2018 Chevrolet Equinox problems, complaints & recalls
TypicalRising
NHTSA has received 403 owner complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, or 46.5 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.11, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #49 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Chevrolet models its rate is about the same; against other Compact SUVs it is 25% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2017-06-29 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 9 days.
403Complaints
46.5Complaints per year on the road
1.11Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
5Recalls
6.5%Share involving a crash or fire
62Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2019) drew 39.1 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 101 complaints, 13% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (23.1% of complaints), followed by Brakes (21.3%) and Electrical (12.2%). Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “vacuum”, “pump”, “engine”, “camshaft” and “brake assist”. 26 reports (6.5%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 30 injuries and 1 death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 51 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (42% of incidents). In the last 12 months 62 new complaints were filed, versus 43 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for this model year. 45% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles1.11
vs. other Chevrolet models1.01
vs. other 2018 models0.95
vs. other Compact SUVs0.75
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (101)1.13
I am an investigator w/ the Medical Examiner's office in Dallas, TX. We are investigating the death of an individual who was inside a 2018 Chevy Equinox that was "rebuilt." During the minor accident, the steering wheel airbag deployed, but exploded and shot…
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.
Fuel system · 2026-01-05 · ODI 11708995 · Fire
Back wiper stopped working while it was on. Wiper arm is stuck straight up on back window. Back wiper motor got extremely hot still trying to work with the car ON or OFF. Would make a clicking sound every 30secounds 24/7 and would drain the battery dead.
Electrical · 2026-09-02 · ODI 11761747
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service restraint error message was displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance.
Airbags & seat belts · 2026-09-01 · ODI 11761378
In my chevy equinox 2018 my vacuum pump and brake booster failed when I was driving and I could not brake. I slid into the gravel side of the road on the 138, luckily there were not alot of traffic at the time cause I would have caused a major accident.
Brakes · 2026-08-25 · ODI 11759470
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 20V668000 · 2020-10-29
Summary: 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.
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.
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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER Campaign 18V576000 · 2018-08-30
Summary: 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.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 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 18188.
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. The driver and front passenger door window glass may not be properly tempered. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 205, "Glazing Materials."
Risk: If the glass is not tempered properly, and the window is broken, the glass can break into large pieces, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the glass in the front doors, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18136.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT Campaign 17V516000 · 2017-08-22
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Risk: 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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
403 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, or about 46.5 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 23.1% of complaints.
Does the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall(s) for this model year.
Is the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 62 new complaints were filed, versus 43 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 403 owner complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, or 46.5 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.11, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #49 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Chevrolet models its rate is about the same; against other Compact SUVs it is 25% lower.