Chevrolet Equinox owners filed 3,023 complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for model years 2015–2025 (see the Car Problem Index for all 60 models), and NHTSA lists 19 recall campaigns for the same years. The 2015 Chevrolet Equinox drew the most complaints (679); across all years, owners complain most about engine (32% of complaints).
Key findings
- Worst model year: 2015, with 679 complaints, led by wipers / visibility (250) and 2 recalls.
- Complaints vs recalls: Engine drew 973 complaints but no recalls, so for most of these owners the repair falls to warranty or their own pocket, not a free recall fix.
- Spike years, compared with a typical model year: 2015 (2.5 times as many complaints).
- Earliest-failing area: automatic emergency braking / collision warning complaints came at a median 10k mi.
- Fire and crash reports: 35 complaints mention a fire and 160 a crash, with 130 injuries and 2 deaths reported.
Chevrolet Equinox complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Top problem areas |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 2 recalls | 679 | Wipers / visibility (250), Engine (227), Transmission / powertrain (63) median 75k mi · 24 crashes · 6 fires |
| 2016 1 recall | 395 | Engine (201), Wipers / visibility (113), Transmission / powertrain (26) median 65k mi · 14 crashes · 3 fires |
| 2017 no recall | 272 | Engine (178), Transmission / powertrain (32), Fuel system (20) median 68k mi · 18 crashes · 4 fires |
| 2018 5 recalls | 407 | Brakes (118), Engine (86), Transmission / powertrain (65) median 22k mi · 23 crashes · 4 fires |
| 2019 4 recalls | 301 | Engine (100), Brakes (67), Electrical system (43) median 9k mi · 22 crashes · 7 fires |
| 2020 4 recalls | 306 | Brakes (97), Engine (87), Fuel system (50) median 13k mi · 20 crashes · 7 fires |
| 2021 4 recalls | 94 | Transmission / powertrain (17), Electrical system (17), Engine (16) median 60k mi · 6 crashes |
| 2022 5 recalls | 171 | Fuel system (72), Fuel System, Gasoline (31), Engine (25) median 15k mi · 14 crashes · 3 fires |
| 2023 3 recalls | 95 | Fuel system (44), Engine (17), Brakes (14) median 34k mi · 4 crashes |
| 2024 1 recall | 78 | Fuel system (23), Electrical system (17), Engine (14) median 10k mi · 5 crashes · 1 fire |
| 2025 no recall | 225 | Electrical system (75), Transmission / powertrain (34), Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (32) median 8k mi · 10 crashes |
One recall campaign often covers several model years, so the recall column adds up to 29, more than the 19 separate campaigns. Newer years have had less time to collect reports.
Most-reported Chevrolet Equinox problems, and what they cost to fix
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Recalls | Median mileage | Estimate the repair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 973 | 32% | 0 | 70k mi | Engine overhaul cost |
| Wipers / visibility | 425 | 14% | 2 | 75k mi | Wiper replacement cost |
| Electrical system | 376 | 12% | 0 | 25k mi | Alternator / electrical repair cost |
| Brakes | 368 | 12% | 2 | 32k mi | Brake repair cost |
| Fuel system | 361 | 12% | 3 | 30k mi | Fuel pump repair cost |
| Transmission / powertrain | 338 | 11% | 2 | 50k mi | Transmission repair cost |
| Air bags | 114 | 4% | 2 | 37k mi | — |
| Automatic emergency braking / collision warning | 95 | 3% | 0 | 10k mi | — |
Top problem areas only; one complaint can count twice.
What Chevrolet Equinox owners report
Owners’ own words; dollar figures are what they reported.
Engine
The vehicle started with a check engine light. Vehicle has 46000 miles. When cold, engine stalls at random stops at a light, parking lot, drive thru. Vehicle must be put into park and restarted causing a safety hazard and driving danger. Code flashes P0011. Dealer stated vehicle needs new sensor. $300 repair. This problem should be a recall, as a stalling problem is a saftety hazard and should be reimbursed by gm.
2015 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11217745
While driving, the vehicle went into engine power reduced mode, check engine light went on, and the brake assist notification came on. I pulled over and turned off the vehicle; vehicle would not restart. Had the vehicle towed for diagnosis; told initial codes were timing issues.
2019 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11639499
None of these 973 engine complaints is matched by a recall on these model years, so a repair is covered only by warranty or paid by the owner.
973 owners reported engine problems; the engine overhaul cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Wipers / visibility
While driving home in a pretty good rainstorm, put windshield wipers on high and they completely stopped working. Couldn't see anything on a busy interstate while driving 75 miles per hour. I feel that this could have endangered my safety and the other vehicles driving on the highway as I had to pull from the middle lane of 3 lane I-75 to find the shoulder, which I could barely see. No warning.
2015 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11421037
Wiper motor stopped working in severe heavy rain storm. Had zero visibility at night. Had to drive 2 miles before I could safely park vehicle and not go in a ditch or hit another car. Next day went to auto store got replacement $124 later its fixed by myself. Same issue as recall on 2014-2015 models 2016 needs to be included.
2016 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11460298
Related recalls: 22V165000 (2015): Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash. 18V252000 (2018): If the glass is not tempered properly, and the window is broken, the glass can break into large pieces, increasing the risk of injury.
425 owners reported wipers / visibility problems; the wiper replacement cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Electrical system
My 2019 chevy Equinox with 30,000 miles will not start due to a "shift to park" error. This is a common issue with other models of Chevrolet in that same time frame 2017 - 2019 Malibu, Traverse, and volt. The dealer wants to charge over $1500.00 for an issue that appears to be related to a failing sensor. The vehicle will turn on (power) but will not start.
2019 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11567776
I was driving home from work, all of sudden all the dash borad lights started flashing and the car stop. Engine would not start back up. I had to have the car towed home and the next day it was towed to the dealership, I was told that there is a problems with the chev equinox's oil use, it burns fast and make the plastic parts in the engine break down.
2016 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11558205
None of these 376 electrical system complaints is matched by a recall on these model years, so a repair is covered only by warranty or paid by the owner.
376 owners reported electrical system problems; the alternator / electrical repair cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Chevrolet Equinox recalls
Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for your car’s open recalls.
| Campaign | Announced | Model years | System | Risk (NHTSA's wording) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23V869000 | 2023-12-21 | 2024 | Body structure | A door opening while the vehicle is being driven can increasing the risk of injury or a crash. |
| 23V339000 | 2023-05-11 | 2020–2023 | Child Seat | The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. |
| 23V013000 | 2023-01-19 | 2021–2022 | Fuel System, Gasoline | An engine stall increases the risk of a crash. |
| 22V929000 | 2022-12-15 | 2023 | Air bags | In the event of a crash, a front passenger air bag that deploys with a child or infant in the front passenger seat can increase their risk of injury. |
| 22V724000 | 2022-09-29 | 2022–2023 | Seats | A seat with a missing or loose bolt may not properly restrain the occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 22V359000 | 2022-05-19 | 2022 | Seats | An improperly welded seat frame may not adequately restrain the driver in a crash, increasing their risk of injury. |
| 22V165000 | 2022-03-17 | 2015 | Visibility (windows, mirrors, wipers) | Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 21V612000 | 2021-08-05 | 2021–2022 | Tires | Tread separation can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 20V811000 | 2020-12-23 | 2021 | Seat belts | If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 20V668000 | 2020-10-29 | 2018–2020 | Transmission / powertrain | Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire. |
| 19V704000 | 2019-10-03 | 2020 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Brake drag may result in overheating of the brake pads, affecting the braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 19V667000 | 2019-09-19 | 2019–2020 | Fuel System, Gasoline | A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire. |
| 19V184000 | 2019-03-07 | 2019 | Seats | In the event of a crash, the insufficient welds may result in an increased risk of injury for an occupant seated in the rear-right position. |
| 18V576000 | 2018-08-30 | 2018–2019 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash. |
| 18V358000 | 2018-05-31 | 2018 | Fuel System, Gasoline | A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire. |
| 18V252000 | 2018-04-19 | 2018 | Visibility (windows, mirrors, wipers) | If the glass is not tempered properly, and the window is broken, the glass can break into large pieces, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 17V516000 | 2017-08-22 | 2018 | Transmission / powertrain | If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away. |
| 16V449000 | 2016-06-21 | 2016 | Equipment / accessories | If the information on the certification labels is incorrect, the operator may install incorrectly sized tires or rims or may improperly inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 15V666000 | 2015-10-16 | 2015 | Air bags | In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury. |
What this data can and can't tell you
3,023 unverified owner reports, not adjusted for sales. Method.
Other Chevrolet models in the index
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (7,160)
- Chevrolet Malibu (3,192)
- Chevrolet Traverse (2,644)
- Chevrolet Tahoe (2,306)
- Chevrolet Colorado (2,241)
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint files (nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-25; NHTSA recalls database (nhtsa.gov/recalls), retrieved 2026-09-23. Model years 2015–2025. Free to cite with a link to this page.