2013 Chevrolet Equinox: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 749 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (48% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Aug 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 749 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“My 2013 Equinox is experiencing the excessive oil loss without warning..this led to transmission..engine..timing failure. The car loses power jerks at slower speeds it sounds horrible and has cost a lot of money for repairs. Still don't know if it will last much longer. This is a burden on my family as we can't afford to just go buy another vehicle. I purchased it in 2022 and in 2019 there was a lawsuit being settled for these exact problems and I was not told this nor was it disclosed on the carfax report!! Very upsetting as I will be without a means of transportation.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2026
“There is corrosion and rust that is underneith my car! This is a very poor constuction of Chevy! This should never happen as long as the car is driving. When this corrosion happened there are a brake cable that is dangling under my car which is going on because of the rust and corrision underneith my car! I want answers and Chevy to do something about fixing the hanging brake cable under my car! I don't want any risks of saftey because of Chevy's very poor designing of my Equinox! I am not the only owner complaining about the structure of this car! I will take legal action!”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2026
“225/65/r17 Side wall blew out on me tire pressure system did not let me know . I had to sweave to miss oncoming traffic”Owner report · Tires · Mar 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“While driving at around 110,900 to 111,115 miles(it being 111,115 now), it occassionally will get a very loud thumping sound and my car goes into limp mode and loses power. Shakes horribly bad in the process. I have to turn the car off and sit there waiting for it to calm down and then drive 35mph to get home. Piston problem ive been told. Every time this has happened, ive been on a very busy highway with my 2 kids in the car with me. Please send out a recall! The miles are not high. This started in February 2026.”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2026
“It keeps throwing an error and my truck goes into Reduced engine power mode. It happens out of nowhere. One minute it's fine the next my engine starts to reduce power and I can't go faster then 25 mph. We have already replaced the high pressure fuel rail sensor and the fuel pump. It still is having this issue.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Sep 2025
“When gas is applied the transmission skips and doesn't get the power needed to drive car safely. I don't have any lights to indicate this is a problem within the engine. This recall has been issued for my vehicle but when I contacted the customer service for repairs, my vehicle information says there is no recalls for my vehicle. I did receive a letter in the mail stating my car has a recall”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2025
“Excessive oil consumption i have the same 2.1 liter echo tech engine that was previously involved in the lawsuit against General Motors for the 2013 chevy equinox excessive oil consumption. My car has stalled, jerked and keeps me in the auto parts stores buying oil all the time even long before time to change the oil.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2025
“Vehicle consuming oil to the point where the engine is knocking. I have to constantly add oil to the vehicle to keep it at optimal levels. Already had to replace the engine once out of my own pocket.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2025
“Have a 2013 Equinox. After driving for 30 minutes the Stabilink light comes on, car car shakes & extreme reduced power. Now my car will not start have been without car. And about to lose my job.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2025
“I have a crack in the manifold leading to an exhaust leak. This is apparently a very, very common and known issue with the equinox but there's no recall on the 2013 model. Sounds like there should be.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 20 of these complaints and injuries in 20 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear over time, possibly resulting in one or both of the windshield wipers becoming inoperative.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, dealers will repair the AIP-hole, inspect and, if necessary, replace the front wiper module, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 25302.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2013 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Equinox by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?
NHTSA has 749 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The most complained-about area is engine (48% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2013 Chevrolet Equinox problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 80,000 miles or less.
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm). Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.