2023 Chevrolet Equinox Problems: 8 Known Issues

On the 2023-2024 Chevrolet Equinox 1.5L turbo I4 (LSD), owners of 2023-2024 Equinox models with the 1.5L turbo (LSD) report the engine-mounted high-pressure direct-injection fuel pump failing, often well under 60,000 miles (some as early as 28,000 miles). The pump can no longer maintain rail pressure, so the engine suddenly loses power, drops into 'Engine Power Reduced' limp mode (speed limited to roughly 5-55 mph), stalls, or won't restart, frequently leaving the vehicle undrivable and requiring a tow. CarComplaints logged 20 distinct 2023 fuel/propulsion complaints centered on this part, and many owners report the replacement pump being on national back-order for months. This is a separate failure from the earlier 2021-2022 in-tank low-pressure fuel pump module recall.

On the 2018-2025 Chevrolet Equinox, the direct-injection fuel injectors on the 1.5L turbo can leak - internally past a cracked injector body/tip (dumping raw fuel into the cylinder and causing a misfire) or externally past worn upper O-rings (fuel smell, weeping at the rail). This is distinct from the covered high-pressure fuel-pump and in-tank fuel-pump-module failures. GM issued a Customer Satisfaction Program for a fuel-injector leak on some 2025 Equinox that directs dealers to replace all four injectors and the fuel feed pipe.

On the 2010-2023 Chevrolet Equinox, equinox models are prone to parasitic battery drain where electrical components continue drawing power when the vehicle is off. Common culprits include the OnStar module, radio/infotainment system, interior lights, and stuck relays.

On the 2018-2024 Chevrolet Equinox, the center touchscreen (Chevrolet MyLink / Infotainment 3) intermittently goes completely black, freezes, or reboots in a loop while the rest of the car operates normally. Owners lose the backup camera, climate display, radio, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and OnStar screen. The failure is usually a software/HMI-module fault but is also commonly traced to loose or corroded connectors and cables at the radio receiver located behind/below the glove box, or to a failing HMI (Human-Machine Interface) display module. A temporary fix is a system reboot (hold the power/volume knob ~10-15 s, or hold Home + fast-forward for 10 s), but it returns until the underlying module or wiring is addressed. This is one of the most-searched Equinox electrical complaints across model years.

On the 2018-2023 Chevrolet Equinox 1.5L Turbo (LYX), the 1.5L turbocharged engine (LYX) can develop front or rear crankshaft seal oil leaks and set DTC P1101 because of higher-than-normal crankcase pressure. GM traces this to a plugged PCV orifice in the camshaft cover.

On the 2018-2024 Chevrolet Equinox 1.5L Turbo I4 (LYX), because the 1.5L turbo (and the earlier 2.4L SIDI) is a gasoline direct-injection engine, no fuel washes over the back of the intake valves. Over 40k-80k miles, oil vapor from the PCV system bakes onto the valves as hard carbon, restricting airflow and disrupting the seal. Owners report a check-engine light with single- or multi-cylinder misfires that are worst on a cold start, plus a slight loss of power and rougher idle. GM Preliminary Information PIP5029D acknowledges misfires caused by 'major carbon build up on the intake and/or exhaust valves' on its earlier direct-injection engines, including the 2010-2014 Equinox 2.4L, 3.0L and 3.6L; it does not list the 1.5L turbo.

On the 2018-2024 Chevrolet Equinox, a widespread, heavily-searched complaint: the driver information center displays "Shift to Park" even though the lever is already fully in Park, and the vehicle then refuses to lock, refuses to allow the key/fob to leave, or will not restart. The root cause is an internal park-position microswitch inside the transmission-control (shifter) assembly whose contacts/actuator arm wear out and stop sending the correct low-voltage signal to the Body Control Module. It is intermittent at first (often heat- or vibration-related) and progresses to a daily no-start/no-lock condition. GM's service bulletins for this condition (e.g. the PIT5616 series and 19-NA-206) list other GM models such as the Malibu, Traverse, Blazer and Acadia rather than the Equinox, and there is no recall; the official repair on those models is replacement of the entire shifter assembly because the switch is not sold separately. The same defect affects the platform-mate GMC Terrain and many other 2014-2024 GM models, which is why owner forums are full of it.

On the 2017-2024 Chevrolet Equinox All engines, owners across multiple model years report the factory windshield cracking from very minor rock strikes that would normally cause only a chip, with some drivers on their second, third, or fourth windshield within a year or two. A separate but related complaint is optical distortion/blurriness in the glass that causes glare and, for some, motion sickness, and which often persists even after a warranty replacement. The thinness/quality of the laminated glass is the suspected root cause; there is no recall, but the complaint volume is high.