Is the Chevrolet Equinox high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Not especially. The Chevrolet Equinox is about average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark, it costs about $1,746 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $90 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit covers one visit within the first 12 months of ownership. Owners filed 0.353 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Equinoxs sold (2015–2022 sales), #6 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Verdict
About average
about average to maintain
Per year
$1,746
AAA 2025 benchmark
5 years
$8,730
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
0.353 / 1k
Above average for SUVs
Equinox maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
| Period | Miles | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 15,000 | $1,746 | AAA compact SUV (FWD), 11.64¢/mile |
| 5 years | 75,000 | $8,730 | AAA's own 5-year window |
| 10 years (floor) | 150,000 | $17,460+ | AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line |
Method: AAA 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark: 11.64¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Equinox-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
Equinox service schedule highlights
From Chevrolet's documents for the Equinox:
- 2025 manual
- Spark plugs every 60,000 mi
- Rear axle fluid (AWD): every 150,000 mi normal; 75,000 mi severe
- Severe service: automatic transmission fluid every 45,000 mi
- Coolant drain/fill 150,000 mi or 6 years
- Oil: SAE 0W-20 dexos1
Source: 2025 Chevrolet Equinox Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF)
Oil changes
Normal service: Condition-based: GM Engine Oil Life System. Check oil level and oil-life % every 7,500 mi; change oil and filter when the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message appears (within the next 600 mi). Oil and filter must be changed at least once a year even if the monitor has not called for it. If the system is reset by accident, service within 3,000 mi of the last service.
Severe or special conditions: Same oil-life system; under severe use (short trips of 4 mi or less, heavy city traffic in heat, hilly terrain, frequent towing, commercial/taxi/police/delivery use) the indicator may call for a change before 7,500 mi.
Oil: Oil meeting GM dexos1 specification (ACDelco dexos1 full synthetic recommended). SAE 0W-20 for Tahoe, Equinox, Traverse and Silverado 5.3L V8; SAE 5W-30 for Silverado 2.7L Turbo; Silverado 6.2L V8 — viscosity per oil fill cap.
Source: 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF)
Included maintenance
Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit
Term: One visit within the first 12 months of ownership (2024 or newer vehicles); Corvette: one visit within the first 24 months
Covers: Oil and oil filter change, Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection, 4-tire rotation per the maintenance schedule; diesel adds up to 4 gal ACDelco DEF top-off; EVs get tire rotation + inspection
Source: Chevrolet Complete Care — Covered Maintenance & Warranty
Chevrolet factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every 7,500 miles |
| 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 22,500 miles or 24 months |
| 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 5 years |
| 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 7 years |
| 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Spark plugs |
| 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner's Manual (rev. Jun 2025) — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 100,000 miles or 10 years |
| 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Every 150,000 miles or 6 years |
| 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF) |
| Severe service — every 45,000 miles |
| 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF) |
Common Equinox problems (NHTSA data)
Owners filed 0.353 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Equinoxs sold (2015–2022 sales), #6 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
- 6,904 owner complaints on file with NHTSA across all Equinox model years.
- Most-reported systems: electrical system (4,943), engine & engine cooling (2,954).
- Model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2020.
- Best-rated years: 2008, 2009.
Complaints measure problems owners reported to the government, not repair bills: a high count signals more unscheduled repairs, which AAA's category benchmark doesn't adjust for. Equinox years to avoid →
How the Equinox compares in its AAA category (compact SUV (FWD))
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Equinox | $1,746 | 0.353 Above average | About average |
| Mazda CX-5 | $1,746 | 0.246 Best | About average |
| Nissan Rogue | $1,746 | 0.341 Best | About average |
| Honda CR-V | $1,746 | 0.497 Above average | Somewhat — above average |
| Kia Sportage | $1,746 | 0.508 Above average | Somewhat — above average |
| Subaru Forester | $1,746 | 0.525 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Hyundai Tucson | $1,746 | 0.966 Below average | Yes — higher than most |
| Subaru Outback | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford Escape | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Jeep Compass | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | $1,746 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Porsche Macan | $1,824 | — | Yes — higher than most |
| Acura RDX | Not priced | 0.541 Average | Not priced |
| BMW X3 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Audi Q5 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Volvo XC60 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Corsair | Not priced | — | Not priced |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Equinox high maintenance?
Not especially. The Chevrolet Equinox is about average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark, it costs about $1,746 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $90 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit covers one visit within the first 12 months of ownership. Owners filed 0.353 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Equinoxs sold (2015–2022 sales), #6 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Is the Equinox expensive to maintain?
Plan on about $1,746 a year, $8,730 over 5 years. AAA 2025 compact SUV (FWD) benchmark: 11.64¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Equinox-specific quote.
How much does a Equinox cost to maintain over 10 years?
About $17,460 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.
How often does the Equinox need an oil change?
Chevrolet's published oil-change interval: condition-based: GM Engine Oil Life System. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Chevrolet to maintain?
Of the 4 Chevrolet models we cover, the Silverado 1500 has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,704 a year (AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark).
What Equinox years should I avoid?
Our NHTSA years-to-avoid analysis flags 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2020. Owners filed 0.353 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Equinoxs sold (2015–2022 sales), #6 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Chevrolet's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
- 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner's Manual — Service and Maintenance (GM-hosted PDF) — Chevrolet (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2025 Chevrolet Equinox Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) — Chevrolet (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2025 Chevrolet Traverse Owner's Manual — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) — Chevrolet (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner's Manual (rev. Jun 2025) — Maintenance Schedule (GM-hosted PDF) — Chevrolet (opened 2026-11-06)
- Chevrolet Complete Care — Covered Maintenance & Warranty — Chevrolet (opened 2026-11-06)