2013 Chevrolet Equinox Power Train Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 9, 2026 · 80 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 84,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil consumption” (18% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Oil consumption: mentioned in 14 of 80 complaints (18%)
  • Transfer case: mentioned in 9 of 80 complaints (11%)
  • Main seal: mentioned in 7 of 80 complaints (9%)
  • Timing chain: mentioned in 6 of 80 complaints (8%)

At what mileage do power train problems happen?

Based on 55 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles4 · 7%
10k–25k miles2 · 4%
25k–50k miles6 · 11%
50k–75k miles10 · 18%
75k–100k miles14 · 25%
100k–150k miles13 · 24%
150k+ miles6 · 11%

How serious are the reports?

Of 80 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.

Chevrolet Equinox power train complaints by model year

Peak: 2010, with 182 complaints
2005: 11420052006: 312007: 3120072008: 162009: 1020092010: 1821822011: 14520112012: 842013: 8020132014: 402015: 6320152016: 262017: 3220172018: 662019: 3720192020: 402021: 1720212022: 122023: 520232024: 112025: 3520252026: 16

n = 1,093 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearPower Train complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2026 Equinox1622%5,900
2025 Equinox3515%5,700
2024 Equinox1114%—
2023 Equinox55%—
2022 Equinox127%—
2021 Equinox1717%64,500
2020 Equinox4013%7,600
2019 Equinox3712%15,100
2018 Equinox6616%20,074
2017 Equinox3212%55,831
2016 Equinox267%61,000
2015 Equinox639%80,674
2014 Equinox407%75,000
2013 Equinox8011%84,000
2012 Equinox8412%75,341
2011 Equinox14519%76,000
2010 Equinox18223%83,500
2009 Equinox1011%107,500
2008 Equinox164%91,000
2007 Equinox315%46,000
2006 Equinox314%55,788
2005 Equinox11418%61,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2019, with 18 complaints
2013: 1201312014: 3201432015: 5201552016: 5201652017: 6201762018: 9201892019: 182019182020: 122020122021: 7202172022: 5202252023: 3202332024: 1202412025: 4202542026: 120261

n = 80 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Electrical system:ignition; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Jul 5, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V502000 · 8,367 vehicles

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.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

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…

Received Jun 29, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11747310

My 2013 Chevrolet Equinox (~132,000 miles) has a serious and unsafe oil consumption problem. I had a full oil change, and only two weeks later the dipstick was completely dry. The vehicle provided no warning lights, no low-oil indication, and the GM Oil Life Monitoring System gave an inaccurate…

Received Dec 4, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11702890

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…

Received Oct 13, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11693096
Chevrolet Equinox
A 2025 Chevrolet Equinox photographed in Flushing, Queens , New York, USA. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2013 Chevrolet Equinoxs have power train problems?

No. NHTSA has 80 owner complaints about power train for the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox (11% of the 751 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox power train?

Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do power train problems start?

The median reported mileage is 84,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about power train problems on the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox?

The most frequent phrase is “oil consumption”, in 14 of 80 complaints, followed by “transfer case” (9).

Other 2013 Chevrolet Equinox problems

See all 2013 Chevrolet Equinox problems or power train problems across all Equinox years.