Chevy Equinox 2010–2017: Problems to Check Before You Bid

On a 2010–2017 Chevy Equinox, the engine is what decides the bid. The 2.4L four-cylinder that went into most of them has a well-documented habit of burning oil through worn piston rings. When the oil runs low, the timing chain stretches, and an engine that jumps time can be ruined. GM's extended coverage for the oil problem expired years ago, so anything you buy today is your cost to fix. Bid on a 2.4L Equinox as if it might need a motor, unless the listing gives you a reason to think otherwise.

With the engine priced in, these are cheap, common crossovers with plenty of used parts, and they move fast on the resale lot. Here's what to check, by engine and by system.

01Know which engine you're looking at

This generation ran from 2010 through 2017, with a facelift for 2016. Three engines were offered:

• 2.4L Ecotec four-cylinder (LAF, later LEA): every year, and by far the most common.
• 3.0L V6 (LF1): 2010–2012.
• 3.6L V6 (LFX): 2013 on.

The 8th character of the VIN is the engine code. Decode it before you bid. Don't go by the listing title or the badge on the liftgate, because auction listings get it wrong often enough that you shouldn't count on them.

02The 2.4L oil consumption problem

This is the big one. GM's own fix was to replace all four piston assemblies, which tells you where the problem lives: the piston rings. GM's special coverage defined excessive consumption as burning a quart in less than 2,000 miles. Owners on forums report much worse than that.

GM issued special coverage adjustments for 2010–2013 Equinox and GMC Terrain models with the 2.4L. The 2011 bulletin covered the repair for 7 years 6 months or 120,000 miles. The 2010 coverage ran 10 years or 120,000 miles. Do the math on a 2013 and you'll see every one of those windows has closed.

The lawsuits are over too. In Siqueiros v. General Motors, a jury found GM liable in October 2022 and awarded $102.6 million to roughly 38,000 class members, about $2,700 each. The case was later settled for owners in California, Idaho and North Carolina. None of that helps you as the next buyer of a salvage car.

What that means at the auction:

• Pull the dipstick in the listing photos or at preview. A dry stick, or oil sitting at the bottom hash mark, tells you how the last owner lived with it.
• Look at the tailpipe. Black, oily soot inside the pipe means the engine burns oil. Clean gray means it probably doesn't.
• Watch the start-up video if there is one. Blue smoke on a cold start is a bad sign.
• Check the plugs if you can get a hand in at preview. Oil-fouled plugs show up on high-mileage oil burners.

An Equinox that has already had pistons replaced, with dealer paperwork in the glovebox, is worth more to you. Most won't have that paperwork. Assume the rings are original.

03Timing chain: what low oil does next

The 2.4L has a timing chain with a hydraulic tensioner and plastic guides, and the whole setup runs on engine oil. When oil consumption leaves the engine a quart or two low, the tensioner loses pressure, slack builds, the chain stretches and the guides wear or break. If the chain jumps a tooth, you get valve-to-piston contact, and at that point the engine is a core.

The codes to look for are the cam/crank correlation family:

• P0016 (bank 1 intake cam/crank correlation)
• P0017 (bank 1 exhaust cam/crank correlation)
• P0008 (engine position system performance, which GM engines set for chain stretch)

P0010–P0014 point to the cam actuator solenoids or their circuits. GM bulletin 17-NA-098 covers solenoid failures on 2010–2012 2.4L engines, and the part runs roughly $48–$58. That's an easy fix, so don't let a P0011 alone scare you off. A P0016 with a rattle on cold start is a different story. Most auction listings won't show codes, which is why a run-and-drive or engine-start note is worth paying a little more for on these.

A timing job on a 2.4L that hasn't jumped is doable in a driveway with patience. But if the engine burns oil, a new chain only buys time. The rings are still the problem, and a used engine is often the more sensible repair. Price one on Car-Part.com or at a pull-your-own yard before you set your max bid.

04The V6 engines

3.0L V6 (2010–2012): this one has a reputation for timing chain stretch too, and it's a bigger job than on the four-cylinder because there are multiple chains on a V6. The same correlation codes apply. A 3.0 with a chain rattle at idle is a parts car unless the numbers are very low.

3.6L V6 (2013–2017): the better bet of the three. Chain failures on the 3.6 are less common in this application and usually trace back to skipped oil changes. It's the engine to look for if you're shopping to keep, but there are far fewer of them at auction.

05Windshield wipers

The wiper linkage ball joints corrode and separate, and the wipers stop working. Sometimes it's one arm, sometimes both, and it can happen in the middle of a rainstorm.

• NHTSA recall 22V165 covers 2014–2015 Equinox and Terrain, 681,509 vehicles. The dealer inspects and repairs or replaces the wiper module for free.
• GM also issued special coverage N192266180 for wiper module failures, at 10 years/150,000 miles. On most of these cars the time limit has run out.

Open recalls follow the VIN, not the owner. A salvage or rebuilt 2014–2015 can still get the wiper recall done at a Chevy dealer. Check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup before you bid and again after you buy. It takes about 30 seconds.

06Other problems to check

• PCV system (2.4L): GM bulletin 14882 deals with a plugged or frozen PCV orifice in the intake manifold that pushes oil out of the rear main seal. In cold-weather states this shows up in the first hard freeze. If you see an oil drip between the engine and transmission, suspect this before you condemn the seal.
• A/C compressor: compressors fail often on this generation. A replacement runs roughly $550–$750 at a shop. You can't test A/C in an auction yard, so if the price is tight, count it.
• Front suspension: clunking stabilizer links and worn lower control arm rear bushings are common at 100,000+ miles. The parts are cheap. Budget them anyway.
• Wheel bearings: a highway-speed hum, sometimes with an ABS or StabiliTrak light. Expect one per car on high-mileage examples.

07How to bid on one

On a 2.4L Equinox, the engine works like an option on your max bid. Either you paid for a good one or you priced in a bad one.

1. Decode the VIN for engine and drivetrain, and run it for title history. A quick history check can show earlier totals or flood brands.
2. Read the damage against the engine. A rear hit or side swipe on a 3.6L is a cleaner flip than a light front hit on a 2.4L with 160,000 miles.
3. **Price two outcomes on your max-bid sheet:** the engine is fine, or the engine needs replacing. If the deal only works when the engine is fine, bid lower or pass.
4. Front-end hits: radiators, condensers and headlights for this generation are cheap aftermarket parts. Airbag deployments are not. See what an airbag car really costs.
5. If the car doesn't start, treat it as a parts car or a motor job, not a "probably just the battery" gamble. On this engine it's too often more than the battery.

It's fall, so flood cars from summer and early fall storms are moving through the yards right now. A salvage Equinox with clean paint and no listed damage deserves a hard look for water.

08Before you hit the bid button

• Engine code from the VIN: 2.4L, 3.0L or 3.6L
• Dipstick and tailpipe photos checked for oil burning
• Start-up video or run-and-drive note; any rattle, smoke or correlation codes
• Open recalls checked at NHTSA (wipers on 2014–2015)
• Max bid priced with a used engine in it if it's a 2.4L

The Hyundai/Kia Theta II engines call for the same approach: when the engine has a known failure, it sets your price no matter what the body damage looks like.

Related: Honda CR-V 2017–2019: Problems to Check Before You Bid · A late-model deer hit often needs a sensor calibration. What does that do to the repair bill?

Sources (5)

• NHTSA: GM special coverage bulletin, Equinox/Terrain 2.4L oil consumption
• Consumer Reports: 2014–2015 Equinox and Terrain wiper recall
• DiCello Levitt: Siqueiros v. GM verdict and settlement
• Samarins: 2010–2017 Equinox common problems and bulletins
• Go-Parts: P0016 on the 2016–2017 Equinox 2.4L

Photo: 2nd Chevrolet Equinox -- 03-16-2012 by IFCAR, Public domain.