Chevrolet Equinox Transmission / powertrain problems
0.73 vs. all vehicles Rising
176 of the 2,068 complaints about the Chevrolet Equinox (8.5%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's #6 problem area. That share is 0.7× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.
176Complaints · Transmission / powertrain
8.5%Share of complaints
0.73×vs. all vehicles
60Last 12 months
5.1%Share involving a crash or fire
2Related recalls
Analysis
60 Transmission / powertrain complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 35 in the 12 months before — up 71%.
9 of these reports (5.1%) describe a crash or fire, with 3 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
2 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 20V668000 (2020-10-29, model years 2018, 2019 and 2020).
My vehicle is a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV equipped with a stalk-mounted electronic shift selector. On multiple occasions, when shifting from Reverse(R) to Drive(D), the transmission has failed to actually engage Drive despite the shifter indicating the D…
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-17 · ODI 11765001 · Crash
On XXX, at approximately 5pm EST, my wife stopped our 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV after backing out of the garage and put the vehicle in park.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-01 · ODI 11761249 · Crash
Electric Drive Unit and 12V battery have failed 3 times in less than 6 months. The vehicle will not shift into drive, reverse, or neutral. It is stalled/stuck and can't be driven.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-10-10 · ODI 11770370
Once reaching around 50,000-60,000 miles, I began to experience a tremble/shudder sensation when driving between 35-45mph and the vehicle would appear to be on either 2nd or 3rd gear (usually under stress going up a hill).
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-26 · ODI 11767097
Complete and sudden failure of Transmission involving the clutches (clutches are burned up inside the transmission). No warning or dash lights. Confirmed by mechanic and the solution is transmission replacement ($10,000).
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-23 · ODI 11766399
The transmission failed while driving on about 11/2/2025, with myself and a child in the car. It was since fixed at a dealer and is not available from me for inspection. I lost the ability to accelerate normally.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-20 · ODI 11765607
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 20V668000 · 2020-10-29 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020
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.
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.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT Campaign 17V516000 · 2017-08-22 · Model years: 2018
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.
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.
