Chevrolet Equinox Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Yes, in certain years. 2,770 of the 6,904 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Chevrolet Equinox (40.1%) name the engine, 2.1× the median share across the 152 models we track. Across the 2015–2022 cohorts with published sales, the Chevrolet Equinox rate is 0.44 per 1,000 sold, close to the 0.44 median. The worst years are 2013, 2011 and 2012.
Engine complaints
2,770
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.44
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
40.1%
of 6,904 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
0
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Chevrolet Equinox engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 35 | — | 9.5% | 1 | — | 190 |
| 2009 | 18 | — | 19.1% | 3 | — | 200 |
| 2010 | 300 | — | 38.3% | 8 | — | 400 |
| 2011WORST | 417 | — | 53.5% | 7 | — | 409 |
| 2012WORST | 359 | — | 52.6% | 6 | — | 404 |
| 2013WORST | 419 | — | 56.1% | 7 | — | 396 |
| 2014 | 226 | — | 41.6% | 2 | — | 347 |
| 2015 | 231 | 0.83 | 34.1% | 7 | — | 325 |
| 2016 | 207 | 0.85 | 52.9% | 7 | — | 287 |
| 2017 | 190 | 0.65 | 70.4% | 5 | — | 250 |
| 2018 | 90 | 0.27 | 23.2% | 2 | — | 395 |
| 2019 | 99 | 0.29 | 34.1% | 5 | — | 287 |
| 2020 | 90 | 0.33 | 30.9% | 6 | — | 219 |
| 2021 | 16 | 0.1 | 18.4% | 0 | — | 180 |
| 2022 | 25 | 0.12 | 16.3% | 2 | — | 151 |
| 2023 | 11 | — | 12.9% | 0 | — | 110 |
| 2024 | 14 | — | 21.5% | 0 | — | 88 |
| 2025 | 23 | — | 11.2% | 0 | — | 39 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common Chevrolet Equinox engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 2,770 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Chevrolet Equinox years to avoid for the engine
2013 Chevrolet Equinox
419 engine complaints (56.1% of the year's 747). Most often described: oil consumption or oil leaks.
2011 Chevrolet Equinox
417 engine complaints (53.5% of the year's 780). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.
2012 Chevrolet Equinox
359 engine complaints (52.6% of the year's 682). Most often described: oil consumption or oil leaks.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Chevrolet Equinox years to avoid.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 419 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox, 56.1% of all 747 complaints for that year. The most common description is "oil consumption or oil leaks" (172 complaints). 7 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 417 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, 53.5% of all 780 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (138 complaints). 7 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 359 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, 52.6% of all 682 complaints for that year. The most common description is "oil consumption or oil leaks" (152 complaints). 6 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Chevrolet Equinox years have the most engine complaints?
2013 (419), 2011 (417) and 2012 (359), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Chevrolet Equinox engine problems?
In the 2,770 engine complaints, owners most often describe oil consumption or oil leaks (31.6%), misfire or check-engine light (26.6%) and stalling or shutting off while driving (25.2%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Chevrolet Equinox model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration