NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 408 owner complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.
5Safety recalls
408Owner complaints
23Complaints citing a crash
4Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: powertrain, brakes, fuel system, and visibility. Most-reported area: brakes (132 complaints, 32%; median mileage when it happened: 64,000). Excludes the Equinox EV.
5 safety recalls for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
What owners report
The areas named in the 408 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Equinox. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Brakes132 · 32%
Median 64,000 miles at failure (43 reports)
Engine86 · 21%
Median 31,500 miles at failure (36 reports)
Powertrain66 · 16%
Median 20,100 miles at failure (27 reports)
Electrical system61 · 15%
Median 37,000 miles at failure (28 reports)
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 other55 · 13%
Median 11,300 miles at failure (22 reports)
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: 408 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Equinox
Model year
Complaints
2016
396
2017
273
2018
408
2019
301
2020
308
2021
94
2022
174
2023
95
2024
79
2025
227
2026
71
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
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.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Chevrolet Equinox SUV AWD Early Release
Rollover risk 16.5%
Chevrolet Equinox SUV AWD Later Release
Rollover risk 16.4%
Chevrolet Equinox SUV FWD Early Release
Rollover risk 18.8%
Chevrolet Equinox SUV FWD Later Release
Rollover risk 18.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2018 Equinox problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: brakes (132), engine (86), powertrain (66). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
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.
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 Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
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.