2019 Chevrolet Equinox

I was driving down the road and my engine stopped. It stopped so suddenly that I did not have time to get out of the road and my safety was put at risk. When I took it to a certified Chevrolet dealership, they told me that the vacuum pump failure caused extensive damage to the motor and I needed to have my entire motor replaced. When I asked them what I could have done to prevent such catastrophic failure, they stated that there was nothing to prevent it. I did not have any warning on my dash at the time of the incident. This was at least the 2nd vacuum pump failure on this vehicle since I've owned it. I got it replaced at a certified Chevrolet dealership in 05/2022 when my brakes went out. In 05/22, the brakes went out but I was in a driveway and I did not feel my safety was a concern at that time. Now it's not even been 3 years and the vacuum pump failure risked my safety and caused catastrophic damage to engine to be replaced.

I was driving on the freeway way and during rush hour at 65 miles per hour the brakes completely stoppped working the peddle wouldn’t press I had to swerve to avoid an accident and slowly exited the freeway when it was safe to coast over from the number one lane to the exit. The vacuum pump failed which exploded inside my engine which in turn makes the engine stop functioning and destroys the whole engine with out warning

The brake vacuum booster failed, causing the brake assist system to malfunction. Yes, the component is available for inspection upon request. While merging onto the highway, the brake pedal became extremely tight, making it difficult to slow down or stop, creating a hazardous situation. Yes, the issue was confirmed by a service center, and the brake vacuum booster is being repaired. No, the vehicle and component have not been inspected by these parties, but the service center is addressing the repair. Yes, a “Service Brake Assist” warning appeared immediately before the brake pedal tightened. Afterward, the check engine light came on.

I was driving down a driveway with a slight incline. I pressed the brakes and they were very hard to press and vehicle would not stop until I collided with a wall. This is the fourth time that this has happened in the last two years. Each time it has been the brake booster vacuum pump which my mechanics have said is a common problem with this vehicle. One of the previous times my daughter was driving on the highway when the brakes failed and she ended up in a ditch off the shoulder. This is very dangerous and someone is going to get killed if it hasn't happened already.

My wife started noticing issues with our 2019 Equinox. We got several error mesaages: service brakes, service sylteering, enigine light and abs. I did some digging online and found similar issues with other Equinox owners. The fix is to replace the battery. We did and after leaving the shop the car won't move. It will go into differnt gears but wont move and is currently at home in our driveway.

originally system warning message to service brake system. had system checked by mechanic. nothing found. after a few weeks as i was merging on a highway i felt my engine start to stall. I immediately tried to make my way to the side of highway. brakes were very hard to press and car stalled with engine light immuninating, and no power steering. code P0017. engine will crank and sputter but will not start also has blowby present. cam and crankshaft sensors/actuator solenoids were replaced, then the vacuum pump cover was opened and found broken parts inside. upon removal of pump it was found broken. suspect broken parts are blocking crankshaft or either of the cams to not be able to rotate properly. this issue possibly has cause timing chain issues as well. parts in the vacuum caused it to seize. exhaust cam continued to spin shattering the end connected on the pump. I have done research and found that others have had the same thing occur with the warning for brake system and then weeks later the brakes do not work, which is due to the pump providing pressure for the brake boost system.

I was traveling at expressway speeds (70 mph) when traffic in front of me hit the brakes quickly to avoid an object in the road. At this time, I hit my brakes relatively hard and fast in what I would describe as a panic brake. I avoided incident here. About a mile further up the road, traffic in front of me hit the brakes once again. At this time, I also hit my brakes, but I could not. My brake pedal was hard as a rock, and it would push down only about 2 or 3 inches with little to no effect. I was afraid I might break the pedal arm. I was able to maintain my lane until about 40 mph at which time I was forced to hit the shoulder to avoid colliding with the cars in front of me which were now stopped. I pressed the brake pedal hard and coasted along the shoulder of the expressway for about 40 or 50 yards, rolling past the stopped traffic. A few minutes after my car came to a complete stop, the information panel on my dashboard read "service brake assist". My car was towed to a GM dealership local to where I came to a stop. The documentation from the dealership, as well as what I was verbally told, indicates that there was an internal failure of the vacuum pump. According to the service manager, there was nothing I could have done to prevent this. Obviously, I was extremely lucky. If this would have happened in two-lane city traffic, or approaching a stop light I would have been forced to veer into oncoming traffic or simply barrel into those in front of me. I know this, because for the last month, as I'm driving, I constantly analyze what would happen if my brakes were to go out like that at various points along my drive. Often times, my only option would be to brace for a major accident or land my car in the front yard of a business. This catastrophic failure could have easily killed me, and/or other drivers on the road. Other people will not be so lucky, and I know this. For that reason, it's time for NHTSA to finally take action on this matter.