NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
87 reportsClear category filter213,000 miles · Jun 17, 2026
EngineService Brakes, Hydraulic
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated the brake pedal became firm while driving approximately 40-45 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the brake assist service message was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken …
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated the brake pedal became firm while driving approximately 40-45 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the brake assist service message was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the brake housing had shattered inside the engine. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 213,000.
NHTSA ODI #11744733
Mileage unknown · Jun 9, 2026
EnginePower Train
Recall Number N202313440 My car matches make, model, and year but for some reason is not included in the recall and my vehicle has the leaking bolts. Please Review
NHTSA ODI #11742924
Mileage unknown · May 30, 2026
EngineService Brakes
Multiple occasions of “engine reduced power” and vehicle stalling/jolting/jerking when trying to go over 45 mph. When trying to go to work Monday - on the interstate, it was jerking/jolting when trying to increase any speed and brakes were getting harder to press on, decided to try to reduce speed and get pulled over without t…
Read full complaint
Multiple occasions of “engine reduced power” and vehicle stalling/jolting/jerking when trying to go over 45 mph. When trying to go to work Monday - on the interstate, it was jerking/jolting when trying to increase any speed and brakes were getting harder to press on, decided to try to reduce speed and get pulled over without the brakes, car was overheating completely. Now seeing multiple people have had this issue with the same car - I’m not sure whether it’s comforting that I’m not the only one or terrifying to know there’s multiple vehicles on the road experiencing this dangerous issue. Seeing a pending lawsuit did not surprise me one bit - I am not happy whatsoever about risking my own life and others on the roadway due to this not being a priority in the first place to correct before selling this vehicle to me, buying it with my hard earned money. Greedy greedy.
NHTSA ODI #11741037
Mileage unknown · May 27, 2026
EngineUnknown Or Other
My engine started running rough and, as a result of a repeating PO301 code, the car was towed to Lester Glenn of Toms River. Their diagnostic scan report (codes DTC PO301 & DTC PO303) found the engine assembly has scored cylinder walls due to failed piston rings. The entire engine had to be replaced. The odometer reading was 19,…
Read full complaint
My engine started running rough and, as a result of a repeating PO301 code, the car was towed to Lester Glenn of Toms River. Their diagnostic scan report (codes DTC PO301 & DTC PO303) found the engine assembly has scored cylinder walls due to failed piston rings. The entire engine had to be replaced. The odometer reading was 19,000 miles. Piston rings are designed to last 150,000 plus miles. For them to be worn enough to score a cylinder wall at 19,000 miles is a textbook definition of a manufacturing defect. Piston failure represents a serious safety defect as it could have caused a total loss of power at highway speeds. This was a safety-related manufacturing flaw, and not a maintenance issue. GM refused to pay for the repair bill in full.
NHTSA ODI #11740481
Mileage unknown · May 15, 2026
EngineService BrakesUnknown Or Other
I was driving to work, when I got off the exit I stopped at Sheetz. When I got back in the car my brake pedal was stiff as a rock, and there was oil on the ground. A friend of mine does mechanic work so I called him and he said it sounds like the vacuum pump. I had the car towed to his garage, the tow costed me $400 which was ve…
Read full complaint
I was driving to work, when I got off the exit I stopped at Sheetz. When I got back in the car my brake pedal was stiff as a rock, and there was oil on the ground. A friend of mine does mechanic work so I called him and he said it sounds like the vacuum pump. I had the car towed to his garage, the tow costed me $400 which was very cheap considering where I was located. When I got it to the garage he confirmed that it was the vacuum pump and we removed several pieces of metal from inside the engine. I now have my car at the Chevy dealership in Chippewa PA. They told me to be $180 a diagnose it, well they just called me a little bit ago and said it's going to be another $900 to take everything apart and to truly diagnose it. I'm finding out now that GM has known about the failing vacuum pumps and they kept producing them anyways. I see there's a class action lawsuit taking place, and I am not very happy. My life was put at risk. And now I'm expected to be stuck paying this huge bill?
NHTSA ODI #11738044
Mileage unknown · May 10, 2026
EnginePower TrainService Brakes
On Saturday, April 18, 2026, I was driving home from a neurology appointment with my two daughters, including my child with special needs. I intentionally chose not to take the expressway and instead drove a lower-speed route home for safety reasons. While traveling approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly displayed an “Engin…
Read full complaint
On Saturday, April 18, 2026, I was driving home from a neurology appointment with my two daughters, including my child with special needs. I intentionally chose not to take the expressway and instead drove a lower-speed route home for safety reasons. While traveling approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly displayed an “Engine Power is Reduced” warning. As I attempted to safely maneuver through traffic and pull over, the brake pedal became extremely stiff and difficult to depress, requiring significant physical force to slow and stop the vehicle. The sudden reduction in braking assist created a serious safety hazard for my family. Had this occurred at highway speeds on the expressway, the outcome could have been catastrophic. A post-incident inspection identified failure of the vacuum pump drive assembly and related timing/variable valve timing (VVT) components. Photographs taken during disassembly document the condition of the timing chain, camshaft, VVT actuator/phaser, vacuum pump assembly, and associated components at the time of repair. Diagnostic records also documented DTC Code P1101 following the incident. The vehicle is currently undergoing further inspection and diagnostic evaluation at a certified Chevrolet dealership to validate CPO warranty coverage and determine the full extent and cause of the failure. Based on the sudden loss of engine performance and reduction in brake assist, I believe this condition represents a significant safety risk to vehicle occupants and the public.
NHTSA ODI #11736913
Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2026
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemFire
I am reporting a vehicle fire involving a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox [XXX] ). The fire originated in the engine compartment. The official fire report lists the causes as "undetermined", with the area of origin identified under the hood. There were no prior warning lights, mechanical issues, or indications that a fire risk was pres…
Read full complaint
I am reporting a vehicle fire involving a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox [XXX] ). The fire originated in the engine compartment. The official fire report lists the causes as "undetermined", with the area of origin identified under the hood. There were no prior warning lights, mechanical issues, or indications that a fire risk was present. The vehicle was being used under normal conditions and was properly maintained to my knowledge. The vehicle was declared a total loss by my insurance company. Due to the undetermined cause and engine compartment origin, I am concerned there may have been a potential mechanical or electrical defect that was not identified. I am submitting this report in case similar incidents have occurred and to support an potential investigation int vehicle safety. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11734135
68,000 miles · Apr 20, 2026
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate from a stop, the engine started choking. The vehicle lost automotive power, stalled, and shut off unexpectedly and stalled. The contact waited for a while, restarted the vehicle, and continued driving. …
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate from a stop, the engine started choking. The vehicle lost automotive power, stalled, and shut off unexpectedly and stalled. The contact waited for a while, restarted the vehicle, and continued driving. The failure became persistent, and several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. Recently, the failure reoccurred 4 times while attempting to drive to the residence. The contact stated that water was leaking into the cabin of the vehicle from the moon roof, and the rear wheel well was filled with water, and there was water moving around inside the vehicle, and the floor mats were extremely wet. Due to water entering the vehicle, the moon roof and the radio were inoperable. The contact stated that the check engine and TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by a family member and was diagnosed with fuel injector failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed for the stalling failure. The dealer replaced the fractured fuel cap; however, the failures persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
NHTSA ODI #11732444
Mileage unknown · Feb 20, 2026
Engine
I bought the equinox with 30,000 miles on it. It's at 67,000 now and I maintain the vehicle regularly. So why have I replaced the throttle body already because it gets dirty fast? And now I'm getting a check engine light for P2099 TurboCharger Underboost. When the vehicle is not old it's 5 years old, hasn't been driven hard. So…
Read full complaint
I bought the equinox with 30,000 miles on it. It's at 67,000 now and I maintain the vehicle regularly. So why have I replaced the throttle body already because it gets dirty fast? And now I'm getting a check engine light for P2099 TurboCharger Underboost. When the vehicle is not old it's 5 years old, hasn't been driven hard. So why are you using a crap 1.5L engine with a turbo that is notorious for these issues??? And what's worse the engineering is horse s$*t, because the air inlet hose is only one time use. But the part is underneath it where you can't reach. Why has this not been recalled yet????????? It's not but a scam to make you take it to a dealership. I'll continue to write complaints this is not right. And I'll never buy one again.
NHTSA ODI #11719414
Mileage unknown · Jan 30, 2026
Engine
While driving, my engine light came on. After taking it in, it turned out that I had water/oil freezing in the intercooler. This could have been very dangerous when I was driving. I have had the GM Wrap put on it. I am hoping that this will not be a problem again.
NHTSA ODI #11714589
Official recalls
4May 11, 2023
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. 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 N232403240.
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.
Oct 3, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. The rear brake calipers may have been produced with an incorrect lubricant, potentially causing the rubber seals to swell and the brakes to drag.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Brake drag may result in overheating of the brake pads, affecting the braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear brake calipers, including the brake hose gasket, brake fluid and wheel to hub lubricant, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192270920.
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗