2018 Chevrolet Equinox Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Equinox years
- About as many complaints as other years 10th of 22 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4–5 out of 5 stars (varies by version)
Owners have filed 409 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. That ranks 10th out of 22 Equinox model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (118 complaints, 29%), typically at around 62,144 miles. Complaints mention 23 crashes, 4 fires, 30 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 409owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 23complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems | 118 | 29% | 62,144 | “vacuum pump” (37%) | — |
| Engine problems | 86 | 21% | 31,500 | “vacuum pump” (21%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 66 | 16% | 20,074 | “vacuum pump” (9%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 61 | 15% | 36,955 | “brake assist” (8%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 56 | 14% | 11,290 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 33 | 8% | 12,400 | — | — |
| Structure | 17 | 4% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 16 | 4% | 19,712 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 15 | 4% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 15 | 4% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 3% | 90,656 | — | — |
| Wheels | 13 | 3% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 3% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 11 | 3% | 13,100 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 2% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 2% | 14,750 | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 2% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 6 | 1% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 1% | 2,093 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 1% | 25,500 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 1% | 12,899 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 16,125 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 0% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Chevrolet Equinox recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: 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.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Problem: 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.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: 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.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Structure:emergency:escape/egress/exit; visibility
Problem: 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."
Risk: If the glass is not tempered properly, and the window is broken, the glass can break into large pieces, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
Fix: 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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
start-stop accumulator is leaking fluid on transmission. Fluid coming from bolts and gasket area.
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…
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…
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
My 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 1.5L developed an active gasoline leak. After the vehicle is cranked/started, gasoline begins leaking from underneath the front/engine area and forms a visible puddle on the ground. Prior to discovering the leak, the vehicle had intermittent hard-starting symptoms where…
Other Chevrolet Equinox years
← 2017 Equinox · 2019 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 | 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 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 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners most often report service brakes, engine, power train problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 118 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 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 2018 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 4–5 out of 5 stars (varies by version) overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.