Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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).
The ABS and traction control light came on and the vehicle sometimes doesn't want to stop. The ABS kicks in and it takes a while for it to stop. It's been twice where the vehicle ends up stopping in the middle of the intersection. Luckily no one was in front of us or coming the other direction.
Mileage= 110,000 miles.............first of all I just got the brakes done, when I first pull the car out of the garage in the morning, as I approach the first stop sign, I press the brakes, then it feels like there's air in the brake line, makes a sound as if some of the electronics are trying to reset or something, all while that's happening, I have to keep pumping the brakes for like just a few minutes, ultimately it goes away, totally scary because I live in a school zone, and on more than one occasion there were children at the crosswalk when the fault occurred, I don't know if GM is aware of this problem, think we're going to be switching to Ford vehicles from now on, this is totally not good! Then on another occasion I missed the stop sign and had to drive over the curb because the brakes gave out, couldn't avoid it, had to go on the curb to stop, going about 20 miles an hour! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop and accelerated. As a result, the contact crashed into a side walk damaging the tire, the radiator and the front end and of the vehicle. The contact did not sustained injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic lot. The failure recurred twice. Vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.
ABS kicks on randomly, driving or braking and at various speeds. I have had one accident because of this issue, have since pulled the fuse and spent over $1,000 at the shop to fix this issue with no results. This has been an issue since December of 2017 until present.
Brake won't releases after puting on brake pedal key falls out of ignition while drive ing steering seems like going to fall apart when turnings cat hardly put gas in it code 0445 large EVAP leak detector
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. …
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. …
Sometime last summer started noticing issues with brakes. Replaced all parts involved with the entire brake system to no avail. Took it to two different mechanics, who also replaced the same parts thinking that maybe we had bought faulty parts. Again, the problem remained. The vehicle's brake system seems to grind when trying to brake. Not to mention, it feels as though the pedal itself pushes back against your foot. When it does this; there are no actual brakes. The vehicle continues to move forward until you pump the brakes more than a few times to get them to stop the vehicle. This is very scary! I have almost ran into many vehicles while attempting to stop. This problem should be addressed immediately as I am not the only one having this issue based on the hundreds of complaints I have read! I can no longer afford to keep putting money into this vehicle! …
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.
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.
Brake complaints in other Equinox years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA has 105 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, 16% of the model year's 638 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chevrolet Equinox brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes 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 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 12 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to brakes 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.