Overheating and A/C Issues with the Chevrolet Equinox: GM May Already Have a Fix

Owners of gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox models are reporting overheating episodes paired with an A/C system that blows warm air instead of cold. No recall has been issued so far, and one might not be needed, since Chevrolet appears to have pinpointed the cause and already has a repair in place.

2024 to 2026 models with the turbocharged 1.5-litre engine are affected
Diagnostic code P0494 points to insufficient fan speed
GM recommends replacing the G10 fan motor

A Fan That’s Falling Short

According to a service bulletin issued by General Motors, Equinox models equipped with the turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine are prone to this kind of glitch. The bulletin pins the issue on code P0494, which flags insufficient cooling fan speed.

In any cooling system, the fan feeds both the radiator and the A/C condenser. System temperature and A/C line pressure dictate its speed. When it doesn’t do its job properly, the engine doesn’t get the airflow it needs to stay cool, which can trigger overheating and leave the cabin stuck with warm air instead of cold.

GM’s fix is refreshingly simple: swap in the latest fan motor.

Worth Keeping an Eye On

Overheating is never great news for long-term engine health. Sustained excess heat can do real damage to internal components, and that’s exactly the kind of scenario that’s landed other automakers in class-action territory before, Nissan among them, with comparable fan-related complaints.

For now, GM hasn’t gone the route of a formal recall through the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the U.S. agency that oversees road safety, roughly the American counterpart to Transport Canada.

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The current approach reads more like a technical service update aimed at dealership technicians than a full-blown safety campaign. Still, given how these things have played out elsewhere in the industry, GM would be wise to keep close tabs on how this one develops.

If you own one of these Equinoxes and have run into exactly this kind of trouble, at least you now know a fix is already out there.