Chevrolet Equinox
Compact SUV · 2005–present. 207,730 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
Chevrolet, General Motors’ brand, created the Equinox and built it with Suzuki at their Canadian CAMI joint-venture plant. The second generation’s 2009 pricing announcement quoted Ed Peper as GM North America vice president, Chevrolet. The MY2018 release quoted Alan Batey, president of GM North America and brand chief, Global Chevrolet.
It was assembled from 2004 at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, which built it until April 28, 2022. The second generation was also built in Oshawa, Ontario, and Spring Hill, Tennessee. The gasoline Equinox sold in the U.S. today is built at GM's San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico, and the Equinox EV at Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
A review published in October 2004 described the MY2005 Equinox from $21,560 including destination. In April 2009, Chevrolet announced June availability for the second generation from $23,185. For MY2018 it announced sales in the first quarter of 2017. GM Authority’s production tracker dates the MY2025 start at San Luis Potosí to June 17, 2024.
Equinox derives from the Latin aequinoctium, formed from roots meaning equal and night. An equinox is one of the two points in the year when day and night are approximately equal in length. A balance between car and SUV is an interpretation of the name, rather than an explanation attributed here to Chevrolet.
Chevrolet sought a replacement for the slow-selling, Suzuki-designed Tracker in an increasingly crowded segment. The Equinox shared a car-like unitized platform with the Saturn VUE and offered a V6 when many import rivals were four-cylinder only. Chevrolet highlighted its size within the class. In the 2009 pricing announcement, Ed Peper described the proposition as sedan fuel economy with crossover functionality.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12005–2009
The Tracker's replacement, with a V6 and sliding rear seat
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 What changed. It replaced the Tracker with a larger, car-like SUV that shared its underpinnings with the Saturn VUE. It used a 3.4-liter V6 with 185 hp and 210 lb-ft, a five-speed Aisin automatic and front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. Prices ran from $21,560 (LS) to $24,900 (LT AWD).
The innovation. Its 112.5-inch wheelbase, the longest in the segment according to Chevrolet, made room for a 60/40 rear seat that slides 8 inches: up to 42.7 inches of rear legroom or up to 69 cubic feet of cargo space.
If you buy one usedFor certain 2005 Equinox vehicles, 04V302 checks the ignition-key Park-lock cable and repairs a shift lock that does not hold with the key removed. The exact November 3, 2026 NHTSA 2007 query returned four campaigns: 07V344 passenger-sensing calibration, 07V242 glass-bonding primer, 12V459 fuel-module cracking in the specified Arizona/California/Nevada/Texas sale-or-registration scope, and 07V520 A-pillar impact foam on vehicles without the specified optional roof airbags/sunroof. For 07V344, check the passenger-airbag indicator and move the passenger if its status is wrong. Confirm actual equipment, VIN eligibility and completed work. - Gen. 22010–2017
More efficient, with fresh styling
Photo: Elise240SX · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It adopted styling inspired by the Malibu and Traverse. Chevrolet announced a direct-injected 182-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder with an estimated 25 percent fuel-economy improvement over the previous model, plus an optional 3.0-liter V6. A 301-hp 3.6-liter V6 arrived for 2013. In April 2009, GM announced June availability from $23,185, including $745 destination: $1,800 less than the outgoing model.
The innovation. The direct-injected 2.4-liter won a Ward’s 10 Best Engines award. GM said electric power steering added about 11 miles per tank. The power liftgate allowed its opening height to be set for low garages; the MY2013 brochure also offered forward collision alert.
If you buy one usedFor specified 2010–2013 2.4-liter vehicles, GM13-06-01-003G describes excessive-oil-use diagnosis and conditional piston/ring replacement. Historical special policies 14159 for 2010 and 15285 for 2011 have original-in-service time/mileage and VIN limits; ask GM about the actual vehicle’s terms and prior repairs. Monitor oil as directed in its manual. Selected recalls are 09V489 on 2010 center-panel controls, whose remedy replaces the computer module; 14V447 on 2010–2012 powered seat-height bolts; 16V582 on 2013 wipers; and 22V165 on 2014–2015 wipers. The two wiper campaigns cover different years and inspection-dependent work. - Gen. 32018–2024 · D2UX
About 400 pounds lighter, turbo engines only
Photo: SsmIntrigue · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It became shorter and about 400 pounds, roughly 10 percent, lighter. GM highlighted increased interior space. The range switched to turbo engines: a 170-hp 1.5, a 252-hp 2.0 with a nine-speed automatic, and a 1.6-liter diesel initially announced at 136 hp and sold at 137 hp. Chevrolet announced its public auto-show debut for Los Angeles in November 2016. The 2.0 was no longer offered after MY2020; refreshed front styling and the RS trim arrived for MY2022.
The innovation. Chevrolet launched it with the segment's first turbodiesel in North America, estimated by GM at 40 mpg highway. It also brought the Safety Alert Seat (the seat vibrates to warn of a hazard) and Teen Driver, which lets parents set limits and review how their teens drive.
If you buy one usedSelected campaigns include 17V516 right-front intermediate shafts on 2018; 20V668 transmission-accumulator bolts on 2018–2020; 19V667 fuel-tank seams on 2019–2020 AWD; 23V013 fuel-pump modules on 2021–2022; 23V339 lower child-seat LATCH anchors on 2020–2023; and 23V869 door strikers on 2024. For affected unrepaired LATCH anchors, GM advises installing child seats with the rear seat belts until the remedy is complete; follow the actual seat and vehicle instructions. Hardware inspections and replacements differ by program. Confirm actual VIN eligibility and documented completion. - Gen. 42025–present
Wider, more rugged and with Google built in
Photo: Elise240SX · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It gained about 2.3 inches in width and a squarer design. The wheelbase remained essentially unchanged, advertised at 107.5 inches. LT, RS and the new ACTIV have different front designs; ACTIV uses all-terrain tires. MY2025 launched with a 175-hp 1.5-liter turbo, a CVT for front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic for AWD. San Luis Potosí production began in June 2024 according to GM Authority’s tracker. For MY2027, Chevrolet also replaced the front-wheel-drive CVT with an eight-speed automatic.
The innovation. An 11.3-inch touchscreen incorporates Google services alongside an 11-inch digital instrument panel. The shifter moved to the steering column to free space in the console.
If you buy one usedAn exact NHTSA Chevrolet/Equinox/2025 query returned zero campaigns on November 3, 2026; that dated observation does not clear a VIN, cover every alias or describe Equinox EV. Certain 2026 gasoline Equinox vehicles have 26V114: dealers reset the radio to facilitate electronic owner-manual download, free of charge. Confirm the actual manual, current VIN-specific campaign status, in-service date and any remaining factory coverage with Chevrolet.
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