Problems with 2005 Chevrolet Equinox ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My key to my car won't turn. and when you do get it started by hitting it the key falls out while driving. this is my third time replacing it but saw there's been recalls for the lock ignition switch for this model. it's started happening again a year after i last replaced the lock ignition switch.

My under hood fuse box went up in flames while driving on a back road in my home town. i was doing 45 mph when then truck shut down without warning. i at first thought was the fuel pump went. when i opened my drivers door i could smell something was burning. i pulled the hood release as i exited kindly down and looked under the truck did not see and smoke. i then went and opened the hood and noticed the under hood fuse box was on fire and was being fueled by the battery i rash to the back and grabbed a pair of pliers to discuss connect the battery. i feel this is a huge issue because i had to call 6 different junk yards some the parts were already removed and others did not have all but had one of them and a couple the parts were melted and burnt.

My key comes out of the ignition no matter what gear it is in. the vehicle just suddenly stopped running as i was accelerating from a stop sign on a city street. i am now unable to start the vehicle. the key is also tough to pull out sometimes.

Drove vehicle to a store, while inside an electrical fire started underneath fuse box while the vehicle was parked. fire men stated vehicle was attempting to start itself without keys and without being on. headlights n dash remained on and vehicle began to smoke very badly, wouldn't quit until battery was disconnected and needed to be extinguished. electrical fire progressed to dash and melted wiper shifter off.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. while the vehicle was in park, the ignition switch failed to lock. as a result, the contact had to shake the key several times to remove it from the ignition. the contact mentioned that the gear shifter was difficult to shift on several occasions. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 177,000.

Wipers run continuously and don't shut off. lights flash on and off. smoke comes from dashboard when car starts and/or car won't start. problem happens both while car is stopped or in motion.

Abs pulsates by itself while driving making it hard to stop when i need to. when i do push down on the brakes it pushes back preventing me from stopping quickly or at all. after a while driving like this the abs traction light comes on and stays on until i turn it off and then it happen all over again. i have been to the dealer to have it fix but the problem keeps reoccurring. in 2012 the car just stop on the road that wasn't brake related causing us to get hit from behind and the airbag didn't deploy. the car now is have electrical problems where it seems like one thing is failing after another. for example side mirrors don't work, rear windshield wiper stop working, airbag never deployed. *tr

When i 1st bought the car had to change the suspension, head gasket, antifreeze is disappearing can't see where it's going key comes out the ignition vin#[xxx] purchased on 8/19/15. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the vehicle shut off completely when the vehicle was locked or unlocked with the ignition switch. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart and that a security warning indicator flashed after the vehicle shut off. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 176,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the headlights illuminated independently and caused the battery to drain. in addition, the contact heard an abnormal noise while using the turn signals. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or diagnosed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure millage was 212,000.

Vehicle stalls at random times, while in motion at 65 mph on the highway or at a stop sign it just stalls. will start back up but only to stall again. very dangerous! multiple issues on the internet on this year equinox and some claim there is a recall; "# tsb #05539 -- product emission recall to replace the powertrain/engine control module (pcm/ecm). the powertrain/engine control module (pcm/ecm) may have been manufactured with damaged internal ic chips, which may affect the fuel pump control and egr out (nhtsa id #10017551, april 01 2005)"

Vehicle will not start. problem with pcm? ignition switch, less than 30,000 miles, will shut off while driving and will not restart. after sitting for more than 30 mins or longer start/ no start never know!!! other electrical problems with intermittent dash display, door chimes and theft system, contacted g.m. and not willing to address problem ....wave towing fee, dealer familiar with problem ,but not exactly sure at this time what problem is or how to fix....want to throw $ at it till a cure is found. very dangerous in traffic and especially with auto trans....have children in car alot when prob happens...what do i do!!! always garage kept also! not a problem wih battery or fuses...electrical problem!

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the sun roof was leaking. as a result, there was moisture, mold, and water on the front driver and passenger sides. in addition, the left turn signal functioned intermittently and the radio and air conditioner failed to function. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle made a loud abnormal noise and the engine stalled. the vehicle was not able to restart. the failure recurred on one other occasion. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition key needed to be replaced or repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Bad ignition switch

When i am driving my equinox and have to stop for a light, it will run hot and i have to pull over untill it cools off and the temperature needle goes back down. then when i turn it off, the fan continues to run for about 5-10 minutes until it cools off.

The ignition key will lock or engine will continue running without key in place.

I have been in contact with chevrolet on this. this auto has a branded title and has a faulty ignition switch. the key comes out when the car is running. we did not own the car when it was damaged so i don't know what caused that accident. i do know that there was very little damage to it. they are telling me they won't cover replacement of the switch because it has a branded title. i feel this says that my life is not as important and the person with a new vehicle. i have always been a chevrolet person and have had brand new ones so this is very disappointing to me. can anything be done about this? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. while driving various speeds, the key ejected from the ignition while the vehicle was running. the contact mentioned that any key could start the vehicle, not just the manufacturer's key. the contact also stated that the vehicle would independently accelerate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the alternator and battery were changed. the independent mechanic suggested a software update for the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000.

A loud pop occurred during operation of the vehicle at approximately 40 mph and then a noticeable change in the suspension was felt. in testing the vehicles ability to travel to a repair center the brake peddle would drop to the floor as if it lost compression. this occurred after carefully observing the troublesome behavior of the turning capabilities and suspension of the tires. it seemed to make an awful grinding noise when making right turns but not left turns. previously before these problems arose, the apparent issue of the electrical system and its functioning parts(power doors, windows etc.) were malfunctioning, including the radio. at the initial purchase of the car the only seemingly harmless thing to mind was the sticking of the ignition switch at times. to date, the car is not able to reverse from parking position, and has a new issue of locking up totally and not able to engage forward. the car is not able to be driven and when searching for cheaper insurance (byvin) we were immediately, under no uncertain terms alerted that the car was unfit to be insured. this was told and sent in written form to us from a reputable insurance agency. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel would indicate low fuel economy and the vehicle would begin to slow down. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electronic control module (ecm) had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 98,000. updated 05/03/16*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired twice but the failure recurred. the vehicle would fail when driving under 25 miles per hour or at a stop. updated 11/21/2017*js

The front lights on the car comes on at night when car is parked in the driveway, not being used by persons. this car may not start in the morning because the battery maybe dead, due to lights coming on by it self. we had the defective switch replaced in the past week, and that's when the lights started to act up. *tr

Power door locks stopped working along with the rear hatch lock. unable to open the rear hatch. dealer wants $1800 to repair.

On 2/17/15, i, along with 3 of my children, were driving along the roadway at approx. 7am. as i went around a minor bend in the road, the vehicle pulled hard to the left slamming the driver's side into the snowbank around the guardrail. it continued moving forward as i attempted to apply the brake and lightly move the wheel to get us back into our lane. the vehicle pulled to the right and as i tried to straighten it up, i was sent into a spin until the rear of the vehicle slammed into the snow on our side of the road, bringing us to a stop. no air bags deployed & as i tried to pull away, i realized the vehicle was not on. it had shut itself down. i had my brother look at it & test drive, he found nothing, so i assumed it was a 1 time event and proceeded to use the vehicle. on 2/22/15, my nephew and my daughter used the vehicle to go to town. he got less than 3 miles from home, heading down the mountain, when he realized there was little to no steering. he looked down & saw that once again, the vehicle had shut itself off. he too ended up crashing. luckily he was able to get it to the opposite side of the rd, into the snowbank just before a semi went speeding by. again, no airbags deployed. it concerns me with the massive recall that i found online, that this vehicle is not on the list, but many ppl seem to be having the same issue. luckily no one was injured in our incidents. but these vehicles are not safe & should not be on the roads in this condition. we were very fortunate that both incidents were during a clear spot in traffic. now the vehicle site in my drive because i do not trust that whatever they do will fix it & i cannot in good conscience pass this death trap on to anyone else. i contacted gm hoping for a bit of help & perhaps an investigation into the safety of the vehicles, but they refused. *tr

After stopping at a gas station, got in my car and automatically locked the doors before starting the engine. nothing happened when i turned the key. no sound other than a whirring under the hood of the car. i tried multiple times with no success. it was getting very hot in the car so i tried to open the door, and could not. i tried the manual "open" button many times and it would not work. of course, the windows are electric so they would not go down (there is no lever to roll them down). after approximately 15 minutes, it got so hot in the car i telephoned 911. as the officer drove up, one of the times i tried to turn over the ignition produced a very short success in turning on the electric just long enough for the radio to come on and the doors to unlock. we still do not know what the problem is, but expect it is related to an electrical part(s). i have been on the phone with chevrolet for almost an hour now. "[xxx]" still has me on hold (over 20 minutes now) for a supervisor (which i requested - twice) because he informed me they know of no way to open the door manually when the electric is involved. in fact, he said their "senior" repairman said he had never heard a thing like that happening to anyone before. "[xxx]" kept telling me to ask the dealership or the napa service center where my car is now of a way to escape the car. i kept telling him i had already talked with the dealership and their repairman told me it could happen the way it did to me, it is dangerous, and he knew of no way to open the door with it being already locked when the electric no longer works. i was extremely lucky, if it is the electric, the car did not catch on fire. i want chevrolet to make sure there is an escape out of the car when there is an electrical failure. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

My 2005 equinox, i have only 80k miles on it,- key will not start ignition normal. gets stuck and have to shake key forward for about 20+ minutes before it finally turns on. and when the car is on and running at any speed, the key will just come out of ignition. map lights leak water when it rains. car smells like mold. fuel gauge always says empty and i get less than 16 mpg. got in a car accident apr 2014, seat belt did not lock when i was rear-ended, my face almost hit the radio (initial reason for my call to gm-chevy line posted on their website today, looking for an answer as to why my ignition won't work properly and found out about faulty ignitions on my car) gm stated, after giving them my vin that my car is not included in the recall!!! what's really going on??!! after being accused of "blaming gm for my car problems", i asked for a supervisor and was hung up on. no joke. she also stated nhtsb was at fault. i'm sure they record all the calls. i ended up just calling the dealership and they scheduled my car for diagnostics for tue, 9/2/14. but they also told me that my vehicle is not included in the recall. well.....i'll pull my key out to show them how easily the key just comes out at any position, and then when the tech tries to start my car and can't, and is stuck in their garage, will my car be added then gm?? ?!!! i have so many issues i could go on and i see that so many others have reported numerous times and this is what is done to us? now i'm angry and afraid. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly hesitate and jerk when slowing down. also, the check engine light would come on and the vehicle would suddenly shut off. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the fluids in the vehicle. the failures were remedied but eventually recurred. the contact also indicated that the key could not immediately be removed from the ignition switch and the engine could not be turned off. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. while parked, the vehicle was not able to start and various warning lights illuminated. in addition, there was water leaking from an unknown location on the passenger side. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine control module, brakes, windshield, and electronic power steering needed to be replaced. the contact also received an unknown notice from the manufacturer to have the ignition switch replaced for free. the contact mentioned that the engine control module, brakes, and windshield were replaced, but there was still water leaks from the rain. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

Key would not turn in ignition. ignition lock cylinder had to be replaced. *tr

I had trouble inserting the key in to the ignition. after inserted i drove the car to the store. when i turned off the car the key would not come out of the ignition. after wiggling the key around it finally came out of the ignition and the steering column locked. when i tried to put the key back in the ignition the steering column would not unlock. after several attempts the column unlocked and the key was able to be inserted and the car started. this has occurred repeatedly since the above date. *tr

Can not turn the ignition key. i have had the ignition cylinder replaced for the second time in the 2005 equinox. i was told that it was me and my problem by the dealer. *tr

While driving the car, the keys came out of the ignition. the car remained drivable. the driver pulled over, reinserted the key and continued on the trip. the key can be removed at any time. the ignition has been replaced at my expense but the car is still having the same issue. *tr

The ignition switch in this vehicle is defective. the key may be removed from the ignition at any time, even if the car is running. the ignition switch may lock at any time so that the car may not be started. the ignition switch damages the car key causing the cylinder to be filled with metal shavings. this is an ongoing, well known problem. gm's answer is to clean and lubricate the ignition cylinder. this does not remedy the problem. *tr

I today just bought a used 2005 chevy equinox ls from a dealership in rochester,nh - ( owed car for only 3 hr ) once i pulled out of the driveway i realized that my car might be part of the 2014 recall on (keys) and i had watched the cnn broadcast where their showed driver who think their car might be part of the issue how it might happen in a controlled teat well i did the same thing while the car was in the breakdown lane just outside of the dealership heading home and i tried it with 3 light tug the car stalled i was able to restart the car as i was not going very fast ( only 5 mph) when i got home in my own garage i tried it aging while in a parked and it happened aging i repeated this 3 more time to ensure it was not a error on my part - i then called the dealership left a message about this as if it can getrepired - under my warrenty i like to do so as i have on my keyt climbing carbine i use for work as a food delivery guy i then called gm recall hotline and was bounce around to 3 different women who took my infor and told me my car not part of the recall so i cant get it fixed . . .as of right now but i can leave a message for nhtsa to get a recall on my car started *** 3 little tugs on the ignition switch for a 2005 chevy equinox ls (auto) and the car stalled out - while in park - and going 5 mph in a breakdown lane. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the key was difficult to remove from the ignition intermittently. the key was stuck in the ignition on more than one occasion. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and to be repaired. the dealer stated that the time frame had expired to receive the recall repair for nhtsa campaign id number: 04v302000 (power train). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the ignition key failed to turn. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 130,659.

I had to have my battery replaced today. my battery had to be replaced due to the ignition switch that is not completely turned off when i put the car in park. for a year or so i have been able to drive down the road and my cars key has been removable from the ignition switch. i have asked about the ignition switch before to my dealership over the years with no resolve. since the recall of other gm models during the same year my car was made recently i have read over these issues and my equinox is having the same issue. i do not have to put my car in park for the key to be taken out of the ignition switch. now my battery is being compromised due to it not completely being able to shut off. *tr

Key does not stay in the ignition while the suv is in drive or being driven and also while it is in park, this is a major safety issue, in which i've complained to gm. upon contacting gm customer service to determine if my vehicle was apart of the recall for faulty ignition switches, i was informed that i would have to cover the cost to have repaired since the vehicle is out of warranty. *tr

The key fails sometimes to turn in the ignition cylinder, went to mechanic, ignition switch needs replacement. *js

When the car is in park and keys are out of the ignition the car still thinks the key is in the ignition or the car does not recognize it is in park. *tr the car is in park and key is out of ignition, you can still move the steering wheel without the wheel locking and the drivers side door lock does not lock when this is happening. sometime the steering wheel will lock and that is when the door lock works again. most of the time the steering while does not lock when in park or ignition is turned off. this is a scary issues with all current recalls of key locks and possibly not the car does not know the vehicle is off and locks are not working. thank you! *tr

Ignition switch has problems - the key will not go in at all, or partially goes in and gets stuck, goes in fully and gets stuck, or comes out while the engine is still running. currently the key will not go in rendering the car totally inoperable. the car is hard to start at times - it takes several tries to get it to turn over, even though i have regular maintenance done. the headlights may or may not go to high beam and the dash lights may or may not turn on at all. there is constant fluctuation. due to the countless complaints i have read with regard to the same problems i believe that this fact alone should mandate an instant recall. i am disabled and this is my only means of transportation to my doctors for frequent treatments the cost to repair my vehicle is not within my reach. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the dealer informed the contact that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v302000 (power train). the contact has experienced a failure. updated 9/18/14*cn the consumer stated the ignition lock cylinder failed. the vehicle would sputter to a stop need to be restarted. the vehicle eventually failed completely. updated 02/12/2015 *js

Problems with power windows and door speakers. had read about issues with the wiring harness between the door and the frame. i took the rubber boot off to find 4 broken wires. i would imagine the other doors are similar. haven't ckd them as of yet. i have pictures if you like. *tr

Key can be removed when ignition is not off . can and does fall out while driving vehicle no matter what gear the selector shift is in ( including park). *tr

The right front wheel brake began to lock up causing the vehicle to pull to the right. the abs and traction control light came on. i had to have it replaced twice now. the electrical harness keeps falling off do the metal clip it hooks onto rusting. the wiring harness clip on the end where it connects to the hub is shot. the abs light is constantly on.i've tried to clean it many times to no avail. i'm sick and tired of this problem. no matter what i do, it still causes problem. and i am a pa certified inspection mechanic. i've never seen such a poor brake system in my life. i have replaced the front rotors and brakes 4 times now, and probably will have to replace them again in august of this year, 2015 when my state inspection will be due. the joke of it all is that the rear brakes are still the original brakes and stand at the last inspection at 8/32. this tells me that the brake distribution equalizer is not working. all my stopping power is on the front brakes. my equinox is 10 years old. surely by now the rear brakes should have been replaced a few times. there is only 38,300 miles on this vehicle now and it looks like new. i take exceptionally good care of my vehicles. every 3000 miles the oil and tires are rotated, and everything else is inspection by me. i was going to buy a 2015 equinox, but was torn away by the delays of chevrolet on these problems. in the end, these vehicles should be recalled and the entire abs system should be completely re-examined and repaired. finally after 3 years, i now got a new ignition and 2 new keys. ya. thank you !!!!! if i have too, i will make a video on this, as i did the ignition switch and send it in. this is not the first time for the brakes its been happening for years and its on going. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the ignition switch failed to turn preventing the vehicle to start. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. t he vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 66,000.

I can start my car and then pull the key out of the ignition while the car is still running. this issue started in november of last year (2013) and my equinox only has 40,000 miles on it. *tr

First while driving at approx 25 mph i hit my key ring and the keys fell out. the car continue to run i just put the keys back in to the ignition when i came to a stop. i have since found that you can start the car and then remove the key and all continue to run and work. also found that when i went to start the car the other day, once i turned the key to start it would kept running the starter. let me explain a little better, when i turned the key to start the car and then let go the car starter continue to run until i moved the key to the off postion. *tr

Received vehicle upon my mothers passing. had 45k on it, garaged and only in town driving. in just over year i have had to replace rear rocker joint, ac unit, front right speaker, front brakes and starter. now, there is a water noise under hood and truck is starting to rock when at stop light. it is also trying to run hot but no lights, leaks or issue can be found. the back spoiler was loose http before then and leaks in the back. lift gate hard to open and molding around front windshield is coming loose. i have 65k on this truck. there is no way this truck should have this many problems. i feel unsafe in this lightly used auto. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the key was erroneously removed from the ignition while the engine was active. the contact experienced the failure on multiple occasions and notified the local dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 14v171000 (electrical system). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 77,000....updated 12/09/15 *bf updated 8/21/2017*cn