Complaint volume
295 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
295 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, grouped by component category.
Buyer interpretation
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
295 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
The most common categories are service brakes, fuel/propulsion system, engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Enriched records include 20 crash reports, 7 fire reports, 9 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage is available on 80 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 36,760 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
295 total complaints on record
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Driving down a state road going about 60 miles an hour. it’s 49° outside and raining. I had the heat on. the next thing I know there’s a loud bang and glass everywhere. for no apparent reason my sunroof exploded | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | STEERING,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Car has been brought in three times for wobble at speeds of 39 mph accelerating shaking steering wheel. Dealer continues to just add weights to tires and problem does not go away. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | WHEELS | The spare tire from the factory doesn’t clear the brake caliper on the front hub. Was on a major highway in the rain and at nighttime with a flat tire. I went to put the spare on and it didn’t fit over the caliber. Had to put the flat back on then take the tire off the rear and put the spare on the rear and use the good rear tire to put on the front because the spare didn’t fit. I called GM they put a case together and I had the car looked at from the dealership with now outcome as of the date of this complaint. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Vehicle caught fire while parked and turned off. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | TCS and ESC came off after a needed full throttle acceleration. This happened 3 times. After reading groups on the internet, seems is a common problem with the sensors on Equinox. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while pulling to a stoplight when they noticed the brakes squeaking and they began to smell like overheated brakes. The vehicle's brakes started dragging from the rear and the brake pad sticks to the roader. The failure occurred approximately 3-4 times. The dealer had not been able to identify the cause of the failure. The contact noticed that their failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19v704000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The manufacturer was made aware and confirmed their VIN was not included. The contact was directed to file a complaint with NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,000 |
| Dec 2021 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | EXPERIENCED SEVERE SHAKING IN STEERING AND SUSPENSION WHILE ACCELERATING, USUALLY STARTING AT THE 2-3 SHIFT. AT 12,836 MILES LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT HALF SHAFTS FAILED DUE TO 'EXCESSIVE LATERAL RUNOUT' . BULLETIN 20-NA-227 APPLIED(AS PER DEALER) AND BOTH REPLACED. NOW AT 21,500 MILES, THE SAME ISSUES ARE OCCURRING AGAIN. WHEN IT HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER AND I'M CONCERNED SHOULD A TOTAL FAILURE OCCUR WHILE I'M DRIVING. INITIAL PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 4000 MILES BUT ONLY OCCURRED VERY SPORADICALLY. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | SUSPENSION | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle had intermittent shaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer replaced the front driver's and passenger's side axle shafts under TSB 20-NA-227. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,800. The VIN was invalid. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,800 |
| Nov 2021 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The car started making a terrible noise. I went to the dealer. They said it was the transfer case. 10 days to get part. Now they say it’s the rear differential. Another 10 days. There was no warning on the dash. The fear for me is do a 6 hour trip. Afraid of what else can happen. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while his wife was driving at an unknown speed, the power steering assist and brake assist warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the brake module to be replaced. The brake module was replaced, and the brake fluid was flushed. The vehicle was repaired but experienced failure the following day. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the shoulder nut on the brake module to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experienced failure while leaving the dealer. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,418. THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A BAD BATTERY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,418 |
| Sep 2021 | AIR BAGS | While having the right of way driving thru an intersection, going approximately 40 mph, another vehicle disregarded a stop sign and t-boned my vehicle on the drivers side. My vehicle was pushed off the road and came to rest in a ditch. Impact was directly on the drivers side door which sustained severe damage. My vehicle also sustained damage to front corner panel along with damage to the rear driver side door. 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. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 3 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | We purchased the car with an option package the specifically included fog lights. Because of local weather conditions and reduced driving related to the pandemic, we never had the need to use the fog lights. Recently, we were driving in the Finger Lake region of New York at night when fog started to form. That's when we realized the car was built with no fog light switch. Since returning home, I checked another car like it in the neighborhood. It too was built with fog lights and no fog light switch. I checked with GM and they indicated that there should be a specific control button to turn the fog lights on and off. It would be nice to be able to use the equipped fog lights when driving conditions include fog. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | TIRES | These tires came on my brand new car that is less than a year old (21000 miles). I went for an oil change and the dealership told me I have 3/32nds on my tires! Bridgestone new about the rapid wear of these tires but never sent out any kind of notification about it. My dealership had a bulletin about the tires premature wearing. (#20-NA-159) Bridgestone said they are offering to cover 40% of replacement cost if I get the same tires otherwise they aren't giving anything.....I would NEVER EVER get these tires on my car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,600 |
| Jul 2021 | ENGINE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving and making a left turn, the turn signal failed to operate as designed. The contact also noticed the center console screen went black and flickered off and on until she arrived at her residence. The contact stated the failure persisted and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. An unknown software was updated however, a month later the failure recurred with the screen. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The dealer had replaced the radio console to fix the issue however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,688. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,688 |
| Jul 2021 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Back in early October 2020, vehicle had about 2000 miles on it. 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. Everything was ok for about two weeks when it did it again light came on took it a dealer but light went off. They serviced the vehicle and seem that the problem had stopped. Then in Early April of 2021 it happened again. Took it to the same dealership, they replace some more parts. Week or two weeks later same issue. Took it back to the dealership. They replaced the engine control module. During all these times, an engine light would soon follow after the message about the brake assist message. Thought it was fixed. On June 14 2021 at 1:14PM started my vehicle up the SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST message came on called the dealership. The brakes were vibrating and were not smooth. I stopped and turned off the vehicle and restarted the vehicle message went away brakes appeared to be fine. This time however no engine came on. Dealership was willing to service the vehicle but if the engine light wasn't on it would hard to diagnosed. I took a picture of the message before it had clear. On July 8th 2021, at 2:08PM, I started my vehicle and the SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST message came on. I took a photo of it. I tested the brakes appear to be ok. Turned the vehicle off the message didn't show again. My son borrow the vehicle and he got into an accident the same day approximately 6 hours. He swerved to avoid hitting a deer. He said that brakes appeared not to slow him down. He left roadway and struck a tree head on. The vehicle caught fire and he was lucky to escape. The vehicle was destroyed by the fire and crash. Not putting blame on anyone because I know there were other contributing factors to the accident . I just wanted to report this because of past problems with GM. | Crash: Yes Fire: Yes Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. 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. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 3,800. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | 3,800 |
| Jul 2021 | SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving downhill at approximately 20-30 mph, the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle instead independently accelerated and crashed through an electric gate. 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. The vehicle was repaired, and the passenger’s side door was replaced. The contact stated that two days after the vehicle was picked up from the repair shop, while attempting to reverse out of a parking spot, the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to stop in a reasonable amount of time. The contact stated that the vehicle slowly stopped and that the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,400. The Vin was invalid. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 2,400 |
| Jun 2021 | POWER TRAIN | My car has been shaking upon acceleration since I bought it in December 2019. I've had it to Apple Chevrolet in Red Lion, PA 4 times for the same issue. They documented that this is a manufacturer issue with my model and are working on a solution. They also documented that my axels are going bad, but not bad enough to fix and I was told to "drive my car until it get's worse and bring it back." | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | AIR FLOW INTO THE FULL BODY THROTTLE DETACHING | Crash: No Fire: No | 11,399 |