2026 Chevrolet Equinox problems, complaints & recalls

Far more Rising

NHTSA has received 83 owner complaints about the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox, or 83.0 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical (complaint index 2.06, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2026 vehicles we track, it ranks #68 of 73 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Chevrolet models its rate is 80% higher; against other Compact SUVs it is 38% higher.

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 2025-07-07 and 2026-10-05. Median delay from incident to filing: 8 days.

83Complaints

83.0Complaints per year on the road

2.06Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles

1Recalls

6.0%Share involving a crash or fire

77Last 12 months

Analysis

The previous model year (2025) drew 221.5 complaints per year, more than this one.

The most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (19.3% of complaints), followed by Driver-assist systems (19.3%) and Brakes (15.7%). Transmission / powertrain complaints are 1.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 5 reports (6.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 7 injuries and 0 deaths.

Half of the reported incidents happened within 4 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (100% of incidents). In the last 12 months 77 new complaints were filed, versus 6 in the 12 months before — up 1,183%.

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Electronic Brake Module Component Failure” (engineering analysis, opened 2026-08-21, still open).

Complaint index

vs. all tracked vehicles2.06
vs. other Chevrolet models1.8
vs. other 2026 models3.33
vs. other Compact SUVs1.38
#68 of 73 · 2026Rankings ›

1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.

Other model years

201846.5 per year1.15
201939.2 per year0.97
202046.1 per year1.14
202117.1 per year0.42
202237.2 per year0.92
202325.9 per year0.64
202467.0 per year1.66
2025221.5 per year5.49
202683.0 per year2.06

Chevrolet Equinox problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

What owners complain about

Transmission / powertrain16 · 19.3% · 1.65×
Driver-assist systems16 · 19.3% · 3.37×
Brakes13 · 15.7% · 2.61×
Electrical12 · 14.5% · 0.92×
Engine7 · 8.4% · 0.38×
Body & structure5 · 6.0% · 0.66×
Airbags & seat belts4 · 4.8% · 1.26×
Unspecified or other4 · 4.8% · 0.53×

vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average

Problem areas: Engine · Brakes · Electrical · Fuel system · Body & structure · Transmission / powertrain · Unspecified or other · Driver-assist systems · Airbags & seat belts · Wheels, tires & suspension

When complaints were filed

Crashes reported: 5
Fires reported: 1
Injuries: 7
Deaths: 0

Vehicle age at incident

<1 yr100.0%
1–2 yrsnot reached yet
2–3 yrsnot reached yet
3–5 yrsnot reached yet
5+ yrsnot reached yet

Median age at incident: 4 months

What owners report

While pulling forward out of a parking lot at a low speed, the vehicle's Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system suddenly and aggressively engaged without warning. There were no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles whatsoever in the vehicle's path.

Brakes · 2026-09-16 · ODI 11764675
At approximately 5pm EST, my wife stopped the EV vehicle after backing out of the garage and put the vehicle in park.

Electrical · 2026-09-04 · ODI 11762083 · Crash
After a large rain storm the Blindspot warning detector was malfunctioning. It was saying there was something in your blind spot on the driver side when nothing was there. The light was flashing on and off.

Driver-assist systems · 2026-10-05 · ODI 11769112
I have owned my Chevy since 6/30/25 when I bought it new. Since then, the blind spot warning system has activated many times when there hasn’t been anything there or remotely nearby. It’s like a ghost. It’s usually the driver’s side mirror that gets activated.

Electrical · 2026-09-19 · ODI 11765451
When you accelerate from a stop, the car wobbles and shimmy’s until you reach about 15mph and then it stops and drives normally.

Unspecified or other · 2026-09-05 · ODI 11762353

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Segment peers · 2026 · Compact SUVs

Models	Complaints	Complaints per year on the road	Complaint index
2026 Ford Escape	4	4.0	0.1
2026 Jeep Compass	5	5.0	0.12
2026 Jeep Cherokee	8	8.0	0.2
2026 Subaru Forester	11	11.0	0.27
2026 Mazda CX-5	15	15.0	0.37
2026 Volkswagen Tiguan	34	34.0	0.84
2026 Toyota RAV4	37	37.0	0.92
2026 Kia Sportage	38	38.0	0.94
2026 Nissan Rogue	52	52.0	1.29
2026 Chevrolet Equinox	83	83.0	2.06
2026 Hyundai Tucson	93	93.0	2.3
2026 Honda CR-V	157	157.0	3.89

Safety recalls (1)

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL Campaign 26V114000 · 2026-02-26

Summary: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”

Risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.

How to check whether your car has an open recall ›

Investigations

Electronic Brake Module Component Failure Open

EA26006 · engineering analysis · SERVICE BRAKES · Opened 2026-08-21 · Model years: 2024, 2025, 2026

On April 11, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24011 after receiving complaints concerning a loss of brake assist in 2023 MY Cadillac Lyriq vehicles. These complaints allege a hard brake pedal, followed by a “Brake System Failure” message at start up or while driving. GM shared records regarding several internal investigations for loss of brake assist …