Owners filed 120 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox in its first five years on the road, about 48 for every 100,000 sold: 0.8× the rate of a typical Equinox year. That's close to a typical year.
The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the engine (31% of complaints, median 69,000 miles).
Complaint index
0.8×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Equinox year
Rank
5th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
120
first five years; 48 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
1
campaign
2nd generation, 2010–2017 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
Photo: 2011 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ · IFCAR, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Problem areas
Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
Engine31% · 37 complaints · median 69,000 miles
Visibility33% · 40 complaints · median 62,000 miles
Air bags7% · 8 complaints · median 37,000 miles
Brakes8% · 10 complaints · median 30,000 miles
Powertrain9% · 11 complaints · median 61,000 miles
Electrical12% · 14 complaints · median 30,000 miles
Body and structure3% · 4 complaints
Speed control6% · 7 complaints · median 34,000 miles
Suspension2% · 2 complaints
Steering3% · 4 complaints
Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.
What owners describe
Air bags
Owners describe crashes in which the air bags did not deploy, along with recurring passenger air bag warning lights tied to seat sensor failures. Some report dealers identifying failed sensors but not completing repairs.
Warning signs:
Owners report passenger air bag warning lights,
What shops did:
Dealers diagnosed failed air bag or weight sensors; some vehicles were left unrepaired or repairs were not completed.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 60,000 miles, among 9 complaints that give it
“No airbag deployment although head on collision into 2 parked cars”
Engine
Owners of this Equinox commonly report the engine burning through oil quickly and sometimes stalling or losing power with little or no warning. Repairs frequently involve PCV valve, rear main seal, or full engine replacement, and several say costs were not covered once the vehicle was out of warranty.
Warning signs:
Many report the check engine light illuminating, knocking or grinding noises, rough idling, or sudden stalling and loss of power, frequently with no warning light at all.
What shops did:
Dealers and mechanics often replaced the PCV valve, rear main seal, timing chain, or the entire engine, though some owners say the vehicle was not repaired or covered under warranty.
Mileage:
most between 65,000 and 115,000 miles, among 78 complaints that give it
“The engine started making a grinding noise, and then eventually stalled. No warning lights indicating a problem ever came on.”
“The car consumes massive amounts of oil, like the previous model years. No warning is given that the vehicle runs out of oil”
Visibility
Owners describe windshield wipers abruptly quitting, usually during rain or snow, leaving them with little to no visibility and needing to pull over until conditions cleared. Many mention this happened suddenly without warning and point to a broken wiper transmission or ball joint, sometimes referencing a recall on other model years that did not cover their 2016.
Warning signs:
Most owners report no warning at all; wipers simply stop moving mid-sweep, sometimes with a popping sound or a wiper blade flinging off the windshield while the motor still runs or makes noise.
What shops did:
Dealers and independent shops commonly replaced the wiper motor, transmission, or linkage assembly, sometimes citing extended warranty or special coverage, though a few owners report the same failure recurring afterward.
Mileage:
most between 50,000 and 90,000 miles, among 51 complaints that give it
“The contact stated after attempting to activate the windshield wipers, the wipers failed to operate as needed”
“the short wiper linkage arm was disconnected. This was due to the plastic bushing popped off the ball stud”
Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles manufactured October 16, 2015. The certification labels may have incorrect tire/rim size and cold tire pressure information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: If the information on the certification labels is incorrect, the operator may install incorrectly sized tires or rims or may improperly inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the certification label, free of charge.
A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.
Service bulletins
Chevrolet sent NHTSA 1,243 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2016 Equinox. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:
00-06-01-026R · June 2025This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.
23-NA-153 · May 2025The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal…
15-NA-010 · May 2025This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with less than 1,000 miles that may not pass California smog inspection or smog inspection in other states.
25-NA-052 · March 2025This bulletin advises the technician to flush the cooling system multiple times if oil has been found in the cooling system and replace the parts that may be contaminated due to oil in system.
21-NA-043 · January 2025This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full inspection on the vehicles before being sold (prepping) to the customer.
22-NA-074 · January 2025This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil Cooler Lines and Oil Tank if the engine was replaced where large amounts of debris has…
09-06-04-026Z · January 2025This bulletin provides information on identifying Non-GM Engine Calibrations for Gasoline Engines using the Tech 2 or GDS 2.
19-NA-219 · November 2024This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
Owners filed 120 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox in its first five years on the road, about 48 for every 100,000 sold: 0.8× the rate of a typical Equinox year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Equinox years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2016 Equinox problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the engine (31%), visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (33%) and the air bags (7%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, the most recent in June 2016 (equipment). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.
Sources
Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Chevrolet. The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox on NHTSA.gov · How we rate
