What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.
← All Chevrolet Equinox generations
NHTSA complaints per catalog listing run from 0.81 for 2017 (276 complaints across 340 listings) to 9.12 for 2010 (784 across 86), against a generation median of 2.50. The highest year, 2010, is 3.6 times that median. Flagged by our rule: 2010, 2011.
| Miles | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under about 2,000 miles per quart is the trigger in GM's 2012 and 2013 coverage letters | 2.4L excessive oil consumption (piston rings) | $2,000-$7,000 (Au7o); a used engine runs $4,500-$7,500 (Daily Car Tips) | GM issued Special Coverage Adjustments for 2.4L Equinoxes that use oil faster than about one quart per 2,000 miles because of piston ring wear: 16118 for 2012 and N192291100 for 2013 (NHTSA-hosted letters). For 2012, dealers replace pistons and piston rings (OEMDTC). Those programs were time-limited, so confirm by VIN with a dealer whether any coverage is left. Ask for oil change records, check the oil level cold, and ask how often the owner tops it up. |
| around 80,000-100,000 (CoverageX) | 2.4L timing chain, guides and tensioner wear | $1,190-$1,555 (RepairPal); $1,200-$2,200 chain kit, $1,800-$3,000 with water pump (Daily Car Tips); $2,000-$3,000+ (CoverageX); about $1,200 plus $300 water pump (one owner quote) | Daily Car Tips describes the chain: worn piston rings burn oil, the tensioner loses pressure, and the chain stretches. The kit alone is $1,200-$2,200; with the water pump $1,800-$3,000; a used engine is $4,500-$7,500 and a reman $6,500-$11,000. Listen for a rattle at cold start, and look at the check-engine light history. |
| No consistent mileage found in sources | A/C compressor failure | $1,048-$1,234 (RepairPal); $1,000-$2,200 (Au7o) | CoPilot and Victorville Chevrolet name the A/C compressor, mainly on 2010 to 2013 cars. Au7o says a failed compressor can send metal debris through the system, which is why some quotes run higher. Run the A/C on max for ten minutes and listen for noise. |
| Special Coverage 14232 ran 10 years or 150,000 miles (Go-Parts) | Power steering sticky or lost assist (2010-2012) | $100-$1,500 (Au7o) | Go-Parts says there was no formal recall; GM extended the warranty to cover replacing the steering gear. Most of that window has now run out by age, so check by VIN. |
| any | Recalls on file (9 campaigns in our records): 09V489000 (2010), 10V623000 (2011), 11V511000 (2012), 14V447000 (2010-2012), 15V666000 (2015), 16V449000 (2016), 16V502000 (2010-2013), 16V582000 (2013), 22V165000 (2014-2015) | Free at a Chevrolet dealer when open | Confirm each by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. These years carry several recalls, including a windshield wiper module recall on 2013 to 2015 cars. |
A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car. We also re-ran the ad test with the 'rust' flaw left out, because the ad reader counts phrases like 'no rust' as mentions, and publish a flag only if it passes both ways.
Complaints add up over a car's whole life, so older years in a generation can look worse here than they are. Read this flag next to the complaint details below.
| Year | Complaints | Top components | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 784 | Engine, Visibility/wiper, Power Train | |
| 2011 | 782 | Engine, Visibility/wiper, Power Train | |
| 2012 | 685 | Engine, Visibility/wiper, Unknown Or Other | |
| 2013 | 751 | Engine, Visibility/wiper, Unknown Or Other | |
| 2014 | 549 | Visibility/wiper, Engine, Unknown Or Other | |
| 2015 | 680 | Visibility/wiper, Engine, Unknown Or Other | |
| 2016 | 399 | Engine, Visibility/wiper, Unknown Or Other | |
| 2017 | 276 | Engine, Unknown Or Other, Unknown Or Other,engine |
source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.
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We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule, and it flags 2010 (784 complaints across 86 listings, 9.12 per listing) and 2011 (782 complaints across 145 listings, 5.39 per listing) against a 2010-2017 median of 2.50. Third-party lists also name 2012 and 2015 (CoverageX) and 2005 to 2008 (Victorville Chevrolet). 2012 has 3.10 per listing and 2015 has 1.91 in our data, under our cutoff.
The 2.4L can. GM issued Special Coverage Adjustments for 2.4L Equinoxes using oil faster than about one quart per 2,000 miles from piston ring wear: 16118 for 2012 and N192291100 for 2013. Dealers replace pistons and rings for the 2012 condition (OEMDTC). Those programs were time-limited, so confirm by VIN. Au7o puts the repair at $2,000 to $7,000.
RepairPal estimates $1,190 to $1,555 for the timing chain and gear set. Daily Car Tips puts the chain kit at $1,200 to $2,200, or $1,800 to $3,000 with the water pump, and CoverageX says $2,000 to $3,000 or more. An owner quote in 2020 was about $1,200 plus $300 for the water pump. Failure is reported around 80,000 to 100,000 miles on the 2.4L (CoverageX).
The 2.4L Ecotec ran 2010 to 2017 (Daily Car Tips). The 2018 redesign replaced it and the 3.6L V6 with 1.5L and 2.0L turbo fours (Automotive Fleet). First-generation cars (2005-2009) used a 3.4L V6 early on (CarBuzz).
Some owners report a shudder under light acceleration at 25 to 45 mph (Apex Tech Nation). CoverageX says software updates and fluid service usually fix it. RepairPal puts a fluid change at $207 to $255. NHTSA records show a GM transmission recall (20V668000) covering 2018-2020 cars; check it by VIN.
We don't rank generations. Our own numbers: the 2010-2017 generation has a median of 2.50 NHTSA complaints per catalog listing and the 2018-2024 generation has 1.08. Those rates are not directly comparable across generations, because newer cars have had less time and different ways of being reported.