Problems with 2005 Chevrolet Equinox ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Went to start my car and the key would not turn. i jiggled it for a long time and it finally turned but the headlights wont work now. i looked on line and saw a few other have this issue. i cannot drive at night now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. while driving at approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was able to restart and resumed normal operation. in addition, the key would release from the ignition switch whenever the vehicle was in motion. on several occasions, the ignition key failed to release from the ignition switch. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Key keeps getting stuck in the ignition when trying to remove the key, after months of this and complaining bout it to carmax and them not finding a "problem" the key would no longer work, turn in the ignition. now the warranty has expired and i have to pay out of pocket for the repair. this is an issue with many chevy equionxes from 2005-2010. *tr

Found key would not turn past 'off' position. after wiggling key finally turned on and was ok. after a few days found key could be removed while vehicle was running. several days later found key would not move switch to full off position. just found this site and see several other owners with similar troubles. looks to me like these switches are poorly manufactured and should be replace by gm at no or minimal charge to owners who trusted they were purchasing a top notch vehicle with a trust-worthy manufacturer. mileage at failure 90,000. *tr

The ignition gets hung up and wont allow to start or move ignition switch to turn off unless you giggle it around. this problem is sometimes helped by going to the dealer and getting a new key. this wears out in a few months and the problem returns. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that she attempted to start the vehicle, but it failed to do so. additionally, she was able to remove the key from the ignition while driving without the vehicle powering off. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 72,000.

I stopped at a gas station and shut off truck . got out and pressed twice on the lock on keyless alarm system . the truck locked but no honk . came out of gas station and tried to unlock truck with keyless system . nothing . had to use key to get in . put key in ignition to turn on and bing bing bing nothing . no electronics work truck doesn't do anything . *tr

After shut car off, key gets trapped halfway in the ignition cylinder- would not let go of the key, nor would let me push back in to start the car. called roadside assistance twice when this occurred as i was away from home; they basically couldn't do anything other than try playing with it until it let go. when it happened at home, i left car alone with the keys halfway in ignition in driveway and it let go of the keys hours later. when dad borrowed the car, he used plyers to remove key. appears to be a problem with ignition clenching key spontaneously with no remedy.

Have had to replace 2 ignition switches which resulted in car being towed each time. *tr

I have had an ignition problem with this vehicle for approximately a year or more. when i put key in ignition, i have a hard time getting it to turn to start vehicle. and then, when i want to turn car off, it is difficult to remove key from ignition. i took to chevy dealer in kenosha, wi and was told that my vehicle is not on recall list and i would have to pay for it myself. i just wonder with all these recalls going on with chevy for the same issue that i am having with my chevy, why they won't fix it and cover expenses? please help! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that her key became stuck in the ignition switch. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000. the current mileage was 146,000.

The key can be removed from the ignition while the car is running, the headlights only work on highbeam, the brake lights do not work except for the small one in the middle. the car will continue to try to start even after the key is removed. the car currently runs hot so the fan runs constantly and runs the battery down. i have parked the car and wont drive because of the safety issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph over a speed bump, the brake pedal was depressed and the brakes began to pulsate with the illumination of the abs and traction control warning indicators. the vehicle failed to slow down after repeatedly applying the brakes. the emergency brake was engaged in order for the vehicle to stop. the vehicle was able to resume normally and had been taken to four independent mechanics for diagnosis, all of which were unable to locate the cause of the failure. the front brakes, abs sensors and abs module were replaced. the problem persisted after the repair was performed. most recently, a technician informed the contact that problem could possibly be caused by an electrical issue. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

Liftgate power lock doesn't work. no manual way to open. unable to replace tail, brake or turn signal lights unless liftgate is open.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the when attempting to start the vehicle, the key would become resistant to being inserted into the ignition. the contact took the vehicle to a mechanic and was told that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the mechanic also stated that they felt the failure was related to nhtsa recall campaign id number: 04v302 (power train). the manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall campaign. the failure mileage was 166,000 and the current mileage was 167,000. *tr

Car will not start unless i change the rear brake fuse. when i change it, it continues to blow out.. *tr

When i would try to start the car the starter would stick and just keep turning over and over, and would not start, when i finally got it to start i would be driving down the road the rpm's would shoot up between 3 and 6 and drop to 0 in a matter of seconds and everything in the car would shut down, this is while i am driving down the road in the middle of traffic. i had to pull over and set there until it decided to start, sometimes it took awhile and others it would start right up. this has happened over and over to many times to count, this car is very dangerous, i could have been hurt very badly. also the key would stick in the ignition and would not turn i would have to get out of the car and rock it back and forth in order for it to turn to start the car. i had everything possible done to this car that the mechanic could possibly think of, even a new computer and thousands of dollars later it is still doing the same thing. there is something really bad wrong with the car and it need to be fixed. i am tired of putting out money and it not being resolved. have paper work on all the work done to the car. more then 1 mechanic has looked at it and they are still scratching there heads! *tr

The key becomes loose in the ignition and came out while car was on or in motion. spent over $400 to repair it and now gm has made a major recall in the area but not on the 2005 equinox. i had it repaired in or around november 2013. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. when the ignition was turned to the on position, the key would continue to click to the on position even after the vehicle was turned on without being prompted. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Water seeped in under sun roof, down front driver side roof pillar and then into car behind dashboard then dripped down into computer control device (where obdii unit hooks up) where it shorted out entire electrical system. i was going down a hill into town where speed is 45 mph and my sister in law was in car and we were heading to airport however engine just shut down. brakes and steering became really much more difficult to control. we coasted to a stop and after 15 mins car started up but with significantly diminished power so i drove into a service station where car stayed for next 2-days. i discovered what shut car down when i started squirting water onto roof at a car wash and water started dripping down onto carpet flooring but first it seeped into computer control unit. i waited out drying of unit and then drove home and applied a lot caulk to sunroof where glass meet metal/rubber. car exterior roof now looks terrible as caulk dried sort of a brown crud color (car is white) but no more (knock on wood) engine stalling when it rains or i go through a car wash. makes me very nervous when on road and in rain. *tr

My remote would not lock the doors. replaced batteries. it would lock and unlock once. then nothing. fuse blown. replace fuse. work once, blow fuse. took to dealer after 3 months of not being able to access my trunk space, you can't open from inside or outside without remote. a wire inside the passenger door had somehow been severed??? how does that happen. $685 to fix.... next huge issue: driving down road.. front end gone???? struts, links...$1100 car won't start ...have to give it gas, seen a lot of these with no idea what's wrong. well dealership says its fuel pressure sending unit, bad injectors... grand total to fix $2000.. in what world should a vehicle that does not even 100k miles on it have so many costly fixes......i looked on here to see if anyone else is having the starting issue.. seems to be a lot of people. *tr

My equinox has trouble starting and it will turn over until you give it some gas, i've been reading on consumer reports and this is a common occurrence with most equinox's. i was at the grocery store the other day and heard the same problem with another that was parked some what close to mine as well. *tr

1st time, going down steep hill, could not stop vehicle, thought brakes died, had to use the hand brake to stop, just missed a truck by a foot, would of hit me on driver side. that was in 2012 had suv towed to robinson township, non gm dealer, they said it was the ignition sensor, replaced it, re-towed to gm dealer in moon township. they checked it out it was ok since sensor was replaced. 2nd time was in 2013, stopped coming down a hill again, no power again, called aaa they towed to gm dealer in moon township pa. again ignition sensor replaced and also some other wires burned which were all replaced. vehicle has around 33,000 on it only. *tr

Driving down the highway at about 55-60mph when the car dies. started running again a few seconds later but then died again. pulled over could not get it started, but started to smell something burning. popped the hood to find the main fuse box bellowing smoke, thankfully it was raining so i let the rain cool it down. i figured this was better than it eventually catching the entire vehicle on fire as my wife and 3 kids were in the car. after the smoke stopped, the car repeatedly tried to start itself without the key being present in the ignition. it eventually stopped doing this but the dash lights would randomly flicker in unison. all electrical components were still operational (radio, lights, signals, wipers, etc...) but again no key was present in the ignition. *tt

Check engine light came on. mechanic had off and on for 3 weeks, unable to find cause. dmv issued wavier on 4/9/2015 so that we could get renewal tags. took to another mechanic who was recommended by first one. they replaced r&r canister purge solenoid and the wiring harness on 6/22/2015. the light stayed off for a couple of days. we returned to mechanic. picked up on 6/29/2015, light stayed off until 7/2/2015. we are supposed to return to mechanic on monday due to this being holiday weekend.

The equinox failed to start up. i waited and tried to start it again and this time gave it a little bit of gas and it started right up. from my research this is an ongoing problem with 2005 equinox. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. the contact mentioned that the key released from the ignition cylinder while the vehicle was in motion. also, the contact mentioned that a strong odor of fuel emitted from the ventilation system. the dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 88,000.

It been in chevy dealer for repair hub replace wind in dealer refund cost. *tr

Key sometimes won't turn, key can be pulled out of ignition while driving down the road, ignition will chew up or eat the key. *tr

This complaint is in regards to the 2005 chevrolet equinox. this vehicle was purchased used in august 2009 with roughly 42000 miles from carmax in dulles, va. since the purchase of this vehicle, i have spent nearly 3000 dollars in repairs as it seems that parts are wearing out or malfunctioning far earlier than typical. at about the 60000 mile mark, all four rotors and brakes needed to be replaced due to the rotors being warped. i was told by the mechanic that this is not common and should not have happened at this type of mileage. cost for this repair was about $500. tires have needed to be replaced twice since the purchase of this vehicle; once around 60000 miles due to "uneven wear" which was likely a result of the bad rotors, and again around the 100000 mark also for "uneven wear". this cost $400 on each occasion. at the 80000 mile mark a loud knocking noise was heard coming from the front end, and proceeded to get worse up to the 100000 mile mark. between those mileage marks, the front end began to feel very loose. the problem was that the struts prematurely failed and created a very dangerous driving condition. the cost for this repair was over $1300 and was repaired on june 27, 2011. after doing a bit of research, i discovered that this is a very prominent and common problem for this year, make, and model. on top of these issues, there is also apparently a problem with the rear end as well that is also creating a knocking. also, the daytime running lights have begun to flash repeatedly and very quickly at random times as well as turning themselves on and off. the cd player also broke. i feel that this is a very unsafe and unreliable vehicle that should be investigated to determine whether this is truly due to "wear and tear", or if this is a factory fault. *tr

Sometimes it is hard turning the ignition switch to the on position - once there, the key comes out of the ignition switch while driving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the anti lock brake and traction control lights would illuminate on the instrument panel whenever a turn was made or the vehicle was driven over uneven surfaces. as a result, the brakes would engage and exhibit a grinding noise. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on three occasions where the brakes, rotors and hubs were replaced. the failures continued. the failure mileage was 27,057. updated 8/29/11 *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, she erroneously struck the key ring and the ignition key released onto the console cup holder. the engine continued to operate without the key being positioned in the ignition switch. the contact immediately placed the key back into the ignition switch. the engine would operate at any given time without the key being permanently placed in the ignition switch. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 mph, the key came out of the ignition independently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the ignition lock needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 121,000. updated 01/07/14*lj the consumer stated the ignition would lock making it difficult to remove the key. the passlock light would stay on. the consumer owns 2 chevrolets with the same malfunction. after having the vehicle repaired the failure recurred. updated 9/28/15*js

Driving on smooth road at about 60 mph when the ignition key fell out of the ignition switch onto the car floor. the switch was still in the run position and i was able to reinsert the key into the switch. the engine did not stop and there were no warning lights. this has happened several times since. current mileage is 73500. i noticed i can manually pull the key from the switch at anytime. i have not tried to move the steering wheel while moving to see if it will lock when the key is out and the switch is in the run position. it does not lock when the vehicle is stationary and the switch is in the run position with the key out. i had the car into the dealer for a brake issue and in a follow up phone call brought the key issue to the service writers attention. she said to have a new key made by the dealer using the vehicle vin. i did not do this yet. i have three keys made by local hardware stores all with the same result. *tr

Exhaust gas recirculation tube rusted and came apart. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact had to turn the key in the ignition several times in order to start the vehicle. additionally, while driving various speeds, the key would detach from the ignition. the failure occurred daily. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the failure could not be duplicated. the dealer made a new ignition key, but the failure recurred six months later. the failure mileage was 90,000.

I have a 2005 chevy equinox that i purchased used in march 2009 from johnny londoff chevrolet. i have been taking it to the dealer for regular maintenance and they would say everything is working properly. i've been experiencing alot of problems with this car since i've purchased it. the air didn't work & i paid to get it fixed only for it to go out again. when i start it sometimes it doesn't want to start, i hear noises like it's misfiring when it does start. i recently had the vehicle serviced & had a multipoint inspection & was told again everything is working properly only to be driving home & when i tried to stop the brakes don't work. i could have had an accident & my child was in the car as well. i had it towed back to them to find out what caused this & they said the hub bearing needs to be replaced & the harness needs to be replaced. it's not gonna be cheap to fix as i'm not under warranty. i want this to be investigated as to why this happened without any warning since i've only had the car about 1 year & 8 mos. the mileage when i bought the car was 53010 & since i have had it i'm only at 62567 miles. i need answers just like others experiencing some of the same problems. *tr

I to own a 2005 chevrolet equinox which i purchased brand new, with only 34,400 miles on it to date. our car is very well taken care of and it looks as good as the day we took it off the car lot. i have the same problem with my car,you could remove the key without turning the ignition off and the motor is still running ,also around the ignition there is metal shavings .i now have worn out the second key and the ignition does not lock and when it does you cannot open it to start. so, i made a mark on the ignition where to turn the key off so i can start it the next time.the vehicle's both remotes do not work. i paid $65.00 for a new one at the dealership and now it does not work all the time. i lock the doors then, they won't open we have to use the key and hurry up to start the vehicle before the alarm goes off.i to had to replace the battery, but i chalk that up to age, also 4 sets of front brakes and rotors, 4 sets of tires and my vehicle only has 34,400 miles on it. being a pa. state inspection mechanie i concurr there is a problem with the ingnition switch and in my opinion a possible defect in the front braking system.i hope gm looks into the problem ...updated 06/09/14 *bf updated 06/11/2014 *js

I bought this truck sept 2010. its a used chevy equinox 2005 from a big "mazda" dealership here in edinburg,, texas. i didn't buy it with warranty. after a week of driving it, i had to change the brake pads already. they sensors started messing up within 3 days. but the dealership said they couldn't do anything about it cus i had no warranty. i changed the oil with synthetic oil after a month after hoping it would get better. but it kept on happening all the time until now. anti-lock brakes and traction control light sensors. they turn on all the time. and the barring vibrates and you can feel it when going slow. i just got it fixed the other day at a famous car repair shop and they told me there's a 50/50 chance that changing the barring will work. but it has happened to other chevy equinox 2005/2006 models that they've fixed before with the same problem. i took my chances anyway and i bought a new barring and changed all my 4 tires. after a day the light sensors turned on again and the barring started vibrating again. i called them up they said to go to a dealership. i don't want to take it to a dealership cus my warranty expired already and i know they're goin to charge more. i'm not sure if there is a recall on the brakes and sensors on this model that's why im filing a complaint. *tr

Since 2008, i have experienced the following problems with brakes grinding & squeaking even after getting them repaired (front and rear brakes / rotors replaced). a couple of days after rear brakes replaced the abs & tc lights were on. i had to have sensors replaced. i have also experienced car not starting and sounding like it is flooding, after letting car sit for a few minutes it then starts. there is also a popping noise that comes from the back of car after starting the engine. when changing shift from park to drive car occasionally jerks & shoots forward. when pressing the gas, the car takes a few moments then jerks forward. now i'm being told that the transmission is going bad & i have to pay $350 for a diagnostic test to determine if they can rebuild the transmission or have to replace it, which will cost between $1800 to $3000. there is a 2005 chevy equinox power train: automatic transaxle recall but my car is not covered. note: vehicle has been serviced regularly according to the maintenance schedule timetable provided by the manufacturer. *tr

2005 chevrolet equinox radio with 6 cd changer. problem is the cd player works for one minute then stops, it clicks and light blinks but does not play. *kb

2005 chevrolet equinox. consumer writes in regards to ignition problems. *smd the consumer stated she was able to remove the key from the ignition while the engine was still running. according to the invoice, there was an internal problem in the ignition cylinder tumblers. the dealer replaced the ignition cylinder. the consumer continued to experience problems, with the ignition cylinder binding up due to debris inside the cylinder housing. the lock cylinder was replaced. *jb

I have been having this issue for a few years now. when i put the key in the ignition and go to turn key over, the key will not turn. i have to sit there and wiggle up and down and back and forth to get the key to finally turn so i can start the car. no one else can drive my car, because no one else can figure out how to get the key to turn over. also, my keys come out of the ignition while car is in the on or off position. i have been having this issue for over a year now. i have been following the recalls on the gm and chevy vehicles and believe i am having the same ignition issue as the other recalled vehicles. i have talked with customer service at gmc about this issue but they have not been able to help me. there has not been a recall on the 2005 chevy equinox yet. *tr

In april of 09 the truck was leaking oil, had head gasket replaced. in june 2010 the engine overheated head gaskets was repaired a second time. when received truck back from dealer truck died on freeway and now it needs new fuse block and main computer. just paid 2500 in repairs and dealer wants 1500 and cannot tell me if that will fix the current electrical problem. truck is now worth 3,000. this was a 24,000 truck. this should not be happening. *tr

Brake system failing. abs and traction system malfunctioning causing abs system to activate in normal braking situations. dealer ship said it was a sensor, had it repaired at the tune of $110 system check, $170 hub/sensor assembly purchase. firestone auto care said it was a faulty wire harness that i am have replace to day to the tune of $250. per the tech at fire stone this is his third repair of this type, same make and model care. 2005 chevy equinox. *tr

Equinox has had power failure while driving 6+ times...all when driving in wet conditions (either raining or having just rained). first time was told by dealership that i drove thru a puddle and got everything wet (i didn't); had something to do with the electrical system replaced. have taken car back to dealer within the last two months because it happened again, and was told all of my weatherstripping needed replacing b/c that was allowing water in. had this done. happened again tonight (wet weather today, but was not raining when i was driving). the other times this has occurred, i've let my equinox sit where it died for a few days to let it "dry out" and that has worked, but this not exactly the best solution as i don't live in the desert and it does rain here. chevy dealer of no help; said he agrees there is a manufacturing defect but there is nothing he can do about it. advised me to call chevy cs. i have dealt with them before on another equinox issue and they were of no help. wish i would have investigated my state's lemon law in time. sudden and total loss of power is dangerous!! *tr

Car doesn't start on first attempt. it tries, then even after i release the key it continues to start, like its stuck, i have to pump the gas to get it to start, and it acts flooded. abs and traction control lights on. when i press on the brakes it feels stuck at the top and grinds and pulsates even though my brakes are good. i've had my speed sensors replaced twice , problem still ongoing. i have to push with all my weight for the brakes to "break through" what ever its stuck on and work, then they lock up. that's when the abs/traction control lights come on, then i know the abs is not trying to work and my brakes will stop me. i've almost crashed into things too many times. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. while driving 45 mph, the key fell out of the ignition independently and the vehicle continued to move forward. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000.

While driving my 2005 vehicle to work noticed a lot of smoke coming out of the front of steering wheel. had the vehicle taken to the dealership and was told that the power steering parts had to be replaced. *tr