2015 Chevrolet Equinox Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe windshield wipers that suddenly quit — usually while driving in rain — and, separately, engines that use oil well before the next change and in some cases end up needing replacement. The wiper complaints and the oil-consumption complaints together account for the large majority of the sampled reports; both tend to appear in the tens of thousands of miles rather than right after purchase.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop working

   • 269 complaints (40%)
   • median 75,601 mi at 5.0 yrs old (212 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $384 (median of 20 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2025

   Owners describe the wipers stopping mid-swing, often in the up position, while driving in rain or snow. Many say the wiper motor can still be heard running but the blades do not move, or that the arms can be pushed by hand; some report the linkage or plastic bushings coming apart, and a few had the arm detach. Complaints describe repeat repairs of the linkage or ball joints, and dealers replacing the wiper motor or module in some cases; several owners note a recall on earlier model years and report being told the remedy part was not yet available for the campaign covering this year. Typically reported between roughly 40,000 and 130,000 miles, often during rain or snow while the vehicle is moving.

   Recall 22V165000

   What to check: Before buying, cycle the wipers at every speed, look for slop or free play at the arms, and check whether recall 22V165000 was completed and, if not, whether the remedy part is available. Ask whether the linkage, bushings or motor have already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The windshield wipers stopped working on my 2015 Equinox that has less than 55,000 miles. Appears to be the wiper motor and not just a fuse. I got in my car to leave the store on a rainy night, turned on the wipers and heard a pop or a click and they stopped where they were and I can now move them freely with my hand but they will not go with the controls.”

   NHTSA complaint #11407376, filed 2021-04, 55,000 miles

   “Plastic bushings used to hold wiper arm linkage continues to break loose. Have repaired several times with parts available in part stores. This design is very poor and is very dangerous as you can imagine when raining. These continue to pop loose or break. I would continue to hate to have this go out on my wife and kids!!”

   NHTSA complaint #11363880, filed 2020-10, 75,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Excessive oil use and engine damage

   • 149 complaints (22%)
   • median 96,161 mi at 5.7 yrs old (64 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,500 (median of 23 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners report having to add oil between changes — sometimes a quart in under 1,000 miles — with no low-oil warning before problems start. Complaints describe a check engine light, rattling or knocking noises, stalling or loss of power, and mechanics finding low or empty oil; several were told the engine or pistons and rings needed replacement, and others that the timing chain had failed. Some mention a milky residue under the oil cap and PCV-related leaks, including a rear main seal leaking from pressure in the PCV system. Mostly reported from about 55,000 to 135,000 miles, sometimes with oil consumption noted from much lower mileage.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level and look for a fuel or burnt smell on the dipstick, ask for oil-change records and whether an oil-consumption test was done, and listen for timing-chain rattle or knocking at start-up and under load.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ever since we got our vehicle it uses oil, since more miles have gotten on the said vehicle it's using more oil! Oil isn't cheap, I put more oil in my 2015 Equinox than my husband puts in our 2004 dodge ram and it burns oil but less than my Equinox! I'm having to check oil level everyday because of this, my husband and I just had the oil changed on 10/3/2020 and today 10/5/2020 I've had to add 1/2 of a quart of oil! …”

   NHTSA complaint #11362951, filed 2020-10, 2,019 miles

   “My vehicle had a oil change at 86,000 miles. I hit 90,722 miles . The vehicle was running fine and when I got off work and tried to start the car it started but then shut off. I had no check engine lights, no low oil light and had a perfect diagnostics report on my onstar, I had to get the vehicle towed to a dealer per on star, after speaking to the dealer I was informed the motor blew up because it jumped time and dumped oil. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11398496, filed 2021-03, 90,722 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling or loss of power while driving

   • 74 complaints (11%)
   • median 87,500 mi at 4.8 yrs old (52 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,250 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Some owners describe the engine quitting or dropping into reduced-power mode while driving or when pulling away from a stop, occasionally with no warning light beforehand. Complaints mention a dealer finding a solenoid, or mechanics tying the stalling to oil loss and internal engine damage. Others report rough running, shaking and hard starting around the same time. Reported from roughly 70,000 to 125,000 miles, both at low speed in traffic and at highway speed.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a test drive, note any hesitation, stumble or drop in power from a stop and at cruising speed, and ask whether stalling or reduced-power messages have ever been logged or diagnosed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Check engine light came on got a notification from onstar stating that engine and transmission system issue has been detected. Also when I shut down my vehicle and restarted it the starter keep making this sound like it wanted to start and did not then did. Then I got a message on the dash saying that something was wrong with power steering.”

   NHTSA complaint #11322050, filed 2020-04, 73,000 miles

   “My vehicle had turned off while driving it sputtered a bit the shut off.. I started it back up then I drove home and took it to the dealership the following day. No check engine lights or anything ever popped up to giving any warning. Dealership said it was a solenoid idk if I spelled that right. I hope its the problem”

   NHTSA complaint #11321680, filed 2020-04, 102,286 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying or airbag warnings

   • 33 complaints (5%)
   • median 55,400 mi at 4.2 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 18 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe impacts where the airbags did not deploy, or curtain and steering-wheel airbags deploying without a collision, with a service airbag message afterward. One owner reported metal fragments puncturing the steering-wheel airbag during deployment and injuring an arm. Others report the passenger-side airbag indicator showing the seat as unoccupied when someone is sitting in it. Reported from around 55,000 to 106,000 miles, in impacts and in one case after striking a pothole.

   Recall 15V666000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 15V666000 was completed, confirm the airbag warning light goes out after the bulb check at start-up, and watch the passenger-seat occupancy indicator with someone seated.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We hit a deer going 70 MPH last night on interstate 10 headed westbound , upon impact the airbags did not go off. We smelled something that smelled like it was burning, it was the igniter to the airbags. Now the car is giving us a service airbag message on the screen. Our airbags all failed to deploy.”

   NHTSA complaint #11384240, filed 2020-12, 106,000 miles

   “I was driving home and drove over a pot hole in the road when I was turning at intersection, then approximately 3-5 seconds after curtain air bags deployed as well as the one from steering wheel. The steering wheel air bag did not fully inflate due to metal fragments that were shot out causing a puncture to the air bag and those fragments caused puncture wounds to my arm, and cracked the driver side door window. I was not in a collision at that time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11355043, filed 2020-09, 94,000 miles

Buying note. Check the wiper function and recall status carefully, and treat oil consumption as the main mechanical question: verify the oil level, ask for service records, and have a mechanic listen for timing-chain noise. A pre-purchase inspection that includes a scan for stored engine codes is worth the cost on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.