NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 410 owner complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.
Recalled components: powertrain, brakes, fuel system, and visibility. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (48 complaints, 12%), then loss of power or limp mode (37). Most-reported area: brakes (132 complaints, 32%; median mileage when it happened: 64,000).
More complaints than most Equinox years
The 2018 drew 146 owner complaints in its first three years, against 80 for a typical Equinox year: 1.8 times as many. It is not a year to avoid, which takes at least twice the typical count and at least 50 complaints.
No Equinox year stands out enough to avoid; best years: 2016, 2017, and 2021. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign N202313440.
The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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 high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 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 18188.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign 18188 18268.
The driver and front passenger door window glass may not be properly tempered. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 205, "Glazing Materials."
Risk: If the glass is not tempered properly, and the window is broken, the glass can break into large pieces, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the glass in the front doors, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18136.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Components: Body structure: emergency, escape/egress/exit; Visibility. Chevrolet campaign 18136.
The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Risk: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign 17329.
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's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.
What owners report
Owners have filed 410 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 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
Check engine light48 · 12%
Median 41,200 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
Loss of power or limp mode37 · 9%
Brake failure or a soft or hard pedal36 · 9%
Stalling or shutting off27 · 7%
Median 15,400 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Median 64,000 miles at failure, from 43 reports with mileage
Engine86 · 21%
Median 31,500 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
Powertrain66 · 16%
Median 20,100 miles at failure, from 27 reports with mileage
Electrical system61 · 15%
Median 37,000 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage
Fuel and propulsion system33 · 8%
Body structure17 · 4%
Most named: body (16)
Forward collision avoidance16 · 4%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (11); warnings (5)
Unknown or other56 · 14%
Median 11,300 miles at failure, from 22 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 2018 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).
Owner complaints
2018: 410 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
Safety recalls
2018: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Equinox
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
3
2012
3
2013
2
2014
1
2015
2
2016
1
2017
0
2018
5
2019
4
2020
4
2021
4
2022
5
2023
3
2024
1
2025
0
2026
1
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.
In the 410 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (48), loss of power or limp mode (37), and brake failure or a soft or hard pedal (36). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox safe?
In NHTSA crash tests the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox earns 4 to 5 stars overall, depending on the version. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.
How do I check if my Equinox has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: EQUINOX.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.