2018 Chevrolet Equinox Brakes Problems

Losing all power to the brakes.

Brake system has failed. “Brake Assist Service” has popped up on screen. Taken to two separate facilities who said this is a KNOWN problem with this vehicle make and model.

Driving down a curvey road and my brake pedal was hard without no warning or indication. Almost was hit head on because of this. Looks like the Vacuum Pump Seal failed and I lost all of my engine oil, which caused that to happen.

My car has a slow crank and when I am driving down the road it cuts off completely and does not want to crank. I have a signal on my car that says reduced speed and the speed is cut down and drags . My car also smells like gas and there is a leak coming from the vehicle it drains really bad . my brakes goes out every few months . My Car radio goes out like there is a shortage. Its horrible

Vehicle displayed reduced engine power, check engine light, and service brake assist all at the same time. Brake pedal wouldn't move leaving me without brakes. Coasted to stop and shut off car. Brake did not release and now engine won't start. Informed brake vacuum booster pump is problem and ruined motor now.

The brake vacuum pump has went out twice with no warning and has caused my breaks to become instantly extremely stiff.

I was exiting the expressway coming up to the back of a semi truck & the brake became hard to push down. Thankfully I was able to stop in time & didn't rear end the truck. It put me & my [XXX] old in danger had I not been able to apply the force needed to push the brake petal down. No dash alerts appeared until at least 10 min after I noticed the issue. I have a mechanic changing the brake booster. The first part we received was faulty & had to be returned. Currently waiting for another brake booster to come in & attempt another repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving on the highway and when I exited and tried to stop at a red light the brakes stopped working. No warning, the brake assist engaged so I barely came to a stop in time before hitting the car in front of me. I can barely use the brake pedal and my check engine light came on with it. Its very hard to press the pedal like its got something stuck under the pedal but there was nothing. The brake assist stays on and basically is the only way the car will stop and still doesn't completely stop.

The vacuum pump went out on the car while I was on I-70 in a rain storm construction traffic… I absolutely had no brakes they were so hard to push… I was stuck I almost crashed this crappy designed car… The brake light engine light came on.. I barely made it to the side of the highway… Now my engine is messed up cause of some faulty brake pump… What kinda silly design is this… I could have died out there on that highway.. I was on the way to the airport and I missed my flight… GM needs to get their stuff together on this they’re going to kill somebody….

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal seized while depressing the brake pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and the vehicle eventually came to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that a gasket had detached and was missing, and there were plastic pieces inside the engine, and there was oil intrusion into other parts of the vehicle and engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was parked at the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 200,000.

I reported the first incident that happened in Feb 2025 when my brakes failed and nearly crashed due to my Vacuum Brake Booster failing, and I replaced it. Less than 2 months later, 4/28/2025, my breaks failed again, the same thing happened. My break pedal was hard and I was unable to stop my car. This time I had leave the roadway to avoid a collision and nearly lost control of my car. After having the mechanic check it out he told me it is a faulty system that GM/Chevrolet needs to replace or redesign. I have not fixed it because I am not only afraid to drive it anymore for fear of crashing but I don't have the money to just keep replacing a part that is never going to be ok. I am without a car, my job is at risk bc I can't always find a way to work, it has cost me money that if it wasnt faulty I would not have had to shell out the money to repair 2x in 2 months. I need GM to take responsibility before someone is hurt or killed. I need a dependable vehicle like I thought I was getting when I paid cash outright for the vehicle in 2022. The mechanic has also said he thinks it could have damaged my motor. This is a life & death situation that I can't even sale the car without worrying someone else may lose their life. Essentially I was sold a vehicle that is no good, dangerous, and it's due to GMs negligence bc they are aware that the brake booster is faulty and can't be fixed by replacing the faulty part. It is likely to keep causing a brake failure.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact had to firmly depress the brake pedal for the vehicle to respond. The "Service Brake Assist" message was displayed. Additionally, the engine made a clicking sound, and the vehicle lost motive power while driving. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vacuum pump was replaced, but the mechanic discovered metal shavings from the vacuum pump in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

On or about 2/8-2/13/2025, I was on my way home when suddenly, without warning, I applied my brakes to slow down and the brake pedal was so hard, so stiff that even while I was literally standing on the pedal, I was unable to stop. I nearly rear-ended the vehicle in front of me. I was honking , and honking to get the car to move and thank God without another second to waste, he moved over. I could not stop the car, I had to let off the gas and let it coast to a stop. I called a mechanic friend and he towed my car in. My car is not under warranty any more therefore Alan, my mechanic friend went over my car and determined my Vacuum Brake Booster failed. I did do some research along with the mechanic and found that the Chevy Equinox (several yrs, including mine) had a recall for this same exact problem. I ran my VIN and my car is not included in the recall. The mechanic believes my car should be recalled for the brake system being faulty and he installed the new Vac Brake Booster. Now on 4/12/2025, only 2 months later, the same thing happened, my pedal is hard and I can't stop. The first time I felt like I was going to crash, kill myself or somebody else. The 2nd time I had to exit the roadway where there was only dirt, I ended up nearly flipping my car because the dirt caused me to nearly lose control. Again, I escaped causing a crash but at the risk of my own life by not being able to stop and having to leave the roadway to avoid a collision. I had the same mechanic, along with a family member who is experienced enough to understand what the mechanic showed him. It is the vac brake booster, the same part I just replaced, it failed. Without warnings, without any other factors that can explain what is causing this system to fail. I have not replaced this part again because I believe it is faulty by the GM factory and it will keep happening. I am scared it will continue to cause brake failure and I could potentially cause an accident that could be fatal.

Vacuum brake pump broke while driving leaving me unable to stop, luckily I was not in a horrible accident. No indicator lights came on. The part that broke went into my engine and was inspected by a mechanic.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the "Brake System Failure" message was displayed while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the brake pedal was firm. The contact continued driving to the residence. The contact parked the vehicle, and inspected the calipers but found no cause for the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.

Vacuum pump for brake system failure

The 2. 1018 Equinox has a brake booster.Vacuum pump on the side of the engine that is a known Failure. The vehicle has very hard brake pedal and barely stops. If left unfixed? The vacuum pump seizes and will blown the engine resulting in full engine replacement. The chevy dealer (local) acknowledges the issue and has stocked the parts shelf at $159. The problem is with multiple makes with the 1.5 l turbo engine. The cost of a new engine is around $5200.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Reduced Engine Power" message flashed on the instrument panel with an audible beep coming from the vehicle. The vehicle started to lose power and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the vacuum pump had damaged the cam shaft, causing the cam shaft to explode, releasing particles into the engine long block. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) which was then linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

My 2018 equinox was running perfectly. Then several warning lights popped up on the dash. I pulled into my daughter's school and didn't have power breaks. Even though brake fluid was full. It wouldn't start back up. A mechanic shop looked at the car and said they thought the timing was off. But couldn't guarantee it. Another mechanic looked at it a few days later and said I needed a new power break pump that the had broken at the camshaft connect. He said the car would need to rebuild the motor or buy a used motor because of the damage. I have heard of several people who have had the same exact issue with the chevy 1.5 turbo motor in many chevy vehicles. There should be a recall as there is never a warning that the vacuum break pump is getting ready to go bad and cause severe engine damage.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, and attempting to stop at a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact made a left turn into a parking lot and became aware that there was brake fluid leaking from the vacuum pump where it was attached to the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 130,000.