MODELYEARINDEX

Which Chevrolet Equinox years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2011 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Chevrolet Equinox Full report
D
Grade 2010–2021
2011 vs model median 1.6×
Model median3× median
Engine 97
Drivetrain 40
Airbags & Restraints 28
Avoid

2011

Best

2017 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
1.12× 290 C
2011
1.64× 334 D
2012
0.81× 173 B
2013
1.18× 296 C
2014
0.78× 169 B
2015
1.14× 259 C
2016
0.70× 158 B
2017
0.41× 89 A
2018
1.08× 288 C
2019
0.92× 224 C
2020
1.16× 269 C
2021
0.39× 89 B
2022 P
1.17× 216 C
2023 P
0.57× 130 B
2024 P
0.56× 120 B
2025 P
1.20× 338 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2011 D 334 reports · median 33,475 mi

  1. Engine 97

    My engine light came on and then the car lost power. It did start back up again, but the engine light remained on until I got home. I was not on a busy street when this happened. This happened on a friday. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 40

    The contact owns a 2011 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated that when shifting from first and third gear, the engine would rev and the vehicle would stall. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Airbags & Restraints 28

    I was recently in a pretty bad front end vehicle accident going about 45 MPH when I rear ended someone. My car has been totaled do to the damage to the front end of the vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

26 crash · 34 injuries

2018 C 288 reports · median 16,000 mi

  1. Brakes 48

    I have my 2018 AWD equinox 3 weeks and 800 miles. Service brake assist displays on the info-center. Brakes are constantly grinding and inconsistent. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 34

    The power locks in my vehicle stopped working. They no longer responded to the key fob, interior lock buttons, or exterior handle buttons and would not engage or disengage when shifting between park and drive. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 34

    My 2018 chevy equinox with the 1.5l turbo engine fails to shift into 6th gear when the ambient temperature is below 14 degrees fahrenheit. I have brought the car back to the dealer several times for this problem. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

17 crash · 4 fire · 23 injuries

The best year for the Equinox

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2017 is the best-scoring Equinox model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2021 at 0.39× this model’s median, against 0.41× for 2017.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2017 0.41× 89 A
2021 0.39× 89 B
2016 0.70× 158 B

Recalls

25 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
22V165000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR 2014, 2015 681,509
23V339000 CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE LATCH ANCHOR 2020–2023 668,187
14V447000 SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST 2010–2012 414,333
16V582000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR 2013 367,808
18V576000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER 2018, 2019 210,628
20V668000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2018–2020 194,105
10V623000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY 2011 97,843
09V489000 VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM 2010 59,031
11V511000 TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS 2012 33,964
23V013000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:CONTROL/DRIVE MODULE 2021, 2022 23,323
21V612000 TIRES 2021, 2022 9,597
16V502000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION 2010–2013 8,367

+ 13 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2011 were reported at a median of 33,475 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Chevrolet Equinox years should you avoid?
2011 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Chevrolet Equinox model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Chevrolet Equinox?
2017 is the best-scoring Chevrolet Equinox model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Equinox have?
25 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Chevrolet Equinox model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2011 Equinox
Complaints in window
334
Severity-weighted
596.5
Model median (weighted)
363
vs model median
1.64×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
0
Score 51.5 D