Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Chevrolet Equinox owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the contact heard rattling sounds coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact pulled over but saw no issues with the vehicle. Once the contact started driving, she immediately noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact pulled over on the side of the road and the vehicle started overheating. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing, and the contact was informed that the transfer case needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under warranty. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 151,000.
GM- Has Issued Recall on 2010-2013 Equniox's Or extended the warranty on the powertrain for those years. Unfortunately, from 2014-to 2017 same engine wasn't included in this extended 150,000 warranty. Know issues of rear main seal blowing out causing all of the oil to leak for the engine while driving not one warning light came on! This blew up the engine with my wife and daughter in the car! They could have DIED!!!!!! What's wrong with GM knowing that this can happen! Mine has 73,000 miles on it and they will not repair it! They have to do better before someone gets killed!
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that on three occasions while driving at various speeds, she observed a loud clunking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
I just purchased the vehicle she hadn't even driven it 2 months when it started to shut off on it's on. Causing very dangerous situations. Then the oil consumption problem that's been well known and heavily documented time after time. Without warning lights or low oil pressure light or even a check engine light to give any type of warning the front seal blew out causing heavy oil loose that caused the engine bay and over the bottom of the vehicle drenching areas that have really high temperatures that could have caused the oil to possibly ignite at any time from the high heated areas that was covered in oil. Also with front seal blown out without warning led to timming chain becoming faulty and then breaking leading to my valves impacting with pistons because this is a interference engine. …
my 2015 Chevrolet equinox 2.4l ecotec AWD vehicle with 102k miles had a massive oil leak in jan.2022, when it was -22 deg. f outside. The car was at work outside, and my drive home was about 7 miles. When I got home, I decided to check the oil on the dipstick and it was empty. The whole underside of the chasis was oil splattered. I added 3 quarts of oil and started the car up and oil was poring out of the rear main seal. I trailered it to a chevrolet dealer, and they said the pvc frozen up. The engine and subframe will need to come out.This was an expensive repair. This vehicle does burn oil. It does not leak oil thou. The engine oil light never came on during the ride home. I am glad I checked the oil, because the engine would have quit running on the freeway somewhere.
Issue with oil consumption on this vehicle. Needs 2 quarts of new oil every 2-3 weeks with moderate driving. Mechanics say this is a known issue with Chevrolet Equinox's since 2011. The only true fix is to replace the engine and even then the problem can reoccur with new engines. I have joined a Facebook page called "Terrain-Equinox Oil Consumption Recall" with thousands of members experiencing same issue. There is no assistance from dealerships to assist in covering repair costs. There was a limited recall for model year 2013 but same issues are present in 2014's and 2015's as well. There are also many complaints about on this issue on this bursa website. Looking for any assistance.
The transfer case blew out. (2) in seven months. Every mechanic that has looked at it says that the bearings sheered and caused metal fragments into the gears causing the transfer case to fail. There was no warning when this happened, no dash lights, just severe grinding and I parked the car. The mechanic pulled it into the bay to further investigate and that is when it blew out and all of the fluid poured out. In July, the same thing happened. Had it replaced and 7 months later it happened again. I had only driven the car 15k miles in 7 months when the transfer case blew out again. After reading forums there are many people that have been effected by the transfer case blowing out.
My 2015 Chevy Equinox is burning oil at an alarming rate. I just found out I have been driving this car with NO oil. I had no indicator lights come on warning me of any danger. I have only 68000 miles on this car and they are telling me I need a new engine. I still owe $15,000 on this car that I have only had for 8 months...and they want me to pay $9000.00 for a new engine on a defect that GM knows about. My [redacted] drives this car (well I won't let him now) but what if the engine blew while he was driving? This is a VERY DANGEROUS defect and people can get seriously hurt.
Ending result timing chain : Beginning of result: 1. My vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of power steering while driving at highway speeds. The loss of power steering significantly compromised the driver's ability to maneuver the vehicle safely, especially during emergency situations, putting both the driver and other road users at risk of an accident. 2. Traveling at high way speeds my car suddenly lost complete power to go. Keep going up and down in speed in middle of interstate 3. No warning signs prior no check engine line appeared until after the safety risk above.
excessive Oil Consumption problem- which we were not aware of and it caused our vehicle to shut down in the middle of the street blocking traffic- making it a huge safety issue & should be a recall. Due to the excessive oil consumption that caused our timing chain to break. This is an issue that chevy knew was happening to this year & other years around the same time, but never informed us - now it needs a new engine & they won't replace it. It only has 88,000 miles, we had recently changed the oil & oil filter so this was unexpected.
Transmission complaints in other Equinox years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2015 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA has 63 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, 9% of the model year's 680 complaints. The component named most often is transfer case (4-wheel drive) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Chevrolet Equinox transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, though it has 2 recalls 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 2015 Chevrolet Equinox transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.