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2019 Chevrolet Equinox

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2019 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

128 reports with mileage · 173 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.

  • Engine. Review the 100 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

22 crash reports7 fire reports5 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

67 reports
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Mileage unknown · Dec 25, 2023
EngineService Brakes

I was at a stop light, the light turned green and I proceeded to lift my foot off of the break giving the vehicle a moment to autostart, I pressed the accelerator, and the car started to make a sputtering sound and tremble terribly. The vehicle's engine shut down in the middle of traffic, no warning lights appeared on my dash bo…

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I was at a stop light, the light turned green and I proceeded to lift my foot off of the break giving the vehicle a moment to autostart, I pressed the accelerator, and the car started to make a sputtering sound and tremble terribly. The vehicle's engine shut down in the middle of traffic, no warning lights appeared on my dash board. The power of the vehicle was still on. I placed the car in park, then I turned the power off. I tried to restart the vehicle this time the vehicle continued to shake and sputter but it did not move when I placed the gear in Drive. I had to be pushed put of the road by the Police and then towed to the dealer. The service engineer at the Chevy Dealership was able to start the engine and take it for a test drive, the vehicle also shut done on him but also left him with no ability to use the breaks. He was unable to stop. Thankfully no one was in front of him or behind him he was able to have the vehicle towed back to the service bay. I was told that the break vacuum pump disintegrated and went into the engine cam shaft. That caused the engine to completely shut down. I believe this is a safety issue as no sensor or engine codes ever displayed and the dealership took 2weeks to diagnose what was wrong because they were not getting any codes displayed on their diagnostic equipment. There was no way for me to know this break vacuum pump was failing to be able to proactively replace it to prevent this serious malfunction from occurring. I could have been seriously injured and cause a horrible accident as I was headed to the highway that morning. I would like to be contacted in regard to this.

NHTSA ODI #11561777

Mileage unknown · Dec 9, 2023
EngineService Brakes

2019 Equinox LT. 1.5 litre Vacuum pump clogged and exploded internally. Almost killed my wife and I when brakes failed. There appears to be TSB’s dating as far back as 2015. Chevy has been aware of this issue yet continued to produce vehicles with this defective and dangerous design. It sounds as if piston rings are prem The pu…

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2019 Equinox LT. 1.5 litre Vacuum pump clogged and exploded internally. Almost killed my wife and I when brakes failed. There appears to be TSB’s dating as far back as 2015. Chevy has been aware of this issue yet continued to produce vehicles with this defective and dangerous design. It sounds as if piston rings are prem The pump connects to and is powered by intake cam. Dumb. Micheal Bates dealership say I’m responsible for the parts and repairs, because is no warranty, which are about the car used repairs, all internal damage to engine.

NHTSA ODI #11559288

Mileage unknown · Nov 17, 2023
EngineService Brakes

The vacuum pump failed, which left me without power brakes while slowing down on an interstate exit ramp. There were no warnings or indications of failure in advance. The brakes were fine as I got on the interstate, then I became aware of the problem as I exited about 30 minutes later. I nearly rear-ended the car in front of me …

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The vacuum pump failed, which left me without power brakes while slowing down on an interstate exit ramp. There were no warnings or indications of failure in advance. The brakes were fine as I got on the interstate, then I became aware of the problem as I exited about 30 minutes later. I nearly rear-ended the car in front of me as we approached the stoplight. Without power brakes, much more force than usual was necessary to come to a stop safely. This is a very dangerous situation as elderly or physically disabled drivers may find it very challenging to apply enough force to come to a stop, especially when slowing down from 70+ MPH interstate speeds. Metal pieces broke off from the vacuum pump and caused damage to the cam shaft. While reviewing some YouTube videos on the topic, I discovered I'm not the only Equinox owner to experience this type of failure around 5x,xxx to 6x,xxx miles for the 2019 or similar model years. Here is the link to one representative video, and the comments indicate there are others who have experienced something similar... 2018 Chevy Equinox Vacuum Pump Catostrophic Failure! [XXX] Here's another: 2020 chevy equinox brake pedal really hard or no brakes fix [XXX] --F One more example: 2018 -2019 and up chevy equinox brake pedal Hard easy fix [XXX] Unfortunately, my vehicle was subsequently totaled in an unrelated accident, so it is unavailable for inspection. I believe public safety is at risk, however, so I have decided to submit this report anyway. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11555647

Mileage unknown · Sep 24, 2023
Service Brakes

While driving from a short trip when we got back home we stopped to get something to eat and when backing out of our parking space I put on the brakes but the peddle was really hard and it was very hard to stop. I went the next day to a parts store and used their scanner and came up with code for brake assist vacuum pump. I had …

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While driving from a short trip when we got back home we stopped to get something to eat and when backing out of our parking space I put on the brakes but the peddle was really hard and it was very hard to stop. I went the next day to a parts store and used their scanner and came up with code for brake assist vacuum pump. I had a very hard time finding a replacement and it had to come from Kansas city. I replaced it myself and had problems with it too. The original one the drive connector disintegrated where it connects to the cam shaft. The replacement one went on fine but oil ran from it due to the outer faceplate being warped. Every part store in town says they can't get it.

NHTSA ODI #11546208

25,000 miles · Aug 23, 2023
Service BrakesCrashFire

The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, she began to smell a burnt odor inside the vehicle. The contact saw white smoke entering from the windshield defroster and decided to continue driving to her destination. The contact stated the check engine warning light was illuminated and blac…

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The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, she began to smell a burnt odor inside the vehicle. The contact saw white smoke entering from the windshield defroster and decided to continue driving to her destination. The contact stated the check engine warning light was illuminated and black smoke began to enter the windshield defroster. The contact depressed the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle and caused her to crash into a guard rail on the front driver side. No air bags deployed. The contact was not able to open the front driver side door due to being blocked by the guard rail. The contact climbed into the back of the vehicle and exited the rear driver side door, while the flames were inside the front of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed. The police report was filed. The contact did not sustain any injuries but sought medical attention the following day. The vehicle was not drivable. The insurance company deemed the vehicle to be a total loss. The vehicle was towed to the towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA ODI #11540279

Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 2023
Service BrakesUnknown Or Other

Was driving in a busy area of Erie, PA, when approaching a traffic signal driving near 45 mph before the speed limit dropped. Attempted to apply brakes as traffic was backed up at the light, but couldn't depress the brakes at all. The service brake assist light came on at that moment. Was fortunate that light turned green a few …

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Was driving in a busy area of Erie, PA, when approaching a traffic signal driving near 45 mph before the speed limit dropped. Attempted to apply brakes as traffic was backed up at the light, but couldn't depress the brakes at all. The service brake assist light came on at that moment. Was fortunate that light turned green a few seconds later so traffic cleared and I was able to make a wide high speed right turn at the intersection before pulling into a nearby empty business parking lot and coasting to a start without colliding with anything. It was a miracle. The car was towed back to a Chevy dealership (Ben Bissett) in Mercer, PA, where they identified a failed brake vacuum pump, which also caused other damage when it failed. We have since uncovered dozens of reports of similar incidents in these vehicles nationwide and believe this is something you should look into as this is a serious safety issue that could lead to injury or death. Thank you so much for your time on this matter.

NHTSA ODI #11535248

Mileage unknown · Jul 7, 2023
Service BrakesCrash

I was approaching and intersection with a red light and I put my foot on the brakes. The car slowed down but then bucked forward three time until I hit the vehicle in front of me. Been driving for 44 years and never experienced anything like it.

NHTSA ODI #11530886

Mileage unknown · Jun 21, 2023
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemService Brakes

Something is wrong with the brake assist system. The car was serviced literally towards the end of may and the brake assist service light keeps turning on. It is now causing the vehicle to have a check engine light that comes and goes as it pleases and the car now thinks that it is a bucking bronco at times with how hard it runs…

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Something is wrong with the brake assist system. The car was serviced literally towards the end of may and the brake assist service light keeps turning on. It is now causing the vehicle to have a check engine light that comes and goes as it pleases and the car now thinks that it is a bucking bronco at times with how hard it runs at times now. We have spoken and seen now multiple others complaining about the fueling system which does not alloe you to fill the gas tank up all the way. The tank holds 14.9 gallons and if the car is empty and on its last drop the car will only allow 12 gallons at best and that takes nearly 20 minutes of fighting with the car at the pump. The electrical in the vehicle is unstable. Multiple times while driving the radio and power to the car just turn off. I have also seen the recalls for the brake problems but when I enter my VIN it comes back all clear. We had a 2017 Chevy Malibu with multiple issues and spoke to Chevrolet about the issues and it wasn't until we traded it in that we started to receive the recall notices. This vehicle has some of the same problems and we have a toddler that we need to keep safe.

NHTSA ODI #11528228

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2023
Service Brakes

I was driving on a main interstate and went to take an off-ramp, I tried to use my brakes to slow down but the peddle was rock hard and couldn’t brake at all.

NHTSA ODI #11525195

Mileage unknown · Dec 22, 2022
Service Brakes

I would like to bring to your attention the maintenance issue I experienced as it could have been catastrophic. On December 15, 2022 I was driving home from work in Dallas. I was going about 40 mph when the vehicle in front of me started to slow down, so I was going to as well. However, when I tried to, my brake pedal wo…

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I would like to bring to your attention the maintenance issue I experienced as it could have been catastrophic. On December 15, 2022 I was driving home from work in Dallas. I was going about 40 mph when the vehicle in front of me started to slow down, so I was going to as well. However, when I tried to, my brake pedal wouldn’t move. I tried again and still nothing. Now my engine light comes on and a “service brake assist” warning is popping up on my dash. I took my foot off the gas to slow down in time and was able to pull to the side of the road. There were NO warnings that this was coming! Please reference this link for other examples of this issue.... https://www.carproblemzoo.com/chevrolet/equinox/service-brakes-problems.php

NHTSA ODI #11498505

Official recalls

4

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.

19V667000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

Sep 19, 2019

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

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.

19V184000 · Seats

Mar 7, 2019

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The rear-right seat may have insufficient welds on the head-restraint bracket.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, the insufficient welds may result in an increased risk of injury for an occupant seated in the rear-right position.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-right seatback frame, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. 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 N192209550.

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.

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.

Go deeper into Chevrolet Equinox problems