The Lemon IndexThe variable valve timing for the intake camshaft on bank 1 isn't where the computer asked it to be. Full P0010 page
22 owner complaints · the #1 code Chevrolet Equinox owners name · 12% of Chevrolet Equinox complaints that name a code (every car: 0.4%)
Middle of 56,000 miles · most between 36,000 and 76,000 (19 owners gave it)
Chevrolet Equinox owners named P0010 in 22 complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), most often on the 2014, 2012 and 2015 model years, at a middle of 56,000 miles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Chevrolet Equinox model years that report P0010
Owner complaints naming P0010, by model year. Raw counts: years that sold more get more complaints, so this is each model year's record, not a failure rate.
Mileage when it happened
56,000 miles is the middle of what 19 owners entered. Half were between 36,000 and 76,000 miles.
The mileage on the complaint form, when the owner gave one.
Symptoms owners describe with P0010
55% of these complaints say the check engine light came on.
- Stalls or shuts off73%16 of 22 complaints
- Loses power or goes into limp mode9%2 of 22 complaints
- Uses or leaks oil9%2 of 22 complaints
- Shakes, runs rough or misfires9%2 of 22 complaints
Share of the complaints naming P0010 whose text also describes each problem. A complaint can describe more than one.
Codes owners report with it
P0011 7
Other codes named in the same Chevrolet Equinox complaints, and in how many.
Keep going
- P0010: meaning, causes and every car that reports it
- Chevrolet Equinox reliability by year
- 2014 Chevrolet Equinox problems and recalls
Other codes Chevrolet Equinox owners report
P0011 P0017 P0014 P0089 P129F P0700
P0010 on other cars
Hyundai Sonata (10)
The details
How we count
We read every owner complaint in the NHTSA file whose text names this trouble code, and count the ones filed about this model (matched by the make, model and model year on the complaint). Mileage is what the owner entered on the form.
Parts: a complaint counts for a part when one of the owner's own sentences names that part together with a cause word (failed, bad, diagnosed, caused by, leaking ...) or a repair word (replaced, repaired, new, reprogrammed ...). "Came back" means the same complaint also says the problem returned or the repair didn't fix it. These are counts of what owners wrote, not a diagnosis, and one complaint can name several parts.
Complaints are reports, not proof of a defect, and most owners never file one. Popular models get more complaints, so the counts are not a failure rate. The code meaning is the standard SAE J2012 definition in our own words, or the carmaker's meaning where we verified it for that make.
What P0010 means
The variable valve timing for the intake camshaft on bank 1 isn't where the computer asked it to be. The engine can idle rough, lose power or use more fuel. Low or dirty oil is a common trigger, because oil pressure moves the timing.
Get it fixed soon. A few more days of normal driving is usually OK, but waiting can turn a small repair into a bigger one or a breakdown.
- Low, old or wrong-grade engine oil
- Sticking oil control (VVT) solenoid
- Worn or stretched timing chain
- Faulty cam phaser
Check the complaints yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11431975, 11403341, 11365627, 11342559, 11322758, 11317860, 11242387, 11209965, 11187309, 11183476, 11175113, 11150787 and 10 more.
Quick answers
What does P0010 mean on a Chevrolet Equinox?
A Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Intake, Bank 1). The variable valve timing for the intake camshaft on bank 1 isn't where the computer asked it to be. The engine can idle rough, lose power or use more fuel. Low or dirty oil is a common trigger, because oil pressure moves the timing.
Which Chevrolet Equinox years have the most P0010 complaints?
In complaints to NHTSA, owners of the 2014 (6), 2012 (5), 2015 (4) Chevrolet Equinox named P0010 most (22 complaints in all, 2011–2016). Raw counts, not a failure rate.
At what mileage does P0010 show up on a Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners who gave their mileage reported a middle of 56,000 miles; half were between 36,000 and 76,000 (19 owners).
Can I drive my Chevrolet Equinox with P0010?
Get it fixed soon. A few more days of normal driving is usually OK, but waiting can turn a small repair into a bigger one or a breakdown.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints that name P0010 on the Chevrolet Equinox, counted by The Lemon Index; NHTSA recalls; repair bills owners named. Meanings: SAE J2012 in our own words. Owner reports, not a diagnosis or repair advice for your car.