2018 Chevrolet Equinox Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 11, 2026 · Filed: October 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 30 MPH with the contact seated in the front passenger seat, the contact attempted to open the retractable sunroof shade cover, which retracted only 6 inches. After several attempts, an abnormal loud sound was heard, and the shade cover detached, hanging down and obstructing rear-view visibility. The manufacturer General Motors was notified of the failure via telephone and referred the contact to a dealer and to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 30,115.

Incident: October 4, 2026 · Filed: October 7, 2026

start-stop accumulator is leaking fluid on transmission. Fluid coming from bolts and gasket area.

Incident: September 19, 2026 · Filed: September 23, 2026

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 the highway, the car would not engage gears and stopped accelerating resulting in having to push it out of the roadway and get it towed to my mechanic for diagnostic.

Incident: September 8, 2026 · Filed: September 16, 2026

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 needs to be replaced. Vehicle has 49,000 miles. Previous complaint states that the local dealer was contacted; however, Product Emission Recall: N202298780; repair was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.

Incident: September 10, 2026 · Filed: September 15, 2026

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 the engine would crank/stutter several times before starting, along with a strong gasoline odor. The exact failed component has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or repair facility. I stopped driving the vehicle because leaking gasoline near the engine/electrical components creates a serious fire and safety risk. The vehicle is available for inspection. Chevrolet advised me that there are currently no open recalls or programs associated with my VIN. I am reporting this condition to NHTSA because of the severity of the fuel leak and potential fire hazard.

Incident: September 1, 2026 · Filed: September 15, 2026

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

Incident: September 4, 2026 · Filed: September 13, 2026

On approximately 09/04/2026, while driving my vehicle and slowing to a stop, I applied the brake pedal and it suddenly became extremely hard to depress. At approximately the same time, the steering became very stiff and difficult to turn. I believed I had lost normal braking ability and had difficulty controlling the vehicle while attempting to stop. The engine then shut off on its own. After the vehicle stopped, attempts to restart it were unsuccessful. The engine would crank/attempt to start but would not complete the ignition cycle and remain running. A ticking noise was also present. The vehicle remains available for inspection and is being towed to a local GM dealership for diagnosis. The specific component responsible for the failure is currently UNKNOWN. The vehicle previously generated diagnostic code P050F in January 2026. Following the 09/04/2026 failure, diagnostic code P0017 was identified. I did not receive P0017 prior to this incident. I did not observe an overheating warning or temperature-gauge indication showing that the engine was overheating before the vehicle shut down. The incident created a safety risk because the brake pedal became extremely hard to depress and the steering became difficult to operate while the vehicle was in motion, significantly affecting my ability to slow and control the vehicle. There was no collision or injury. As of the date of this complaint, the cause has not yet been confirmed by a dealer, independent service center, manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. The vehicle is being taken to a GM dealership for diagnostic inspection. I can provide the vehicle and subsequent diagnostic/repair documentation for inspection upon request.

Incident: March 1, 2026 · Filed: September 2, 2026

Back wiper stopped working while it was on. Wiper arm is stuck straight up on back window. Back wiper motor got extremely hot still trying to work with the car ON or OFF. Would make a clicking sound every 30secounds 24/7 and would drain the battery dead. No power.

Incident: June 23, 2026 · Filed: September 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service restraint error message was displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a front passenger's seat air bag sensor failure. The contact was informed that the front passenger's seat air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact reported the failure using the report by phone using the manufacturer's automated system. The failure mileage was approximately 56,744.

Incident: August 27, 2026 · Filed: August 30, 2026

I am an investigator w/ the Medical Examiner's office in Dallas, TX. We are investigating the death of an individual who was inside a 2018 Chevy Equinox that was "rebuilt." During the minor accident, the steering wheel airbag deployed, but exploded and shot many large pieces of debris and shrapnel at the decedent's face. Ultimately leading to her passing. After the examination, a large piece of metal w/ a serial number was located. [XXX]. We are working alongside Dallas PD VHU for this crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)