Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Equinox ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, there was sudden loss of engine power as the traction control warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electrical connections needed to be repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 53,000.

The ignition gets stuck. *tr

I had been having issues with the car starting properly and the key getting stuck in the ignition. the dealer couldn't find anything wrong. then one evening, i drove to a store and turned my car off. came back and it wouldn't start. called roadside assistance and they though it was the battery, but it wasn't. had it towed to the dealer and was told it had a bad starter. i had to by a new starter. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the ignition switch failed. the contact also stated that the a/c and heater was not activating properly. in addition, the sun roof would allow water to leak through when it was fully closed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 147,000. the vin was not available.

2006 chevrolet equinox. now has 095431 miles on it and this started around the 83k miles point. key will not rotate from off position to on position, thus the car can not be started and this ha. this appears to be a known problem with several chevrolet vehicles utilizing happened multiple time. the same ignition cylinder; however chevrolet has failed to address please advise. *tr

My 2006 chevrolet equinox has and is experiencing the same symptoms outlined in gm recall 13v-248. the driver door power window and power lock worked intermittently and is now totally inoperable. even though my vehicle is not on the list of recalled vehicles, should i be concerned that this is related and may cause a fire? *tr

The power window control on the driver side no longer works, the power lock on that side quit working as well. now i hear there is a recall of 2006 gm vehicles with the same issue, but not my car. is this a coincidence or not enough complaints from equinox owners? the risk that caused the recall was the potential for a fire. do i need to worry that my car will catch fire? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the vehicle started independently, without the key being in the ignition. the vehicle also powered off independently. the contact stated that the vehicle could only be started with the key in the ignition. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the failure mileage was 70,000. *tr updated 05/28/13*lj

2006 chevrolet equinox. key will not rotate from off position to on position, thus the car can not be started. the problem is with the ignition cylinder presumed, as the factory key is incapable of even being rotated to the on position. a second factory issued key that has been sparingly used since purchased was substituted for the original (problem key). this second key appeared to have resolved the problem, for the first two weeks of use, however now this new key will not work at all either. based on my research via the web, this appears to be a known problem with several chevrolet vehicles utilizing the same ignition cylinder; however chevrolet has failed to address this known problem. *tr

The car is over heating excessively and it has also affected the heating system in my car. i was told by chevrolet in brodheadsville, pa that it would cost me $2,800.00. this price is extremely high. upon doing research, chevrolet, equinox have been know to have problems with the head gasket. they need to do a recall on all of the cars. *tr

Water swishing noise in dash area. increasing difficulty turning key in ignition switch. must pull it out, turn it over and push up and turn to get it to start car. at 65,000 miles door flap on a/c heater failed, weather was 15-20 degrees f in december and caused heater and defrost system to fail. we, incurred a $1400 repair bill for a $129 part, labor expensive as part is "difficult to get to" . many other complaints for these same issue are posted on-line. does someone have to get in a serious accident or die before they recall any of these? *tr

Car was parked and my daughter went to leave to come home and car would not start. we tried to jump it, but it still would not start. i believe it may be a pass lock issue. *tr

I have a 2006 equinox which i bought in 2010. while i had various "of age" repairs, such as fuel system issues and a fan motor; with the age and mileage, they seemed normal. in 2013 i replaced the egr valve and transmission speed sensor simultaneously; as the code was for egr, but would only intermittently kick in the tss code (the car died in the middle of traffic 3 times before i could get the code to stay so we could find the problem). among looking online for the problem, it was common, but my dealer would not fix without the code. june, 2014, the brakes started pulsating on the car in low speeds. i would have to pump the brakes to get it to stop. twice, pumping the brakes at an intersection failed, and nearly resulted in a wreck with my daughter in the car. the abs and tc lights would come on intermittently. i took it to a mechanic: he evaluated each connection and cleaned them, where the abs harness connects to the main harness. he found no discrepancies. after 2 more months of dangerous driving, and a whole new set of brakes (all 4), online research prevailed once again. this problem was common; and suggested a rather cheap fix. the 18 in wire harness from the wheel speed sensor to the main harness had an issue. sure enough i, a woman, after being told the dealership didn't carry the part, ordered it online and replaced it in 15 minutes. no problems since then. may, 2015. what appeared to be a thermostat issue ended up being a coolant reservoir problem. the reservoir was broken, where the plastic nipple that comes out the bottom attaches with the hose. after i contacted all parts stores in the area, i was told while it was common for chevrolet trucks and equinox vehicles, the equinox part was no made available to the parts stores. i had to special order online, thank goodness it worked.

Bought vehicle used in 2012 ( june 26) and 1-2 months later had to replace ignition switch as key would not turn over. still have issues with ignition switch not turning over intermittently so we leave key in ignition and lock with the remote controller. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph, she noticed that the brakes were pulsating abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was advised that the front hubs would need replacing. the vehicle was repaired but the pulsation continued. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was nothing they could do to assist. the failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 121,000. updated 8/24/12 *cn the consumer stated the pulsating continued. it was finally determined that the wiring in the abs was the cause of the problem. updated 09/10/12

I had just bought this car with one previous owner from a local chevy dealer. i noticed that sometimes when i use the blinker, my brights would come on and i would be unable to turn them off. then my steering wheel column would start to smoke. i would pull over and turn off the vehicle and it took several attempts to start the vehicle again. this has not lead to a fire yet, but very easily could. this has happened about half a dozen times in a month. the dealer whom i had just bought it from refused to help cover the cost of the repair of this piece. i am now paying for the repair myself. i'm just not sure if this has been a common vehicle problem or if this has happened to others. *tr

Was driving getting onto freeway (on the on ramp) car completely lost power. couldn't get out of the lane onto shoulder all the way. in rush hour of course. car would start but as soon as i put it in drive and tried to pull it over more it would lose all power again. had a toddler and baby in 95 heat on side of freeway. had to have it towed. tried to dive it next day, died again. turns out, when ever the turn signals/flashers are used, it kills all power in the car. causing it to stall in the middle of the road. vehicle starts right back up and runs fine without turn signals. very unsafe to have a car die while driving it. we refuse to drive it in fear of it causing further issues. *tr

My 2006 chevy equinox has now had three separate incidences of spontaneous engine turn over. the first was in may of 2012, next in april 2013, followed by august 2013. on each occasion; the car was parked and locked at the time that it spontaneously started. with each event i had to put the key in the ignition, put the car in reverse, move it a couple feet, followed by shifting to drive and moving forward. it was only then that i was then able return the car to park and turn off the engine. my car is not equipped with a remote starter kit, and never had one in the past. i have no idea why the car started on it's own, and certainly consider this to be a safety issue. *js

Lights don't turn off,high beam and low beam not working properly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. while driving various speeds, the contact detected a burning odor. also, the instrument panel lighting turned off and the radio signal was lost. the vehicle was shut off and restarted, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to gray-daniels chevrolet (601-863-8466, located at 6080 i-55, jackson, ms 39211), but the cause of the failure could not be diagnosed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the same dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

Purchased my equinox in 2006 new at 12,000 miles serpentine belt broken,window has jumped going up and down since the day of purchase took back to the dealer but they couldn't find a problem.at 110000 miles the heat stop working.then by summer the a/c went too.and car has always had ignition issues my car will stay running even when you take the key from the ignition completely.gm doesn't care about car owners only profit... going back to ford... *tr

I heard a thumping noise from what felt like under my feet. i then tried to push on the brakes, only having the pedal give a great amount of resistance with loud abs noises. it will continue doing this until both my traction control light and abs light come on. i had my brakes checked and they said everything was good. and of course it was out of my 50000 mile warranty. i still drive cautiously and try to get the lights on as quickly as possible when driving my children around so that we aren't seriously injured. not until i started researching the problems i'm having with this particular vehicle did i realize i wasn't the only one. the brakes are the first to mention...then there's the ac/heater problem it won't blow hot air, and it won't blow cool air when stopped at a red light. then that loud clunking noise made when i'm driving over bumps that sound like my front end is going to fall off. oh and the fact that my speedometer will only increase by 3-5 mph increments. the dealer said they couldn't find anything wrong, after getting a speeding ticket by a camera light it was taken into a speed shop who verified its absolutely not working correctly. they couldn't even give me a reading because its broken. nice!!!!! seriously is someone going to have to die, or seriously injured before someone steps up and takes responsibility? *tr

No hot air blows through vents, only cold air. also, the car cranks, but doesn't turn over most of the time, you have to push on the gas pedal in order for it to turn over. very frustrating for a mom. *tr

En breaking 90% of the time.when i was coming to a stop on the freeway my steering column started vibrating and continues to do so . when starting truck the ignition keeps going as if the truck is on repeat start. sometimes when i turn the ignition off the truck stays on. *tr

In january 2012 within the first week of buying our 2006 equinox, we started having ignition problem. we would try to start it and it would just keep cranking until it would finally start. we took it into the dealership of purchase and they tried replacing several parts but this did not fix the problem. we have had it in at least 6 times for the same issue and finally were told unless it just altogether doesn't start they are not able to locate the problem. it is now july 2013, still have the same problem and now having intermittent problems like, cooling fans won't work, window will not go up or down, radio button on steering wheel choosing when it wants to work, gas mileage is terrible and has been from the start. after researching several web pages about complaints we are now finding out that these problems may get worse!!! also we have also found out that this issue is due to the pcm which has been recalled in the 2005 equinox and several other chevrolet products but unfortunately not the 2006!!! according to other accounts, the pcm can affect many other components. hoping chevrolet will step up and do the right thing. i have always been a chevy fan but at this rate i am starting to lean towards ford as i hear they back their products! what a shame! the sad part is this is our only vehicle at the moment and this repair is not affordable so if a recall doesn't happen soon i'm not sure what we'll do! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. when the contact attempted to stop the vehicle, it stalled without warning. the vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. the contact also stated that the key would not release from the ignition. the contact would have to turn the key several times before it would release. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who repaired the ignition and replaced the keys, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Heater stopped blowing hot air which causes the windows to unsafely fog up on cold snowy and or rainy days. all visibility is gone as the inside fogs up wipers are unable to clear the glass. may cause potential serious accidents. it is to my knowledge this is happening with every 2006 equinox out there. the actuator goes out of alignment causing the blend door to break and not allow the heat in. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy equinox that all of a sudden started blowing cold air when the heat should be on. i replaced the thermostat thinking that was the problem. it's not. it is the temp actuator door. according to a diagnostic test done by a chevy dealer this is a very common problem with the 2006 equinox. i emailed general motors who offered to pay 10% of the $1000.00 charge it will take to fix this problem. i do not have this money. and after reading several websites there are a ton of people who have this same issue with their vehicles. this should be a recall. i live in colorado where it is 20 degrees outside. my windows will not defrost without heat. please help all of us that are having this problem. it is a safety hazard when you may be driving in dry weather...and then it starts snowing or raining. how are we to see when the windows fog or freeze up. as we say in colorado...wait five minutes and the weather will change. but it may be too late if my windows won't defrost and i'm out on the plains or in the mountains where there are no towns for 150 miles. this a very realistic danger. general motors does not recognize this as a problem with the 2006 model, although apparently they do realize it on the 2010 model. i have been a life long chevy owner, and my father retired after 32 years with gm. if something is not done...i will never own another general motors product. please do something before someone is seriously injured or killed because of this problem. *tr

Heater blows cold air. heater just stopped blowing hot air. after diagnosis the dealer found the temp (air blend )door broke and in the default cold position. had to replace the temp door and the actuator. parts $163 labor $930.60 plus misc. total cost $1184.12. *tr

Starting in december 2011, our heater blend door broke on our 2006 chevrolet equinox. it is a wide-spead issue with the exact make/model of this vehicle, effecting several hundred, if not thousands. chevrolet has released a technical service bulletin may of 2012) with the exact issue, as well as re-designed the door for future fixes, but refuses to help repair the vehicle for me. even know the problem started before the mileage factor in the warranty for the part, and is over the mileage now, gm refuses to help. my car has no heat at all, windshield does not de-frost, does not de-fog. my wife has to use this car to drop our autistic son at his school as well as to go to work, we can't have no heat. *tr

I am having the same problem as all the other owners of a 2006 equinox. no heat!!! i have had this looked into and have wasted over $900 on trying to fix the problem. this is ridiculous that they don't do anything about this!! shame on them!!! i have to transport my young daughter in a freezing cold car every day because i can't afford the $1200 that i find out needs to be put into this!! i have been a loyal chevy owner since i bought my first car years ago...but now i will think twice before buying one or even suggesting one to a anyone. *tt

Yesterday the heater stopped blowing hot air. after having the vehicle looked at it was determined that the blend door and the blend door actuator needed replaced. from researching the issue this is a major problem and needs to be taken care of by gm. *tr

My wife and i purchased our 2006 chevrolet equinox in january of 2011, 10 1/2 months after owning it (out of warranty of course), the heater blend door/actuator problem occurred on our chevrolet as well. it seems to be a common issue with this year/make/model, and it's effecting visibility in the cooler months. we live in western washington, and during the fall/winter, you can't see anything through the windshield (only have cold air available through vents). *tr

2006 equinox; air temp blend door not operating, no heat no defrost on suv. this poses a issue during winter months. causing issues visibility for driver. have seen several forums that discuss many many equinox suv with same problem with vin starting with 2cndl. really needs a recall on this asap... over $1000 to repair $35 to $100 part. (note. i am entering complaint for a friend who works 2/3 jobs and does not have time to do this herself. i am the contact person). *tr

I took the vehicle to the shop to get it checked on 11-21-11. we took the vehicle thinking that a piston was bad, because that was the way it felt, like not getting the right pressure from the piston once the brakes were activated/pressed. once we got the call back from mechanic, he stated that we needed new rotors due to both being warped. i thought that that will take the problem away but once we got the truck back, immediately within days the problem came back. we took the vehicle back to the shop and they stated it was a tire the one causing the noise and rattle once the brakes were pressed. at the shop, they replaced the front brake pads as well as the disc brake rotors, they applied lug nut torque 100, inflation 35/35, cleaned and adjusted rear brakes. after all of this was done, i still get engine lights on the dash board. i took the truck to get it tested at autozone for free and got this code on their machine oem number to cross: p0171 definition: fuel trim bank one condition explanation: the power train control module uses the oxygen sensor to calculate the air/fuel ratio of the engine. the computer has recognized a rich or lean condition on one bank only. probable cause: a1. if bank one and two set together suspect fuel pressure or maf (mass air flow) sensor a2. oxygen sensor defective. a3. ignition misfire-repair. a4. fuel injector problem. i have not used my truck for the past 2 and a half months for fear of having an accident if breaks fail to do their job or lock up while braking. it is stressful enough if computers/mechanics nor dealers make up their mind about what the codes are or mean. i also notice the the button for the all wheel drive does not work anymore and that is being in that stage since the problem started. if anyone has a solution to this issue, please let me know. thank you. *tr

Heating problem in the vehicle. it has been diagnosed to the blend air damper (valve) being broken from the blend air actuator torquing it too far. i have found that this is an on going problem for gm and this needs to be addressed. *tr

No heat coming in the suv to defrost windows or to warm up the inside. total repair will be $800.00 for a $30.00 part. plastic plate that controls the air and heat is defective. apparently the part after sometime get weak from hot and cold conditions. only way to fix is to tear complete dash board out to reach blower assembly, replace vent door and reassemble the entire dash board. *kb

The defroster has gone out. the heater does not work. the engine block heater needs to be replaced. *tr

2010 november 7 heater keeps going on and off, weird times, while turning, sometimes while braking hard, also lost the light for the window switches and heater control 8 heater not working today 9 heater keeps going on and off, weird times, while turning, sometimes while breaking hard, also lost the light for the window switches and heater control 10 heater not working today 22 - mechanic fixed my blower motor; cause was a loose/burnt connection in the black connector (red/white wire), under the toe kick on the drivers side, 2011 july 18 twice ac fan shutoff while driving 19 ac fan shutoff again while driving 20 ac fan shutoff completely 24 - mechanic fixed ac fan, jumped wires (red/white wire, fan controller) november 5 looks like the reason my heater is not working, it's the fan door' not operating, mechanic is investigating more.. *tr

Heat suddenly stopped working in truck. many complaints have been filed by other owners , pertaining to the temp blend door being defective. *tr

The air temperature blend door failed. this caused the loss of heat and the ability to defog the front windshield and is a definite safety concern due to the lack of visibility. also this is a know issue by chevy with thousands of failures reported on various websites across the internet. *tr

The ignition switch would lock up and sometimes it turns over continuously, like it is stuck. the air condition blower has stopped working 3 times. it would smell like something is burning but the switch actually would be burning out. i hear others that have chevrolet vehicles have had similar problems. my husband has a 2007 chevrolet colorado and we have replaced the blower twice in it in last than a year. *tr

While driving at aprox 45mph the engine just stalled. no warning no sputtering just dead. both engine lights came on the check engine light and one with the x thru the engine. after aprox 30 seconds it started back up and was fine. this has happened intermittently at different stages of driving and various speeds. on 12/28/11 it happened to us 3 times while out. i am leary of taking it to the dealer close to us as they recently did a brake job that i have had to take back 4 times and am again having symptoms of needing brakes. i have no faith in the dealer. *kb

When the weather started to get cooler i attemped to put the heat on in my 2006 chevy equinox and nothing but cold air came out! i went online and found out that this is a common problem with this make and model. this is a saftey concer because i also have no defrost. the lack of heat is caused by the air temperature blend door failing to operate. the blend door allows air to flow past the heater core. the air temperature door has a plastic arm which is connected to an electric motor. it seems the problem is with this plastic arm breaking and motor malfunction. gm dealers replace the plastic arm with a metal arm at a cost to the consumer of between $1100 and $1400 dollars. this is a manufactures part problem. gm should step up and make this problem a recall issue. saftey is involved. the newer models have been modified for this same problem. *tt

Same as reported below, abs issues, ignition switch, over heating, water sound in dash, blend door issues. only have 80k on car but problems surpass value. why are there no recalls for equinox? *tr

For a few months my key was having trouble turning in my ignition as well as my spare key. it finally stopped working all together. i had to get my car towed and had to have the housing and ignition replaced. my mechanic has informed me this is an ongoing problem with the equinox models. my friend and i have the same model but different years and are realizing we are having the same issues. if this is such a problem for chevy they need to place it on the recall list instead of consumers having to pay $450 for something they know is an existing problem. *tr

I first reported to chevrolet in 2011 that my ignition/key in my 2006 equinox would get "stuck". it wouldn't turn and i'd spend sometimes several minutes just trying to get the key to turn so i could start the car. i sometimes had to tap the key forward with a screwdriver handle. i reported this issue because i found numerous complaints from other people reporting the same issue. chevrolet simply said thanks for telling us that you and many many others are having the same issue but we're not going to do anything about it. now i have a problem with the blower fan not working. it seems this is a commonly reported issue as well but i cant seem to find an actual service bulletin on the blower resistor motor/fan problem. i'm just so disappointed in chevy! can't they at least offer free labor if you buy the parts or something? when issues are widely reported??? *tr

I began to notice that at times the car would not start the first time i turned the key. i would have to turn the key to off position and try again, this could sometimes take a couple of times. i have had it to the dealer while it was under warranty over and over and they said they could not repeat the complaint. then finally in 2013 they did and stated that it was indeed the ignition switch which would cost a good amount to get fix. they also showed me that while the key is in running position that it could be removed from the ignition. with the latest of many recalls on the gm vehicles i believe the equinox should also be included in this as they experience the same problem. *tr

I have a 2006 chevrolet equinox ls. purchased from the dealership brand new in 2006. i've been having problems with the ignition getting stuck a lot. it progressively been getting worse so i did some research and found that i'm not alone. having very similar problems as probably hundreds of people. the key won't turn and it takes about 5-10 minutes fussing with it before it luckily turns on. i haven't had to call for a tow yet or bring it into the dealer and fork out hundreds of dollars. i hope it doesn't die all together. i don't feel that i should pay for a defect such as this. please recall the ignition in this vehicle. *tr

Heat in 2006 equinox chevy quit due to heater blend door failure. cost to fix was $944 + tax. this is obviously a design flaw, and should be corrected at gmc expense, not the consumer. also caregard warranty services inc. didn't cover the repair even though the air and heating system is covered in their policy. due to small print and a play on words they can claim that any part that is not specifically called out by name is not covered, even though the heating system is covered. stay away from both chevrolet and caregard warranty services inc. *tr