"How reliable is the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox?"

"Based on 484 NHTSA complaints, the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox has a median complaint mileage of 64500 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 484 total complaints filed."

2016 Chevrolet Equinox: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 484 complaints

484

Total Complaints

64,500mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

30,000 25th Percentile

64,500 Median Mileage

90,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

196

Visibility/Wiper

111

Unknown Or Other

Power Train

Electrical System

Fuel/Propulsion System

Air Bags

Vehicle Speed Control

Steering

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR WILL NOT ACTIVATE SAFETY SYSTEM WHEN I, AS A 120 LB ADULT,PLACE A MEDICALLY NECESSARY CUSHION (TO ALLEVIATE BACK AND HIP PAIN) BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE SEAT, THUS CANCELLING OUT THE BENEFITS OF THIS SAFETY SYSTEM WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. I AM AT RISK WHEN RIDI..."

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHAN..."

"EXHAUST FUMES LEAKING INTO DRIVER CABIN, HORRIBLE TOXIC ODOR, FAMILY GOT SICK FROM BEING INSIDE OF VEHICLE. STATIONARY, OR IN MOTION. TOXIC ODORS AND SAME HEALTH EFFECTS WHEN NOT RUNNING. ODER ON CLOTHING, HAIR, SKIN. IMMEDIATE ADVERSE HEALTH SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH BEING IN VEHICLE ARE HEADACHE, ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 196 complaints

25th: 63,118 mi Median: 85,000 mi 75th: 112,000 mi

Visibility/Wiper 111 complaints

25th: 50,000 mi Median: 70,000 mi 75th: 89,534 mi

Unknown Or Other 31 complaints

25th: 13,000 mi Median: 38,450 mi 75th: 57,291 mi

Power Train 24 complaints

25th: 16,000 mi Median: 61,000 mi 75th: 86,000 mi

Electrical System 22 complaints

25th: 30,000 mi Median: 30,000 mi 75th: 53,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

MI: 60 NY: 37 OH: 37 PA: 30 WI: 27 GA: 26 IL: 22 NJ: 22 FL: 19 CA: 18

Who Files Complaints?

0.4%

Original Owners

99.6%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Equinox — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2005	950	64,000	Electrical System	91
2006	950	73,499	Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System	26
2007	947	74,255	Fuel/Propulsion System	15
2008	535	73,000	Air Bags	21
2009	148	76,001	Air Bags	6
2010	1117	80,000	Engine	24
2011	1133	80,000	Engine	52
2012	941	79,000	Engine	22
2013	978	80,000	Engine	27
2014	690	77,461	Engine	32
2015	838	73,000	Visibility/Wiper	37
2017	361	65,775	Engine	29
2018	545	20,074	Service Brakes	32
2019	393	8,753	Engine	29
2020	425	9,500	Service Brakes	35
2021	107	55,000	Unknown Or Other	6
2022	194	24,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	21
2023	103	10,002	Fuel/Propulsion System	5
2024	81	16,989	Electrical System	5
2025	259	8,000	Electrical System	14
2026	46	150	Power Train	1

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Labels

Campaign 16V449000 | 21/06/2016

If the information on the certification labels is incorrect, the operator may install incorrectly sized tires or rims or may improperly inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash.

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1050, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 46600.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Compare Chevrolet Equinox

vs Ford Escape →

Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28