2013 Chevrolet EQUINOX

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2013 Chevrolet EQUINOX has 981 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 12.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (43% of all complaints), specifically: when i take off and begin to accelerate, car hesitates. getting worse. as i was approaching the top of an overpass, had to speed up because it seemed to hesitated. took it in once, service manager and assistant both said they drove it and nothing happened. i left there and it happened and contin. ⚠️ 7 fire reports filed.

7 fire reports 16 crash reports 18 injuries

981

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

12.3x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

421 complaints

43%

• WHEN I TAKE OFF AND BEGIN TO ACCELERATE, CAR HESITATES. GETTING WORSE. AS I WAS APPROACHING THE TOP OF AN OVERPASS, HAD TO SPEED UP BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO HESITATED. TOOK IT IN ONCE, SERVICE MANAGER AND ASSISTANT BOTH SAID THEY DROVE IT AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I LEFT THERE AND IT HAPPENED AND CONTIN
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH IN REVERSE, A LOAD ROARING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE D
• THE LIGHTS IN THE INTERIOR OF MY CAR GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING 70MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR JUST DIED ON ME, I HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE PUSH ME OFF THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I WAITED ABOUT 10 MINS AND IT STARTED UP AGAIN. THE COLLISION SE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 4 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“WHEN I TAKE OFF AND BEGIN TO ACCELERATE, CAR HESITATES. GETTING WORSE. AS I WAS APPROACHING THE TOP OF AN OVERPASS, HAD TO SPEED UP BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO HESITATED. TOOK IT IN ONCE, SERVICE MANAGER AND ASSISTANT BOTH SAID THEY DROVE IT AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I LEFT THERE AND IT HAPPENED AND CONTIN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

VISIBILITY

164 complaints

17%

• THE EXTREME SLOPE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND EXTENSIVE DASHBOARD SURFACE TOP, COMBINED WITH MY SLOPED DRIVEWAY PRODUCES A SEVERE GLARE THAT REDUCES VISIBILITY TO THE POINT WHERE I AM FORCED TO INCH INTO MY GARAGE. THE GREY DASHBOARD BECOMES THE DOMINATE VISIBLE ELEMENT, REFLECTED ONTO THE WINDSHIELD IN
• WHEN THE RADIO IS ON, EVEN AT MEDIUM VOLUME, THE REARVIEW MIRROR SHAKES AND IMAGES IN THE REARVIEW BECOME VERY BLURRED. *TR
• ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM HAS ENGAGED FOR NO EXPLICABLE REASON. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE BRAKES ARE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED, NOT JAMMED ON, BUT IT DOES SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN AND THE RED LIGHT STARTS FLASHING AND THE WARNING SENSOR GOES OFF, ETC IT CAN BE RATHER UNNERVING.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE EXTREME SLOPE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND EXTENSIVE DASHBOARD SURFACE TOP, COMBINED WITH MY SLOPED DRIVEWAY PRODUCES A SEVERE GLARE THAT REDUCES VISIBILITY TO THE POINT WHERE I AM FORCED TO INCH INTO MY GARAGE. THE GREY DASHBOARD BECOMES THE DOMINATE VISIBLE ELEMENT, REFLECTED ONTO THE WINDSHIELD IN ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

79 complaints

• CPSC#I1360158A. 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR HER CAR REVERSED WHILE IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED SHE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKE, ONCE THE VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE. THE CONSUMER STATED IT FELT AS THOUGH,THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL ON
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED BUT THERE WAS NO PROGRAMMING INFORMATION AVAILABLE
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED BUT THERE WAS NO PROGRAMMING INFORMATION AVAILABLE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“CPSC#I1360158A. 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR HER CAR REVERSED WHILE IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED SHE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKE, ONCE THE VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE. THE CONSUMER STATED IT FELT AS THOUGH,THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL ON”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

69 complaints

• WHILE SITTING STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT YESTERDAY, MY BRAND NEW EQUINOX JUST TURNED OFF. A CO-WORKER WITH THE SAME CAR (DIFFERENT MODEL YEAR) MENTIONED THIS HAPPENED TO HER TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO IT HAPPENING TO ME. WHEN I WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE, I WAS ALARMED AFTER LOCATING MULTIPLE FORUM
• AFTER DRIVING THE 2013 EQUINOX OFF THE DEALER LOT WITH 5 MILES ON THE SPEEDOMETER, THE RADIO SCREEN BEGAN TO SCRAMBLE. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE BACKUP SCREEN DID NOT WORK, AND GOES BLANK, THE RADIO SCREEN BEGINS TO FLICKER, SCRAMBLES, AND BLANKS OUT. CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THAT FRIDAY THE DEALER CH
• AS I WAS DRIVING THE DASH LIGHTS AND THE TOUCH SCREEN RADIO LIGHTS GO OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER EQUINOX OWNERS AND THE HAVE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER CAN NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT ALL THE LIGHTING SYSTEMS TO INCLUDE HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT DURI

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“WHILE SITTING STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT YESTERDAY, MY BRAND NEW EQUINOX JUST TURNED OFF. A CO-WORKER WITH THE SAME CAR (DIFFERENT MODEL YEAR) MENTIONED THIS HAPPENED TO HER TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO IT HAPPENING TO ME. WHEN I WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE, I WAS ALARMED AFTER LOCATING MULTIPLE FORUM”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

64 complaints

• 2013 EQUINOX LT WAS STRUCK ON PASSENGER SIDE BY A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA WHILE DOING UNDER 10 MPH. THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 35 MPH FOR THE SONATA. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT CAUSED THE EQUINOX TO ROLL OVER ONTO ITS SIDE AND ONLY THE SIDE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. EQUINOX RECEIVED DAMAGE TO ALL AREAS OF THE VEHICLE EX
• THE VEHICLE OPERATOR INSERTED THE SWITCHBLADE STYLE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. OPERATOR WENT TO TURN THE IGNITION OVER TO START THE ENGINE. THE KEY FOB'S METAL CASING FOR THE KEY BROKE. THIS RESULTED IN 3 PIECES, THE REMOTE KEY FOB BODY, THE KEY & THE METAL COVER OF THE KEY. THE HINGE OR THE SWTICHB
• HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE VEHICLE IN AND OUT OF PARK. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“2013 EQUINOX LT WAS STRUCK ON PASSENGER SIDE BY A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA WHILE DOING UNDER 10 MPH. THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 35 MPH FOR THE SONATA. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT CAUSED THE EQUINOX TO ROLL OVER ONTO ITS SIDE AND ONLY THE SIDE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. EQUINOX RECEIVED DAMAGE TO ALL AREAS OF THE VEHICLE EX”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 981 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: WHEN I TAKE OFF AND BEGIN TO ACCELERATE, CAR HESITATES. GETTING WORSE. AS I WAS APPROACHING THE TOP OF AN OVERPASS, HAD TO SPEED UP BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO HESITATED. TOOK IT IN ONCE, SERVICE MANAGER AND ASSISTANT BOTH SAID THEY DROVE IT AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I LEFT THERE AND IT HAPPENED AND CONTIN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
VISIBILITY: THE EXTREME SLOPE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND EXTENSIVE DASHBOARD SURFACE TOP, COMBINED WITH MY SLOPED DRIVEWAY PRODUCES A SEVERE GLARE THAT REDUCES VISIBILITY TO THE POINT WHERE I AM FORCED TO INCH INTO MY GARAGE. THE GREY DASHBOARD BECOMES THE DOMINATE VISIBLE ELEMENT, REFLECTED ONTO THE WINDSHIELD IN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: CPSC#I1360158A. 2013 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR HER CAR REVERSED WHILE IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED SHE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKE, ONCE THE VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE. THE CONSUMER STATED IT FELT AS THOUGH,THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL ON
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: WHILE SITTING STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT YESTERDAY, MY BRAND NEW EQUINOX JUST TURNED OFF. A CO-WORKER WITH THE SAME CAR (DIFFERENT MODEL YEAR) MENTIONED THIS HAPPENED TO HER TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO IT HAPPENING TO ME. WHEN I WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE, I WAS ALARMED AFTER LOCATING MULTIPLE FORUM
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)