NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox.
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover |
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Component: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.
Consequence: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer for Technical Service Bulletin TSB #: 19-NA-065. While driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle lunged forward; the driver was able to pull over. While attempting to restart the vehicle, it suddenly caught fire. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. AAA was called, and the vehicle was towed to her residence. The occupant called 911, and the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was called, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light or stop sign, the vehicle experienced severely rough idling before it stalled. The contact believed that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) was the cause of the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.
Vehicle looses power and can very easily cause a bad wreck I've replaced multiple thing and it still does it I'm not sure what it is possibly the timing or something to do with camshaft
The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox has 3 NHTSA recalls and 784 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
Enter a specific VIN to get the full report — specs, recalls, safety ratings, complaints, investigations, and technical service bulletins.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.
Component: VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX AND GMC TERRAIN VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 103, "WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING SYSTEMS AND WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 101, CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS". THE SOFTWARE IN THE CENTER INSTRUMENT PANEL CAN CAUSE THE HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING, DEFROST, AND RADIO CONTROLS, AS WELL AS THE PANEL ILLUMINATION TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Consequence: DRIVING WITHOUT A FUNCTIONING DEFROST SYSTEM CAN DECREASE YOUR VISIBILITY UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COMPUTER MODULE IN THE CENTER INSTRUMENT PANEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
This 2010 Chevy Equinox has the 2.4 liter motor that is recalled in similar vehicles by Chevrolet due to the piston rings having “blow by”. We have had to carry a quart of oil because of the constant consumption of oil, which led to the catalytic converter getting clogged. Most recently while traveling to Denver cylinder 3 lost compression and put the vehicle into “limp mode” on [XXX] (XXX) with traffic traveling at 75MPH and our car doing 20 MPH trying to exit. I spoke to Chevy customer service several years ago and was told “Yes we know the issue however your VIN isn’t part of our recall, we’ve satisfied the NHTSB call for action”. In my research loss of compression due to “blow by” can be direct correlation to engine failure. Oil was checked as I always do before any road trip, no engine lights or warning signs were present, we were 210 miles from home when this happened, and had to rent a car to continue our trip to Denver and return home to retrieve a truck and trailer to pick up our broken down vehicle located in Silverthorne. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 25 - 30 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. No warning lights illuminated. However, after the failure, the low engine power warning message would display. The vehicle was able to restart however the failure would recur. The failure occurred on 4 separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was no oil, although the panel showed the vehicle had 40% oil, transmission, and a high-pressure fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired but the failures persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 115,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle coasted off to the side of the road. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent dealer where the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that later while driving approximately 55 MPH and going left around a bend, there was an abnormal sound like metal snapping coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's side rear tire had stopped rolling. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to the same dealer where it was purchased. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the rear subframe and suspension had collapsed due to extreme rust. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, another failure occurred. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle failed to start. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the same independent dealer. The dealer was unable to repair the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle was to be auctioned off. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
The climate controls, including the seat warmers, located on the control panel directly below the radio/stereo controls on my 2010 Chevy Equinox stopped working. As a result, the ability to control the temperature and direction of heated/cooled air was lost. I tolerated the conditions for several seasons, winter being the toughest due to temp and the need for defrost, until buying a new car (as an addition, not a replacement vehicle). As my oldest child became of age to begin driving, I've attempted to prepare the car for his driving and safety. In researching how to repair this malfunction, I came across a recall that addresses this exact problem; however, upon taking my Chevy Equinox to my local Chevy dealership, I discovered that my VIN is not on the list for this repair. The coincidence that my car falls in the category of vehicles included for this recall (Bulletin No.: 09298C), but is not included is confusing, to say the least. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to this failure that began in 2019.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated to approximately 75 MPH. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle stalled, and the contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer it was purchased from. The dealer informed the contact that there was no oil in the vehicle even though an oil change had been performed on the vehicle. The dealer replaced the upper part of the engine; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering, made abnormal sounds and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the lower part of the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for the VIN to be added in an unknown related recall. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the engine was consuming one quart of oil every 1,000 miles driven. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had remained illuminated since becoming aware of the oil consumption issue. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the defroster became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle became very difficult to drive due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the computer module in the center instrument panel had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the failure was associated with TSB: 09298C (Heating and Windshield Defrost Inoperative. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in TSB: 09298C. The approximate failure mileage was 235,000.
I purchased this vehicle back last year and I put a lots of money into the engine and having troubles with it I’m just now finding out this type of vehicle I have has been recalled and I’m trying to see is there some type of way I can get it fix without coming out of my pockets like I already had engine light still on after I got the part put on and I don’t have money like that to keep getting it fix I have low income and trying to take my kids to school sometimes I be afraid to drive cause it keeps cutting off in middle of traffic problems with the catalytic converter and 02 sensors I change everything and still having trouble and out of money can somebody please help me no incidents just a recall and bad motor
I have a 2.4 ltr Chevy equinox and the engine went out at 140000miles, no warning symbol. Left me stranded in the middle of nowhere, two days after being stuck in a rain storm, when I found out my wipers died.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, stalled, and made a clicking sound while idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who stated that the exhaust camshaft timing was over-advanced beyond limits for a predetermined period, the system performance catalyst was low efficiency, and the evaporator systems had a small leak. The contact stated that two calipers and the boot of the axle were previously repaired due to a leak. The mechanic stated that the contact needed to replace the engine variable valve timing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 124,823.
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