EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
2026 Chevrolet Equinox
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 58 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox, most frequently naming the driver assistance, brakes and powertrain (other) categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 157 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 2025 | 2 | 3 |
| Sep 2025 | 3 | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | 3 | 9 |
| Jan 2026 | 8 | 17 |
| Feb 2026 | 6 | 23 |
| Mar 2026 | 6 | 29 |
| Apr 2026 | 5 | 34 |
| May 2026 | 8 | 42 |
| Jun 2026 | 9 | 51 |
| Jul 2026 | 7 | 58 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Driver assistance2123.6%
- Brakes1516.9%
- Powertrain (other)1314.6%
- Electrical910.1%
- Visibility77.9%
- Engine77.9%
- Fuel system55.6%
- Seat belts33.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving with the cruise control activated, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated from 50 MPH to 80 MPH. No warning light was illuminated. During the failure, three minor occupants were seated inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,500.
- NHTSA ID
- 11753238
- Incident
- Jul 27, 2026
- Mileage
- 10,500 mi
This has happened 5 times since purchasing this 2026 Chevy Equinox RS. While driving, all of a sudden, without any notice, the dashboard lights up with warnings about "BRAKES"...Not exactly sure what is said because it doesn't stay on the screen very long. Next it says, STEERING ASSIST IS REDUCED..DRIVE WITH CARE....and a small area under, "Mileage till empty" says....BRAKE...in red, while still being in DRIVE. When pressing on the brakes to slow down to pull over, there ARE NO BRAKES.!!! The brake pedal goes to the floor and Equinox very slowly comes to a stop, so I can pull off the road and stop. Now if I turn off the engine, turn it back on, it seems to reset itself and I start driving again, not knowing when I might die because of the brakes going out again when someone pulls out in front of me. HOW CAN A VEHICLE THAT SPORADICALLY LOSES THE BRAKES, BE ALLOWED TO BE SOLD ON THE MARKET ??? This vehicle now has 13,147 miles on it and had very few when it first happened. We are now at 5 times, not knowing if the 6th time there will be death for my family to deal with. My dealer said they would let us know as soon as they learn about this issue, as they know nothing the 1st time..Several cases have been reported and our dealer failed to notify us about anything...Do I drive the Equinox until someone is killed or do I demand my dealership to furnish me a SAFE Equinox to drive until they fix mine. ? It's obvious that I will eventually be injured or killed in this Chevy Equinox caused by General Motors' incompetence..I am going to demand my dealer to furnish me with an equivalent vehicle.
- NHTSA ID
- 11751307
- Incident
- Jul 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard, and the vehicle gradually came to a stop. The service brake and service power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with ECM failure. The contact was informed that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with brake control module failure. The contact was informed that the brake control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired again; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with brake master cylinder failure. The contact was informed that the brake master cylinder needed to be repaired. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 700.
- NHTSA ID
- 11750550
- Incident
- May 13, 2026
- Mileage
- 700 mi
Possible O2 sensor. Engine misfired, bucking under acceleration, engine light flashing and auto hold system shutdown. Upon pulling out into traffic, I hit the gas and this happened, which was a risk to me and other drivers as I could not accelerate properly. I am taking my car to Reedman Toll on July 13. I can reproduce the problem every time I heavy accelerate.
- NHTSA ID
- 11749865
- Incident
- Jul 3, 2026
My name is [XXX], I live at [XXX]. I own a 2021 Honda Passport, VIN ending in [XXX]. Two serious safety issues: 1. The multifunction camera behind the windshield has failed with codes [XXX] and U0416-F8. This is the same known defect that is the subject of a class action lawsuit. The dealer quoted me $1700 to fix it. I have only had the car for two years and I should not have to pay this much for a major safety failure. 2. The front passenger power seat moves backwards on its own and does not stop. On one occasion it trapped my young nonverbal autistic son in the car seat. I had to physically intervene to stop it from crushing him. I reported this issue to Honda USA customer service, and they told me to take it to the dealer. Both of these are serious safety defects. The seat issue especially is extremely dangerous for a child who cannot speak or scream for help. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate these defects immediately. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11749643
- Incident
- May 20, 2026
No warning messages or check engine lights. However, I am concerned for my safety as my 2026 equinox I bought last year in may of 2025 from motion chevy in hackettstown NJ with 21k miles (as of now, bought it brand new last year) has a windshield distortion that when looking to the passenger side of the windshield, it’s very wavy and distorted and I already had a Chevy dealership named Mcguire’s Chevy in newton dismiss it saying others on the lot had the same issue (which they did as I saw but still unacceptable!!) I also noticed many other owners of my vehicle have the same complaint via online forums and even after several replacements from GM the issue persists which is unacceptable. The next issue are the rotors. They most likely are warped as when I step on the brakes the steering wheel vibrates slightly and the car shakes slightly which is not safe. Again, McGuire Chevy in newton dismissed it saying normal. And lastly, the front end of the car shakes when starting vehicle with or without the air conditioner on. It shakes for 10-30 seconds and you can feel it strongly in the brake pedal area as well as rest of the front end of vehicle before going away which seems unsafe, yet the first dealer Mcguire’s said it’s normal. I am having these issues looked at by a local GMC dealer and hope they rectify the issue or else GM may need to do a buyback if they can’t fix the issues and keep saying it’s “normal”. They opened a case with GM for the shaking so far not the other issues yet so we will see. Honorable mention is the blend door actuator making a noise (another known issue) on this car via online forums making a noise every time you go from hot to cold and vice versa. Mine is affected to just not severely but enough to where it’s very irritating and it’s had this issue since new and the McGuire dealer said it’s normal….. at this point GM needs to issue recalls instead of dismissing customers.
- NHTSA ID
- 11748677
- Incident
- May 20, 2025
The interior trim has many problems affecting safety. 1. Plastic chrome trim reflects blinding sun in my eyes. 2. Dash finish reflects severely onto the windshield, cannot see clearly. These are extreme safety issues. I believe GM should provide fix kits in a recall before someone is killed. And required design standards for this. Note: the camera lessens the glare in the attached pictures
- NHTSA ID
- 11748606
- Incident
- Jul 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the front of the vehicle. During the crash, the parking braking activated, and smoke and flames were coming from both the rear wheels. The contact used a bottle of water to extinguish the flames. During the failure, the maintenance icon was displayed. There was no injury sustained. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was advised to notify the insurance company of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,100.
- NHTSA ID
- 11746399
- Incident
- Jun 12, 2026
- Mileage
- 1,100 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
• Smoother vehicle startups in cold temperatures
This PI advise dealers If U3000 is present, follow the correct service doc by Symptom Byte before contacting PQC; if not present, verify the camera is clean, then contact PQC if no issue is found.
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
• Improvements to the performance of driver assistance features • Fixes to help ensure accurate driver display messages and alerts
This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.
This preliminary information is to inform technicians that GM is placing the B174W Front View Camera Module (ACP2) on part restriction due to elevated replacement rates and ongoing engineering investigation. Technicians must not replace the front camera module unless they have: 1.Completed the diagnostic procedure in this PI, and 2.Contacted TAC and received authorization, including the SI document number and specific step that directs camera replacement.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2026Viewing | 58 | 1 | 0 | 49.0 |
| 2025 | 212 | 0 | 0 | 43.6 |
| 2024 | 71 | 1 | 0 | 51.1 |
| 2023 | 91 | 3 | 0 | 55.9 |
| 2022 | 160 | 5 | 0 | 62.9 |
| 2021 | 88 | 4 | 0 | 58.7 |
| 2020 | 299 | 4 | 0 | 60.9 |
| 2019 | 295 | 4 | 0 | 59.1 |
| 2018 | 396 | 5 | 0 | 58.7 |
| 2017 | 271 | 0 | 0 | 47.8 |
| 2016 | 392 | 1 | 2 | 52.1 |
| 2015 | 679 | 2 | 2 | 55.4 |
| 2014 | 545 | 1 | 2 | 49.3 |
| 2013 | 749 | 2 | 0 | 47.6 |
| 2012 | 682 | 3 | 3 | 56.2 |
| 2011 | 781 | 3 | 3 | 57.1 |
| 2010 | 784 | 3 | 3 | 54.6 |
| 2009 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 36.9 |
| 2008 | 370 | 0 | 0 | 33.5 |
| 2007 | 685 | 4 | 0 | 46.3 |
| 2006 | 695 | 0 | 0 | 34.3 |
| 2005 | 638 | 1 | 0 | 43.2 |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.