2010 Chevrolet Equinox Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Equinox years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 22 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 784 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. That is the most of any Equinox model year in the database (22 years). The most reported problem area is engine (271 complaints, 35%), typically at around 87,000 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 9 fires, 23 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 784owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 Chevrolet Equinox problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 271 | 35% | 87,000 | “oil consumption” (20%) | $5,300 |
| Power Train problems | 182 | 23% | 83,500 | “oil consumption” (11%) | $5,750 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 132 | 17% | 100,000 | “windshield wipers” (30%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 81 | 10% | 59,000 | “instrument panel” (15%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 57 | 7% | 61,000 | “air bag” (40%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 52 | 7% | 89,800 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 49 | 6% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 44 | 6% | 44,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 32 | 4% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 32 | 4% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 31 | 4% | 35,400 | — | — |
| Visibility | 29 | 4% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 22 | 3% | 82,417 | — | — |
| Structure | 22 | 3% | 47,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | 2% | 53,720 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 1% | 15,476 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 1% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 1% | 71,695 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 1% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 1% | 99,650 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 1% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 1% | 35,800 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 1% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 0% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 18,440 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 410 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 Chevrolet Equinox recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: 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."
Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Seats:front assembly:power adjust
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.
Risk: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2010 chevrolet equinox and gmc terrain vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 103, "windshield defrosting and defogging systems and with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 101, controls and displays". The software in the center instrument panel can cause the heating, air conditioning, defrost, and radio controls, as well as the panel illumination to become inoperative.
Risk: Driving without a functioning defrost system can decrease your visibility under certain driving conditions and could result in a crash without warning.
Fix: Dealers will replace the computer module in the center instrument panel free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during january 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Momentary Increased Steering Effort (PE20009) — opened Jun 1, 2020, closed Jun 3, 2022.
- Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative (EA19005) — opened Dec 13, 2019, closed Nov 28, 2022, led to recall 22V165000.
- Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure (RQ18002) — opened Nov 2, 2018, closed Dec 19, 2019.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer for Technical Service Bulletin TSB #: 19-NA-065. While driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle lunged forward; the driver was able to pull over. While attempting to restart the vehicle, it…
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light or stop sign, the vehicle experienced severely rough idling before it stalled. The contact believed that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) was the cause of the failure. The dealer was notified of the…
Vehicle looses power and can very easily cause a bad wreck I've replaced multiple thing and it still does it I'm not sure what it is possibly the timing or something to do with camshaft
TCM shift issues
Windshield wipers mechanism popped on my Chevy equinox.
Other Chevrolet Equinox years
← 2009 Equinox · 2011 Equinox →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Equinox | 73 | 1 |
| 2025 Equinox | 235 | 0 |
| 2024 Equinox | 80 | 1 |
| 2023 Equinox | 98 | 3 |
| 2022 Equinox | 183 | 6 |
| 2021 Equinox | 99 | 4 |
| 2020 Equinox | 314 | 4 |
| 2019 Equinox | 305 | 4 |
| 2018 Equinox | 409 | 5 |
| 2017 Equinox | 276 | 0 |
| 2016 Equinox | 398 | 1 |
| 2015 Equinox | 680 | 2 |
| 2014 Equinox | 548 | 1 |
| 2013 Equinox | 751 | 2 |
| 2012 Equinox | 685 | 3 |
| 2011 Equinox | 782 | 3 |
| 2010 | 784 | 3 |
| 2009 Equinox | 94 | 0 |
| 2008 Equinox | 370 | 0 |
| 2007 Equinox | 685 | 4 |
| 2006 Equinox | 695 | 0 |
| 2005 Equinox | 638 | 1 |
See all Chevrolet Equinox problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners most often report engine, power train, visibility/wiper problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 271 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Equinox model years, the 2010 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.