAH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM". THEY REPLACED COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO LEAVE TRUCK FOR A HOSE TO BE ORDERED. GOT THE TRUCK BACK-SMELL NOT AS STRONG, BUT STILL THERE. TOLD (BY DEALERSHIP-SERVICE AREA), IT WAS A RESIDUE PRIOR TO COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SHORT TIME ELAPSED SMELL GETTING STRONGER AND NOISE (GROWLING NOISE) FROM EXHAUST. AGAIN FOR SERVICE (AT 17,083 MILES ON 7/8/05). THEY PERFORMED A FLUSH. GOT TRUCK BACK STILL HAD SMELL. ON 9/13/05 AT 21,272 MILES BACK FOR SERVICE AGAIN, IN ADDITION TO SMELL SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING VENTS ON THE DASH BOARD AND THROUGH THE DEFROST VENTS ACROSS THE FRONT/BOTTOM OF MY FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE MARKING OVER THE MIDDLE RED MARK, INDICATING THAT THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING. SERVICE RAN THE CAR FOR 4 HOURS WITHOUT ANTIFREEZE -REPLACING IT WITH WATER. DEODORIZER WAS PLACED INSIDE THE VENTS. 9/25/05 HAVE THE TRUCK BACK STILL HAS ODOR AND SMOKING FROM THE VENTS. ODOR AND SMOKING HAPPENS WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON OR OFF. ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM; TRUCK IS IN PARK POSITION SHIFTED TO DRIVE POSITION AND IT WENT IN REVERSE, THIS HAPPENED TWICE. TRUCK HAS NOT START WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION KEY THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN THE SAME INSTANCE. IT TURNED ON AFTER THE THIRD TRY. THIS HAPPENED ONCE. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .