2011 Chevrolet Equinox problems
NHTSA has received 1,140 complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, and 37% of them involve engine. After that come drivetrain & axles (12%) and wipers, windshield & visibility (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,140 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 37% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 55 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 66 and 6
- Typical mileage
- 80,000 miles 893 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 141 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 61 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 121 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 114 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 155 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 128 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 94 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 47 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 16 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 12 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Among the 893 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 80,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 85,000 miles (336 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 55 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 66 injuries reported; 6 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2011 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 22 model years of the Chevrolet Equinox with enough data (489 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
It keeps cutting off and the oil keeps going empty some say recall 11195a mite be the problem but I don't know jus got the car and when I start it up the peddle gets stuck and starts rite back up in motion and soon as you back up and soon as you turn out it cuts off on the high way and on city street and turning.
Regular oil changes at GMC dealership showed high oil consumption. Chevy dealership replaced transmission 2015 under factory warranty. High oil consumption continued. 2018 engine power shuts down car while idling. Took it to my local mechanic replaced transmission. Drove almost 400 miles on "new transmission" AC not working, idles with high pitch sound when fan is running. Now seat belts lights flash and alarm despite seat belts in buckled position.
Owned for 6 days and the battery was dead hesitation, stalling, hard shift, rpm's bounce all over and it auto shifts all over the place, terrible gas mileage, smells like it runs rich when started, down shifts going thru the middle of town at 20 MPH and throws me forward, some shifting hesitates like it sticks in neutral temporarily, has been in the dealership constantly. GM has not done anything, I am always told that it is a part or that it is updates that come from GM.