2017 Chevrolet Equinox · symptom sheet
Engine leaks oil
- 35owner reports
- 70,760median miles
- $3,000median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report May 11, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
190 of the 273 complaints on this car are about the engine. 35 of those describe oil leak.
Tick what matches of 35 reports
Oil leak on other Equinox years
No other Equinox model year has enough reports of oil leak for a sheet of its own. See every Equinox year.
What this problem usually is
Oil leak reports usually begin with a spot on the driveway. Some owners smell burning oil or see smoke from under the hood when the leak drips onto something hot. Others only find out because they keep adding oil between changes, or a shop spots the leak during an unrelated visit. A share of them mention the repair falling outside the warranty.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the rear main seal (22 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2017 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
What owners paid
10 of the 35 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $2,500 to $3,900.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 65,550 and 102,000 miles, from the 16 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 3 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 Chevrolet Equinox that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This service bulletin provides a repair procedure to correct a customer concern of Coolant and/or Oil Leak, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminatedâ.
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to seal the bedplate bolt #621 if found the cause of the oil leak.
This Bulletin Provides Information for Repairing Engine Front Cover Oil Leak, Sealing Surface Preparation and Applying RTV Sealant.
What owners wrote
“Rear mail oil leak Engine gone timing chain failure allowed the engine pistons to contact the engine valves thereby damaging the valves and pistons.”
Filed May 7, 2025
“Two massive oil leaks experienced while driving during cold weather months. One two years ago (Feb 2023) and the other January 2025. Both instance caused by Rear Main Seal and led to mass oil loss while operating and vehicle almost shutting down on roadway. There appears to have been bulletins sent to dealers from GM on the matter but no indication to customers of the potential dangers.”
Filed Feb 1, 2025
“The PCV Valve froze last week causing pressure to build up and blew the rear seal. All the oil leaked out and caused a grinding noise and the vehicle shutoff on its own. This I have seen is an ongoing problem with the Chevy Equinox. I was quoted $3800 from the dealer to repair.”
Filed Jan 12, 2025
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 35 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 75 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 49 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 47 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 30 reports
- Timing chain or cam phaser rattles 29 reports