Problems with 2025 equinox

[tem3]

"Never shifts to 8th gear. Runs in 7th all the time." How does one determine that?

 

[RIT333]

You can count the upshifts by watching the tachometer. I think your time spent behind the wheel is better spent watching for cars than watching the tachometer.
However, it would be easy for GM to display on the dash what hear you are currently operating in. They probably chose not to do this, as it might display any flaws in the transmission !

 

[GaryM]

I have had my Equinox RS for 3 months as well and NO the MPG does not stack up to my 2018 Equinox Premier. I lost 2 MPG on the highway with the new RS. The new Equinox is one tenth of an inch longer, one tenth of an inch taller, two and three tenths of an inch wider and weighs 84 pounds LESS than the gen 3 model. It also has two more gears in the transmission. All of the, somehow, equates to LESS miles per gallon. I really do not understand how that all works. My logical brain tells me that it should be the same or maybe better because there is less weight and more gears. We need an engineer to explain.

I have a 2025 RS. During the summer months the MPG is good and comparable to my 2018 Premier with a 2.0L engine. However as the colder months came the MPG dropped, but I also noted the 8 spd trans never shifted into 8th gear. I've reported it several times and have been told "it's operating as designed" and the logic selects the best gear for the conditions, i.e. speed, wind, temp, and overall load on the vehicle. I can get it to shift to 8th if I use the ERS, but in drive it just won't shift to 8th gear. Could be your issue as well.

 

[RIT333]

What is the highest gear that you can get it to shift into ? They claim that a transmission needs to adapt to your driving style. Maybe in warmer weather, and with time it will shift into 8th gear. Does anyone know how many to RPMs one would expect the car to turn at 60 mph in 8th gear ? I have a long trip coming up for the coming weekend, so I can collect some data, and have something to do while driving, besides concentrating on driving !

 

[ricklack]

It seems to me that folks with the 9 speed trans (mostly Terrain) have been complaining about it not shifting into 9th. Seems eerily similar and has been happening since the 9 speed was intro'ed

 

[dequardo]

Never shifts to 8th gear. Runs in 7th all the time.

How are you determining this?

 

[Autoworker 74]

I’ve had my 20025 Equinox LT for about 2-3 months. I bought it used from a dealership with 1,200 miles on it since it had been used as a loaner car. Since then, I’ve put roughly 4,000 miles on it, including several road trips. I’ve run into a few issues and was wondering if anyone else has experienced these or has some advice:

1. Fuel Economy: On road trips, I’ve been getting around 27 mpg on the highway, but in the city, it drops to 16-17 mpg. I do drive somewhat aggressively, but I feel like 10 mpg below the advertised figure seems excessive. Is this normal?


2. Wireless Android Auto: When I use wireless Android Auto, it connects, and music plays for about 3 seconds before disconnecting. It then reconnects and starts again. Is this a common issue?


3. Wired Connection Issues: If I plug my phone in to charge while using Android Auto, it automatically switches to the wired connection. However, the next time I get in the car, it messes up my Bluetooth and wireless Android Auto connection. Is there a way to fix this?


4. Launching Android Auto: When my phone connects via wireless Android Auto, it doesn’t automatically launch on the screen. Instead, it stays on the home page, and I have to manually press the Android Auto icon to launch it. Shouldn’t it launch automatically?


5. AC Controls: When I change the fan speed on the AC controls, the screen doesn’t show the current fan level. The only way to check is to manually open the climate control app from the home screen. Is this how it’s supposed to work?


6. Auto Hold Feature: Is there a way to make the auto hold feature stay on from drive to drive, or do I have to manually turn it on every time I get in the car?


7. Google Assistant Confusion: When using Android Auto and I say “OK Google,” it uses my phone’s Google Assistant. But when I press the talk button on the steering wheel, it uses the car’s assistant, which sometimes gets confused. Is there a way to make this more seamless?


8. Spotify Issues: When I play Spotify through Android Auto and then switch to the Spotify app on my car, and vice versa, the car seems to get confused and won’t play from either. Is there a way to make Android Auto and Spotify work better together?

9. Wireless charging: the wireless charger also deosnt work through my phone case and I have a fairly slim case.

10. When I am using maps or waze regardless if on Android auto or the cars apps, on the dash I only see directions on the right side and don't see my music, is there a way to change that or toggle through different stuff on the right side of the dash?

11. Power Light: Not the biggest deal but the power light for the infotainment systems deosnt dim at night and could get annoying. Is there a way to fix that?

Thanks in advance.

I miss the fan speed indicator but hey Google is very good for dealing with this. "Hey Google fan speed on 4" The voice recognition is incredible and it works flawlessly.

 

[Lee]

It seems to me that folks with the 9 speed trans (mostly Terrain) have been complaining about it not shifting into 9th. Seems eerily similar and has been happening since the 9 speed was intro'ed

Yes, plenty of complaints from Terrain owners with the 9 speed and 1.5.

 

[shlogold]

I miss the fan speed indicator but hey Google is very good for dealing with this. "Hey Google fan speed on 4" The voice recognition is incredible and it works flawlessly.

This was fixed in the update at the dealership. The fan speed now shows up on the screen

 

[melllimel]

Can you tell me what you purchased? I would love to get something to cover the power light. Thanks!

For # 11 I purchased little circle patches from Amazon to cover the power light and cut the illumination by half. I have also experienced many of your issues with the infotainment system. I have a Galaxy S25 Ultra and I think it is caused by the tug of war between the vehicle hot spot and the phone. I prefer to use Android Auto from the phone but it works sometimes and defaults to the vehicle system other times.

 

[tem3]

Amazon.com

 

[GaryM]

I’m seeing noticeable mpg decreases from the other 4 I’ve had with the 1.5l

I suggest you look to see if it's using 8th gear. Most of them will not shift to it on highway, stays in 7th. No fix for it yet. In order to achieve 8th gear you can use ERS (paddle shift) or delay acceleration at around 60 mph to allow it to shift thru 7th into 8th, then slowly accelerate to road speed. Sounds weird but that's how it works. You can use the tach to help you. At 70 mph, in 8th gear, the tach should read around 1800. If it's reading 2200, it's in 7th gear.

 

[RIT333]

I would think that the gear ratio change would be less than the big difference that you are quoting. But, this is just my gut feeling.

 

[melllimel]

Amazon.com

I don’t think I ever thanked you for this. I purchased, and it is so helpful!

 

[schwans7711]

I’ve had my 20025 Equinox LT for about 2-3 months. I bought it used from a dealership with 1,200 miles on it since it had been used as a loaner car. Since then, I’ve put roughly 4,000 miles on it, including several road trips. I’ve run into a few issues and was wondering if anyone else has experienced these or has some advice:

1. Fuel Economy: On road trips, I’ve been getting around 27 mpg on the highway, but in the city, it drops to 16-17 mpg. I do drive somewhat aggressively, but I feel like 10 mpg below the advertised figure seems excessive. Is this normal?


2. Wireless Android Auto: When I use wireless Android Auto, it connects, and music plays for about 3 seconds before disconnecting. It then reconnects and starts again. Is this a common issue?


3. Wired Connection Issues: If I plug my phone in to charge while using Android Auto, it automatically switches to the wired connection. However, the next time I get in the car, it messes up my Bluetooth and wireless Android Auto connection. Is there a way to fix this?


4. Launching Android Auto: When my phone connects via wireless Android Auto, it doesn’t automatically launch on the screen. Instead, it stays on the home page, and I have to manually press the Android Auto icon to launch it. Shouldn’t it launch automatically?


5. AC Controls: When I change the fan speed on the AC controls, the screen doesn’t show the current fan level. The only way to check is to manually open the climate control app from the home screen. Is this how it’s supposed to work?


6. Auto Hold Feature: Is there a way to make the auto hold feature stay on from drive to drive, or do I have to manually turn it on every time I get in the car?


7. Google Assistant Confusion: When using Android Auto and I say “OK Google,” it uses my phone’s Google Assistant. But when I press the talk button on the steering wheel, it uses the car’s assistant, which sometimes gets confused. Is there a way to make this more seamless?


8. Spotify Issues: When I play Spotify through Android Auto and then switch to the Spotify app on my car, and vice versa, the car seems to get confused and won’t play from either. Is there a way to make Android Auto and Spotify work better together?

9. Wireless charging: the wireless charger also deosnt work through my phone case and I have a fairly slim case.

10. When I am using maps or waze regardless if on Android auto or the cars apps, on the dash I only see directions on the right side and don't see my music, is there a way to change that or toggle through different stuff on the right side of the dash?

11. Power Light: Not the biggest deal but the power light for the infotainment systems deosnt dim at night and could get annoying. Is there a way to fix that?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ap19063]

I was one of the first people to post about the 25 nox on this forum. I got the car 2 days after it was released. There are days I want to trade it in and other days I think i can live with it. I guess my thought process is that you get what you pay for. This is a cheap car and so......

I'm not great at forums, so I'm not sure if the thread with the 10 questions or so is a new one. It looks like plenty of people have something to say. Back when I posted, my biggest problem was the whole android issue. Since other annoyances have surfaced, buy a i said, it is what it is. I will probably get rid of it next year.

Ok, here is the things I can answer. Fuel economy.. as it has been confirmed, it's crap. Yes, the 1.5l has to work so hard that your gas mileage is gonna be like 20. Nothing you can do about it. Booming sounds in the cabin that many people complain about. It's a cheap Mexican car. Make sure all your windows are closed... yes the front ones too and deal. Android auto... the infotainment has it built in. The reason why it connects and disconnects is the tug of war between the infotainment and your phone's android auto. All you have to do is turn off android auto in your phone and set it so that it doesn't come on. Once you connect your Bluetooth on your phone to the car, you will have all of the android auto from the car. Once you do it this way, you will get sms, music, maps, ok google, etc. And no more disconnecting. The fan speed can only be seen if you look at it on the screen. The back light on the control keys are shit during the day. To enable which tile you can see on the right of your center screen, you can cycle through it on the infotainment control and select the one you like best. I've heard about wireless charging problems, but I've never had that problem. You do know that you cannot stand the phone up and have to charge it sideways right? Auto hold..... All cars take you to reenable the auto hold every time you restart the car. And lastly, there is never a reason to connect your phone using a wire... why?

 

[dequardo]

I’ll trade you. My two previous Equinox’s got 30 and 35 respectively. The 25 is crap in comparison to the 22 Premier. 35 vs 27 mpg over 15000 miles.