10 Reasons Why You Should AVOID The 2024 Chevy Equinox!
You might think the 2024 Chevy Equinox offers good value for money but you know the old saying, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’. Here are the reasons why you should avoid it….Buckle up, it’s quite a list!
Small, unreliable engine
Unfortunately, the Chevy Equinox only offers a feeble 175-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder that fails to excite and often struggles, especially under heavy loads.
0-60 mph takes about 8.9 seconds, with the six-speed automatic gearbox and optional, heavier all-wheel drive system not contributing too much to this performance. It’s not the slowest car ever but there are other options out there
Overall, the Chevy Equinox might feel a bit underpowered and somewhat clunky. If you push the pedal to the metal, it will take time. In some cases, the response will be a jittery, shaky acceleration as if the car is gasping for air. The under-powered buzzing and high rpm will make you worried at times, and might convince you not to push it. Pulling out into moving traffic from a standstill is also more difficult than you’d think.
So, while the Equinox is perfectly fine for daily tasks like school runs, supermarket visits, or weekend trips to grandma's, you can’t expect any particularly fun driving experience out of it.
Turbo problems
The Equinox is not just lacking in power, it also suffers from significant engine-related mechanical issues. A frequent concern among current owners is the malfunctioning of the turbocharger.
What basically happens in most cases is that the car enters in limp mode unexpectedly, leading to a major reduction in power. While in limp mode, the car won’t do more than 15 miles per hour, and you wouldn’t want this to happen to you while you’re on the highway. It can get quite dangerous, quite unexpectedly.
This problem has been traced back to the turbo wastegate, which is a valve positioned on the exhaust manifold, just before the turbine housing inlet. For most owners, replacing that part solved the problem, but not in all cases.
In some cases, it was the whole turbo. A specific 2023 Equinox owner experienced a sudden loss of engine power which proved to be due to a frozen turbo. When they reached the dealership, they also learned it had happened to at least 10 other vehicles in the previous 2 days.
Apparently, in cold weather, the turbocharger in the 1.5-liter Equinox engine doesn’t get proper oiling.
Other owners complained about a loud noise coming from the engine area. It turned out it was caused by the turbo unit hitting the radiator. The dealership’s solution was to add some tape in between them to eliminate the noise. But really, tape?
More than that, there were also cases where the whole engine of the Equinox needed to be replaced because of excessive oil consumption causing it to fail completely.
Brake issues
Unfortunately, the Equinox is not just underpowered, it’s also plagued with major brake system issues, which might trigger violent shaking while braking at low speeds, or overheating.
There were also reports where the brake pedal would immediately sink to the floor because of a failing master cylinder. In other cases, it was the brake vacuum pump that would fail and cause the brakes to also malfunction completely.
Other strange behaviors reported by Equinox owners include: brakes becoming suddenly stiff and inefficient, vibration or pulsation under braking, and even premature pad and rotor wear.
In some situations, the failing brake system caused serious and dangerous troubles. One owner had the car for only 3 months when the brakes failed completely and the car ended up totaled.
Fuel system problems
The fuel system, a crucial mechanical component of every car, has also been reported to malfunction in the Chevy Equinox.
First of all, owners complained that the gas tank lacked proper protective shielding. In some cases, simple road debris punctured the gas tank, causing dangerous fuel spillage on the road. There were also recalls issued by the NHTSA regarding a failing seam in the fuel tank which could also lead to fuel leakage.
Secondly, the fuel pump would act up. Owners reported unusual behaviors with their cars, such as complete loss of acceleration while on the highway, leading to vehicle stalling.
Perhaps the most alarming issue with the fuel system is the erratic behavior of the gas pedal. In some instances, depressing the pedal would cause the vehicle to accelerate dramatically instead of slowing down. That’s scary. We wouldn’t like to be in a car that does that.
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