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Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2019 Chevrolet Equinox

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

Owners have filed 302 safety complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox with the US government. Of those, 22 describe a crash, 7 mention a fire, 9 people were injured and no death is recorded. 4 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 100 complaints, 33% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 9,000 miles, the median across the 129 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers September 2018 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

302 complaints on file

302

Complaints

22

Describe a crash

7

Mention fire

9

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 100 · 33%
SERVICE BRAKES 67 · 22%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 43 · 14%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 40 · 13%
POWER TRAIN 37 · 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 37 · 12%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 13 · 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 12 · 4%
AIR BAGS 11 · 4%
STEERING 9 · 3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 · 2%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 6 · 2%
0 42 85

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 302.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 60.

64 48 32 16
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2019 Chevrolet EQUINOX, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 18.5% 16.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

4 on file

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

20V668000 · October 29, 2020

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
The risk
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.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

General Motors LLC · up to 194,105 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

19V667000 · September 19, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Equinox all-wheel drive vehicles. The fuel tanks may have been manufactured with an improperly sealed seam, possibly allowing fuel to leak along the seam near the fuel inlet.
The risk
A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N192271870.

General Motors LLC · up to 301 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS

19V184000 · March 7, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The rear-right seat may have insufficient welds on the head-restraint bracket.
The risk
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.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-right seatback frame, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192209550.

General Motors LLC · up to 120 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

18V576000 · August 30, 2018

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
The risk
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

General Motors LLC · up to 210,628 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

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

SERVICE BRAKES

3 injured · crash · towed

My wife and I were in our car driving on [XXX] on [XXX] at about 4:30 in the afternoon. I was about three car lengths behind the car in front of me and I was doing 30-32 miles per hour. The brake lights in front of me went to red and I immediately stepped on my brakes but my car would not stop nor slow down causing me to hit the person in front of me. It was a matter of seconds passing but when I hit the back of that car in front of me I had both feet on the brake pedal. My car would not stop. My wife was injured, the young lady that I hit hurt her leg and the back end of her car was destroyed. Our car was totaled. The vehicle is now in possession of AAA auto insurance where I was told the

NHTSA complaint 11716995, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 75,000 miles

The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle collided with a second vehicle and flipped over one and a half times. During the crash, the vehicle sustained front-end damage, and the bumper was partially separated from the vehicle but the front driver's air bag did not deploy. The driver sustained a head injury and was treated at the hospital. The occupant of the second vehicle sustained a shoulder injury but no further information was available. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed and later towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and

NHTSA complaint 11600062, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 99,500 miles

The contact's boyfriend owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH and decelerating to 50 MPH to switch lanes, the vehicle drove over an icy road surface and spun. The contact attempted to turn the wheel and depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle crashed into the left guard rail, and the vehicle then crashed into the right guard rail and came to an abrupt stop. The contact stated that the vehicle sustained significant front-end damage. The air bags failed to deploy. Several warning lights were illuminated after the crash. The vehicle owner was occupying the front passenger's seat during the incident. A police report was filed. The tow truck driver

NHTSA complaint 11711379, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

On July 1, 2025 I was involved in an accident and none of my airbags deployed. Car was inspected by police, insurance company and General Motors who haven’t sent me the report yet. No warnings or symptoms appeared.

NHTSA complaint 11677338. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

89,000 miles

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard, but the vehicle hesitated to accelerate before lurching forward. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power while driving 60-70 MPH and decelerated to 10 MPH. The engine revved while stopped at a red light, and the RPM was at HIGH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer on six occasions for the recurring failure. The contact stated that DTC: P0401 and P0521 were retrieved and cleared after securing the air box cover after the first failure. The second

NHTSA complaint 11766711, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Car has less than 75,000 miles and needs a new transmission

NHTSA complaint 11762267. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The power liftgate on my 2019 Chevrolet Equinox experienced a sudden mechanical failure without warning. I pushed the automatic liftgate button and the liftgate raised normally. Once raised, the upper mounting bolt securing the power liftgate actuator severed. The actuator broke loose, struck the rear taillight assembly and pushed it outward approximately one inch, and the liftgate came crashing down without warning. My [XXX] grandson was approaching the rear of the vehicle to retrieve his golf clubs. Fortunately, he had not yet reached the area beneath the liftgate when it fell. Had he or another person been standing beneath it, I believe the sudden uncontrolled closing of the liftgate

NHTSA complaint 11760553, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS

1 injured · crash · towed

While driving and turning on a flashing yellow arrow, I was hit by a truck and upon impact, my seatbelt came unbuckled and my body was thrusted into the dash, my Left knee took the impact from next to the steering wheel and my thigh was slammed into the steering wheel.

NHTSA complaint 11760489. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Unusual engine noise inspection at 86011 miles determined engine failure do to metal shavings and particles found in engine oils and oil filter by GM Dealership wher serviced only by them at mileage intervals on record and purchased new in 2019.

NHTSA complaint 11758764. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 81,000 miles

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle unintendedly decelerated. The contact stated the failure reoccurred. The transmission failed to shift out of first gear, and the RPM was elevated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall

NHTSA complaint 11757448, quoted in part. 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 71 1 —
2025 228 0 —
2024 79 1 —
2023 95 3 —
2022 177 5 —
2021 96 4 —
2020 309 4 1
2018 408 5 1
2017 273 0 —
2016 396 1 —
2015 680 2 —
2014 548 1 —
2013 751 2 —
2012 685 3 —
2011 782 3 2
2010 784 3 —

Other 2019 Chevrolet models

Silverado 1500 1,085 Traverse 407 Malibu 191 Blazer 186 Bolt EV 178 Colorado 150 Corvette 148 Trax 134

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Chevrolet on this site — 304 vehicles.

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. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

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