2016 Chevrolet Equinox Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Equinox years
- About as many complaints as other years 11th of 22 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 398 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. That ranks 11th out of 22 Equinox model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (203 complaints, 51%), typically at around 85,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 3 fires, 22 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 398owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 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 | 203 | 51% | 85,000 | “oil consumption” (16%) | $4,350 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 114 | 29% | 70,000 | “wipers stopped” (33%) | $490 |
| Unknown or Other | 32 | 8% | 38,450 | — | — |
| Power Train | 26 | 7% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 24 | 6% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 19 | 5% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 12 | 3% | 29,274 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 2% | 111,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 2% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 2% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 6 | 2% | 41,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 2% | 74,653 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 1% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 1% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 1% | 30,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 116,500 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 12,022 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 475 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Chevrolet Equinox recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:other:labels; tires
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles manufactured October 16, 2015. The certification labels may have incorrect tire/rim size and cold tire pressure information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: If the information on the certification labels is incorrect, the operator may install incorrectly sized tires or rims or may improperly inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1050, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 46600.
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
- 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.
I am filing this complaint regarding a safety-related engine problem with my 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. My vehicle is currently experiencing excessive crankcase pressure associated with the PCV system. The vehicle requires PCV service, and I have been advised that the excessive crankcase pressure has…
Timing chain guide broke and caused catastropic engine failure while driving 70 miles an hour on the highway causing steering, brakes etc to lock up putting me and my family at risk of accident and great bodily harm. Vehicle is available for inspection. No prior knowledge of mechanic problems due…
Wipers just stopped working on the highway in a very bad rain storm, when I was taking my daughter to school. We could not see and had to put our hazards on and somehow carefully pull off to the side of the road. We could have easily been rear ended or worse âKilledâ. There was no warning…
In February of 2025, while driving my 2016 Chevy Equinox home from work, I heard a loud pop and loss of engine power a block from home. The weather conditions at the time were below freezing and light snow. After getting my vehicle home, my neighbor, who works for GM looked under my Equinox and…
Wipers stopped working while driving in the rain
Other Chevrolet Equinox years
← 2015 Equinox · 2017 Equinox →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Equinox | 72 | 1 |
| 2025 Equinox | 233 | 0 |
| 2024 Equinox | 80 | 1 |
| 2023 Equinox | 98 | 3 |
| 2022 Equinox | 182 | 6 |
| 2021 Equinox | 99 | 4 |
| 2020 Equinox | 313 | 4 |
| 2019 Equinox | 305 | 4 |
| 2018 Equinox | 409 | 5 |
| 2017 Equinox | 276 | 0 |
| 2016 | 398 | 1 |
| 2015 Equinox | 680 | 2 |
| 2014 Equinox | 548 | 1 |
| 2013 Equinox | 751 | 2 |
| 2012 Equinox | 685 | 3 |
| 2011 Equinox | 782 | 3 |
| 2010 Equinox | 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.
Similar Chevrolet models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners most often report engine, visibility/wiper, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 203 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 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 2016 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.