AI Damage2020 Chevrolet Equinox: common problems
Owners of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox filed 318 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine. The maker issued 805 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 318
- involving a crash
- 21
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 805
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 36% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 29% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 16% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- 7 Forward collision avoidance 4% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 113 complaints (36% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 25.
- Engine: 93 complaints (29% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 86.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 51 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Electrical system: 43 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 206.
- Powertrain: 40 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 88.
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 5 complaints
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
- automatic, 9-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 318 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 | 113 | 8 | 25 |
| Engine | 93 | 3 | 86 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 51 | 1 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 43 | 1 | 206 |
| Powertrain | 40 | 3 | 88 |
| Vehicle speed control | 15 | 1 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 14 | 4 | 10 |
| Steering | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| Suspension | 11 | 0 | 15 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 0 | 126 |
| Air bags | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Wheels | 7 | 1 | 36 |
| Fuel system | 7 | 0 | 29 |
| Structure | 6 | 2 | 53 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Airbags did not deploy. After the accident smoke was seen coming from the sides of the car where the seat belts come out of. Both front and back were white puffs of smoke from all four seatbelts. The front passenger seatbelt failed to tighten on impact as all the other seatbelts did.
I put the vehicle into reverse to back in into my garage when it suddenly lurched forward and hit the garage door on the garage across the alley. There was damage to the garage and the car's front end. It has never done anything like this before.
Engine power reduced keeps appearing Check engine light still on after oil change Oil is always empty after an oil change Leaking oil gasket
Constituent stated that they experienced a loss of power steering while driving, the consumer stated while driving the power steering died. The driver had difficulty maintaining the vehicle and swiped a guardrail. The vehicle did not indicate an issue until after the failure ocurred.
Driver side-impact curtain airbag did not deploy on my vehicle. My vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance company. The at faults front end sustained severe damage and driver and passenger front airbags both deployed.
The contact stated that after parking, turning the engine off, and exiting the vehicle it was later discovered that the vehicle had erroneously rolled backward and crashed into a second vehicle that was parked. No injuries were reported and a police report was taken at the scene.
I noticed that when I started up the vehicle The Brake Assist Service message came on the brakes were spongy and had vibrating feel. I drove about a half of a mile and the problem stopped. The engine light came on and stayed on but then went out.
The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. There was no warning light illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. The contact stated that the passenger’s side of the vehicle was severely damaged causing approximately $6,000 in damages to the vehicle and the electric gate.
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 200 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Equinox has 201 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 318, 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.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- 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 Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic…
This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC'ss
- This PI advised dealer technicians of possible causes of diesel fuel contamination in gasoline powered…
This PI advised dealer technicians of possible causes of diesel fuel contamination in gasoline powered vehicles and advises of warranty direction.
- This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic…
- 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…
NHTSA lists 805 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 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 318. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (26%), fuel system, fuel smell (11%), stalls while driving (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA lists 805 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 2020 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 2020 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.