The purpose of this page is to help you quickly identify the most common problems with the 2006 Chevrolet Equinox. Both the 2005 and 2006 Chevy Equinox are known to have some serious problems, particularly with the head gasket. If you have made your way to this page trying to figure out if you should pick one up, we’d recommend that you go with an ’07 or newer model.
Navigation:
Non-Drivetrain Related Problems
Select Technical Service Bulletins
Most Common Issues with the 2006 Equinox
- Blown head gasket– The head gasket on these engines (and the 2005) are well known the head gasket failing without overheating. Since it will fail without overheating, there’s no warning. It just happens. That’s why if you are using this guide to ascertain whether or not to buy an 06 Equinox, we’d recommend you pass for a 07+ model year.
- A/C Blend Door– The A/C system was a problem for the Equinox in it’s first years. The major issue with the 06 is the blend door. When it fails, you can’t adjust how hot or cold the vehicle is. It’ll just stay whatever temperature that it was when the door failed. If your blend door is currently not working, here’s a great video of how to rig it up temporarily until it can be properly fixed.
- Gas Cap– The gas cap on the 06 Equinox is prone to failure. This will result in the service engine soon light coming on. It’ll usually read one of the Evaporative Emissions system trouble codes. It can also become difficult to fill the gas tank.
2006 Equinox Engine Problems + Specs
The 2006 Equinox was available with one engine. It was the LNJ V6. It’s power output was 185 hp at the rear wheels and it put out 210 foot pounds of torque, see directly above for more info regarding the engine. This engine is a direct carryover from the previous model year. Far and away the biggest area of concern for this engine is with the head gasket.
| 2006 Chevrolet Equinox Engine Specs | |
| Type | 3.4L V-6 |
| Block | Iron |
| Heads | Aluminum |
| Ignition | Coil on Plug |
| Fuel Delivery | Sequential Multi Port Fuel Injection |
| Horsepower | 185 @ 5200 RPM |
| Torque | 210 ft lb @ 3800 RPM |
| Compression | 9.5:1 |
Source: https://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/equinox/2006/features-specs/
Blown Head Gasket
One of the most common 06 Chevy Equinox problems is the blown head gasket. It’s a known problem. For a lot of people, it seems to strike without warning. That is to say the head gasket will blow without overheating occurring. If there’s no record of the Equinox that you are considering buying being brought in for this service, consider that a red flag.
2006 Equinox Transmission Problems + Info
The 06 Equinox was equipped with the Aisin AF33 transmission. It was made in China and found it’s way into not only General Motors vehicles, but also Volvos, Suzukis, Renaults, and Nissans.
It is considered to be a fill for life transmission. That means that as long as it is operated under normal conditions, it will not require any transmission fluid change.
Gear Ratios
The AF33 equipped in the 2006 Equinox has is not a true overdrive transmission. It’s final gear ratio is a 1:1 direct drive ratio. The necessary fuel economy is achieved through a very modest 2.65 final drive ratio.
| 2006 Equinox Gearing | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | 5TH | REVERSE |
| 4.68 | 2.94 | 1.92 | 1.30 | 1.00 | 3.18 |
Identification
If you’d like to confirm that the transmission in your Equinox is the AF33, go ahead and pop open the glove compartment. You’ll want to check out the RPO codes in the glove compartment. You’ll either have the FWD or AWD version of this transmission. Find these codes on the tag to tell you which one that you have.
- M09- Front Wheel Drive
- M45- All Wheel Drive
Here is a list of some of the most common problems with the AF33 transmission that is equipped in the 06 Equinox.
No Torque Converter Lock Up
The locking clutch on the torque converter is a known area of weakness with this transmission. It is well known that the clutch is a little too small for many applications.
When the torque converter refuses to lock up gas mileage suffers. The vehicle will also travel down the highway at a higher RPM. If you ever drove an older American car with an automatic transmission, you’ll know the feeling. You hit the gas and the rpm rises, even though the transmission isn’t downshifting.
No Forward Gears at All
A surprisingly common problem with the AF33 is the loss of all forward gears at one time. This is usually caused by a loss in line pressure. Common causes of this problem include:
- Bad front pump
- Bad pressure regulator
- Valve body (valve stuck)
Fluid Leak
It’s common for any transmission to develop a leak with enough mileage under it’s belt. Some common areas that the Equinox’s transmission leaks from are:
- Pan gasket
- Torque converter hub
Faulty Solenoids
Solenoids are devices that are used to control the flow of transmission fluid throughout the the transmission. There are many solenoids in the AF33. When one goes bad, the Equinox can not properly operate. A solenoid repair is not the most expensive repair. But, it can take some work to get to it.
Drivetrain- Other
There really aren’t any standout problems with the drivetrain that are worthy of inclusion.
NHTSA Recalls
There are no recalls issued by the National Highway and Traffic Administration for the 2006 Chevy Equinox.
Select Technical Service Bulletins
There are many technical service bulletins on the 2006 Equinox. Listed here are a few of the most common and serious ones. They are still being issued regularly. If you are interested in the full list, here you go.
EGR Pintle Stuck:
This will usually be accompanied by the trouble code P0404 or P1404.
NHTSA ID: 10018579
GM: 3636
TROUBLE CODE: P0404, P1404
Affected Years: 2005-2006
Misfire, Rough Idle, No Start
This set of conditions can certainly happen to any vehicle with no mileage on it. GM recommends that the technician run a diagnostic and see if there is carbon build up on the upper engine. The recommended solution is valve cleaning.
Related to:
NHTSA ID: 10114746, 10113418
GM: PIP5029F
Iced Motor
In the coldest of conditions the intake and induction system has been know to ice up. There is an official procedure to let the ice melt out.
Related to NHTSA: 10129073
GM TSB: PIP5540A
Valve Train Noise/Low Compression
Valve Train noise on the 06 Equinox is often a symptom of low cylinder compression.
NHTSA: 10007735
GM: 02049
Trouble Code: P0300
Affected Years: 2005
Issued: 1/1/04