AI Damage2021 Chevrolet Equinox: common problems
Owners of the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox filed 100 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and electrical system. The maker issued 697 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 100
- involving a crash
- 6
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 697
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 20% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 16% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 5% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 4% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 20 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 11.
- Electrical system: 18 complaints (18% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 169.
- Powertrain: 17 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 70.
- Engine: 16 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 62.
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (8% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 23.
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 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 100 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion system | 20 | 1 | 11 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 0 | 169 |
| Powertrain | 17 | 0 | 70 |
| Engine | 16 | 1 | 62 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 0 | 23 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 44 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 22 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 13 |
| Air bags | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| Lane departure | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 118 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Yet and still the check engine light continues to come on. So I looked and found out it maybe the fuel pump after all . I'm constantly refueling at least 3 times a week and also the errors come up inside the chevrolet app as well.
Our concern is that our air bags did not deploy. With the amount of damage that our car received why did the air bags not deploy. The state trooper the did the report looked into the car and wondered the same thing. I will attach pictures. We are taking into the body shop tomorrow.
There were no warning lights illuminated. The air bags deployed. The vehicle was filled with smoke. The driver's side front door failed to open. The fire department was on the scene, but there were no reported fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot.
When the contact was rear-ended the seat belt on the driver's side did not retract at the point of impact, causing the contact to launch forward and struck a sun visor with his head. The contact had sought medical attention for neck pain and for headaches.
The airbags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's wife did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was then towed to an autobody shop. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure.
The contact sustained multiple injuries and a type 3 AC joint separation on his left shoulder. The contact did seek medical attention at an Emergency Room. The contact also stated the driver in the third vehicle did sustain unknown injuries and was unaware if they seek medication attention for their injuries.
My car stall while driving and I was stuck at work for over 2 hours waiting to be towed home. I work 40 min from where I live, so there was no getting back home without a tow. The car would not start because it was showing that I had no gas, when in fact I had a half a tank.
The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started bucking and then stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fuel pump power control module failure. The contact associated the failure with GM Recall: N252516900.
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 583 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Equinox has 201 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 100, below average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
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
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an…
This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.
- Pi created to provide GM dealers with information on gathering information for projection issue
- This preliminary information announces the end of an engineering investigation into a brake pad noise
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size…
- Improvements to OnStar functionality
- 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
NHTSA lists 697 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 100. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (33%), fuel system, fuel smell (15%), stalls while driving (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA lists 697 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 2021 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 2021 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.