Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Equinox ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2006 equinox lt i receive the 30 day factory warranty i purchased the extended warranty from chrysler group llc i purchased the car 2-11-11 before the 30 day warranty went out i took the car in for overheating on feb 8 got car back on feb 15, on march 11 took the car again for overheating received car back on march 18, 4-27-11 took the car in because the inspection sticker was 2010, on may 03 took the car in for overheating got car back on may 10, took car on 8-22-11 for the same problem overheating as of today the car has not been looked at. this is the 4th time i took the car to get serviced for the same problem overheating took the car back 3/12 and 5/12 for the same issues and as of today 10/29/12 the same issues i am getting tired of paying the 100 dollar deductible for the same problem. they have replaced the wires, the fans twice and sensors and then the fans it is to many problems that people having with these equinox and the customers are un happy nothing is getting done about this something need to happen pissed customer i was sold a lemon what about the lemon law in texas this need to be a recall and give us our money back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact could not open the driver side window. the contact stated a week later that all the electronic functions on the front driver side door would not function. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the wiring harness in the front driver side door needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 58,000.

We have a 2006 chevrolet equinox that has continuously had an electrical short in the wiring harness that deactivates the gas pedal accelerator. when it happens you can only move the vehicle with the pedal floored at 1 mile per hour which is very dangerous when you are on a high speed highway with no other cars around as you can not move out of the way of high speed vehicles that may be approaching. we have had it into the dealer three times and it continues to happen again intermittently as to the point we feel it is unsafe to drive. we have filed a complaint with chevy and they refuse to take any responsibility. we are afraid to take it on vacation as we could be stranded. *tr

I was reading through other complaints and i had the same issue as everyone else a year ago. my 2006 equinox was blowing out cold air. i took it in to get fixed (while still under warenty) and had to pay about $900. well, about $750 for labor. they said since it's regular wear & tear i had to pay for it. i've never even heard of it before. the had to take off my entire dash board! it was just a piece of plastic that broke off that door behind all the controls. i actually got on here because recently my safety/auto theft light keeps coming on while i'm driving! the other day my car wouldn't even start and i don't know if this has to do with it or not! has anyone else been having these problems? is it a big deal? help? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the heat stopped functioning. the contact's mechanic believed the problem was attributed to the heating coil which was behind the instrument panel and hard to reach and replace. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were approximately 50,000.

Over the past year my chevy equinox has been giving problems. i have had to have the ignition switch change out twice because when it is hot outside the ignition cylinder swells and the key can not be turned. the past three months there has been electrical problems where the traction control light comes on and the car just shuts off immediately and will not start again. *tr

Chevrolet passlock system is intended to keep one's car from being stolen but the widespread issues with this system are a danger to its drivers. this system has left me stranded several times because it hinders the engine from starting. *tr

8/17/10 while driving my 2006 chevrolet equinox approximately 40 miles per hour the car just shut off - no warning & all the recommended service has been done on the car at the chevy dealer since i purchased brand new. took car to chevy dealer & they could not duplicate but thought it may be due to a dirty throttle body, so they cleaned it. 9/1/10 while driving down the highway at 65 miles per hour the car shuts off again and again on 9/3/10 so made another appointment with chevy dealer & they said they were able to duplicate the issue & they replaced the engine switch. 9/10/10 problem occurs again & car is at the dealership. chevy dealer has not been able to fix problem yet. this is a real concern to have your car shut off while simply driving down the road. it does restart but i have to sit and try several times. *tr

Bought in jan 2009 with 65,000 on it. summer 09 in a rain storm it looked like someone turned a faucet on in my car the water was coming in on drivers side my left foot looked like in the tub, fixed under warranty. out of pocket $100, the by end of 09 the real fun began, had engine mounts replaced, knocking in car when car started for first 5 minutes. the by october car was over heating, heat only blew when car was moving, car now had 118137 replaced the ender blower motors, coolant fans and fan motor, called and reported to chevy, then in november 010, it all happened again. this time had to have blend arm door replaced car called chevy nope not a issue per internet its major issue. replaced at my cost $891. right before christmas, 2010, gaskets and seals blew car over heated then shut off, had to let it cool down then start up again. had to replace engine, gaskets and seals. now 7/12 chevy wants to reimburse for the part but decided to fight me tooth and nail on the reimbursement because i no longer own the car. traded it in april 2012 could not longer afford it and trans felt like its going to go. chevy said i will get a partial refund of blend arm door only? wtf the car put me and my children in danger and that's all they want to do but yet fight me? also i reported to chevy all these issues, the bbb, a lawyer at this point, 2 tv network news programs, and all available multimedia. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the vehicle would switch from air conditioning to heat while he was driving. the problem was intermittent in the beginning but the failure progressed and became more frequent. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the strip flapper door on the heating coil was defective. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 64,000.

2006 chevy equinox would not start yesterday morning. put a brand new battery in it, it started then when i got to the store and came out tried to start it, it would not start! finally got it to start after i lifted the hood and banged on a couple of things. drove it to dealership and parked it, was told to drive truck around to service department and guess what? it would not start. they charged $230 to "fix" it. was supposedly poor terminal fit at starter solenoid causing excessive heat at starter relay. got my truck home, decided to go get something to eat and truck would not start again! :( *tr

Truck lost speed without warning while driving in traffic. engine cuts off while driving. truck can be working one minute and you park and come back and nothing it would start and have to be tow and this has happen to me three times in the last 5 months. the elec system always have something wrong with it. running at 55 mph and a semi-tractor trailer behind you with your three small grand children in the back and the truck just lost it speed with no warning is a frightening thing to happening. i have replaced the battery, the started, and now the lower cooler fan is out the elec. system just keep breaking down back to back and i hardly even drive it only to doctor appointments and to do my shopping. *tr

Heater in my wifes equnax just quit working while was driving it windshield iced over and foged up she had to pull over rite away tobefore she wrecked it

I purchased this vehicle used from a local mazda dealership in august of 2010. at the time of the purchase i noticed the ignition switch would partially jammed when trying to start. i took it back to the dealership and they put graphite in the switch. it still jams to this day. i was curious if this could be related to the recall i recently read about. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the ignition switch was replaced in 2010. most recently, the vehicle stalled sporadically and lost steering. additionally, the vehicle would intermittently fail to start and the contact would have to turn the key continuously. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 88,859 and the approximate mileage was 130,000. updated 04/29/14 ma the consumer stated the back lock cylinder intermittently turned freely. updated 05/2/2014 *js

On jan. 11, 2010 i started my car to let it warm up before leaving for work. i let the car run for about 10 minutes. drove the 20 minute drive to work, and when i got downtown, the car shut down and all of the warning lights on the dashboard came on. was able to coast to side of street and stop car. restarted car and put into drive. all warning lights still on, and don't have any power. was able to coax car to go three blocks to parking lot, and called dealer who came and got the car. after checking, i was told that water had leaked down the right front passenger side of the window, freezing, thawing and backing up which got to the wiring and burnt it out. really glad that i wasn't on the interstate that morning. *tr

My 2006 equinox initially began having start up issues where the starter would crank and the engine would idle roughly and then die. it would take several attempts to start. then i figured out if i gave it gas when i started it up it would have a better chance of starting. sometimes it worked. then the issue went away for a while and came back with a new issue. the new issue is sometimes the car wouldn't start at all. the starter would click but would not start. it would do this several times and then it would start like nothing was wrong. this happens intermittently. it does not discriminate on location, time of day etc. *tr

Purchase car approx: 7/09 with approx: 33000 miles. in jan 2010 notice problems starting car, has been happening off & on ever since. car now has 114000 miles. *tt

Bought my 2006 equinox lt awd and two months later i was out of town took my car to the car wash and came out of it and my car went into limp mode. tried to restart it and the same thing happened i tried to drive but could not go any more than 20 mph parked the car and had it towed to a ny dealership. they told me the car was running lean codes came up got it to start at the end of the day and i was on my way. brought it back to my original dealer and they could not find a problem. changed a gas pedal, fuel pump. about 7 months later pulling out of my driveway and my car just stalled brought it in could not diagnose the problem. another couple of months later out of town in a major intersection in the rain with a full car my car died no power pulled over luckily and turned the key and it started up again. at another point in time i noticed that under the dash board on the passenger side water was coming in when there was a heavy rainfall. i too reported this an no answer. i also had problems with starting my car i would either have a hard start or it would stick so they replaced the alternator at my cost. it is so frustrating talking to the mechanics they make you think you are losing your mind but now reading these problems i think i might have damage to my computer. oh yeah here is one more problem i have the light on my heat knob is out and they tell me in order to fix the problem i have to purchase a whole new compartment there is no fuse or light the whole area needs to get pulled out and replaced labor plus part 600.00 no thanks. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact started her vehicle and all of the warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. she then tried to move the steering wheel and it was locked. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that they could not duplicate the failure. the contact started the vehicle a few months later and experienced the identical failure when she started the vehicle. the contact turned the vehicle off and back on and the steering failed to reset and function properly. the contact was driving 25 mph when she heard a clicking sound and after driving approximately 5 to 6 miles the power steering began to function. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 46000. the current mileage was 48000. updated 05/10/10 *bf the consumer stated the problem with the electric power steering has been fixed. the problem was determined to be a loose ground wire. updated 05/12/10. *jb

I own a 2006 chevy equinox. purchased the car back in august 2009 and a few days after buying the vehicle the car wouldn't start. i would turn the key to turn the car on and it wouldn't completely turn over and it would "stick," causing me to turn the car back to off. after attempting to start the car the first time, the second time would usually work. now, it's getting to the point where the car won't turn over without pressing the gas, if i don't press the gas the engine won't start at all. i can turn the key on and off; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 times but it refuses to start without the gas (i'm worried i'm going to flood the engine now). this happens randomly during anytime of day and during any weather conditions, sometimes it doesn't even happen for days/weeks then suddenly the problem comes back and its worse. this is getting ridiculous especially with a car with only 70,000 miles on it. no dealer will help me because the car will never act up for them. i really don't know what to do and i am running out of options. i don't want to be left stranded because gm won't help anyone with a problem a lot of people are having with the same year and car! *tr

Key stuck in the ignition and could not be removed. *tr

My 2006 equinox has been shutting itself off while driving it. i was driving on the interstate doing 70 mph and without notice, the engine shut off completely. how i managed to coast from the fast lane to the right shoulder without causing a wreck, god only knows. it has done the same thing on 3 other occasions. i was simply running errands in my neighborhood and the engine just shuts off. no warning lights come on. the engine light does not stay on either. after waiting a minute, the car restarts and can be driven. but i have no idea when this will happen again. i have had it in the shop 2 times so for repairs and they can't find anything wrong. (going back for number 3 today.) no computer codes appear to be diagnosed. this is a very dangerous situation. i can't be driving a car and it just decides to shut down on its own. i have kids and can't be putting their life in danger or even the other motorist. i have been researching on other car sites and found 6 other instances of this within the last year. i think chevrolet needs to look into this asap before someone gets killed. *tr

I purchased a 2006 equinox-chevrolet almost 3 yrs already. i had a very dangerous experience twice w/the car, i was on the highway and the car all of a sudden slowed down completely and would no accelerate at all. i have taken it to the mechanic and he said that is a problem this particular model car has from factory.i have read equinox complaint--recalls and read several that encountered the same problem. i believe this is a really big safety issue for a car to turn off/slow down while driving 70 mph--there should be a recall on this vehicle for this problem that can result in a fatal accident. please advise me what i can do in this matter. i now afraid to drive and i'm always traveling with my grandkids. please help!!!!!!!!!thank you for your support. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy equinox that i bought brand new. i've had multiple problems with it. the first was issues with it not wanting to start. at that point it was still under warranty, and the dealership replaced the ignition. the problem has continued throughout the four years that i've had it, and now occurs almost every time i start my car. i've also had the heater blow cold air, and the dealer replaced blower door and actuator. i contacted gm, who agreed to pay half of the cost. that was in january of 2009. since then, i've had multiple issues as well with the key getting "stuck" in the ignition. usually after about 10 minutes of moving steering wheel back and forth, it will finally come out. this happened mostly this past summer when it was really hot outside. i've also heard clicking noises coming from the passenger side randomly when i turn my car right after my car has been parked and running for awhile. another issue is revving up for no reason. both times i was sitting at a stop light and then started to turn left and car revs up and seems to get stuck in gear then eventually kicks out. after reading the other reports, i am now scared that the next issue is going to be my car shutting down while i'm driving down the highway. i work in home health, therefore i am driving my car all day everyday. i also have a toddler and worry about his safety in my vehicle. *tr

Vehicle fire. cell phone charger was plugged into the front auxiliary power outlet. 2-3 minutes later smoke was noticed, and fire erupted from the center console where the power outlet is located. vehicle was immediately pulled off the road and phone charger was unplugged, burning the tip of one finger. vehicle was exited and 911 was called. fire dept. arrived and extinguished the fire. phone charger and phone are intact and were not burned or damaged in any way, i in fact was still using them in our other vehicle until requested not to, by my insurance company, and to hold them for further investigation. after the fire, the fuse for the power outlet was checked and had blown out. don't know yet what caused the fire. it certainly appears the wiring shorted out? vehicle was a total loss. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy equinox which i purchased with 80 miles on it. after about 20 months i was unable to turn to the in the ignition. i had to force it and play with the steering wheel for about 10 minutes for it to turn. i took it to the dealership and they replaced the cylinder. about 2 months later is did it again. it is currently back at the dealership for the same issue. the key will just not turn at all, as if it was the wrong key for the car. *tr

1. 6 months after purchased third taillight shorted out didn't know had no brake lights. took to dealer 7 times after wiring harness, third taillight replaced because spoiler cracked, hatch unable to open. dealer moved hatch hinges and spoiler kept cracking. still having third taillight no brake light problem is with wiring faulty. taillights all leak causing wiring short in fuses. other issue is first break service abs sensor stayed on break pedal pulsated for 2 yrs 2 dealers 1 mechanic replaced abs sensor 3x didn't fix ended up paying for new front wheel hub also caused 3 accidents could not stop because of it. mileage is 68700 rec 1 recall for heater. where are rest?

A. 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. the dealer did state that it was indeed the ignition switch. b. we also have an issue with the ignition when you turn it over it continues to try to start after it is running. the only way to make is stop is to step on the gas. c. when the car is shut off with the wipers or heater or even the radio on; when we start the equinox, there is smoke coming out of the steering wheel area. it has a burning smell with it. very dangerous. just last week, i had my equinox on with the air, and smoke came out of the steering wheel area while it was running idle. d. in the colder weather, there is frost on my inside front windshield. all windows are up, and there is no reason for this. this vehicle needs to have a massive recall as there are many issues going on with it. i would hate to see someone get hurt but i could see it happening if something is not done to correct these issues. *tr

Everytime that i take my car in for a quick car wash or if it rains really hard (in florida it does)... water leaks through the lights in the ceiling, the back hatch, and through the floor boards. my check engine light comes on and the dealer tells me that it is water corrosion from the water leaking through the electrical wiring harness. this causes my car to run, even though i have my pedal to the floor, very slow. i can't go past 10mph. i am afraid of electrical fire. i can hardly turn a corner... i am afraid of a car accident. my car is only 2 years old now... 4/2008 and this has happened a 3rd time. my battery has already had to be replaced and my radio replaced twice because of the "cd changer error". now i can only imagine, with all of the water that keeps coming in, what condition my car will be in a few months from now. electrical problems, bad smell, corroding floor boards and who knows what else. *tr

My 2006 chevy equinox has trouble starting. the problem used to be intermittent, but has become more regular over the years. i have taken it to three different dealers to diagnose and they say there is no problem or they were unable to duplicate the issue. when the problem occurs it will only start if you hold the gas pedal to the floor. otherwise, it will just crank and then turn off. i have seen many complaints about this online and found that the 2005 equinox seemingly has the same problem and was issued a recall. i work hard to pay the bills and need someone to acknowledge the problem that these vehicles sre having. *tr

Tuesday feb 6th went to license branch in south bend in. was inside for approximately an hour and a half. walking to the equinox, used the unlock button. lights flashed, doors unlocked. got inside vehicle and had no power. vehicle would not turn over, doors would not lock or unlock. absolutely no power. there were no lights that had come on in the vehicle to indicate a low battery or any other warning condition prior. i called ligonier dealership where i purchased vehicle and was told to call a local dealership. gate chevrolet of south bend came and got the vehicle started with a booster, but said they had no idea what would have caused it or what the problem was. vehicle had 2177 miles on it. i drove home, pulled in the garage, turned the vehicle off, tried to restart and had no power to the vehicle at all. not even enough to turn on the dome light when i opened the door. *jb

I took my 06' chevy. equinox lt into the shop two months after i purchased the vehicle. i had drove my car down the street and when i got ready to come home. i put the car in reverse and it didn't move all. i had my car towed to todey chevrolet of oxnard, ca and about 3 days later they had called me to tell me that they had to replace the whole computer in my car. that there had been water leaking on the side psgr. door. the leak was so extreme that all the wiring leading to the computer was rusted. i had my car returned to me after about 2 weeks. water still leaks in my car but, not as severely. *jb

(1) on or about 10/27/06, alarm system deactivated itself, interior and exterior lights turned on, doors remained locked. (2) on 11/01/06, alarm system activated itself, doors locked themselves. (3) on 11/27/06, vehicle shuttered and went into 'limp' mode which may have caused damage to the transmission. onstar and dealer retrieved the following error codes: (i) p1626 - theft deterrent fuel enable signal lost, (ii) c0276 - traction control not allowed (tcm / abs), (iii) u0100 - lost communications with transmission control module (tcm), (iv) u2105 - lost communication with engine control module (ecm). between 11/27/06 and 12/21/06, dealer supposedly replaced bcm three times and 3rd new bcm fixed problem. each new bcm would go to zero (0) and the mileage could not be programmed. during that time the theft deterrent system was deactivated which was unknown to me. current mileage is incorrect. i believe that the original faulty bcm may have been re-installed and the codes cleared when they were unable to fix the problem. i do not believe that the other none-bcm error codes have been addressed but the dealer forced me to take my vehicle home on 12/21/06. *nm

September 12, 2006 vehicle into the garage because the previous evening while driving the vehicle, smoke and a burning smell was coming out from inside the steering column. at this visit i was told that since the vehicle currently wasn't experiencing the problem there was nothing they could do. the vehicle was checked and no problem was found. january 18, 2008 vehicle was taken in because the key was sticking in the ignition causing the engine to rev and then the engine would shut off completely. the technician could not get the vehicle to duplicate the problem. ignition cylinder was cleaned and lubed. april 24, 2008 vehicle taken into the garage for ignition sticking and then vehicle shutting off. again, cylinder was cleaned and lubed. may 1, 2008 vehicle taken into garage again same problem. technician noted that they found nothing wrong, but the ignition cylinder was replaced and a new key was cut. after picking the vehicle up, the problem still continued. september 11, 2008 vehicle taken back with identical problem of the key sticking in the ignition, revving the engine and then the engine shutting off. cylinder was cleaned and lubed. october 24, 2008 vehicle back into the garage with the same problem. at this time they said they could find nothing wrong and asked if they could keep it over the weekend or return the vehicle on the morning of monday, october 27, 2008 and let them continue to look at it. on october 27, 2008 the vehicle was dropped off. technician could not get the vehicle to replicate the problem and the vehicle remained at the garage until october 30, 2008 at which time they again told me that they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle and i needed to come pick it up. the above described problem has been on-going since the issue in september 2006. it occurs sporadically and does not seem to have any connection to the weather, the time of day, etc. *tr

I have had issues with this vehicle since a few months after the original purchase. the problems started with a load knocking noise that originated from the rear of the vehicle, after 5 attempts to fix at the dealership, they eventually ended up replacing the entire rear axel and all components. after this issue was resolved, the brakes began making a high pitched squealing noise that gets progressively worse each day. the brakes have been inspected and do not need replacement. sounds like some parts may dislodge from the vehicle. there is also an issue with starting the vehicle. at random times, the vehicle will not turn over when cranked to start. the car is currently in the shop to try and resolve the brake noises and starting issue. the vehicle has been in the shop at least 10 times. would like to have the vehicle purchased back by chevy. *tr

On friday july 14, 2006 my wife came out of work at around 4:00 pm on a very hot day and attempted to start her equinox & when it started, the power steering was not engaged. i left in the middle of a game of golf and went to her aid. when i got there and started the car, the steering worked fine. we left it a the dealer for the next week where they could not reproduce the problem even though they did recover an error code indicating something failed in the ignition. they replaced the ignition. this problem again occurred on friday sept. 18, 2006 at approximately 4:00 pm on another very hot day. i called to get it towed & when they arrived approximately 2 hrs later, the problem again was not apparent. i had it towed once more to the dealer and informed them that i felt it was related to a very hot interior. they had it the entire next week and again found no problems, however, they replaced all of the electronics in the steering column that had to do with the electric power steering. sunday sept 17, 2006 after having the car 2 days, it froze up twice again while sitting in my driveway. all problems occurred on hot days where the car was closed up. the dealer currently has the car again and is telling me that he sees no problem. i am wondering why i bought the vehicle & why my car company is appearing to be of little or no help. *jb

Bought new 2006 equinox with three original miles. 1) right rear seat belt locked up, ratchet tighter and would not release until removed and fully retracted. six occurrences, three times to dealer who could not duplicate. 2) left rear seat belt locked up, ratchet tighter and would not release until removed and fully retracted. four occurrences, three times to dealer who could not duplicate. 3) engine falters when in reverse. three occurrences, dealer has not looked at this issue. 4) instrument cluster / gauges not working. three occurrences, two times to dealer who could not duplicate. 5) engine will not start. six occurrences, one time to dealer who could not duplicate. 6) engine will hesitate to start / extended crank. five occurrences, one time to dealer who reprogrammed pcm but issue still exists. 7) ignition switch grinding or will not turn. daily occurrences, one time to dealer, issue still exists. 8) no onstar data communication. one occurrence, one time to dealer who could not duplicate. 9) onstar unable to detect service light in instrument cluster. issue not brought to dealer at this time. 10) engine coolant extremely low within 5000 original miles. issue not brought to dealer at this time. 11) engine coolant brown and foaming. issue not brought to dealer at this time. 12) alarm system deactivated itself, interior and exterior lights on, doors were still locked. issue not brought to dealer at this time. *nm

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving in the rain vehicle lost power. this has happened several times within the last 6 months. the contact took the vehicle to the dealership to be serviced and they have not been able to diagnosis the failure. *ak

Our car ignition from day one has been an issue .there are times you try to start it wont .we took it back to dealer they told me i didn't know how to start my car,one time the ignition shut off while driving ,onstar came on and had me go outside car and redo fuel cap,then turn key on with out starting ,finally she had me restart car. we still have ignition issues ,i even contacted gm though email got no response. they seem not to care. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. when starting the vehicle she heard a peculiar noise, and then the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel. she took the vehicle to the dealer and had the alternator replaced at an expense of $475.00. the failure mileage was 5640. the current mileage was 60,000. the vehicle identification number was unavailable.