NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 320 owner complaints for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox.
Recalled components: child seats, powertrain, brakes, and fuel system. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (45 complaints, 14%), then loss of power or limp mode (42). Most-reported area: brakes (114 complaints, 36%; median mileage when it happened: 55,000).
More complaints than a typical Equinox year
The 2020 drew 90 owner complaints in its first three years, against 80 for a typical Equinox year.
No Equinox year stands out enough to avoid; best years: 2016, 2017, and 2021. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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."
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign N232403240.
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 calipers may have been produced with an incorrect lubricant, potentially causing the rubber seals to swell and the brakes to drag.
Risk: Brake drag may result in overheating of the brake pads, affecting the braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign N192270920.
The fuel tanks may have been manufactured with an improperly sealed seam, possibly allowing fuel to leak along the seam near the fuel inlet.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Equinox all-wheel drive vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign N192271870.
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 2020 Chevrolet Equinox.
What owners report
Owners have filed 320 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 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 light45 · 14%
Median 78,200 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
Most named: power assist, vacuum (3) · Median 55,000 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
Engine95 · 30%
Median 29,200 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
Fuel and propulsion system51 · 16%
Electrical system44 · 14%
Powertrain40 · 12%
Speed control15 · 5%
Forward collision avoidance14 · 4%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (9); adaptive cruise control (4)
Unknown or other44 · 14%
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 2020 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 2020 drew 90.
Owner complaints
2020: 320 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
2020: 4 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 320 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (45), loss of power or limp mode (42), and stalling or shutting off (35). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2020 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.