2018 Chevrolet Equinox: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 408 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes (22% of complaints); the 2017 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 15 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Oct 2020
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 408 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Complete and sudden failure of Transmission involving the clutches (clutches are burned up inside the transmission). No warning or dash lights. Confirmed by mechanic and the solution is transmission replacement ($10,000). Car would not accelerate and began losing power on highway. After I exited the highway, the car would not engage gears and stopped accelerating resulting in having to push it out of the roadway and get it towed to my mechanic for diagnostic.”Owner report · Power Train · Sep 2026
“Chevrolet 2018 Equinox with 2.0L has a fail for no OBD communication. The vehicle was take to two separate Smog Local State Inspections; however, the vehicle failed to communicate with the system. I believe from looking at previous complaints on NHTSA that the vehicle has a module with defects and needs to be replaced. Vehicle has 49,000 miles. Previous complaint states that the local dealer was contacted; however, Product Emission Recall: N202298780; repair was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2026
“Unknown 2018 chevy equinox is known that the radio goes out, even after reset or hard reset (disconnect battery) the screen is black no sounds or music plays and the biggest safety related is no reverse camera”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“I am an investigator w/ the Medical Examiner's office in Dallas, TX. We are investigating the death of an individual who was inside a 2018 Chevy Equinox that was "rebuilt." During the minor accident, the steering wheel airbag deployed, but exploded and shot many large pieces of debris and shrapnel at the decedent's face. Ultimately leading to her passing. After the examination, a large piece of metal w/ a serial number was located. [XXX]. We are working alongside Dallas PD VHU for this crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2026
“In my chevy equinox 2018 my vacuum pump and brake booster failed when I was driving and I could not brake. I slid into the gravel side of the road on the 138, luckily there were not alot of traffic at the time cause I would have caused a major accident. Never had any braking issue till now. Now this is a major financial hardship on me to fix this issue that should have not happened if it got recalled to fix this issue on this certain model. No lights, no indicator lights or anything came on either which was scary. And I have no problems or any other issues with the equinox. It just failed all of a sudden.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Aug 2026
“On a steep gravel road in a remote area, I pressed the accelerator and the vehicle stopped climbing. I inferred that traction control had intervened, but there was no immediate, obvious indication explaining why the car wasn't responding. The most frightening part was not knowing what the vehicle was doing. A clear, immediate indication that traction control was actively limiting power would have reduced uncertainty.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jul 2026
“The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping and shifted hard. Additionally, while on an incline, the vehicle failed to get up to speed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 (Power Train). The vehicle was driven in LIMP Mode back to the residence. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,381.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2026
“The car had a engine code of P171d my safety and others was put at risk because of the vehicle malfunction while not able to drive after the light turn green or keeping maintaining a searching speed. The engine code was confirm at the dealership while getting serviced. The engine light up here, two days before going to the dealership to get it serviced.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2026
“The brake vacuum pump has gone out four times now. While driving the brakes suddenly become hard as a rock to push. Of the four times two of them have been close calls to having a serious collision. This is a known issue with these vehicles so it blows my mind there isn't a recall for this.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2026
“The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake vacuum pump failed to operate as needed and caused the brake pedal to become firm. The message "Service Brake Assist" was displayed. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed and determined to have the brake vacuum pump had disintegrated, and a part had fallen into the engine. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,876.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Jul 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 23 of these complaints and injuries in 30 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. The driver and front passenger door window glass may not be properly tempered. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 205, "Glazing Materials."
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the glass in the front doors, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18136.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Equinox years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
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 2018 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?
NHTSA has 408 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The most complained-about area is service brakes (22% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2018 Chevrolet Equinox problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 31,500 miles or less.
Does the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning power train. 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.