Owners have filed 8,083 complaints on the Chevrolet Equinox, covering 2005–2026. The system named most often is Engine (874 reports). Worst years by volume: 2011, 2013, 2010; cleanest: 2026, 2024, 2009. 318 reports describe a crash, 88 a fire, 4 a death. On average the car was 5.4 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Chevrolet Equinox
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 8,083 Equinox complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Engine 874 Read
The contact owned a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the instrument panel lights became dim/flicker, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact mentioned she pulled over to the right side and left the vehicle at the scene.…
I am reporting a vehicle fire involving a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox [XXX] ). The fire originated in the engine compartment. The official fire report lists the causes as "undetermined", with the area of origin identified under the hood. There were no prior warning lights, mechanical issues, or indications that a fire risk…
For unknown reasons vehicle caught fire. Vehicle was parked in a motel gravel parking lot for about 10 hours after having been driven for about 7 hours. Engine compartment was completely consumed by the fire before being put out by fire department
Visibility/wiper 630 Read
The Chevrolet Equinox EV has a large blind spot because of the size of the front window pillars and the adjacent side view mirror. To quote from an Internet search, "This creates a significant blind spot when preparing to make left at intersections, making it difficult to spot pedestrians cyclists, or oncoming…
The contact owns a 2015 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph in a rain storm, the driver side windshield wiper suddenly broke off and dislodged from the vehicle and the passenger side wiper seized to operate. Smoke was also seen coming from the wiper area. The vehicle was taken…
Without warning, windshield wipers suddenly stopped working during a significant rain storm that resulted in loosing all visual of interstate. Traffic had slowed to 45 MPH due to rain prior to the complete failure of windshield wiper transmission. As we were lowering driver and passenger windows to get a bearing of…
Electrical System 394 Read
While driving home from work at 9:30 pm on a state highway, my 17 year old son hit a deer on the front passenger side of the car. The airbags deployed and he slowed down and pulled over and smelled smoke. He got out of the car and saw flames. He immediately called 911 and his mother. The car was on fire and burned…
My 2016 Chevrolet Equinox caught on fire about 10 minutes after my accident. I rear ended a pickup truck going about 5-10 miles an hour. Although nobody was hurt, I don't think SUVs should catch on fire. I'm unaware if this problem is frequent in 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, but there wasn't any warning of the sudden fire…
June 9, 2017 at 10:00 pm I hit a deer on south dakota hwy 11 in lincoln county. The speed limit was 65 mph and I was going 68 mph when I hit the deer head on. I drove over to the side of the road and the vehicle stopped. After a few minutes my wife and I smelled burning electrical wire. We got out of the car and…
Power Train 392 Read
The contact owns a 2010 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without warning. Wally edgar chevrolet (3805 s lapeer rd, orion charter township, mi 48360, 248-494-8698) was notified and stated that the vehicle would be covered under a power train warranty. The contact purchased an…
I was put in a rental by enterprise from a rear-end. I was involved while my car was in the shop fixing the trunk. This rental had broken window glass under the passenger seat, and the car started sounding weird when turning and driving. On a morning, that same week dropping off my ex now at her job that same week, on…
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that after parking, turning the engine off, and exiting the vehicle it was later discovered that the vehicle had erroneously rolled backward and crashed into a second vehicle that was parked. No injuries were reported and a police report was taken at the…
Service Brakes 300 Read
Back in early October 2020, vehicle had about 2000 miles on it. I noticed that when I started up the vehicle The Brake Assist Service message came on the brakes were spongy and had vibrating feel. I drove about a half of a mile and the problem stopped. The engine light came on and stayed on but then went out.…
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, she began to smell a burnt odor inside the vehicle. The contact saw white smoke entering from the windshield defroster and decided to continue driving to her destination. The contact stated the check engine warning light was…
I was driving my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV on the highway with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) engaged. The vehicle was also set to "One-Pedal Driving" (High regenerative braking). The vehicle in front of me slowed down abruptly. My vehicle's ACC began to slow the car, but it was not decelerating quickly enough to avoid…
Air Bags 203 Read
1.The airbags did not deploy, possibly missing. 2. I suffered injury and crashed into a building. I was hit. 3. Vehicle was inspected by the Hertz Rental Car. 4. Do not remember any messages
I was involved in a car accident where all of the side airbags deployed. On the drivers side just behind the arm rest the airbag that deployed caught on fire and burned all th way through my shirt, jeans and underwear leaving two large burns on my left side. Some areas are 3rd degree
Vehicle was involved in a front end collision. No other passengers besides driver of vehicle was in car. The drivers airbag deployed, but upon exiting the vehicle the passenger seat had caught fire due to a malfunctioning airbag
Fuel/propulsion System 179 Read
Vehicle was being parked in garage when it accelerated in reverse, on it's own, very quickly. Fortunately I was able to avoid colliding with any thing behind me by braking in time. I then shifted into drive when vehicle accelerated forward, on it's own again, very quickly. I was not able to brake before vehicle…
My wife and I were driving to Galveston on I-45 and were driving through La Marque when our car suddenly lost power. I started moving over to the outside lane and went to turn on the emergency lights. I realized the lights were already on. We heard a thump and thought that the serpentine belt had broken and that the…
The contact owns a 2012 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated as the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was…
Steering 133 Read
I lease a 2022 Equinox. February 15, 2023 I was driving from the store and began to pull in my driveway. I live on a dirt, dead end road. I turned the steering wheel and there was no reaction. The car kept going straight. I put on the brakes and the car didn't stop or slow down. I was stopped when I hit my own lamp…
Power steering failure
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, the steering wheel failed to turn and became stiff. The contact attempted to turn to the left for a curve however the steering wheel failed to turn to the left. The "power steering service drive with care" warning message was…
Equinox years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Air Bags | 2 | 1 | |
| 2025 | Communication | 7 | — | |
| 2024 | Electrical System | 4 | 1 | |
| 2023 | Air Bags,structure,forward Collision Avoidance | 4 | — | |
| 2022 | Air Bags | 13 | 3 | |
| 2021 | Air Bags | 5 | — | |
| 2020 | Air Bags | 20 | 7 | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | 21 | 7 | |
| 2018 | Air Bags | 22 | 4 | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | 18 | 4 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 13 | 3 | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 21 | 6 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 22 | 4 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 15 | 5 | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 15 | 6 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 28 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 13 | 8 | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | 5 | 1 | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 6 | 1 | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | 9 | 6 | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | 12 | 8 | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | 43 | 11 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 2,448 |
| Average complaints per series | 3.3 |
| Worst single series | 30 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 5.4 years |
A model average of 3.3 hides a worst series at 30. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Equinox?
By complaint volume, 2011, 2013, 2010 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Equinox years are the cleanest?
2026, 2024, 2009 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Chevrolet Equinox have?
8,083 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2005–2026. Of those, 318 describe a crash and 88 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.