2016 Chevrolet Equinox
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 396 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 11th highest complaint count among 21 Equinox model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 14 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 22 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Equipment, other, labelsJun 21, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles manufactured October 16, 2015. The certification labels may have incorrect tire/rim size and cold tire pressure information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
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.
Campaign 16V449000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
396 reports, newest first.
Engine, May 9, 2023
70,000 miles on vehicle. The engine has consistently burned excessive oil averaging 1 quart per 1,000 miles. The oil low warning light does not detect the low oil. The excessive consumption is potentially damaging to the car resulting in "bucking" at low speed, fouling of spark plugs and loss of power and efficiency.
Engine, May 4, 2023
Without any notification, alert, or code, the engine started making a ticking/knocking noise. When starting the vehicle later that day it completely stalled. Mechanic has said it was very low on oil and that is common with this year/model. The engine has failed and needs replacing/rebuilding.
Visibility/wiper, May 1, 2023
Driving in heavy rain and turned the wipers on to hi position and they completely stopped working while in passing lane of highway. Limited visibility caused me to pull of on left side in dangerous position of traffic coming from behind. Dangerous situation to get off the highway.
Visibility/wiper, Apr 22, 2023
In February of 2021, I was traveling with my son (and was 8 months pregnant) on a highway going roughly 60-65 mph. All of a sudden, a terrible storm hit the area and I turned my wipers on. Within moments I heard a noise and both wipers were no longer working. I had no visibility and almost wrecked. I was extremely traumatized by the situation. I was able to pull off the road and waited until the storm passed (2 hours). I found a small shop that confirmed the wiper mechanism needed to be replaced because of the “ball joints”. They didn’t have the part, so I had to continue the 3 hour drive stopping when it started to rain. A 3 hour drive took us 6 hours. I was able to have the issue repaired for nearly $215.00. Fast forward to today (4/22/23) and again, the wiper mechanism has given out. Again, we were on the Highway and during a storm, the mechanism gave out and we lost operation in the wiper on the driver side. I was traveling with my two children, and again almost ran off the road and had no visibility. After doing research it looks like there is a “special coverage” for this issue and I think it’s a poor decision for this part to not be recalled and handled appropriately by GM. I have called GM and scheduled an appointment to have my wiper mechanism inspected/fixed and was told I would need to cover the cost. That is unacceptable. This is extremely dangerous and has caused me not only hundreds of dollars now, but the security of even getting in my vehicle to drive when it’s raining or a storm is approaching. Please do the right thing and require a recall. Invoice from the first fix in 2021 is attached. I am happy to provide the invoice for the next fix after it occurs next week.
Power train, Engine, Apr 20, 2023
the PCV is popping out which is causing all the oil to drain out and causing expensive repairs and leaving the car dead on the road ther needs to be a recall on this
Engine, Apr 18, 2023
In 2022, I had scheduled oil changes and I noticed my 2016 Equinox was burning oil at an alarming rate. I was adding oil every 1,000 miles and again after an oil change; and I could not keep the oil level up. In December 2022, my engine engine light came on , it was showing a P00016 code and after that code materialized, the engine died while driving. It was on a busy road and could have caused an accident. My mechanic has confirmed the "oil pressure sensor" issue and unfortunately, they do not do top engine work. I have had an excellent record of oil changes and routine service performed on this vehicle. Please issue a recall for this oil /Camshaft/Crankshaft position sensor repair.
Engine, Apr 14, 2023
Vehicle has an ongoing extreme oil leak, to the point where it will dump out oil and soak the undercarriage of the car. The position of this oil leak bleeds on to the alternator. Car is currently in the shop getting estimates for repairs, but there are 96 god damn engine complaints on this year of the vehicle alone. NINETY. SIX. The way the SUV froze up and completely failed during the drive, it's miraculous that nobody hit the car as it failed in the middle of the road. Everyone on the road is at risk, drivers and passers-by, in the presence of this monstrosity, because there are NO warning signs when it finally decides to fail. It just does. I am just angry enough with enough momentum to pursue legal action and I believe every other driver of these SUVs should as well.
Other or unspecified, Mar 21, 2023
After the car is parked, the gears will not allow shifting, they are jammed, the vehicle can not move. This has been happening on and off and started in 2022. Our son, is a new driver and he has been stranded in locations for over 2 hours unable to put the car in gear. This problem has been confirmed by a Chevrolet dealership and we were quoted approximately $2,000 to have this part completely replaced. In addition, we have had several mechanics attempt to fix this unsuccessfully. This happens on occasion, but continues to happen enough and prohibit us from driving longer distances. This is a safety concern, as it will take up to 3 hours or longer to get the gears to shift. The vehicle will turn on, the main problem is that we are unable to shift and get out of park.
Engine, Mar 20, 2023
Ongoing problems with oil consumption despite repairs and frequent checking of oil and oil changes. The check engine light appeared shortly after purchase in 3/2019. I've visited at least 3 different service centers since purchasing and they have all identified issues with the engine/oil. My vehicle became inoperable on 3/10/2023 and would not start; it had to be towed to an independent service center. The most recent repair estimate started at $2,900 for a remanufactured engine, labor not included. The center I had my vehicle towed to reported this was the third vehicle (another 2016 Equinox and a 2015 GMC Terrain) they've encountered within the past few months that had the same issue. My vehicle is available for inspection as I cannot make any more costly repairs for a vehicle with a known issue.
Engine, Mar 8, 2023
Check engine light comes on. Extremely low oil in car. No alerts of oil pressure problems. Oil replaced by mechanic x 2. Thorough engine diagnostics run. This has happened x2 in 6 weeks.
Power train, Engine, Mar 6, 2023
My 2016 Chevy Equinox started running rough and when the codes were run it came back with P0335, P0016 and P0017. We then replaced both the camshaft, crankshaft and vvt solenoids. The codes were then cleared, and no further issues or engine lights were on. Then I brought the car home the weather was extremely cold, and the vehicle would not start. Tried to jump the vehicle would not start. Towed the vehicle to the shop, where it was determined that the PVC was frozen which caused all the oil to drain from the engine, the timing belt seized up and caused total engine failure. The mechanic has stated that it needs a whole new engine as all the oil had drained from the vehicle and cause damage that cannot be repaired. These vehicles have faulty piston rings in them and also it is common for the vehicles to be useless and have to have a total engine replacement. The cost for the engine replacement and vehicle repair is 9000 to 11000 dollars. Chevy intentionally has been mass producing vehicles that can and will kill someone. This is a known issue that they need to make right for all the owners of these vehicles. Please do a full investigation as to why these vehicles are still on the road and Chevy has not been made to recall and fix these vehicles correctly.
Engine, Mar 5, 2023
Hearing a noise while driving May 2022 took my car to Chevy Dealership they told me my vehicle is consuming Oil no leaks not sure where oil is going. Quoted me over $5k to troubleshoot said it was common and offered me $1k to trade my car. I didn’t agree and continued to check my oil filling my oil weekly when I pumped gas. December 8th i was driving on hwy when my traction control and check engine light came on and running rough. I pulled over had my car towed days later took it to a shop. It was there for over a month cost me $2k they asked for another $2k to continue to research and fix the problem. Engine replacement estimate for refurbished motor cost $10k I didn’t agree had it towed back home still unresolved. it has been there since. Injector 4 is stuck open and it’s misfiring. Still paying it off and without a car.
Engine, Feb 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The cam shaft was replaced but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated the cam shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic replaced the timing belt, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and the timing belt was replaced again, but the failure persisted. The engine power reduced message was illuminated. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 64,000. The contact stated that this is not their vehicle or their complaint.
Engine, Feb 24, 2023
Vehicle requires excessive amounts of oil. Which cause the engine to lock up and engine block.
Engine, Feb 21, 2023
The car started burning oil excessively and I did not know it. I’ve always kept up with my oil changes and was never informed that my oil was low or anything. The engine basically blew up with only 96,000 miles on it. There was zero oil in when the mechanic looked at it. I was not even due for an oil change.
Electrical system, Feb 13, 2023
Battery drain
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 8, 2023
During my recent travel after a few short miles, oil began to leak and the engine began to knock. After the engine stalled, I was able to restart and begin to drive around 20 miles per hour when the engine stalled and cut off again as I was on my way to the repair shop. I noticed during this time that the car was leaking oil. The following was revealed after receiving a diagnostic test performed by the repair shop that the engine suffers from internal damage/massive oil leak and it is not recommended attempting to repair. Repairs are estimated to be due more than $6K without guarantee that the vehicle will not repeat the same problematic performance. Upon some investigation, it has been revealed that my vehicle is among the many 2014-2017 Chevy Equinox models that are plagued with the same 2.4L engine/oil consumption defect. Coupled with the fact that these vehicles are extremely dangerous as there is no set warning when itay choose to stop working during operation, therefore running the risk of causing a catastrophic accident/s. The failure mileage was at 126,277.
Engine, Feb 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. Upon inspecting the hood of the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was oil on the ground. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 31, 2023
Drivers side windshield wiper stopped working and will not wipe.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 30, 2023
On January 25, 2023 there was snowfall in my area. While driving as snow was falling, while the wipers were engaged, the wipers suddenly stopped moving. I tried my best to safely pull over to the side of the road and sat for hours until the weather conditions improved and I could see through the windshield before I could drive off. My child was in the vehicle after being picked up from school. I could barely see anything around us, putting our lives at risk. On 1/30/23 i was advised the wiper transmission/linkage part failed costing me close to $500 to repair.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 30, 2023
Windshield wipers quit working during transport during a heavy rain storm. Visibility 0.
Engine, Jan 27, 2023
Car is burning more oil than it is suppose to on my vehicle. I have to add oil every other week.
Engine, Visibility/wiper, Jan 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving in a rainstorm with the front windshield wipers activated, the wipers suddenly became inoperable. The contact stated that the failure only occurred while the wipers were operating in the high position. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light suddenly illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had experienced excessive oil consumption. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 24, 2023
I was driving in heavy downpour at 8pm when my windshield wipers suddenly stopped working. They would not respond to the steering wheel mechanism and became inoperable making visibility incredibly difficult if not impossible to see. It put my life at risk on a busy route that was already exacerbated from the darkness and rain. I was extremely lucky in that only 3 other cards were around me at the time as I immediately put on my hazards and these cars went around me. Luckily, I was somewhat familiar with my surroundings and was able to pull over into a safe parking lot and wait for assistance. In fact, I was unable to drive my car for a day and half because it rained the next day, and I could not retrieve my car. My issue was confirmed by the Chevrolet dealership on 1/24/23 after inspection that there was an issue with my 'windshield wiper transmission,' and that it would need to be replaced. Right now, this will cost me $614 to replace the windshield wiper transmission. No warnings, messages or other symptoms were provided prior to this issue. It was a sudden and very abrupt malfunction.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 21, 2023
I was driving the vehicle from Madison, WI to Janesville, WI on the interstate. The car was operating normally until about 35 minutes into my drive. I heard unusual noises coming from the vehicle and I started to feel more resistance then normal while accelerating. I checked the dash for any indicator lights or high temperature but nothing was indicated. I exited the interstate and noticed the car was not accelerating normally. While stopped at a stop light the vehicle stalled, but powered back on after restarting. About a mile up the road the vehicle stalled again, but again restarted. I was less than a mile from my destination. After parking the vehicle at my destination, oil was observed gushing out from above the real driver's side wheel well. The vehicle had an odor. It was determined an intake value burst causing an oil leak. After the intake valve was repaired it was determined a chain snapped in the engine, and the engine was also in need of repair. The intake valve has been retained. The vehicle stalled while in use multiple times putting me and my family at risk for an accident. Had a dashboard indicator light illuminated, I would have immediately pulled over. Yes the problem was confirmed but a dealer that inspected the vehicle.