2018 Chevrolet Equinox service brakes problems

“On approximately 09/04/2026, while driving my vehicle and slowing to a stop, I applied the brake pedal and it suddenly became extremely hard to depress. At approximately the same time, the steering became very stiff and difficult to turn. I believed I had lost normal braking ability and had difficulty controlling the vehicle while attempting to stop. The engine then shut off on its own. After the vehicle stopped, attempts to restart it were unsuccessful. The engine would crank/attempt to start but would not complete the ignition cycle and remain running. A ticking noise was also present. The vehicle remains available for inspection and is being towed to a local GM dealership for diagnosis. The specific component responsible for the failure is currently UNKNOWN. The vehicle previously generated diagnostic code P050F in January 2026. Following the 09/04/2026 failure, diagnostic code P0017 was identified. I did not receive P0017 prior to this incident. I did not observe an overheating warning or temperature-gauge indication showing that the engine was overheating before the vehicle shut down. The incident created a safety risk because the brake pedal became…”

“In my chevy equinox 2018 my vacuum pump and brake booster failed when I was driving and I could not brake. I slid into the gravel side of the road on the 138, luckily there were not alot of traffic at the time cause I would have caused a major accident. Never had any braking issue till now. Now this is a major financial hardship on me to fix this issue that should have not happened if it got recalled to fix this issue on this certain model. No lights, no indicator lights or anything came on either which was scary. And I have no problems or any other issues with the equinox. It just failed all of a sudden.”

“While I was getting off the freeway, my vehicle displayed the “Service Brake Assist” warning. When I attempted to brake, the brake pedal became extremely hard and would not respond normally. The vehicle would not stop normally when I pressed the brake pedal. I was almost involved in a crash because I could not brake as expected. I had to use the emergency parking brake to help bring the vehicle to a stop and avoid a collision. Component/system: The exact failed component is UNKNOWN. Based on the “Service Brake Assist” warning and the extremely hard brake pedal, I am concerned there may be a problem with the brake-assist system, vacuum system/vacuum pump, brake booster, or related components. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: This created a serious safety hazard because I temporarily could not stop the vehicle normally while exiting a freeway. I was almost involved in a crash and had to use the emergency parking brake to help stop the vehicle. Dealer/service confirmation: UNKNOWN at this time. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or independent repair facility. Manufacturer/police/insurance inspection: UNKNOWN/No…”

“I own a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. While driving at highway speed, the brake pedal suddenly became completely rigid and could not be depressed. The engine continued running normally, there were no warning lights, and I had to coast into a parking lot because I was unable to brake normally. The vehicle was towed to a Chevrolet dealership. The dealership diagnosed a failed vacuum brake booster and replaced the brake booster at my expense. After the repair, the exact same safety issue occurred again while I was driving at approximately 25 mph. The engine was running normally, there were again no warning lights, and the brake pedal instantly became rock hard and would not depress. The repair did not resolve the condition, and I no longer believe the vehicle is safe to operate. I am reporting this because the same loss of brake assist occurred before and after the dealership’s repair.”

“My granddaughter was driving the vehicle and experienced a catastrophic engine failure while driving down the road. Warning messages and audible sounds began and said to turn off the vehicle immediately. The brakes completely stopped working at that point. She pulled over immediately and called to ask what she should do. She was approximately 1/2 mile from home and she drove approximately 10mph to her driveway, pumping the brakes helped get the vehicle to her driveway. The vehicle was then towed to the dealership.”

“The brake vacuum pump has gone out four times now. While driving the brakes suddenly become hard as a rock to push. Of the four times two of them have been close calls to having a serious collision. This is a known issue with these vehicles so it blows my mind there isn't a recall for this.”