Chevrolet Equinox Years to Avoid: No Year Stands Out

Years to avoid: No year stands out Every ranked year drew 31 to 146 complaints, under twice the 80 complaints of a typical Equinox year.
Best years: 2016, 2017, and 2021 Under three quarters of the 80 complaints of a typical Equinox year since 2016, with no open NHTSA investigation or do-not-drive or park-outside recall.

Based on owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, not adjusted for sales. The 2024 to 2026 models are too new to judge. See every year ranked

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Nov 12, 2026

Every model year since 2010 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 32 mpg combined, arrived in 2018. Excludes the Equinox EV.

Equinox problems by year, ranked by owner complaints

How the years are ranked

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

A typical Equinox year drew 80 complaints in its first three years: the median of its years since 2016, higher than the median of all its ranked years (70). Years to avoid drew at least twice that, and at least 50. Best years are up to three years since 2016 with the fewest complaints, each under three quarters of a typical year since 2016 (80), with no open NHTSA investigation and no do-not-drive or park-outside recall that covers all versions; the 2020 is never picked, as its first three years fell in the pandemic. How the verdict works.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2018 Equinox Most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode	146	410	5
2019 Equinox Most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode	111	310	4
2011 Equinox Most described: stalling or shutting off	110	783	3
2010 Equinox Most described: the check engine light coming on, then stalling or shutting off	98	784	3
2022 Equinox Most described: stalling or shutting off	91	188	5
2020 Equinox Most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode	90	320	4
2013 Equinox Most described: excessive oil consumption	70	751	2
2023 Equinox Most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode	70	99	3
2012 Equinox Most described: excessive oil consumption	66	685	3
2014 Equinox Most described: wiper failures	53	550	1
2015 Equinox Most described: wiper failures	51	680	2
2016 Equinox Best Most described: wiper failures	46	400	1
2021 Equinox Best Most described: the check engine light coming on, then stalling or shutting off	35	101	4
2017 Equinox Best Most described: engine failure or replacement	31	276	0

Compare other models' worst years in the worst model years guide.

Check your Equinox for open recalls

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

How to check a car for recalls, step by step

Get a vehicle history report from EpicVIN (opens in a new tab): a paid report with the car's title, odometer and salvage records, from an approved NMVTIS data provider. Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy. If you typed a full VIN above, the link sends it to EpicVIN and opens its checkout page for that VIN. Check the price before you pay: EpicVIN's $1 trial lasts 3 days, then becomes a monthly subscription until you cancel ($49.99 to $99.99 a month on its pages as of Oct 2, 2026). Disclosure

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	1	86	Not rated
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	0	244	Not rated
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	1	84	Not rated
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	3	99
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	5	188
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	4	101
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	4	320
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Diesel	4	310
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Diesel	5	410	4 to 5 stars
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	0	276
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	1	400
2015 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	2	680
2014 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	1	550
2013 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	2	751
2012 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	3	685
2011 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	3	783
2010 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	3	784	Not rated

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2018: 410 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Equinox
Model year	Complaints
2010	784
2011	783
2012	685
2013	751
2014	550
2015	680
2016	400
2017	276
2018	410
2019	310
2020	320
2021	101
2022	188
2023	99
2024	84
2025	244
2026	86

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 25 to 28 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); highest in 2018. Diesel: 32 mpg (2018 to 2019).

Best gas version
Best diesel version

2026: gas 27 mpg · diesel not offered

Show as a table

Chevrolet Equinox best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best diesel version
2010	26	–
2011	26	–
2012	26	–
2013	26	–
2014	26	–
2015	26	–
2016	26	–
2017	25	–
2018	28	32
2019	28	32
2020	28	–
2021	28	–
2022	28	–
2023	28	–
2024	28	–
2025	27	–
2026	27	–

Every Equinox year's ratings in one table

Questions

Which Chevrolet Equinox years should you avoid?

No Chevrolet Equinox year stands out enough to avoid: none drew twice the 80 owner complaints of a typical Equinox year or more in its first three years. Counts ranged from 31 to 146. Complaints can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, so whatever the year, check its open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

What are the best Chevrolet Equinox years?

The 2016, 2017, and 2021 Equinox are the best years: they drew 46, 31, and 35 owner complaints in their first three years, each under three quarters of the 80 complaints of a typical Equinox year since 2016, and none has an open NHTSA investigation or recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside. Only years since 2016 are considered, since owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Chevrolet Equinox years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2018 (146) drew the most, then the 2019 (111). Owners of the 2018 most often describe the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode.

Which Chevrolet Equinox years have the most recalls?

The 2018 and 2022 have the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (5 each). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2010 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Chevrolet Equinox problems?

In the 6,751 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2010 to 2026 models, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off (938 complaints); wiper failures (884 complaints); and excessive oil consumption (814 complaints). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which Chevrolet Equinox year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 32 mpg combined, first reached by the 2018 diesel version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.