UsedScore

2026 Chevrolet Equinox: Too new to judge

The 2026 Chevrolet Equinox has been on the road for 11 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 71 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 4.1× the rate other Equinox years drew in their first 11 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is driver-assistance features and cameras (37% of complaints).

Complaint index
4.1×
partial: first 11 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
71
in 11 months so far
Recalls
1
campaign
4th generation, 2025–today · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2025 Chevrolet Equinox

Photo: 2025 Chevrolet Equinox · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Driver assistance37% · 26 complaints
  2. Brakes27% · 19 complaints
  3. Powertrain23% · 16 complaints
  4. Electrical17% · 12 complaints
  5. Engine10% · 7 complaints
  6. Air bags1% · 1 complaints
  7. Visibility10% · 7 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion7% · 5 complaints
  9. Seats and belts7% · 5 complaints
  10. Steering4% · 3 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

Brakes

Owners describe brakes that suddenly stop working, lock up, or sink to the floor, sometimes accompanied by warning lights and unusual noises. Some report repeated dealer visits replacing modules or the master cylinder without the problem fully resolving, and a few describe near-crashes or actual collisions.

Warning signs:
Owners report warning lights for brakes and steering assist, crackling or snapping/popping noises, steering wheel vibration, and sudden violent stops or slipping brakes.
What shops did:
Dealers diagnosed and replaced components such as the ECM, brake control module, or master cylinder, sometimes with the failure recurring after repair.

“the dashboard lights up with warnings about "BRAKES"...Not exactly sure what is said because it doesn't stay on the screen very long”

“my vehicle couldn't stop, ended up hitting vehicle in front of me”

Driver assistance

Owners of this Equinox describe driver assistance features that misfire, causing sudden unexplained braking, phantom acceleration, or false blind spot and collision warnings, sometimes during normal driving in rain or at night. A few report the vehicle rolling away unattended or dealers being unable to fully diagnose or fix the issue.

Warning signs:
Many note sudden hard braking or acceleration with no vehicle or obstacle present, often worse in rain, at night, or in bright sun/glare, plus warning lights and false blind spot alerts.
What shops did:
Some report dealers found no fault, replaced modules such as a brake control module or brain module, or acknowledged the issue without a repair or software fix available.

“I get half-way through the lane change and the light on the mirror starts to flash indicating that something is in my blind spot”

“the vehicle's Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system suddenly and aggressively engaged without warning. There were no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles whatsoever in the vehicle's path”

Powertrain

Owners of the 2026 Equinox describe transmission and gear-selector problems, including unexpected shifts into neutral, slow or repeated attempts to engage drive, and slipping during acceleration. Many say dealers struggled to diagnose the issue, leaving the concern unresolved for some drivers.

Warning signs:
Many mention warning messages such as AWD or battery faults, vibration or shimmy during acceleration, misfire warnings, or the shifter bouncing before it engages.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not diagnose or replicate the problem, though a few replaced parts such as CV axles with only temporary improvement.

“the vehicle suddenly shifted into Neutral after the Park button was accidentally pressed”

“a feeling of the transmission slipping is felt”

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

Recalls (1)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 26V114000February 20265,861 vehicles

    Equipment: other: owners/service/other manual

    General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”

    Risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, 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 170 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2026 Equinox. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 25-NA-118 · May 2025This service bulletin provides information for the technicians to use a Customer Concern Verification sheet to facilitate the questions needing to be answered by the customer regarding Automatic…
  • 25-NA-094 · April 2025This informational service bulletin provides information on how to correct the pop-up message "Lane Keep Assist Unavailable" after being taken out of transport mode.
  • 25-NA-065 · March 2025This informational bulletin instructs the tech when fuel/fluid is needed to be tested and where it can be sent for analysis.
  • PIC6629F · September 2026This PI is to instruct dealer on diagnostic procedures that need to be completed prior to replacing a radio or IPC display
  • PIP4902W · September 2026This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
  • PIT6542A · September 2026This preliminary information addresses a clunk noise in the front suspension traced to the control arm bushings.
  • PIT6544 · September 2026This preliminary information is to inform technicians and customers that GM is aware of the issue and the vehicle can still be driven.
  • PIT6542 · August 2026This preliminary information addresses a clunk noise in the front suspension traced to the control arm bushings.

All 2026 Equinox bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?
The 2026 Chevrolet Equinox has been on the road for 11 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 71 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 4.1× the rate other Equinox years drew in their first 11 months, per vehicle sold. 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 2026 Equinox problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve driver-assistance features and cameras (37%), the brakes (27%) and the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (23%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox, the most recent in February 2026 (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 2026 Chevrolet Equinox on NHTSA.gov · How we rate