2020 Chevrolet Equinox
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Service brakes is the leading concern among 308 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 13th highest complaint count among 21 Equinox model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 20 involved a crash and 7 involved a fire. 12 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Child seat, vehicle latch anchorMay 11, 2023
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. 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."
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.
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.
Campaign 23V339000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmissionOct 29, 2020
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. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
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.
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.
Campaign 20V668000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, disc, caliperOct 3, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. The rear brake calipers may have been produced with an incorrect lubricant, potentially causing the rubber seals to swell and the brakes to drag.
Brake drag may result in overheating of the brake pads, affecting the braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 19V704000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, tank assemblySep 19, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Equinox all-wheel drive vehicles. The fuel tanks may have been manufactured with an improperly sealed seam, possibly allowing fuel to leak along the seam near the fuel inlet.
A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
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.
Campaign 19V667000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
98 reports, newest first. Show all
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 4, 2023
Vehicle had 3 warning go off while driving. Vehicle engine is shaking. It decelerate and I couldn’t go over 35. No power going up hill. Traction controls shut off, check engine, and SEC service came on. Now messages of braking system and emission from on star. Had a similar incident over thanksgiving and I was told I needed an oil change because there was low oil. My car was at 58% for oil change. Now I’m at 83% and it shouldn’t need oil. There have been multiple issues with lag time from pushing the gas to engaging. This vehicle has had more issue than any other Chevy I have owned. Transmission seals off the lot. This is not building confidence in safety at all.
Engine, Dec 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving into her driveway, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated shifted into park(P) and then turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired and was awaiting a scheduled service appointment at the local dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,500.
Engine, Oct 19, 2022
1.Vacuum pump and exhaust camshaft failed. 2.No, service center kept the parts. 3.Vehicle stopped operating while driving putting driver, passengers and public safety at risk. 4.Yes, the problem was confirmed by service center. 5.Yes, Vehicle/components were inspected by dealership/service center. 6.No, no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. 7. First appeared on 10-09-2022
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Oct 17, 2022, crash
Engine power reduced keeps appearing Check engine light still on after oil change Oil is always empty after an oil change Leaking oil gasket
Service brakes, Engine, Jul 12, 2022
While driving the Brake pedal became very hard to press and stopping distance increased greatly. the check engine light and service brake light on the dash became illuminated. After looking online it became apparent that there are a lot of people with Chevrolet vehicles equipped with the 1.5L engine that had the same problem and the cause was a faulty vacuum pump. I removed the vacuum pump and it has broken pieces that have fallen off of it and are now inside of the engine and will need more engine components removed to have access to remove all of the metal fragments.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 2, 2022
We received a message on our in car display that said reduced engine power and the check engine light came on. We stopped, we raised the hood to investigate and there was oil all over the engine and engine compartment, as well as under the vehicle. The oil dipstick was out of its place by about 2”-2 1-2” That is where the oil came from. When I refilled the crankcase to replace the engine oil that was lost, it took about 3-3 1/2 quarts to refill (oil capacity is 4.5 quarts). When taken to the dealer for service, they said there was gasoline in the oil and that the engine oil needed to be changed. Once the oil was changed and the vehicle was test driven, the dealership said there was no gas in the oil, but gave no explanation as to what caused the oil dipstick to become raised from its normal position allowing the oil to escape. Oil and gas could cause a fire on board the vehicle. Oil could also get on the tires as well as the highway, causing a loss of traction and control of the vehicle, as well as other vehicles and drivers that ran into the oil/gas that fell from the vehicle to the road surface.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, May 11, 2022
March 8, 2022 Purchased the 2020 Chevy Equinox March 23, 2022 The car was jerking while driving making it dangerous. I tried to bring it to the service department but was told to leave the car which I did from 7:00 am -4:00 pm and no diagnosis within that time. March 30, 2022 Dropped the car off at Autonation Chevy Pembroke Pines April 5, 2022- Shev service advisor states the converter in the transmission needs to be replaced. April 19, 2022- Picked up car April 20, 2022 Car is jerking EVEN WORSE WHILE DRIVING!!! April 22, 2022 Car is BACK IN THE CHEVY SERVICE department April 30, 2022 Told to pick up car and now the problem was a FUEL PUMP IN THE ENGINE May 2, 2022 Picked up car, drove one block car is still jerking while driving (UNSAFE) May 6, 2022- Service manager states car is jerking and not only jerking it STALLED while driving with him!!!! As a matter of fact, it has a history of 5 service repairs where it stalled. This information WAS NOT disclosed to me. This car is not SAFE!!! The car is still in the service department. I DO NOT want that car. I want a car that is SAFE!!! REPLACEMENT CAR!!!
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Mar 19, 2022
When my car is parked (no emergency brake on) on a SLIGHT incline & the driveway is completely dry, it slides down the driveway 10-20 feet in its own with the wheels turning. It has happened at 4 times & once someone was trying to get out & it was frightening. It’s ended up on the sidewalk where it could hit pedestrians. I can’t drive an UNSAFE vehicle & the dealer says since they can’t replicate it, they can’t fix it (as if I’m lying that it happened) & to just always use the emergency brake even though the car manual doesn’t say anything about that being how the car works.
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 13, 2022
The issue is not consistent so dealership will not be able to solve the issue. No warning lights. No components have not been inspected by manufacturer. Issue occurs when it wants to. When in auto stop and vechile wants to start back up, vechile loses all power, windshield wipers turn on for few seconds then vechile starts back up. Seems like a reset. This is very dangerous when sitting at Inersections. This is happened several times.
Engine, Feb 23, 2022
Water pump failure noticed on 2/17/22. Engine noise sounded like loose engine belt. Car taken to Beaty Chevrolet dealership in Knoxville, TN. Problem confirmed failed water pump at 14,804 miles. Dealer replaced pump quickly. Concerned about long term engine issues due to water pump failure. No warning Lites or indication of failure from car systems.
Engine, Aug 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle decelerated independently to 20 mph with the steering wheel locked. The ESC message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact continued to drive to the residence. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as water leaking into the engine which caused the electronic failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Engine, Jul 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started to shake and then stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact started the vehicle and drove to her destination. The contact stated that the check engine warning light disappeared the following morning. The contact called and made the local dealer aware of the failure. The contact also called Feldman Chevrolet Of Livonia (32570 Plymouth Rd, Livonia, MI 48150, (734)237-1006) and notified the dealer of the failure. The contact stated that on July 27, 2021, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure recurred. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The contact called a third local dealer George Matick Chevrolet (14001 Telegraph Rd, Redford Charter Twp, MI 48239, (313) 332-7572) and made them aware of the failure. The contact stated that she experienced the failure again on July 28, 2021. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,600.
Engine, Jul 27, 2021
The check engine light keeps coming on and off right after I had an oil change. Now my engine shimmers or vibrates in a funny way. This vehicle is not even two years old.
Engine, Apr 5, 2021
ON MARCH 27, 2021 ENGINE RANDOMLY STARTED HAVING ISSUES WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER' NOTIFICATION CAME ON. EVEN BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THE CAR SHUT OFF AND HAD TO PUSH DOWN HARD ON GAS TO GET IT TO BACK UP BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE BACK. WHEN I WAS COMING OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FROM A STOPPED POSITION WHEN TURNING ONTO THE MAIN STREET AND THE CARS HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEHIND ME. DRIVING WAS ROUGH, WAS FEELING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BREAKDOWN. I GOT THE CAR FIXED APRIL 1-2, 2021. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS BACK ON APRIL 4, 2021.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 19, 2021
I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY CAR STALLING, THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION AND THE CAR WAS SHAKING. WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED, THERE WAS ALSO SHAKING. AFTER THE CAR WOULD GET GOING, THE SHAKING WOULD STOP, BUT WHENEVER I STOPPED THE PROBLEM WOULD PERSIST. I HAVE MY CAR AT THE DEALER RIGHT NOW FOR 4 DAYS. THEY ARE TELLING ME THE MOTOR SEEMS TO BE CONSUMING TOO MUCH OIL AND THAT THE MOTOR IS SHOT, THEY ARE ACCUSING ME OF NOT KEEPING UP WITH OIL CHANGES, WHICH IS NOT TRUE, AND THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. I DID NOT HAVE THE OIL CHANGES DONE AT THE DEALER, BUT AT ANOTHER LOCAL SHOP, BUT DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE RECEIPTS, JUST ONE FROM THE OIL CHANGE DONE ON 3/15/2021. IS THERE ANY WAY TO CHECK THE ON-STAR SYSTEM OR COMPUTER, TO SEE THAT THE MAINTENANCE WAS COMPLETED? THE CAR SENDS ALERTS FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS, LOW TIRE PRESSURE, LOW OIL, LOW FUEL, ETC. I NEVER RECEIVED LOW OIL MESSAGES. THE DEALER IS REFUSING TO REQUEST ANY COMPUTER RECORDS FOR THE CAR. THE CAR WAS LEASED IS EARLY 2020 AND SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THESE KINDS OF ISSUES.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Mar 9, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE ABOVE 30 MPH WITH THE RPMS REVVING UP WITHOUT THE VEHICLE RESPONDING. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED HOWEVER, THE GEARS FAILED TO SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO JIM BROWNE CHEVROLET, INC. 11300 N FLORIDA AVE, TAMPA, FL 33612 WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE COMPUTER NEEDED TO RELEARN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THREE MONTHS LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,500.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Engine, Jan 15, 2021
ROUGH IDLE WHEN VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP AND RPMS WILL FLUCTUATE. RATTLE NOISE FROM THE EXHAUST WHEN TURNING ON OR ON REVERSE. BRAKES RESPONDING LATE.
Structure, Engine, Nov 24, 2020, fire
AS THIS CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN THE HIGHWAY, ABOUT 10 MINUTES INTO MY DRIVE, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, I PULLED OVER, A PASSER BY RAN OVER TO ME TELLING ME TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE THAT FLAMES WERE SHOOTING OUT OF THE BOTTOM. AS SOON AS I EXITED THE CAR, THE ENTIRE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE ENTIRE CAR WAS BURNED TO THE GROUND. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. GM REFUSED TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE OR TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY.
Engine, Nov 4, 2020
ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCED ENGINE SPEED COME ON, DEALERSHIP STATES IT IS DUE TO BAD GAS. HAVE PURCHASED GAS FROM MULTIPLE VENUES OVER 6 MONTHS, ENGINE LIGHT WITH REDUCED SPEED HAS HAPPENED 4X IN 6 MONTHS .
Service brakes, Engine, Feb 7, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE EXCESSIVELY. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JIM TRENARY CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 501 AUTO MALL DR, O'FALLON, MO 63368, WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND REPAIR WAS STILL PENDING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Steering, Engine, Jan 29, 2020
THIS COMPLAINT IS NOT THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT, BUT TO PREVENT ONE FROM HAPPENING AND POSSIBLE TAKING LIVES OF PEOPLE. THE KEEP LANE ASSIST (LKA) IS DANGEROUS IN THAT IF YOU ARE DEPENDING ON IT. THERE ARE OCCASIONS THAT NORMAL TRAFFIC LINES ARE PRESENT AND FOR SOME REASON THE JUST DISAPPEAR AND ARE NOT PRESENT AND IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE VEHICLE TO VEER OFF THE ROAD OR INTO THE OPPOSING LANE. GENERAL MOTORS DOES PROVIDE A MEANS OF TURNING LKA OFF, BUT IT RE-ENABLES EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. THE AUTO STOP (AS) HAS THE ISSUE THAT IF YOU STOP AND YOUR VEHICLE STOPS RUNNING, YOU CAN BE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF THE WAY IN TIME TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS TO HAVE TIME TO RESTART. OTHER MANUFACTURES PROVIDE A MEANS OF DISABLING AS WITH A SWITCH BUT GENERAL MOTORS DOES NOT. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND GENERAL MOTORS AND BOTH DECLINED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS.
Electronic stability control (ESC), Engine, Jan 22, 2020
EQUINOX HAS 4636 MILES AND ALL THREE TIMES IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN IN SNOW A SERVICE ESC MESSAGE COMES ON DASH AND TRACTION CONTROL AND STABILITY CONTROL ARE TURNED OFF ALONG WITH AWD. ONE TIME WAS HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND OTHER TWO TIMES ON A LOCAL STREET. ALSO WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE DASH MESSAGE SAID REDUCED ENGINE POWER (STAYED ON FOR 400 MILES/TWO DAYS) MAY REDUCE SPEEDS TO 50 MPH. RPM'S STARED RUNNING 1000 HIGHER TO MAINTAIN SPEED AND FUEL ECONOMY DROPPED ABOUT 8 MPG. GM MECHANIC DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE BUT SAID THE TURBO WAS FROZEN BECAUSE OF TEMPERATURES (-10 DEGREES) AND THAT IT NEEDED A WINTER FRONT AND NEW INTAKE TUBE. MECHANIC SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM OVER 10 TIMES WITH THE SAME ENGINE THAT DAY.
Power train, Engine, Dec 5, 2019
VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST ENGINE RESPONSE REACTION TO ACCELERATION PEDDLE FROM A YIELD TURN INTO MAIN ROAD. FROM THE YIELD, SLOW ROLLING LESS THAN 1 MILE PER HOUR, I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDDLE TO MERGE INTO THE MAIN ROAD AND THE VEHICLE HAD ZERO RESPONSE FOR NEARLY 30 FEET. IF THERE WAS A CAR COMING I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID BEING COMPLETELY HIT IN THE SIDE. I PUMPED THE GAS PEDDLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN ANY RESPONSE, AFTER SEVERAL PUMPS THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED DRASTICALLY TO 3000 WITHOUT UPSHIFTING AT PROPER TIME AND THE VEHICLE SURGED AHEAD. ODOMETER READING 2376. 1200 MILE SERVICE COMPLETED. 2400 MILE VEHICLE SERVICE SCHEDULED. FILLED TANK 37.8 MILES PRIOR TO EVENT WITH 89 OCTANE. ROUGHLY 35 TO 40 DEGREES.