2016 Chevrolet Equinox Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 400 owner complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox.

Recalled components: equipment. Most-described problem: wiper failures (104 complaints, 26%). Most-reported area: engine (203 complaints, 51%; median mileage when it happened: 85,000).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Nov 12, 2026

Best year

Excludes the Equinox EV.

1 safety recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 400 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Equinox. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Wiper failures104 · 26%
  Median 80,000 miles at failure, from 41 reports with mileage
• Excessive oil consumption64 · 16%
  Median 99,000 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off63 · 16%
  Median 72,000 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage
• Engine failure or replacement58 · 14%
  Median 102,500 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
• Check engine light38 · 10%
  Median 78,000 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode29 · 7%
• Timing chain or belt problems28 · 7%
• Oil leaks20 · 5%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Engine203 · 51%
  Median 85,000 miles at failure, from 71 reports with mileage
• Visibility/wiper114 · 28%
  Median 70,000 miles at failure, from 45 reports with mileage
• Powertrain27 · 7%
• Electrical system25 · 6%
  Median 30,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system19 · 5%
• Air bags12 · 3%
• Engine and cooling9 · 2%
• Unknown or other32 · 8%
  Median 38,400 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Chevrolet Equinox recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Equinox drew the most (146) and the 2016 drew 46.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 Equinox MPG

Questions