What are the most common 2021 Equinox problems?

Owners' complaints most often involve the air bags (5%), the electrical system (21%) and the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (17%). A complaint can name more than one area.

Has the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox been recalled?

Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox, the most recent in May 2023 (child seat). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

2021 Chevrolet Equinox: Best bet

Owners filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox in its first five years on the road, about 34 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Equinox year. That's among the fewest of any Equinox year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the air bags (5% of complaints).

Complaint index: 0.5×; per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Equinox year
Rank: 3rd of 14; 1st = fewest complaints
Complaints: 66; first five years; 34 per 100,000 sold
Recalls: 4; campaigns

3rd generation, 2018–2024 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate

Photo: 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD · Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles

Air bags5% · 3 complaints
Electrical21% · 14 complaints
Powertrain17% · 11 complaints
Engine15% · 10 complaints
Brakes9% · 6 complaints
Seats and belts5% · 3 complaints
Fuel and propulsion12% · 8 complaints
Body and structure6% · 4 complaints
Doors and latches2% · 1 complaints
Steering6% · 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

Electrical

Owners of this Equinox describe a range of electrical glitches, from dashboard warning lights and stalling to radio, screen, and power door or moonroof failures. Repairs often involved module replacements or resets, though some owners say dealers couldn't find or fix the problem.

Warning signs:: Owners report dashboard warning messages, blank or frozen touch screens, radio or sound loss, stalling, and doors, windows, or moonroof opening or closing on their own.
What shops did:: Dealers replaced or reset modules such as the body control module or brake control module, reset the infotainment computer, or in some cases could not replicate or diagnose the issue.

“the Body Control Module (BCM) had failed and the part to repair the vehicle would not be available for 1-3 weeks”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11457275 · View complaints on NHTSA

“The electronic brake control module causes the car to no start and goes into limp mode.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11748322 · View complaints on NHTSA

Powertrain

Owners of this Equinox describe vibration, wobbling and sudden power loss tied to the drivetrain or transmission, sometimes with stalling or hesitation. Repairs ranged from tire and half-shaft replacement to unresolved diagnostics, with some owners citing service bulletins or a recall related to fuel pumps.

Warning signs:: Owners report shaking, wobbling or vibration during acceleration, a reduced engine power message, check engine light, stalling, hesitation, and hard or rough shifting.
What shops did:: Dealers and mechanics replaced tires, half shafts or propeller shafts, catalytic converters, fuel injectors, or performed diagnostics; some say the vehicle was not repaired or the issue recurred.

“the front end of the vehicle started wobbling and vibrating severely”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11693524 · View complaints on NHTSA

“the transmission gave out randomly started stalling and jumping and it won’t switch gears correctly”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11682987 · View complaints on NHTSA

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›

NHTSA 23V339000May 2023668,187 vehicles
Child seat: vehicle latch anchor
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete.
NHTSA 23V013000January 202323,323 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump: control/drive module
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Equinox and 2022 GMC Terrain vehicles. The fuel pump module may not consistently provide sufficient fuel to the engine, resulting in an engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge.
NHTSA 21V612000August 20219,597 vehicles
Tires: tread/belt · Tires
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with certain Hankook tires. The tires may have been manufactured with an insufficient amount of curative agent, which could cause tread separation.
Risk: Tread separation can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the tire DOT numbers, and replace any affected tires, free of charge.
NHTSA 20V811000December 2020470 vehicles
Seat belts: critical fasteners · Seat belts
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Risk: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, 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 695 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2021 Equinox. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

22-NA-244 · May 2024 · Warranty extensionThis service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.
PI0281L · April 2025This preliminary informational (PI) bulletin provides information to dealership personnel that may be helpful when addressing underbody component corrosion with customers.
24-NA-229 · April 2025This bulletin provides a procedure on how to check for a battery drain utilizing the Picoscope and how to measure the load on the system that may be causing a drain.
25-NA-087 · April 2025This service bulletin provides information on the proper Reflective High Temperature Heat and/or Insulating Tape to use for certain repairs, such as Wiring Harness Repairs.
13-08-116-001K · March 2025The intent of this service bulletin is to identify aftermarket ALDL or DLC interface devices as potential sources for causing multiple customer concerns that do not have other diagnostic methods to…
24-NA-098 · March 2025This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492,…
23-NA-164 · March 2025This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Vehicle Will Lock and Unlock (Active Functions Work) but Will Not Crank or Start (Loss of Passive Functions Do Not…
23-NA-163 · March 2025This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of No Crank, No Start, Quick Start/Stall, No FOB Detected, Key FOBs Inoperative, B3924 00, B3925 00, B3926 00, B3927…

All 2021 Equinox bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?: Owners filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox in its first five years on the road, about 34 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Equinox year. That's among the fewest of any Equinox 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 2021 Equinox problems?: Owners' complaints most often involve the air bags (5%), the electrical system (21%) and the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (17%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox been recalled?: Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox, the most recent in May 2023 (child seat). 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 2021 Chevrolet Equinox on NHTSA.gov · How we rate