2018 Chevrolet Equinox Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes13025.0%
- Engine9217.7%
- Powertrain (other)6512.5%
- Electrical5811.2%
- Fuel system407.7%
- Driver assistance356.7%
- Body & structure173.3%
- Visibility163.1%
- Steering152.9%
- Other / unspecified152.9%
- Airbags132.5%
- Seat belts71.3%
- Interior & seats71.3%
- Exterior lighting61.2%
- Tires & wheels30.6%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I own a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. While driving at highway speed, the brake pedal suddenly became completely rigid and could not be depressed. The engine continued running normally, there were no warning lights, and I had to coast into a parking lot because I was unable to brake normally. The vehicle was towed to a Chevrolet dealership. The dealership diagnosed a failed vacuum brake booster and replaced the brake booster at my expense. After the repair, the exact same safety issue occurred again while I was driving at approximately 25 mph. The engine was running normally, there were again no warning lights, and the brake pedal instantly became rock hard and would not depress. The repair did not resolve the condition, and I no longer believe the vehicle is safe to operate. I am reporting this because the same loss of brake assist occurred before and after the dealership’s repair.
My granddaughter was driving the vehicle and experienced a catastrophic engine failure while driving down the road. Warning messages and audible sounds began and said to turn off the vehicle immediately. The brakes completely stopped working at that point. She pulled over immediately and called to ask what she should do. She was approximately 1/2 mile from home and she drove approximately 10mph to her driveway, pumping the brakes helped get the vehicle to her driveway. The vehicle was then towed to the dealership.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
My granddaughter was driving the vehicle and experienced a catastrophic engine failure while driving down the road. Warning messages and audible sounds began and said to turn off the vehicle immediately. The brakes completely stopped working at that point. She pulled over immediately and called to ask what she should do. She was approximately 1/2 mile from home and she drove approximately 10mph to her driveway, pumping the brakes helped get the vehicle to her driveway. The vehicle was then towed to the dealership.
While turning right at a red light my vehicle started making knocking noises, loss of acceleration then the ECM (limp mode) and ESC code happened. Protecting the vehicle from damage due to transmission fluid loss. Looked under the car and Transmission fluid was pouring out between the transmission and drive shaft. Car will no longer start due to codes being present from the computer shutting the car down during fluid loss.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
While turning right at a red light my vehicle started making knocking noises, loss of acceleration then the ECM (limp mode) and ESC code happened. Protecting the vehicle from damage due to transmission fluid loss. Looked under the car and Transmission fluid was pouring out between the transmission and drive shaft. Car will no longer start due to codes being present from the computer shutting the car down during fluid loss.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
About 3 weeks ago my battery completely died and I had to get 3 jump starts in one day. Upon replacing my battery I continued to experience a drained battery. Then my in-car wifi stopped working. I contacted onstar and they attempted to reset it which didn't work. So they escalated the issue to the highest department. I also had the battery and alternator tested and it showed that the battery and alternator were not the issue. It was decided that the problem was electrical. So I had all the electrical connections tested and it was determined that the issue was with the oem module.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 75,000. At the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 252,000.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
The car cut off on the street with no warning. Once I crank the car back up and pulled over, it was leaking fuel and coolant with no warning lights on the dash boatd
The fuel management system leaked from car causing fuel to pour out of 2018 chevy equinox d2
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
I own a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox with a 1.5L engine. While driving with my children in the vehicle, the car experienced a sudden and frightening failure. The engine began malfunctioning, and after inspection, my mechanic and the repair shop confirmed damage to the vacuum pump, broken engine pieces, and issues with the timing chain and camshaft. These issues are identical to those described in an existing recall for this vehicle, but my VIN is not included. The shop even questioned why my mechanic had to replace the vacuum pump, which shows this failure is directly related to the known recall problem. This situation created a very unsafe condition while my kids were in the car. It is unfair and dangerous that my VIN is excluded when the exact same recall defects are present. I am requesting that my vehicle be included in the recall and that NHTSA investigate this defect further, as it poses a serious safety risk for me, my family, and potentially other drivers.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in cold weather, the message "Caution. Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the charge air cooler was replaced, and the CAC shutter, the temperature control valve and the winter grill cover were installed. Additionally, the ECM was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: N222372590. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that moisture was leaking from the panoramic sunroof. On multiple occasions, the contact stated that the floor of the vehicle was soaked with moisture upon entering the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle was flooded, and that moisture had accumulated up to the ankles. Moisture was also leaking onto the contact's head from the panoramic sunroof while driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions where attempts to repair the vehicle were performed; however, the failure persisted after each repair. After the latest visit, the contact was informed that mold had grown inside the vehicle due to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
The sun roof shade is inoperable. The sunshade retracts, but does not go back into the roof so the whole shade hangs down. This completely blocks the view of the driver out the back window and is a severe safety risk. Even when the sunshade is "closed" the material hangs down, continuing to block the drivers view out of the back window. The shade has come off the tracks and unglued. The issue has been confirmed as inoperable and an internal fault in the roof shade assembly by a Chevrolet dealership and needing to be replaced completely. I have taken it to several other shops around my city, and have been informed that this is a common problem that is being referred back to dealerships for fixing. There was no prior warning sign, and my car has been experiencing this issue since July 2023.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
Got word from the mechanic at the dealership that the cam shaft is leaking oil as well as the fuel injectors retainers are out and need to be sealed as they are also leaking. the engine went into safe mode to prevent any engine fires.
Engine power low
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
I am filing this complaint regarding a defective CYBEX Callisto car seat and the company’s mishandling of my replacement request. The tension door of the car seat has malfunctioned three times while driving, causing the seat to become unsecured and putting my child’s safety at significant risk. This malfunction is deeply concerning and could lead to severe consequences. Details of the Incident Component Failure: The tension door of the car seat pops open during use, rendering the seat unsecured. This has occurred three times. Availability for Inspection: The defective car seat is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Each malfunction directly jeopardized my child’s safety while driving. Inspection: A certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and CYBEX customer service both confirmed that the car seat was installed correctly. CYBEX Customer Service Interaction: When I contacted CYBEX customer service to report the issue, they initially refused to replace the defective seat unless I provided a video of the malfunction. This request was unreasonable, as capturing the incident is nearly impossible due to its random nature and dangerous to attempt while driving. After further discussion, CYBEX agreed to replace the car seat under the condition that I remove all identifying product information (serial number, manufacturer date, etc.) and submit photos. I complied with their instructions, but I was subsequently informed that the car seat was out of stock in all colors, requiring me to wait for a replacement. When I later noticed that the car seat was back in stock in certain colors, I followed up with CYBEX, only to be told that they had reversed their decision and were now refusing to replace the seat. This decision, after I complied with all of their requests, including removing the product’s identifying information, is unacceptable and unprofessional.
So where do i begin. There are no leaks on my driveway but I have to add coolant every other day & then when I opened my hood it looks like there’s grease everywhere like over the bolts where the bottom & top meet. At time the car stalls it loses power or doesn’t even pick up power. It just drags. Sometimes a strong odor comes from the vents of the a/c & then it at times doesn’t blow cool air just flat air. Also six months after having the vehicle the 2 TPMS went out & when I took it back to dealer where i purchased it they basically told me that I didn’t even have any TPMS that the machine didn’t pick up any & now the display was showing all 4 empty & the TPMS icon constantly on the display. I found that odd & I didn’t know much about TPMS at the time. I was still bothered so I kept asking other people I would come in contact with being new to the state of Texas & they said the only way it would not come up on the machine would be as if they wouldn’t be inside as they were removed but again I drove in with just 2 marking on the display. Not a big deal. I did purchase the gold package of warranty with the vehicle but I have no idea how to use it. I’m not sure if they even did all the past recalls on this vehicle. I read one of them was a window & I too hear that as I drive
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
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On or about 10/10/24 …2018 EQUINOX my SRS light came on my digital control along with the body holding a ball indicating the I had an airbag(s) issue. I immediately called my dealership that wanted me to bring it in (a week later) and cost to put it on the machine would cost $180 for diagnostics. Later the next day, honked my hour..everything back to normal. Next morning, back on. Est costs to fix$1,000 approx. no accidents. No other issues. Diag indicates R/FRT & L.RT AIRBAG SENSOR needs replace. NHTSA #10137388 & 10164117 cases
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
When buckled, the part of the seat belt buckle where the LAP belt slides through the actual buckle part becomes binding and has to be manual pushed through the buckle in order to move your hips when seated. This issue has absolutely nothing to do with the shoulder part of the belt or the belt not retracting. It is solely an issue with the plastic buckle and the belt not sliding through it when seated. This is a safety issue because the lap belt becomes binding while seated. If the driver needs to shift in the seat, he must pull the shoulder belt out to create give in the belt and then use both hands to manually feed the belt through the buckle. This is unsafe when driving for obvious reasons if the driver is unable to use any hands on the steering wheel. If the driver doesn't continuously adjust the belt in this way, it becomes so tight across the hips that it causes discomfort and redness on the skin and abrasions if the vehicle turns wide or breaks quickly. This intense discomfort makes me avoid wearing my seatbelt which causes obvious risk or poses a risk to myself and other drivers if I need to take both hands off the wheel to adjust it while driving. The front passenger seat belt has the same issue. I began to notice this issue about 6 months ago and have taken the vehicle to a dealer/service center 3 times without any recourse other than being offered the opportunity to replace the entire seat belt system for $700 each.
Was heading to run some errands and when I parked my car I try to release my seat belt buckle and it was not releasing. So I had a knife and I tried wiggling it so the buckle would release and it did not so I was frustrated and broke the seatbelt for driver as well as my rear seat belt. My transmission has been acting weird since 2019 and it happen every morning when it starts running my car shakes for a little then it would run fine. And for brakes my brakes would hesitate and shake as is braking.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving, my driver's side power seat will automatically go to the "exit position". Because of my short stature, this causes me to not be able to reach the gas and brake pedals until I move the seat back up. It first occurred when I was in 5 lanes if traffic during rush hour traffic. There was no warning or indication of a problem before it happened. Scary, as momentarily I couldn't brake. I took it to the dealership for repair. They we able to reproduce the issue and diagnosed it as the power seat memory switch in the door panel. They replaced the part but it did not fix the problem.
We were driving at night I had turned on the overhead cabin light and when I turned on the overhead cabin light so my wife could hand food to our are sun and behind us the At the same time that I push the button the sunshade started to go and so I let it go but then it got jammed and it started to crank so I pushed the button in it started to go and reverse and then it like Jim in it aint like you know the motor growing sound and like there's a big shatter we thought that it was the glass from the moon roof shuttering turned out it was just like the plastic piece it was like holding the shade in place and so And so then to get that repaired they had to take the roof off take the rails out to get to the little plastic piece to call that plastic piece an external trim fastener so if it was an internal fastener it would be covered if it was because it was a fascinary if it was because it was a fascinator if it was because it's trim I don't know what trim you have to pull a roof off and pull rails out to it to find but that is why they didn't call it cover it
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
After being in a severe accident w/ another 2018 equinox I purchased a used 2018 equinox w/ 10k miles on it . saved my life 1x - i was happy with the car. In Dec 2019 my front passenger headlight went out. Still under warranty I had the dealer replace the bulb. In late December 2020 my front passenger headlight went out again. I was told it was over $400 to fix. This was "replacing the lightbulb". I decided to purchase my own lightbulb from a reputable source. The problem is not the lightbulb but instead the ballast or the wiring. I have NEVER had to replace a lightbulb in any of my cars before let alone 2 in two years. Chevy told me that I was out of luck because I was 2 weeks after the bulb under warranty was replaced... REALLY? So now I am without a front headlight and not willing to pay to have this repaired since it is obviously a manufacturers defect. Chevy has NOT been helpful and neither has my local dealership. My safety is being put at risk because I can not see 1/2 of the road with 1 headlight. Cars can only see 1/2 of my car oncoming. There have been no warning lights etc.
THE NAVIGATION SCREEN IS WAY TOO BRIGHT AT NIGHT, MAKING DRIVING DIFFICULT AND DISTRACTING. WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED AT NIGHT THE BRIGHTNESS IS NORMAL BUT AFTER USING REVERSE IT BRIGHTENS TO DAYTIME LEVEL AND CANNOT BE CHANGED WITHOUT DIMMING THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CONSIDERABLY. MANY OTHER 2018 EQUINOX OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM ON VARIOUS WEB FORUMS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
2018 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED 3 OF THE 4 HANKOOK TIRES WEAR BADLY WORN. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EQUINOX EQUIPPED WITH MICHELINE TIRES, TIRE LINE: PREMIERE LTX TIRES, TIRE SIZE: 225/65/R17 N/A, DOT NUMBER UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MORAN CHEVROLET CLINTON TWP LOCATED AT (35500 GRATIOT AVE, CLINTON TWP, MI 48035, (866) 774-3206) FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO GO TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE ON BOTH THE VEHICLE AND THE TIRES WERE 15,800.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .