AI Damage2018 Chevrolet Equinox: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox filed 410 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine. The maker issued 831 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 410
- involving a crash
- 23
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 831
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 32% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 21% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 4% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 4% of all complaints
- 8 Forward collision avoidance 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 132 complaints (32% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 29.
- Engine: 86 complaints (21% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 88.
- Powertrain: 66 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 85.
- Electrical system: 61 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 186.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 33 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.5 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 6 complaints
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 1.6 L · diesel · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 4 complaints
- automatic, 6-speed
- automatic, 9-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 410 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 132 | 10 | 29 |
| Engine | 86 | 0 | 88 |
| Powertrain | 66 | 2 | 85 |
| Electrical system | 61 | 1 | 186 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 33 | 1 | 8 |
| Visibility | 18 | 0 | 20 |
| Structure | 17 | 1 | 54 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 16 | 2 | 10 |
| Steering | 15 | 1 | 15 |
| Air bags | 15 | 9 | 6 |
| Wheels | 13 | 1 | 40 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 0 | 151 |
| Fuel system | 8 | 0 | 66 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service brake assists warning light illuminated. The contact stated that right after the warning light illuminated, the contact rear-ended the vehicle in front. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the failure could not be duplicated.
The contact stated that the entire front end of his vehicle was damaged, both headlights were fractured and the front bumper had detached. The contact stated that all the front and side air bags had deployed.
My foot was on the brake and I was preparing to put the car in park when the car lurched forward and hit the wall at a high rate of speed. GM examined the car and gave me a report I could not understand but their report indicated that there was not a vehicle defect. I find this highly improbable.
The backup camera works fine but there is a side detection error that comes on everytime I start the vehicle. The shop replaced the entire harness however that did not fix the issue. I have read 1000's of complaints on this. My vehicle has 45000 miles. This is effecting my gas mileage as well as other safety features.
The contact stated that after parking in the driveway and switching the shifter to the park position the driver exited and moments later the vehicle erroneously rolled backward down the driveway.
Driving down interstate heard a loud bang driver front .front of the vehicle dropped to the ground and vehicle started to roll 6 times upon further inspection by police and mechanic front rim exploded and detached from vehicle lug nuts are there and center of rim is there tires are all new but rim was gone
I start to slide while not really reducing speed I turned my steering wheel a little bit trying to avoid the on coming traffic when my steering wheel locked as well causing me slide right into a car.
The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained neck pains and the passenger sustained a severe concussion and a broken right elbow. Both occupants received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and "no system malfunction" appeared.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 138 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Equinox has 201 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 410, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size…
- This preliminary information discusses a condition that may arise from the drivers window switch sending…
This preliminary information discusses a condition that may arise from the drivers window switch sending an errant message causing the vehicle to enter manual fob learn mode.
- This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a…
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
- This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced…
This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have…
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
- The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle…
The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal for the delay.
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- This preliminary information advises technicians the heater hose clamps are one time use only
NHTSA lists 831 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine, powertrain. Total complaints: 410. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (23%), windows, sunroof (6%), infotainment or screen glitches (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA lists 831 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.