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2018 Chevrolet Equinox

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 382.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

187 reports with mileage · 220 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 118 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 86 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

23 crash reports4 fire reports17 injury reports

Engine complaints

86 reports
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200,000 miles · May 12, 2025
EngineService Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal seized while depressing the brake pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and the vehicle eventually came to a stop. The vehicle was towed to …

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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal seized while depressing the brake pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and the vehicle eventually came to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that a gasket had detached and was missing, and there were plastic pieces inside the engine, and there was oil intrusion into other parts of the vehicle and engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was parked at the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ODI #11660523

Mileage unknown · May 4, 2025
Engine

2018 Chevrolet Equinox Premier. The engine connecting rod to the #1 piston separated, causing the engine to stop while the vehicle was in motion. The only warning light at the time was the tire pressure monitor system. The incident had no warning. My husband was driving the vehicle. Initially he thought the car blew a tire by…

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2018 Chevrolet Equinox Premier. The engine connecting rod to the #1 piston separated, causing the engine to stop while the vehicle was in motion. The only warning light at the time was the tire pressure monitor system. The incident had no warning. My husband was driving the vehicle. Initially he thought the car blew a tire by the noise, but then the engine stopped/stalled while I was driving. He was able to get to a side road. The vehicle would not start. He smelled burnt rubber and then thought he broke a belt. He pushed the On-star button for roadside assistance. The car was towed to Ferman Chevolet, Adamoo Dr., Brandon, Florida where they inserted a camera scope and confirmed the rod separation. I do not have paperwork except to show they gave me $2500 towards a trade-in. Over the phone they said it would be $1800 to take apart the engine to confirm the separation. The mechanic suspected the engine was scarred as a result. It would cost $12,000 to replace it, or they could talk to the sales side and see if they can let us trade it in on a different car. We traded the vehicle in. I just saw news of another GM recall affecting the 6.2L V8 and thought it odd that the same thing happened to my vehicle, which is not included in the recall. The engine stall caused my husband to stall in the middle of the traffic lane on a side street. Had he not gotten to the side street in time, he would have blocked a traffic lane on a very busy road which could have resulted in a major accident with injuries.

NHTSA ODI #11658752

Mileage unknown · Apr 16, 2025
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemFire

This rare equinox has a Turbocharge issue that causes rapid engine power loss, and melting under the manifold and around the fuel injector pipes. The recent recalls do not include this GM made diesel equinox due to its rarity, and small consumer ownership of 506,775 units sold in its lifetime. However, GM has been just as neglig…

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This rare equinox has a Turbocharge issue that causes rapid engine power loss, and melting under the manifold and around the fuel injector pipes. The recent recalls do not include this GM made diesel equinox due to its rarity, and small consumer ownership of 506,775 units sold in its lifetime. However, GM has been just as negligent with this diesel 1.6L, as with the other major model lineup. Diesel particulate sensor goes bad every year around installation anniversary (previous recall). Stated every year in purchase anniversary month 10/2021, 10/2022

NHTSA ODI #11654962

Mileage unknown · Apr 2, 2025
Engine

My son was coming home from work 3/26/2025 after 5 pm, when a warning message came on that said "Engine Power Reduced". My son attempted to pull over, however, the brakes did not work. This caused a definite safety risk to my son and others as he could not stop the vehicle. Gratefully, he was on the street and not on the freeway…

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My son was coming home from work 3/26/2025 after 5 pm, when a warning message came on that said "Engine Power Reduced". My son attempted to pull over, however, the brakes did not work. This caused a definite safety risk to my son and others as he could not stop the vehicle. Gratefully, he was on the street and not on the freeway where speeds are higher which could have caused injury or possibly death. He found a clear area to pull over and put the car in park and pushed the start/stop button to turn off the car. The car had to be towed to my home. The car was towed to the repair shop 4/1/2025. There were no previous warning messages regarding the engine or otherwise until the day of the incident. The vehicle is currently in the shop and has been inspected.

NHTSA ODI #11652287

107,000 miles · Mar 31, 2025
EngineService Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact had to firmly depress the brake pedal for the vehicle to respond. The "Service Brake Assist" message was displayed. Additionally, the eng…

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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact had to firmly depress the brake pedal for the vehicle to respond. The "Service Brake Assist" message was displayed. Additionally, the engine made a clicking sound, and the vehicle lost motive power while driving. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vacuum pump was replaced, but the mechanic discovered metal shavings from the vacuum pump in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

NHTSA ODI #11651749

Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 2025
EnginePower Train

No code, no indication of anything wrong, no lights or warnings, no sounds or rough running indications on the vehicle. It just completely died in the middle of the highway while traveling down the road and would not restart. Middle of the night with me and my granddaughter in the vehicle. It ended up being a problem with the ti…

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No code, no indication of anything wrong, no lights or warnings, no sounds or rough running indications on the vehicle. It just completely died in the middle of the highway while traveling down the road and would not restart. Middle of the night with me and my granddaughter in the vehicle. It ended up being a problem with the timing chain which was not broke. Nor were there any indication there was a problem with it.

NHTSA ODI #11637461

Mileage unknown · Jan 13, 2025
Engine

Camshaft broke into pieces into the engine causing the vehicle to not run on the roadway with minors in the car.

NHTSA ODI #11635583

Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2024
Engine

Good afternoon I hope everyone is well. This complaint I'm filing for Turbocharger/Supercharger A under boost condition (P0299) with my daughters 2018 Chevy Equinox. When you research this error with Chevy/GM vehicles you'll see this impacts all vehicles, but Chevy/GM is only recalling their vehicles from 2022+. I've spoken wi…

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Good afternoon I hope everyone is well. This complaint I'm filing for Turbocharger/Supercharger A under boost condition (P0299) with my daughters 2018 Chevy Equinox. When you research this error with Chevy/GM vehicles you'll see this impacts all vehicles, but Chevy/GM is only recalling their vehicles from 2022+. I've spoken with numerous auto mechanics throughout the United States, and every auto mechanic has stated this is an issue that impacts all Chevy and GM vehicles. Both Chevy and GM are deceiving everyone and there's a significant issue that requires Chevy and GM should address.

NHTSA ODI #11631797

54,717 miles · Dec 11, 2024
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the "Engine Power Reduced" message was displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle unintentionally went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnose…

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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the "Engine Power Reduced" message was displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle unintentionally went into LIMP Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the turbo charger assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbo charger boost assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for the last time where it was diagnosed that once again the turbo charger boost assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,717.

NHTSA ODI #11630084

120,000 miles · Nov 22, 2024
EngineService Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Reduced Engine Power" message flashed on the instrument panel with an audible beep coming from the vehicle. The vehicle started to lose power and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. Due to the failure, the vehic…

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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Reduced Engine Power" message flashed on the instrument panel with an audible beep coming from the vehicle. The vehicle started to lose power and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the vacuum pump had damaged the cam shaft, causing the cam shaft to explode, releasing particles into the engine long block. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) which was then linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI #11626887

Official recalls

5

20V668000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Oct 29, 2020

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

18V576000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Aug 30, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

18V358000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

May 31, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

18V252000 · Structure:emergency:escape/egress/exit; Visibility

Apr 19, 2018

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Structure:emergency:escape/egress/exit

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."

Consequence: 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.

Visibility

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."

Consequence: 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.

17V516000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft

Aug 22, 2017

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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