CSR

Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2015 Chevrolet Equinox

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

679

Complaints

24

Crashes

6

Fires

19

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2015 Chevrolet Equinox have filed 679 safety complaints with NHTSA between July 2015 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is visibility and the wipers, named in 250 of them (37%). The typical failure was reported at 75,000 miles, the median across the 426 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

22V165000 · March 17, 2022

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode, causing one or both windshield wipers to fail.
The risk
Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the wiper module, and repair or replace it as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 21, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212352530.

General Motors, LLC · up to 681,509 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

15V666000 · October 16, 2015

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
The risk
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.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.

General Motors LLC · up to 395 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (2)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative

EA19005

Closed engineering analysis · opened December 13, 2019 · closed November 28, 2022 · led to recall 22V165000

visibility, visibility and the wipers

On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis. To date, ODI had received 998 complaints with allegations of the front windshield wiper failing in adverse whether conditions, while the vehicle was in motion.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intruding into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint resulting in loss of windshield wiper function. ODI?s review focused on 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. Owners were reporting a high rate of failures of the windshield wiper system. These failures were the same as that addressed by recall 16V-582. ODI's review of data supplied by GM as well as its own confirmed a high failure rate in model years 2014 and 2015. On March 17, 2022, GM filed a defect information report recalling all MY2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the front windshield wiper transmission assembly.General Motors is also conducting a special coverage program, N192266181, for MY2010-2012 and MY2016-2017 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The special coverage is for a period of 15 years or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first.Both the recall, 22V-165, and the special coverage program, N192266181, address windshield wiper system failures on the subject vehicles. The dealership will inspect the front wiper assembly for ball joint wear. Depending on the degree of wear, the wiper links will be replaced, and a water shield installed or the entire module will be replaced.In view of the recall and special coverage, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.

Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure

RQ18002

Closed recall query · opened November 2, 2018 · closed December 19, 2019

visibility, visibility and the wipers

On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant loss of windshield wiper function. The recall remedy addressed these conditions with the installation of an improved windshield wiper motor/transmission assembly and the relocation of a drain hole on the Air Inlet Panel at the base of the windshield.RQ18-002 was opened to assess windshield wiper failure rates in the MY 2010-2012 and MY 2014 - 2016 Equinox and Terrain (subject vehicles).During the course of the investigation, ODI received additional consumer complaint traffic bringing its total to 602 concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In their December 20, 2018 response to ODI's Information Request (IR) Letter, GM reported 1,303 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Together, these bodies of data correspond to 1,905 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).GM stated the recalled vehicles exhibited double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate of the subject vehicles and that continuing complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles stemmed from publicity surrounding Recall 16V-582.ODI's review of GM's data confirms the stated difference in failure rates between the recalled and subject vehicles. However, ODI believes that the subject vehicle failure rates are nevertheless elevated and that publicity alone cannot account for the continued consumer complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. ODI is upgrading to RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis to compare subject vehicle failure rates and engineering practices to those in peer vehicles.The 602 ODI complaints cited can be viewed in a separate attachment.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 679.

VISIBILITY/WIPER 250 37%
ENGINE 227 33%
POWER TRAIN 63 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 54 8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 45 7%
AIR BAGS 37 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 31 5%
VISIBILITY 29 4%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 15 2%
SERVICE BRAKES 15 2%
STEERING 14 2%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 13 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 130.

2015 2019 2026
2015 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash

ESTAVA SALIENDO DEL FREEWAY 99 Y VAJE ALA CALLE NORTH IN FRESNO CA Y YO PARE PORQ LA CALLE NORTE LOS CARROS SEGUIAN EN MOVIMIENTO Y ESPERAVA A Q PASARAN PARA YO INCORPORARME AL TRAFICO YO ESTAVA EN ALTO CUANDO UN TRAILER DE FEDEX ME INPACTO POR DETRAS LLEVAVA MI BEBE Y MI ESPOSA Y LAS BOLSAS DE AIRE NO EXPLOTARON SOLO APARESIO EL SENSOR DE BOLSAS DE AIRE EN EL TABLERO

NHTSA complaint 11217678. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 37,000 miles

VEHICLE WAS STRUCK IN THE FRONT AND RIGHT SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AS DRIVER WAS CROSSING A TWO-LANE CITY HIGHWAY. THE SEAT BELTS WERE ON,BUT NONE OF THE FRONT OR SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.THE DRIVER SUFFERED A MILD CONCUSSION AS A RESULT OF BEING THROWN AROUND AND BRUISED LEG. PASSENGER WAS THROWN AROUND,ALSO, RESULTING IN BOTH BEING CHECKED OUT AT THE ER.THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY INSURANCE COMPANY.

NHTSA complaint 10947450. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 38,502 miles

TAKATA RECALL: MY CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A 3 CAR CRASH AT THE CORNER OF 28TH AVE N AND 4TH ST. N ON DECEMBER 14, 2018. I WAS IN THE MEDIAN WAITING TO CROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN I PERCEIVED THE LANES WERE CLEAR AND PROCEEDED TO CROSS THE ROAD. I WAS T-BONED BY AN ONCOMING DODGE AVENGER, INTO THE FRONT END OF A JEEP WRANGLER AND PUSHED INTO A STOP SIGN. MY AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY BUT THE AVENGER'S PASSENGER AND DRIVER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.I WAS TAKEN TO BAYFRONT ER BY AMBULANCE AND ADMITTED TO TRAUMA DEPARTMENT SUFFERING A STERNUM FRACTURE AND COMPRESSED CHEST INJURIES. MY LEFT HAND ALSO SUFFERED A POSSIBLE FRACTURE. THE POLICE REPORT IS NOT FACTUAL. IT STATES MY AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED BUT FROM THE

NHTSA complaint 11164370, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 65,000 miles

ON DEC 31, 2020 I STRUCK A DEER ON A COUNTY RD GOING APPROX 45MPH. THE IMPACT WAS SO HARD THE DRIVE TRAIN WAS SHOVED INTO THE CAR AND THE RADIATOR EXPLODED AND THE ENTIRE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WAS DESTROYED. NEITHER PASS. NOR DRIVERS SIDE DOORS WOULD OPEN. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS YET THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BUT YOU COULD SEE A WHITE POWDERY SMOKE AND IT SMELL AS IF THEY DID AND THE CAR NOW SAYS SERVICE AIRBAGS. ALSO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT NEVER RETRACTED BACK AND MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE BOTH INJURED AS I WAS SLAMMED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL SUFFERING DAMAGE TO MY CHEST AND FACE AND HER HEAD/ FACE BOUNCED OFF THE DASH DUE TO THE AIR BAGS NOT

NHTSA complaint 11386041, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1. High Pressure Fuel Pump, and yes. 2. Car will stall out unless I put it into neutral, shakes on shut down and sometimes starts scary fast. With the car caring my children in a busy town this is a HUGE safety hazard 3. No, but has been inspected by multiple mechanics. Got a tune up in May of 2026 problem subsided and back now. Numerous people have problems with this specific model of car and the HPFP. 4.PO0172 code, but that is the only code that has been persistent. No other known problems with the car. I have reached out to GM because there is no recall on my VIN number for the High Pressure Fuel Pump, but numerous Facebook groups for "Equinox Problems" have this issue and I would

NHTSA complaint 11754559, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Front turn indicator lights have gone out. Unfortunately, due to Chevy's vehicle design, the bulbs can only be replaced by pulling the bumper off in total and replacing bulbs. Then, putting entire bumper system back. This information was given to me by Chevrolet of Issaquah AND confirmed by Bonita Point Repair in Chula Vista California.

NHTSA complaint 11741594. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Rear main seal has blown three times since I purchased my vehicle from Carvana. I’ve pulled the engine out myself as I cannot afford another $3,500 at the shop. I’m a single income household that makes too much for financial assistance. The Chevy Equinox was the only vehicle in our price range. That was prior to the seal blowing, again.

NHTSA complaint 11738827. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

65,000 miles

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking abnormally before unintendedly decelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA complaint 11734409. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Burns Oil so bad I don't need to change oil. I put about a quart of oil in it a week. Car runs rough. Sometimes overheating and sounds loud when low on oil. This occurs on a consistent regular basis since aquiring in October 2024

NHTSA complaint 11730208. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

100,000 miles

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling and ticking sound coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption, and the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine oil was topped off occasionally. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA complaint 11728612. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Chevrolet Equinox

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 60 1
2025 212 0
2024 71 1
2023 92 3
2022 160 5
2021 89 4
2020 299 4 1
2019 296 4
2018 397 5
2017 271 0
2016 393 1
2014 546 1
2013 749 2
2012 682 3
2011 781 3 2
2010 784 3

Other 2015 Chevrolet models

Every Chevrolet on this site — 298 vehicles, 747 recall campaigns and 5 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst