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2020 Chevrolet Equinox

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2020 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

83 reports with mileage · 223 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 97 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

20 crash reports7 fire reports9 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

97 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2023
Electrical SystemPower TrainService Brakes

This vehicle starts glitching after exposure to rain. All of the gauges start going up and down, and every action required message pops up one after the other stating "Fuel Level Low, Shift to Park, Park Assist Off, All Wheel Drive System, Service Power Steering, ESC". The vehicle does this while driving at low to high speeds, e…

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This vehicle starts glitching after exposure to rain. All of the gauges start going up and down, and every action required message pops up one after the other stating "Fuel Level Low, Shift to Park, Park Assist Off, All Wheel Drive System, Service Power Steering, ESC". The vehicle does this while driving at low to high speeds, even on the highways it has happened, the brakes are hard to push in while this is happening. This puts me and others in high danger if I cannot control the vehicle while driving. I have taken the vehicle in over 6 times to the service department of GM and not one time has anything been done. They have been unsuccessful in duplicating the problem every time I've brought it in even when it is occurring.

NHTSA ODI #11532212

Mileage unknown · Jul 11, 2023
Service Brakes

When I was driving my vehicle, I came up to a red light and my brake pedal was hard and I could not stop the vehicle. The brakes would not work when I tried to stop. With fast acting and thinking, I was able to pull over to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me, luckily no other cars were around at that time. Mine and my chil…

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When I was driving my vehicle, I came up to a red light and my brake pedal was hard and I could not stop the vehicle. The brakes would not work when I tried to stop. With fast acting and thinking, I was able to pull over to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me, luckily no other cars were around at that time. Mine and my child's safety were at risk when the vehicle would not stop and we could have been in an accident from the brakes not working. The vehicle is currently at the dealership getting diagnosed. No warning sings, warning lamps, messages or other signs happened before, during, or after the failure of the brakes. The brake pedal was so hard you could not push it down at all.

NHTSA ODI #11531520

Mileage unknown · Jun 2, 2023
Service Brakes

I was driving home from work, just got off the highway, and when I was about to turn into my apartment complex, i went to push on the brake to slow down, and I noticed I couldn't push down on the brake at all. Luckily, it was later in the evening and no other cars were around at the time of the incident. There was no prior warni…

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I was driving home from work, just got off the highway, and when I was about to turn into my apartment complex, i went to push on the brake to slow down, and I noticed I couldn't push down on the brake at all. Luckily, it was later in the evening and no other cars were around at the time of the incident. There was no prior warning that popped up before that. My car didn't stop until I pulled the parking brake and then the "service brake assist" message popped up finally. No accident occurred but I am pretty shaken up considering how different the outcome could have been if I was on the highway for myself and if there was any other car involved. I will be taking it to the dealership in a few days.

NHTSA ODI #11525121

Mileage unknown · May 20, 2023
Service Brakes

I was driving on the highway when suddenly my brakes became stuck and I was unable to stop. I was able to safely maneuver to the side of the highway with the help of quick thinking and my parking brake. However, no warning lights or messages appeared from my car directly prior to the event. Although I was safe, this could have h…

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I was driving on the highway when suddenly my brakes became stuck and I was unable to stop. I was able to safely maneuver to the side of the highway with the help of quick thinking and my parking brake. However, no warning lights or messages appeared from my car directly prior to the event. Although I was safe, this could have had a fatal outcome for either myself or other drivers on the highway had I not been able to move to the side of the highway quickly. My car is currently at a dealership for the weekend and I am awaiting them opening this week so they will be able to perform a full inspection. A sheriff presented to the scene when this happened as I had my hazard lights on while on the side of the road and he did a visual inspection of the hood of my car as well. I am extremely concerned regarding the unprompted failure of my brake system and lack of warning prior.

NHTSA ODI #11523026

80,000 miles · Apr 14, 2023
Engine And Engine CoolingService BrakesService Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, he depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. As a result, the contact had to apply pressure and pumped the brake pedal approximately ten to fifteen times before the vehicle stopped. The contact then e…

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The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, he depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. As a result, the contact had to apply pressure and pumped the brake pedal approximately ten to fifteen times before the vehicle stopped. The contact then engaged the parking brake. The vehicle was taken to Tires Plus where it was diagnosed that the brake vacuum pump had exploded and caused damage to the camshaft. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was scheduled to take the vehicle to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000

NHTSA ODI #11517126

90,000 miles · Apr 14, 2023
Service BrakesService Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she depressed the brake pedal to slow the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond. As a result, the contact had to apply pressure and pump the brake pedal several times to stop the vehicle. The contact w…

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The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she depressed the brake pedal to slow the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond. As a result, the contact had to apply pressure and pump the brake pedal several times to stop the vehicle. The contact was able to navigate the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was then towed to Tires Plus where it was diagnosed that the brake vacuum pump malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI #11517123

Mileage unknown · Apr 5, 2023
Forward Collision AvoidanceService Brakes

The brakes stop working

NHTSA ODI #11515697

Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2023
Service Brakes

The P0556 code gets stored when the PCM has detected a problem with the brake booster pressure sensor circuit because of abnormal feedback. Braking distance significantly affected by brake pedal becoming difficult to depress. Cause is the brake booster vacuum pump. Internet reports indicate multiple vehicle types during the …

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The P0556 code gets stored when the PCM has detected a problem with the brake booster pressure sensor circuit because of abnormal feedback. Braking distance significantly affected by brake pedal becoming difficult to depress. Cause is the brake booster vacuum pump. Internet reports indicate multiple vehicle types during the late 20-teens and early 2020s. Problems are occurring during or shortly after warranty expiration. This is a very dangerous problem that could cause serious injury.

NHTSA ODI #11505962

Mileage unknown · Dec 5, 2022
Service Brakes

The brake vacuum pump went bad while driving the car

NHTSA ODI #11496094

Mileage unknown · Oct 5, 2022
Service Brakes

My brake pedal became hard as a rock requiring all of the leg strength I had to stop vehicle followed by a Brake Booster warning light and an email from OnStar. My concern here is GM eliminated that foot/hand operated emergency/parking brake leaving no backup method to stop in an emergency. Women, for the most part, and inexpe…

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My brake pedal became hard as a rock requiring all of the leg strength I had to stop vehicle followed by a Brake Booster warning light and an email from OnStar. My concern here is GM eliminated that foot/hand operated emergency/parking brake leaving no backup method to stop in an emergency. Women, for the most part, and inexperienced drivers would not have the strength or knowledge to push on the brake pedal as hard as possible to stop the vehicle. Once they pushed with normal pressure and the vehicle didn't stop there would be an accident. In my case I was traveling at 45 mph in congested multi lane traffic on the inside of four lanes when traffic suddenly stopped leaving me about 2 seconds to react.

NHTSA ODI #11488040

Official recalls

4

23V339000 · Child Seat:vehicle Latch Anchor

May 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.

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.

19V704000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

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.

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.

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