2008 Chevrolet EQUINOX: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
370 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
75,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: . 296 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 108 of 370 complaints (29.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 51 | 13.8% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 34 | 9.2% |
| Braking behavior | 32 | 8.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 31 | 8.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 16 | 4.3% |
| Engine operation | 10 | 2.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 108 |
| Electrical System | 64 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 46 |
| Steering | 44 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 39 |
| Engine | 27 |
| Structure:Body | 24 |
| Exterior Lighting | 20 |
Air Bags: 108; Electrical System: 64; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 46; Steering: 44; Fuel/Propulsion System: 39; Engine: 27; Structure:Body: 24; Exterior Lighting: 20
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 18 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 58 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 70 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 69 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 62 |
| 150,000 and above | 19 |
Under 25,000: 18; 25,000 to 49,999: 58; 50,000 to 74,999: 70; 75,000 to 99,999: 69; 100,000 to 149,999: 62; 150,000 and above: 19
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (70). 74 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 14 |
| 2011 | 16 |
| 2012 | 24 |
| 2013 | 38 |
| 2014 | 70 |
| 2015 | 55 |
| 2016 | 54 |
| 2017 | 31 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
2008: 8; 2009: 5; 2010: 14; 2011: 16; 2012: 24; 2013: 38; 2014: 70; 2015: 55; 2016: 54; 2017: 31; 2018: 17; 2019: 11; 2020: 9; 2021: 4; 2022: 3; 2023: 6; 2024: 3; 2025: 2
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 51 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 34 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 32 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10214633 · 2008-01-13 (January 13, 2008)
FRONT BUMPER COVER CRACKED INSIDE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL WHERE BUMPER WRAPS AROUND. CRACK BEGAN WHEN OBJECT IN GARAGE WAS "BUMPED". COVER MATERIAL SO THIN THAT COVER WAS DAMAGED. COST TO REPLACE WAS $888.00 AT DEALERSHIP. IF MATERIAL AND/OR DESIGN WAS BETTER, THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. MANUFACTURER WANTS NO PART IN REPLACING OR FIXING THE PROBLEM. TOLD ME TO SEND IT TO MY INSURANCE CARRIER. MY COMPLAINT IS THE POOR MATERIAL INVOLVED AND THAT GM WANTS REPAIRS FOR POOR QUALITY REPAIRED OR REPLACED ON THE BACK OF A CONSUMERS INSURANCE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10214633 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10226975 · 2008-05-07 (May 7, 2008)
I HAVE BEEN DRIVING SINCE 1963 AND THIS CAR HAS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST PROBLEM WITH STATIC ELECTRICITY THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. I THOUGHT AT FIRST IT WAS JUST ME, BUT AT A COMPANY MEETING (IT IS A COMPANY CAR) I DISCOVERED THAT EVERYONE I SPOKE TO THAT HAS AN EQUINOX HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. EVEN IF THE CAR ISN'T RUNNING AND YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHOCKED, IF YOU MOVE AROUND SLIGHTLY IN THE SEAT YOU WILL GET ANOTHER SHOCK THE NEXT TIME YOU TOUCH SOMETHING METAL. THE SHOCK IS SOMETIMES SO SEVERE THAT AT FIRST I THOUGHT THE BATTERY HAD A SHORT TO GROUND.…
Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10226975 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10231069 · 2008-06-15 (June 15, 2008)
MY 2008 CHEVY EQUINOX FRONT PASSENGER SEAT PINCHES YOU WHEN YOU ARE EXITING THE CAR. IT GRABS YOUR BOTTOM / LEG ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF SEAT. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURE, THEY SAY THAT IS THE WAY THE CAR IS MADE AND WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE HAD PEOPLE OF ALL SIZES TRY GETTING IN AND OUT , FAT OR SKINNY IT HURTS EVERYONE. I HAVE EVEN ASKED ANOTHER PERSON WITH THE SAME CAR IF IT DOES IT TO THEM , AND THEY SAID YES AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. MY HUSBAND IS THE PASSENGER MOST OF THE TIME AND HE IS ON BLOOD THINNERS FO…
Owner-reported narrative. 22 miles reported. Look up ODI 10231069 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10231607 · 2008-06-19 (June 19, 2008)
THE A/C WHEN TURNED ON, WITHIN 20 MINUTES OF BEING TURNED ON, WILL ALL OF THE SUDDEN FOR 20 SECONDS , MINIMUM, BLOW HOT AIR DESPITE BEING ON THE COLDEST SETTING. THERE IS ALSO A RATTLE OR VIBRATION HEARD WHEN THE AC IS ON AND THE CAR IS IDLING ( INTERMITTENTLY) AND AT ABOUT 1700 RPM 9 EVERYTIME THE RPM IS 1700 THE VIBRATION NOISE CAN BE EASILY HEARD. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE ( WITH 9000 MILES ) TO THE DEALER, THE FIRST 2 TIMES THE DEALER HAD THE EQUINOX THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY OF THE SYMPTOMS AFOREMENTIONED. THEN ON…
Owner-reported narrative. 8,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10231607 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10232328 · 2008-06-25 (June 25, 2008)
WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, SPEEDOMETER STUCK ON 35 MPH, GAS GAGE SAID I HAD 1 1/4 TANK OF GAS, AND IT SAID MY CAR WAS OVERHEATING. WHEN WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP IT STAYED THE SAME. AFTER BEING PARKED FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS, EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL EXCEPT FOR THE GAS GAGE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T DOING IT ANYMORE. WE BOUGHT THIS AS OUR FIRST ALL NEW CAR BECAUSE WE WERE TIRE OF PROBLEMS INHERITED WITH USED CARS. ALOT A GOOD THAT DID, WE HAD IT 3 MONTHS BEFORE PROBLEMS STARTED. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 5,753 miles reported. Look up ODI 10232328 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10240629 · 2008-09-02 (September 2, 2008)
PASSENGER FRONT SEAT IN 2008 EQUINOX. WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE YOUR RIGHT LEG PINCHED BETWEEN THE SEAT ITSELF AND THE SIDE MOLDING TO THE SEAT. THOUGH THIS NOT A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION OR A CRITICAL HAZARDS, IT IS NEITHER THE LESS A CONSTANT REMINDER THAT THERE IS A FAULT WITH THE DESIGN OF THE SEAT. THE DEALERSHIP WILL SIMPLY LOOK AT THE SEAT AND SHAKE THEIR HEAD AND LOOK AT YOU AS WHAT THEY WANT THE DEALERSHIP TO DO ABOUT IT. THIS WHY I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10240629 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10242203 · 2008-09-15 (September 15, 2008)
SINCE I PURCHASED MY 08 CHEVY EQUINOX THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOME ISSUES WITH MY A/C. I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES AND STILL CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM. EVEN WITH THE AIR SET ON THE COLDEST SETTING THE AIR STILL OCCASIONALLY BLOWS HOT THEN COLD THEN HOT. THIS CONTINUOUS CONSTANTLY WHILE I AM DRIVING AROUND THE CITY. IT DOES NOT DO IT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE I HAVE FIGURED OUT THE RPM IS HIGH. WHENEVER THE RPM DROPS BELOW AROUND 1800 TO 1600 THE AIR BEGINS TO HAVE PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED SOME PARTS AND RECHARG…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10242203 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10242676 · 2008-09-17 (September 17, 2008)
HVAC CONTROL DEFECTS. WHEN RECIRCULATION AIR BUTTON IS ACTIVATED, THE COMPRESSOR IS ENGAGED WITH AC ON, EVEN IF THE AC BUTTON IS NOT ACTIVATED (PUSHED). *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10242676 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.