CSR

Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2020 Chevrolet Equinox

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

299

Complaints

20

Crashes

7

Fires

12

Injuries

1

Deaths

Owners of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox have filed 299 safety complaints with NHTSA between December 2019 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the brakes, named in 96 of them (32%). The typical failure was reported at 12,400 miles, the median across the 82 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints rose 32% year on year: 66 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 50 in the twelve before.

NHTSA has issued 4 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (4)

CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE LATCH ANCHOR

23V339000 · May 11, 2023

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
The risk
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.
The remedy
Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. 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 N232403240.

General Motors, LLC · up to 668,187 vehicles across all model years covered

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

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

19V704000 · October 3, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. The rear brake calipers may have been produced with an incorrect lubricant, potentially causing the rubber seals to swell and the brakes to drag.
The risk
Brake drag may result in overheating of the brake pads, affecting the braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear brake calipers, including the brake hose gasket, brake fluid and wheel to hub lubricant, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192270920.

General Motors LLC · up to 166 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

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 299.

SERVICE BRAKES 96 32%
ENGINE 84 28%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 50 17%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 42 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 39 13%
POWER TRAIN 38 13%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 14 5%
STEERING 13 4%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 12 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 12 4%
SUSPENSION 10 3%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 9 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 61.

2019 2025 2026
2019 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.

SEAT BELTS

1 death · 1 injured · crash · 2,077 miles

I AM A CRASH INVESTIGATOR/RECONSTRUCTIONIST LOOKING INTO A FATAL CRASH INVOLVING A 2020 EQUINOX WITH APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES ON IT THAT HIT A TREE IN THE FRONT (HEAD-ON) AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR. THERE WERE 2 OCCUPANTS, DRIVER AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. PASSENGER SAID HE WAS NOT WEARING HIS SEAT BELT. PASSENGER SEAT BELT WAS FOUND TO BE RETRACTED AND LOCKED TIGHT. DRIVER SEAT BELT WAS FOUND TO BE RETRACTED AND LOOSE (NORMAL POSITIONING). INITIAL OBSERVATION OF THE CDR DATA, AND NOT THAT OF A THOROUGH AND COMPLETE ANALYSIS, INDICATES THAT THE DRIVER WAS BUCKLED AND THE PASSENGER WAS UNBUCKLED. THE STEERING WHEEL APPEARS TO BE COLLAPSED AS THOUGH THE DRIVER MOVED FORWARD IN THE

NHTSA complaint 11360229, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash · towed

While having the right of way driving thru an intersection, going approximately 40 mph, another vehicle disregarded a stop sign and t-boned my vehicle on the drivers side. My vehicle was pushed off the road and came to rest in a ditch. Impact was directly on the drivers side door which sustained severe damage. My vehicle also sustained damage to front corner panel along with damage to the rear driver side door. Driver side-impact curtain airbag did not deploy on my vehicle. My vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance company. The at faults front end sustained severe damage and driver and passenger front airbags both deployed.

NHTSA complaint 11433523. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 83 miles

I PURCHASED THE 2020 EQUINOX SUV. IMMEDIATELY LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP AFTER A HEAVY RAIN THE SUV WASN'T ABLE TO STOP WHEN I APPLIED THE BREAKS & APPROACHED A STOP SIGN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND I WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE CAR. I WOKE UP IN A TRAUMA CENTER IN SPRINGFIELD MO. THE VEHICLE HAD 84 MILES ON IT. $17,500 IN DAMAGE NOT INCLUDING SERIOUS INJURIES NOT JUST TO MYSELF BUT THE CAR THAT STRUCK ME. I WAS ALSO SITED A TICKET FROM THE MISSOURI HIGHWAY PATROL FOR FAILURE TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN, THOUGH I APPLIED THE BREAKS WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I STILL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE BREAKS IN WET/COLD CLIMATES. IT'S TERRIFYING

NHTSA complaint 11376913. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · fire · crash · towed

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. Everything was ok for about two weeks when it did it again light came on took it a dealer but light went off. They serviced the vehicle and seem that the problem had stopped. Then in Early April of 2021 it happened again. Took it to the same dealership, they replace some more parts. Week or two weeks later same issue. Took it back to the dealership. They replaced the engine control

NHTSA complaint 11424523, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

towed · 38,451 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the fuel pump and fuel pump control module. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V013000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,451.

NHTSA complaint 11753771. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

94,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the message “Service Brake Assist” warning light illuminated twice. The contact stated that while attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed, causing the contact to engage the parking brake and manually shift the gear shifter to a lower gear to get the vehicle to come to a complete stop. A dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake booster pump needed to be replaced. The

NHTSA complaint 11753062, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
While driving, my 2020 Chevrolet Equinox suddenly lost power and shut off without warning while I was pulling into traffic. The vehicle would buzz not crank afterward but would not restart. This created a safety hazard because the unexpected engine shutdown occurred while the vehicle was in motion. This is the second brake vacuum pump failure I have experienced with this vehicle. In 2022, the brake vacuum pump failed and was found shattered internally. At that time, the engine continued running, and the pump was replaced. During this most recent incident, the brake vacuum pump failed again, and the internal end of the pump broke apart. I replaced the vacuum pump and removed the broken

NHTSA complaint 11752556, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
I was pulling into a parking lot off the state Thruway with the brake system failure no brakes, hard pedal, and the car would not stop

NHTSA complaint 11751405. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
I bought the 2020 equinox May the 9th 2026 the dealership concealed a lot of things going on this vehicle and I complain to them two days after purchase he told me I was stuck with it in the meanwhile as I drive the vehicle I have had repairs done but it's something going on with the acceleration it accelerates on its own sometimes and slow to pick up speed. The steering seems to get away from me at times that makes me feel like I'm going to lose control when driving. I have almost had a couple of accidents since then so what really worries me is the steering problems which I just had a little alignment done today July 15th 2026 and the accelerating from time to time went backing up or

NHTSA complaint 11750722, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
In early XXX, I noticed that water was pooling in the spare tire well. I took it to a Chevrolet dealership and they concluded that the rear sunroof drains were clogged. After unclogging the drains and confirming adequate sealing of the tubes, rain water was still leaking into the spare tire well. This is causing mold on the carpet and rust. This same issue, with the same year/make/model, happened to somebody else around the same time, and they made a post on Reddit ([XXX]). I believe there is an issue with the drainage system, leading to auto parts potentially rusting and mold growth, both of which severely harm the driver and passengers. Two cases of the exact same situation, starting

NHTSA complaint 11750076, 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 60 1
2025 212 0
2024 71 1
2023 92 3
2022 160 5
2021 89 4
2019 296 4
2018 397 5
2017 271 0
2016 393 1
2015 679 2
2014 546 1
2013 749 2
2012 682 3
2011 781 3 2
2010 784 3

Other 2020 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