Complaint volume
278 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
2020 Chevrolet Equinox Complaints
278 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, grouped by component category.
278 Total complaints
20 Crash reports
6 Fire reports
9 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
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.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 20 crash reports, 6 fire reports, 9 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 78 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 33,548 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to service brakes, fuel/propulsion system, engine?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Chevrolet Equinox
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox complaints?
20 Crash
6 Fire
9 Injury
1 Fatality
27 Towed
7 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Chevrolet Equinox complaint categories?
SERVICE BRAKES 40
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 25
ENGINE 23
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 12
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 12
POWER TRAIN 11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5
278 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 58 MPH, the message “Engine Power Reduced” was displayed, and the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the nearest exit and to the nearest gas station. The contact waited for a while before driving to the residence, while not exceeding 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve, bypass tube, the injector seal set, an unspecified plug, and the vacuum pump seal had failed, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | While driving, my engine light came on. After taking it in, it turned out that I had water/oil freezing in the intercooler. This could have been very dangerous when I was driving. I have had the GM Wrap put on it. I am hoping that this will not be a problem again. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | I would like to formally file a safety complaint regarding my Chevrolet vehicle and to express concern over Chevrolet’s handling of a known defect. On January 22, while driving to work in cold weather conditions, my vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction. The engine unexpectedly revved to approximately 4,500 RPM, the check engine light illuminated, and the dashboard displayed an “Engine Power Reduced” message. Despite removing my foot from the accelerator, the vehicle did not slow down as expected. I was able to pull over to the side of the road and bring the vehicle to a stop. I immediately contacted my local Chevrolet service department and was advised to bring the vehicle in six days later, the following Friday. Due to the safety risk, we did not use the vehicle during this time out of concern for a potential accident. When the vehicle was inspected by the Chevrolet dealership, we were informed that Chevrolet had identified this issue as being related to cold weather operation and that a custom shield had been designed to address the problem. We were also told that Chevrolet vehicles were not adequately designed for cold weather conditions, which led to this failure. Despite this acknowledgment and the fact that Chevrolet has engineered a corrective part, we were informed that the repair—costing approximately $1,600—is not covered under our extended warranty, as the shield was not installed on the vehicle at the time of purchase. The vehicle remains unsafe to drive. When accelerating, engine RPMs surge from approximately 2,500 to 4,000 RPM, and the vehicle can suddenly decelerate, creating a serious risk of rear-end collisions if a following driver is forced to brake abruptly. This issue represents a significant safety hazard. Chevrolet has acknowledged the defect by creating a corrective part, yet is declining to cover the repair cost, leaving the responsibility with the customer for a known design issue. Please let me know my next step | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | turbo/superchargers malfunctioned, and I had to have it replaced back up sensors do not work properly. Say backup, assistant, malfunction. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the turn signal flashed two or three times and then stopped. In addition, the doors independently locked and unlocked, and the TPMS sensors were inoperable. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, the front headlights flashed off and came back on. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,050. | Crash: No Fire: No | 32,050 |
| Jan 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES | My son was driving the car the Service Brake Assist message popped up on the screen, and the brake pedal went stiff. He was coming to a red light and had to swerve to the right to avoid hitting the cars in front of him as he had no brakes at this point. We had the vehicle towed to our house, had the vehicle looked at by our mechanic. The Diagnosis was the brake vacuum pump, part number #12684050 exploded. It is available for inspection, at this point we don't know if the metal pieces have fallen into the engine compartments and we would rather not replace the engine as well. We had contacted the Local Chevy Service dept. who said we can pay $1500.00 to for them to take apart the top of the engine to look for broken pieces, but the best option is to trade it in as soon as possible. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | Oil Consumption... loses 1 QT every 1000 miles driven... Car only has 28,000 miles driven on it... | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was suddenly displayed. While attempting to stop, the brake pedal was extremely difficult to depress, and the braking distance was extended. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the brake vacuum pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was also informed that metal shavings from the vacuum pump might have entered the engine and that an engine diagnostic test was needed. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 55,000 |
| Dec 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Rear spear tire compartment full of water. Sunroof drains leaking into rear fuse box. Fuel pump and fuel pump module failing when driving. Turbo locking up from oil seal failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Neither an independent mechanic nor the dealer was contacted. The contact waited thirty minutes, and the vehicle started to operate as intended. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several different occasions. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 130,000 |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Forward collision system dint notify of an object infront , also breaks locked up when used .Air bags didn’t go off while a forward collision with a bus happened | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | The power brake booster failed suddenly causing the brake petal to become hard. Almost caused an accident as I suddenly lost the ability to brake. There was no warning prior to the failure. After the failure a service warning for brake assist appeared. The vehicle was been inspected by an auto service provider. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The Engine Power Reduced Sensor came on and the gas pedal was hard to push so we took the car to a Chevy Dealership. We were told the code po299 was showing and that the turbo needs to be replaced ($4000). This is a VERY common problem and Chevy even acknowledges that but they are doing nothing about it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | This issue has happened to me twice now. Dec 19th 2024 I Driving on a highway at about 60mph, traffic slowed, I tried to stop and instantly had no brakes at all. There was a light that came on as I was applying the brakes, "service brake assist". Had it towed to a mechanic and they replaced the brake vacuum pump. We ordered this part from a Chevrolet dealership so we knew it was the proper part. Most recent was two days ago, Nov 10th 2025, NOT even a full year later. Driving about 55mph, tried to stop and no brakes again with the same service message. It is currently at the shop being repaired. The part is under warranty but of course labor isnt. Both times this happened, I had to drive over on to the shoulder to avoid causing an accident. Prior to this, there was no warning that there was anything wrong with the brakes. The only place that can confirm this issue is the mechanic shop as they are the ones doing the work. Attached is a copy of the receipt from the first time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message “Reduced Engine Power” was displayed. The vehicle did not require a restart to resume operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the wastegate actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the coolant inside the actuator had frozen due to the local low temperatures. The dealer advised that precautions were needed to prevent future coolant-related failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 103,000 |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sirus XM radio not working I called Sirus XM and cancelled my subscription they told me it is an ongoing issue multiple people are having the same issue it keeps saying reception is blocked. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Some kind of malfunction with the sunroof caused the sunroof to open without me knowing. Only the glass part opened. The top part of the car on the inside right above the door was wet down toward the side near the brake pedal fuse box that was filled with water. Sunroof will not close. Was told we needed to replace motors | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | Brake vacuum pump has failed. my brake pedal I had to put my full weight on to stop my car. I almost crashed into the person in front of me. It was my full weight and all the way to the ground in my car wasn’t stopping. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Pulling into traffic car stalled without warning. Went from about 25 MPH to a complete stop in approximately in less than 100 feet. Car sputtered with transmission grabbing intermittently as it jerked to a stop. Restarted about several times with similar behavior. (Covered under 60,000-mile warranty (actual mileage ~55,000)). Replaced fuel pump driver control module to correct. No accident due to distance to on-coming traffic, but easily could have caused an accident during high traffic conditions. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I’ve had the 02 sensor, maf sensor and a system update and my check engine won’t clear I’ve been dealing with this for over 5 months now. A Chevy dealership has had my vehicle and never informed me of warranty or recall issues.my check engine is throwing random code relating to the 02 sensor, lean code and multiple components having communication issues. Check engine will be lit and then clear on its own then return almost immediately | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | AIR BAGS | My passenger seat belt light on can you let me know what to do | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I bought this car 1 1/2 yr ago.. Thursday I was driving down the road no warning lights no sounds, it stalled.. I got it home by a friend towing it, and when I went to try to start it, I then had the check engine light come on, and it threw 3 codes.. P0017, P0089, P228D. I was told that the ecm was replaced but after researching this there has been multiple sites stating others are having same issue.. and some stating that their problem was fixed but it broke down again every time. I just want my car fixed. And the company should have to pay for it... | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | In the middle of rush hour traffic and my car just stopped and wouldn't start. After having it towed to the closest auto repair shop I was advised that the Fuel Pump Module was bad and needed to be replaced. Cheverolet was aware of this defect which is why they recalled it in 2021. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | A go's threw gas really fast the brakes drag and when it starts/stop it acts funny like it has a hard time starting/stopping and my suspension every time I go over something there's clunking started at 34000 miles when I got it from the dealership and I only have 52,000 miles on it it shouldn't be doing that yet | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Recently noticed that windshield wipers were not operating properly especially in heavy downpours. Difficult to see. Garage noticed that wipers were not operating correctly due to a flaw in the windshield wiper motor. There was a recall on earlier Chevy Equinox Windshield Wiper Motor on the 2015 model. I’m wondering if they ever Corrected that problem for later models or is it possible that they are still using a defective motor. Was confirmed by mechanic. Wipers will not operate properly and is definitely a hazard. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |