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Chevrolet Equinox
Platform: Theta

Stabilitrak code, stalling, starting issues

Old Feb 2, 2020 | 1:44 PM
  #1  
Natasha Lennex's Avatar
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Default Stabilitrak code, stalling, starting issues

Hello everyone,

I'm on here to see if I can find someone answers. I have a 2014 Chevrolet equinox. I bought i used in excellent condition. It was a work vehicle with regular inspections, oil changes and so on. It currently has 103,000 miles. I faithfully have changed the oil and done all the up keep. I have been having stalling, starting issues, loud engine issues too.

My car was throwing camshaft actuator ( timing variable solenoids), camshaft sensor codes, crankshaft, throttle body sensor. I've replaced both intake and exhaust solenoids ( solves starting issue for a short time) camshafts, crankshaft, map sensor. Car kept throwing all these sensor codes still. Engine still sounded terrible. Feeling defeated. I took it to a mechanic. Who has the fancy computer, a very capable mechanic. He runs the computer and suggest it could be a ground wire issue. I take it home notice it sounds terrible. Has a awful putter start and loud noise in engine. Turns out my timing chain is off by two teeth. He replaces all the parts, water pump and serpintine belt because it's right there. $1,614 later. The engine light is off runs great. I have it for 24 hrs. Then I noticed it hesitates to start at my bank. I then drive it to a car Wash to sweep it out. Go to start it. Will not start. It just turns, turns, the stabilitrak codes pops up my engine light pops up again. So $2,200 later we are back to the first intial issue. I also put a new battery in it. Just need spark plugs and coil pack to finish tune up.

My car seems to idles weird at red lights like it wants to die, but you put it in neutral that goes away while idling. I know the stabilitrak code is not the issue, but when you start by car and that code shows up 100% of the time it will have issues starting. This last time it even acted like the computer wasn't even responding. Like it was dead at one time. My mechanic is looking at it again and he is stumped, I'm stumped. I don't have $125 dollars and hr. To spend at the dealer for a part that could potentially cost $100. My mechanic is $80/hr. I still owe $9450 on it. I do know some mechanics and Chevy seems to have a huge issue with this. I would love a answer from Chevrolet because I truly believe this is a faulty part on their half. Cheap parts, and quality issues.

If anyone has any input please let me know. Chevrolet I would like something done. I purchased this vehicle for dependability and interegity of you company. I do not feel safe driving it with my kids and the long commute I have to work. I love the car, but unfortunately do not have deep pockets for repairs.

your 2.4l engine needs tweeked or safer, stronger parts. My lumina ran till 250,000 miles and had a ignition wiring issue, but we could over pass with a homemade start button to the starter. Unfortunately the computers make bypasses nearly impossible.
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Old Aug 10, 2021 | 11:01 AM
  #2  
jocelynwatson85's Avatar
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Default 2014 Chevy Impala

Originally Posted by Natasha Lennex
Hello everyone,

I'm on here to see if I can find someone answers. I have a 2014 Chevrolet equinox. I bought i used in excellent condition. It was a work vehicle with regular inspections, oil changes and so on. It currently has 103,000 miles. I faithfully have changed the oil and done all the up keep. I have been having stalling, starting issues, loud engine issues too.

My car was throwing camshaft actuator ( timing variable solenoids), camshaft sensor codes, crankshaft, throttle body sensor. I've replaced both intake and exhaust solenoids ( solves starting issue for a short time) camshafts, crankshaft, map sensor. Car kept throwing all these sensor codes still. Engine still sounded terrible. Feeling defeated. I took it to a mechanic. Who has the fancy computer, a very capable mechanic. He runs the computer and suggest it could be a ground wire issue. I take it home notice it sounds terrible. Has a awful putter start and loud noise in engine. Turns out my timing chain is off by two teeth. He replaces all the parts, water pump and serpintine belt because it's right there. $1,614 later. The engine light is off runs great. I have it for 24 hrs. Then I noticed it hesitates to start at my bank. I then drive it to a car Wash to sweep it out. Go to start it. Will not start. It just turns, turns, the stabilitrak codes pops up my engine light pops up again. So $2,200 later we are back to the first intial issue. I also put a new battery in it. Just need spark plugs and coil pack to finish tune up.

My car seems to idles weird at red lights like it wants to die, but you put it in neutral that goes away while idling. I know the stabilitrak code is not the issue, but when you start by car and that code shows up 100% of the time it will have issues starting. This last time it even acted like the computer wasn't even responding. Like it was dead at one time. My mechanic is looking at it again and he is stumped, I'm stumped. I don't have $125 dollars and hr. To spend at the dealer for a part that could potentially cost $100. My mechanic is $80/hr. I still owe $9450 on it. I do know some mechanics and Chevy seems to have a huge issue with this. I would love a answer from Chevrolet because I truly believe this is a faulty part on their half. Cheap parts, and quality issues.

If anyone has any input please let me know. Chevrolet I would like something done. I purchased this vehicle for dependability and interegity of you company. I do not feel safe driving it with my kids and the long commute I have to work. I love the car, but unfortunately do not have deep pockets for repairs.

your 2.4l engine needs tweeked or safer, stronger parts. My lumina ran till 250,000 miles and had a ignition wiring issue, but we could over pass with a homemade start button to the starter. Unfortunately the computers make bypasses nearly impossible.

let me know what you find out mines doing the same thing.
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Old Nov 10, 2025 | 4:07 PM
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Caitlyn1416's Avatar
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Hi Natasha,

I had the same problem as you years ago. I assume based on the age of the car and the time of your post, the person who sold the car to you was aware of the issue and just hoping it wouldn't pop up till you'd had the car too long to go back.
Chevrolet has not had to issue an official recall on the 2014 Chevrolet Equinox engines as far as I know, but they SHOULD have. There is a wide-spread, well-established issue across the board with their engines getting little tiny particles of metal in the oil, so it results in engine failure over time due to those metal particles circulating through the engine with the oil.
I had to get a new engine back in I want to say 2018? I wish now that I hadn't shelled out the cash for that and had gotten a very old used vehicle instead (which is all I could have afforded), but alas. I still have it, and today the stabili track went out and disabled my AWD, which is how I happened upon your post.
I spent THOUSANDS of dollars with mechanics at the Chevrolet dealership trying to fix the same issue you have over the course of 2 years. The whole time Chevrolet was already having massive amounts of reports of the engine metal oil problem, and trying their best to hush it all up. They could have told me what the problem was and fixed it by replacing the engine, but they did everything to string my car along so it would function just long enough for me to think it was fixed.. and then have to bring it in again.
My parents bought me an oil change with their favorite private mechanic and he figured out the problem right away-- saying it was dispicable Chevrolet took so much of my money when the problem was painfully obvious. He's who I got the new engine through, of course. But the 2014 Chevy Equinox is riddled with more problems than that, and I regret it because when it's not one thing it's another.
I don't know how I'm going to get to work this winter, but I hope my comment will at least save you further expenditure on a problem your mechanic should have already been able to tell you about.
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Old Nov 12, 2025 | 4:19 PM
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BlueOx's Avatar
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Cam Crank correlation, bad 5V reference driver, faulty ground, faulty power lead, could be a myriad of things or several at once. Codes, live data all need to be looked at to make sense of it. Even the humble visual inspection can sometimes reveal the cause. Not everything is a simple solution (DTC's aren't parts lists). Best of luck!

Last edited by BlueOx; Nov 12, 2025 at 4:20 PM.
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Old Nov 12, 2025 | 11:20 PM
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Default Unfortunate Update

Originally Posted by BlueOx
Cam Crank correlation, bad 5V reference driver, faulty ground, faulty power lead, could be a myriad of things or several at once. Codes, live data all need to be looked at to make sense of it. Even the humble visual inspection can sometimes reveal the cause. Not everything is a simple solution (DTC's aren't parts lists). Best of luck!
I had the codes read and they erased them twice for free because it’s nothing serious for a car over 10 years old that shouldn’t have more money put into it anyway. Unfortunately the codes came back the moment I started driving away. They fixed them the second time, but when it happened again I had to schedule an appointment and for diagnostics alone it’ll be $175/hour. Who knows what stupid little thing will be wrong, but it will cost me an arm and a leg to get it fixed even though it doesn’t need to be for the car to run, allll because GM decided to electronically link Stabilitrak and AWD specifically in my vehicle. The tech felt terrible for me and said it’s a completely bogus and unnecessary move on the part of GM, but it makes them more money, and that’s what they care about. When the Tech who will be profiting off your misfortune is telling you the situation is completely ridiculous and GM’s fault—— telling you that other brands don’t do that? You know GM’s in the wrong. But hey, that’s not news. They should have had to do a recall on my model’s engine for metal pieces getting into the engine oil and ruining the engines as it was reported in mass across everywhere the model was distributed— but new engines for everyone is mega money, and they somehow weaseled their way out of it.

Last edited by Caitlyn1416; Nov 12, 2025 at 11:21 PM.
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