Problems · by component

2006 Chevrolet Equinox engine problems

68 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Chevrolet Equinox cite engine, 10% of all 695 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
68
10% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Vehicle keeps over heating fixed everything that can cause it to overheat and the problem still consists read many complaints over 700 with the same issue even when the problem get temporarily fixed it starts overheating again in a couple month car will mainly over heat at idle the heat won’t work it’s a bad antifreeze smell it’s a problem that has many complaints but still nothing is being done I have 5 children I didn’t think I would be driving with my children wondering if my car was going to over heat and us having to pull over on a free way or a street being stranded bc of a problem that’s happening with these vehicles and nothing is being done”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 4, 2021EngineODI 11419708
“CAR STALLS NO MATTER IF I'M AM NOT MOVING OR GOIN 65 MILE AN HOUR,WITHOUT WARNING, I LIVE IN RURAL AREA LOT OF CURVY ROADS, KEY WILL NOT WORK AT TIMES IN IGNITION, WHY WAS THERE NO RECALL ON 06 EQUINOX IGNITION SWITCH ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, I AM PETRIFIED TO DRIVE IT , BUT NEED TO WORK,IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE OR HOW FAST YOUR GOING CAR STALLS WITHOUT WARNING,HAVE HAD CAR SINCE 2013 OR SO AND ALWAYS BEEN KEY PROBLEM BUT NEVER STALLED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 18, 2020EngineODI 11329501
“I BOUGHT THIS CAR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO FROM A USED DEALER SHIP AFTER THE CAR TURNED 12 MONTHS THE CAR STARTED SAYING IT WAS OVER HEATING BUT WHEN LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE IT WAS NOT HOT AT ALL THE SENSOR JUST SAID OVERHEATING ALL THE WAY TO THE RED WHEN THE CAR READ OVERHEATING THE RADIATOR FLUID OVERFLOWED WITH OUT BEING HOT WHEN OPENING THE LID THERE WHERE AIR BUBBLES WITH NO HEAT. I HAVE SPENT OVER $1000 DOLLARS TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH STILL NO SUCCESS WHEN IT SAID OVER HEATING THE CAR STARTS SLOWING DOWN AND THEN IT STOPS WHERE EVER YOU ARE AT RIGHT AWAY SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WHEN AT TIME IT SAID OVER HEATING THE HEATER STOPS WORKING. I HAVE HAD TO LET THE AIR OUT SEVERAL TIME A DAY AND NOW IT SAID OVERHEATING AS SOON AS I LEAVE MY HOME. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING OTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED BUT NOTHING WORKS. I HAVE GOT A NEW RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, TEMPERATURE SENSOR ,THERMOSTAT, FILTER AND STILL NOTHING. I TOOK IT TO GET IT CHECKED WITH THE COMPUTER AND 18 SENSORS WENT OFF AND 8 WHERE FAILED SENSORS. I WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION IT HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF OTHER…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 13, 2019Unknown or other, Electronic stability control (esc), EngineODI 11288978
“EVER SINCE I GOT THIS VEHICLE I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD WHAT SOUNDS LIKE WATER IN THE DASH WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. I'M CONSTANTLY REFILLING THE ANTIFREEZE DAILY, I'VE BEEN READING THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE ANTIFREEZE WHICH IN SOME CASES LEAKED OUT OF THE AIR VENTS INTO THE VEHICLE. LEAKING ANTIFREEZE SOME WHERE IN THE ENGINE. I'VE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE HEADS DUE TO THE LEAKAGE. ANTIFREEZE LEAKS INTO THE ENGINE OIL CAUSE WHITE SMOKE OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I'VE ALREADY FLUSHED THE COOLING SYSTEM AND THEY ALSO DID A REVERSE FLUSH AND THE WATER GUSHING NOICE IS STILL THERE. GM NEEDS TO GET THIS FIXED...”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 12, 2019EngineODI 11279687
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MIST FROM THE HEATER BLEW INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND CREATED AN ABNORMAL ODOR. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE MIST PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM SEEING OUT OF THE WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW WATER PUMP WAS NEEDED. THE MECHANIC FLUSHED OUT THE SYSTEM AND PLACED A NEW HEAT SYSTEM IN THE ENGINE WITH NEW ANTI-FREEZE. THE FAILURE RECURRED LATER THE SAME WEEK. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 14, 2019EngineODI 11186752
“IN APRIL OF 2015 I PURCHASED A 2006 CHEVY EQUINOX FROM SID DILLION CHEVY DEALERSHIP. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE IT RAINED AND WATER HAD LEAKED INTO DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARD. WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE IT STARTED BUT THERE WAS NO ACLERATION AND THE CAR WOULDN'T DRIVE WHEN PUT IN GEAR. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE VECHICAL BACK OUT THE DEALERSHIP TO BE LOOKED AT. IN FINDING THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS SUNROOF DRAIN THAT BACKUP AND LEAKED WATER INTO MY DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARD, ALSO LEAKING WATER ON TO THE THROTTLE SENSOR WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE GAS PEDAL. THEY INFORMED ME THAT DRAIN HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT AND THE ERROR CODE WAS RESET AND THE VECHICAL RAN AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW MONTHS LATER AND I WAS AGAIN INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THIS THE SAME PROCEDURE WAS DONE AS BEFORE AND I ASKED WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE SUNROOFS DRAIN, WHEN IT RAINS I WILL HAVE WATER THAT LEAKS INTO VECHICAL IF THERE IS LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN AND THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO BROKEN PARTS THE PROBLEM CAN NOT BE FIXED. I INFORMED CHEVROLET MAIN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 12, 2018Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 11101380

Showing 6 of 68 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.