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Chevy Equinox Recalled For Noncompliant Child Seat Anchors

GM has issued a recall for certain units of the 2020 through 2023 Chevy Equinox built with incorrectly powder-coated child seat anchorage systems. The system may not be able to hold a child safety seat in place because of the possible manufacturing defect in the anchorage bars.

The problem: affected Chevy Equinox may have too much powder-coat paint factory-applied to one or more of the four LATCH anchorage bars for the rear seat lower child seat.

Side view of the Chevy Equinox.

The hazards: incorrect powder-coating of the Chevy Equinox anchorage bars may increase the bars’ diameter beyond normal tolerances. The excessively thick paint may also expand bar diameter beyond the Federal/Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard’s 6 millimeter plus or minus 1 millimeter thickness.

In rare instances, the anchorage bars may be too thick to fit correctly, preventing attachment of a child safety seat using the anchorage bar system. GM notes that as a stopgap until the dealership completes the recall repair, a child safety seat can still be securely installed using the rear seat belts. The Chevy Equinox owner should consult their owner’s manual for details.

The fix: GM instructs its dealers to inspect Chevy Equinox units that might be affected by the recall. This may include measurement of the LATCH child safety seat anchorage bars to see if they are excessively thick due to too much powder coating. If the powder coat is thick enough to interfere with proper function, the bars should be sanded down to bare metal, then repainted using single step primer and the correct paint. Rechecking the repainted bars’ dimensions completes the repair.

Rear three quarters view of the Chevy Equinox.

Service of the bars requires approximately 24 minutes to complete, or 30 minutes if repainting is needed on more than two of the four anchorage bars. The dealership should contact GM before carrying out the repair to determine if the customer will be reimbursed.

Affected Chevy Equinox units currently in inventory cannot be delivered, sold, traded to other dealerships, or used in demonstrations until they are properly inspected and, if necessary, repaired. Federal law is violated by selling or leasing an affected unit before repairs.

Affected components: rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars.

Affected vehicles: 

Interior of the Chevy Equinox.

Number of affected vehicles: 454,722 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles are affected by this recall. The same recall applies to 213,465 units of the 2020 through 2023 GMC Terrain, with anchorage bars too thickened by paint to fit correctly.

Owners should: GM will notify owners of potentially affected Chevy Equinox units about the recall and available fix. Owners of 2020 through 2023 Chevy Equinox crossovers who have questions or concerns can call Chevrolet customer service, referencing the recall number provided below.

The Chevy Bow Tie badge on the Chevy Equinox.

Contacts:

  • GM recall number: N232403240
  • Chevrolet Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020

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Comments

  1. Hold it, the dealership should contact GM to see if the customer should be reimbursed? You’re recalling my car but I have to pay for the repair and maybe you’ll send me some money towards the repair? This sounds like a safety recall that should be no charge to the customer!

    Reply
  2. Since this was written incorrectly after calling today, the reimbursement statement should of been said if it were fixed prior to the recall being issued. This recall is paid for by GM and suggest they edit it to avoid needless phone calls.

    Reply

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