2014 Chevrolet Equinox engine problems

ENGINE

Oil consumption, took to dealer and dealer replaced parts with manufacturers replacement parts, 1 and a half year later oil consumption happened again, dealer checked 2nd time and said manufacturer will not cover 2nd time for same issue.

NHTSA complaint #11756787 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Component Failure & Availability: A GM remanufactured 2.4L engine block, installed as a replacement in July 2025, suffered a catastrophic internal failure (blown head gasket) within 11 months of installation. The vehicle and the component are currently in the owner's possession and are available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: A blown head gasket with an internal coolant leak into Cylinder #3 causes immediate engine overheating, severe engine misfires, and a loss of motive power. If this defect causes the engine to stall while the vehicle is in motion, the driver suddenly loses power steering and acceleration, directly compromising the safe operation of the vehicle in traffic. Confirmation by Service Centers: The catastrophic failure was formally reproduced, pressure-tested, and confirmed by an independent service center. Inspection by Manufacturer/Others: Following the independent confirmation, the vehicle was inspected by an authorized manufacturer dealership. During this inspection, the authorized dealership executed an unauthorized teardown of the engine block and sublet the engine head to a third-party machine shop, physically altering the failed component prior to manufacturer review. Warning Lamps & Symptoms: A check engine light illuminated shortly after the engine's initial installation. The authorized dealership evaluated the vehicle, reset the diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), and released the vehicle back onto the roadway without properly diagnosing the warranted engine block. This allowed a defective and degrading powertrain component to remain in operation until failure occurred.

NHTSA complaint #11753411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving or while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound and shut off on several occasions. The contact turned the ignition key, and the vehicle restarted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was determined that the oil level was low. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where an oil change was performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the used car dealer where it was purchased. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the timing chain had failed. The dealer determined that the timing chain, the tensioner, and the tensioner guide needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that only the timing chain was covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 86,678.

NHTSA complaint #11742322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

purchased a 2014 Chevy Equinox from Direct Auto Sales on 03/07/26, and I am currently experiencing serious issues with the vehicle after only 2 months of purchase I noticed the vehicle is making a clicking and grinding sound the vehicle powers down when driving. The problem still exists even after multiple oil changes.

NHTSA complaint #11741693 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Had to get engine replaced 2 months after I bought it in May 2022, warranty covered the replacement. Ongoing issues with catalytic converters, O2 sensors, check engine light coming on due to those reasons for approximately almost 2 years now. Powertrain (Stablitrak, ABS & ECO) stopped working 6 months after purchase - stablitrak warning light came on, took to dealer that I bought it from, quoted almost $900 to fix it, then took it to a private shop then had them fix it due to affordable cost, but somewhat still having some issues. Now Equinox is burning through oil fast. I can bring it in upon request via TEXT ONLY as that I'M DEAF. Those issues have put my children's and my safety at risk because the powertrain caused my Equinox to shut off in the middle of the highway going uphill and other times as I was driving with my kids. All of those need to be fixed by the manufacturer or totaled and I get reimbursed for it. Can provide receipts of repairs & quotes to repair upon request via email.

NHTSA complaint #11738390 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started driving sluggishly and failed to accelerate properly. Additionally, the contact reported excessive oil consumption, although there were no external leaks found. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was driven to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with a timing chain failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA complaint #11728071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound, shuddered, and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The engine had been replaced approximately two years prior due to a similar failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA complaint #11725202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Engine went into limp mode with now warning. I recieved a reduced engine power warning and the vehicle lost acceleration on the highway almost leading to an accident. I had the car towed to Coggin GM for diagnostic and was told that my throttle body has to be replaced. I was advised that this is common issue with this engine and notify due to a recall of older equinoxes

NHTSA complaint #11719449 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11718844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11718844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Safety Complaint – Sudden Oil Loss and Engine Failure – 2014 Chevy Equinox Hello, I am reporting a serious safety issue involving my 2014 Chevrolet Equinox with the 2.4L Ecotec engine. My vehicle began consuming oil at an abnormal rate without any dashboard warnings in early 2025. The oil level would drop dangerously low between regular oil changes, and the problem escalated quickly. I had to carry oil and a funnel at all times to avoid engine damage. Despite proper maintenance, the engine failed and required replacement on March 27, 2025, at a cost of $11,879.28. The replacement engine includes a 3‑year or 100,000‑mile warranty, but it is the same Ecotec design. Approximately one month after the replacement engine was installed, I experienced another incident requiring service. This occurred despite the engine being brand new and under warranty, raising concerns that the defect may still be present and that the vehicle may remain at risk of sudden failure. This sudden oil loss and subsequent incident created a safety hazard, as the engine could have seized while driving. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can track the defect and evaluate whether further investigation or recall expansion is needed.

NHTSA complaint #11717974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The most noticeable things wrong are the RPMs and the oil consumption. The RMPs fluctuate at idle, hinting at a misfiring of the pistons, which you can hear when it sits at idle. The second thing is I top off the oil with a quart of oil every gas fill up. The engine light keeps popping on even after engine repairs are done. The exhaust manifold and catalytic converter had to be fixed and that didn't solve the problem. The pistons' psi was tested and one piston had a psi of 70 while the other 3 tested to 125 psi. This is low for all the pistons with a possible broken seal on the one or something else. Chevy recommended 7500 miles between oil changes, but it should be 3000 to 5000. I think in the car's early life, oil changes were not as frequent as they should have been causing damage to the engine that is showing problems now. Having to add a quart of oil at every gas fill up can cause serious damage to the engine and other parts of the car as well, and already has. I will attach a recent repair at Chevy and screenshots of what Google said Chevy recommended for these cars at first. Now realizing that 7500 miles is more than twice as long as it should be for an oil change, Chevy will say 3,000-5,000 for an oil change. But now the range is 3,000 to 7,500. This is not reliable information for these cars. I don't trust my vehicle to go over 3,000 miles due to the oil consumption. The RPMs still fluctuate and the engine light came back on. I suspect something deeper in the engine is wrong, which if it is not fixed, more damage to the engine and car is inevitable.

NHTSA complaint #11708674 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

OIL CONSUMPTION. I HAVE ALREADY PAID $2,500 TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHERE I LIVE TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN, AND IT'S DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. I'M HAVING TO CONTINUOUSLY PUT UP TO THREE QUARTS OF OIL IN IT EVERY 2 TO 3 WEEKS. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE IS NO BULLETIN ON MY VIN NUMBER. I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR A YEAR AND A HALF AND BARELY PUT 4,000 MI ON IT. I PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. MY NEXT STEP IS TO SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY.

NHTSA complaint #11707575 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

THE ENGINE FAILED. MY SAFETY WAS NOT AT RISK. THE PROBLEM WAS CONFIRMED BY AND AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THE CAR WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A MANUFACTER OR THE POLICE. AND THERE WAS NO WARNING LAMP OR MESSAGES.

NHTSA complaint #11696882 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The vehicles electrical system failed or faulted while operating. Engine went into a slow mode while operating in traffic. After stopping vehicle would not restart. very dangerous for an elderly person operating the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11683933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The engines in the 2014 equinox has a defect just like The Silverados.. they should have had a class action suit against that as well I've spoke with many ppl who had issues with their 2.4 eco tech engine it bucks at the stop signs cuts off and high fuel consumption

NHTSA complaint #11659844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I used to go to Chevy for service and was seeing the same issue and got frustrated.  Starting going to Meineke and they found out that I had an ongoing oil consumption issue.  I contacted Chevy and GM.  They said the vehicle had too much mileage and I tried to explain the issue.  I went back to the Chevy dealership and they didn't find an oil consumption issue.  There was a major lawsuit in other states regarding this as well.  I didn't have all these issues brought to my attention until I went to Meineke and performed my own research.

NHTSA complaint #11659548 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The blank warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the Camshaft Position Actuator Solenoid Valve. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 17-NA-098; but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

NHTSA complaint #11648780 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Two weeks of zero degree weather caused the rear main seal to fail causing a large oil leak that could have resulted in the engine locking up if I had not noticed oil running down the driveway. Repair shop advised this was a common problem with the 2.4 liter engine caused by a failure of the PCV system and there is a service bulletin on this problem. GM has not recalled these engines to correct the known problem.

NHTSA complaint #11643556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

PVC value defect blowing rear main seal out ! Paid $3100.00 2 years ago . Went out again defected!!!

NHTSA complaint #11643094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I got to work and my check engine light came on. As I was parking I received an error message that said decreased engine power. I turned off the car and the car would no turn back on. I had it towed to my mechanic and he told me today that the engine was low on oil. That caused the timing chain tensioner to relax the chain and the timing jumped. When that happens in those engines it damages the cylinder head. The engine will need a new cylinder head and a rebuild of the timing system etc. That would include new pistons as well. That would be about 5500 to do or I’d need to buy a new engine would be about 7k or just over installed. I was well within the oil change guidance on the sticker as well as the oil change guidance in the car menu.

NHTSA complaint #11641968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

While my daughter was driving in very cold weather ...she here a pop sound and ALL warning lites fir low oil came on...she stopped immediately..the car was towed and a blocked frozen PCV vent caused the rear seal to blow...GM is aware of this defect with no intention to reimburse for repairs

NHTSA complaint #11638195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Rear oil seal leaking the connecter piece burst and is causing the oil to leak all out and making the car die. It is a know issue and recall but my vin number does not match. The vehicle is un drivable at this time.

NHTSA complaint #11637581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH in cold weather, the vehicle was shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the work garage, where the contact noticed that a significant amount of oil had leaked onto the ground. A mobile mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the main crankshaft seal had failed because the PCV system had frozen. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance in covering the repair under Technical Service Bulletin: Bulletin No: PIP5093B. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

NHTSA complaint #11636263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the contact became aware of smoke in the rearview mirror and heard a loud thud. The contact exited the highway and drove to a gas station where the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated there was oil dripping from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 176,014.

NHTSA complaint #11634564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My car is equipped with the 2.4L ecotec engine and has insane levels of oil consumption. Since my last oil change 2000miles ago I've added 5 quarts of oil. A few days ago the car started making a ticking sound while driving, the car then began surging and tried to take off while i had my foot on the break, and started to overheat and then shut off at a light. I was able to restart the vehicle and had no per on the rest of the drive. When I got home I checked the oil and the dipstick was dry. I received no warning light or indication that this was the case.

NHTSA complaint #11632392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving in busy traffic with no warning signs, no check engine lights when all of a sudden my engine lost power an would not restart. I had to get a tow from Kentucky to Michigan to a near by Mechanic where he ran a boroscope. The timing chain failed which then valves hit the pistons. I know this has been a big problem for this year equinox.

NHTSA complaint #11632358 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I have a 2014 Chevy Equinox 2LT - VIN [XXX] - 2.4L I4 F DOHC 16V Engine Oil Consumption Recall – my engine is consuming oil, I do not see an external engine oil leak on the ground. There is an active recall for the 2013 Chevy Equinox LT – 4 cylinder engine for the internal engine oil leak, allowing recall repair/replacement of the engine pistons and rings, I would like my vehicle included in this recall, since the same exact engine oil consumption is taking place with my vehicle. I have to add at lease 2 quarts of oil each month. My vehicle has a little over 202,000 miles on it. Please respond to my request. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11623559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I woke up one morning to take my daughter to school as I drove away and came to a stop sign my 2014 Equinox started bouncing/shaking tremendously while idling at the stop sign. I turned around and drove back home (1/2 block away.) We had the vehicle towed to a mechanic shop where we were told that the engine is bad and would need to be replaced. This came as a shocker since the vehicle only has 130K miles on it and there were no warnings of engine problems.

NHTSA complaint #11620877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I have had several codes pop up on my Equinox, such as P0016, P0017, P0089 and P228D. All of these codes are between the Crankshaft position, variable timing position and high pressure fuel issues. I almost wrecked my SUV because of these 3 factors and I have seen thousands of videos on YouTube with other people having the same issues. This is beyond dangerous to be out on the road driving and these codes pop up causing "Reduce Speed" warnings and "Stabilitrak". This will be the 2nd time I've had to replace the Crankshaft position sensor and Variable Timing Solenoid, along with a brand new timing kit that I had put on right after I bought the car over a year ago, that is now in need of repair. There has to be some way that Chevrolet can fix these issues for those of us who buy their vehicles. They are supposed to be safe, dependable, durable and last longer than what they do before they start having all of these issues. I have had so many problems with the last 2 Equinox's that I have owned and each one of them have all had the same error messages pop up within a year or less of driving them, some have lasted over a year. I as a vehicle owner should not be held responsible for these kinds of issues going on in a vehicle that I still owe for. Chevrolet needs to understand and take care of their customers to prevent accidents from happening, vehicles from breaking down after short periods of time and replace/repair these malfunctions at their cost so that people like me don't keep going out here spending hundreds of dollars for the same fix after a year or 2 replacing, and it sometimes still not even fix the problem. There are so many others out here with the same exact issues that I am having, P0016, P0017, P0089 and 228D codes all dealing with fuel, vehicle speed, Stabilitrak, etc. Something has to be done about this and there has to be a way where they can be fixed for longer than 50,000 miles

NHTSA complaint #11618668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.