Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Chevrolet Equinox owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was in an accident on 12/15/2016 where I hit someone from behind. I was driving straight down the highway and didn't notice the people in front of me stopping. When I hit the brakes, it was too late and my chest went flying against the steering wheel. When my Equinox hit them, my seat belt did not lock and my chest hit the steering wheel. I had to go to the hospital because of the force of the impact. The force was so hard that the air bag did not come out. I don't know if there is an air bag inside the vehicle. I could not catch my breath and I tested out my seat belt and realized it does not lock when breaking. It is actually lose the whole time I am driving. This is not safe for me or a passage that I have in the car. Tested out the passage side as well and it is the same thing.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. While driving 24 MPH on an exit ramp, the vehicle inadvertently drove off the side of the ramp and crashed. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt failed to restrain the contact. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact sustained minor injuries to the head and hips that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a field inspector was sent to inspect the vehicle. The contact was awaiting the inspection results. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH and turning on curve too fast, control of the vehicle was lost. The vehicle swerved left and right ultimately coming to a stop after crashing into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. During the impact the contact head was hit on the windshield and abrasion to the knee were sustained. Medical attention was not sought. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was destroyed. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. While driving 35 MPH and driving straight preparing to make a right turn, the contact crashed into the front quarter panel of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the head and ankle, which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. While driving 45 MPH, the contact crashed into another vehicle. All the air bags failed to deploy. The contact noticed smoke coming from the radiator. The vehicle was towed to xtreme color inc. In kansas city, ks 66102; [phone]. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a neck and back injury that required medical attention. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 146,500.
Driving down street while attempting to turn left heard loud pop and then wasn't able to turn and crashed into tree left fender hood headlight all pushed damage to tire and on top of that airbag didn't implore and hit head on the post
Vehicle was hit on the driver's side at the front door. Vehicle went right after impact at full throttle into a 12 ft ditch. Turned 90 degrees out of the ditch,came out of the ditch, across a 4 lane road. Front left wheel caught on a curb, vehicle still a full throttle with driver trying to brake. Veered to the left, jumped a 2 ft ditch, went to the right, hit a 3 ft rock, knocked the rock into the ditch and car ended up on top of the rock. Air bags did not deploy at this this. Vehicle traveled approximately 953 ft at full throttle before hitting the rock. GM had replaced the ignition switch once under policy vehicle would not come out of gear when parked sometimes. Even after replacing ignition switch we continued to have problems removing key from ignition. Nationwide insurance has possession of the car and is paying an outside vendor to down load the data from this accident. …
On 2/17/15, I, along with 3 of my children, were driving along the roadway at approx. 7 am. 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. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. While driving 70 MPH, the contact attempted to avoid a crash and the brakes failed. She crashed into a cement overpass and the air bags failed to deploy. Prior to the incident, the contact never experienced any brake system failure. She feels that the ABS failed and caused the brake system to fail. The driver sustained bruised ribs and lacerations to the forehead. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the insurance lot for further inspection, but the insurance adjuster was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 47,000. Updated 05/05/09 updated 05/06/09.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. While operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine's thermostat housing was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed by the manufacturer that the part needed to repair the vehicle had been discontinued. The contact also indicated that the seat belts failed to secure the passengers during hard braking and the air bag and check engine sensors illuminated while operating the vehicle. The cause of the failures was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 133,000.
Airbag complaints in other Equinox years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, 6% of the model year's 638 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Equinox airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Equinox airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 28 crashes, 1 fire and 23 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.