2019 Chevrolet EQUINOX problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
301 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
9,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2019 model year. Data snapshot: . 128 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 100 of 301 complaints (33.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 103 | 34.2% |
| Engine operation | 21 | 7.0% |
| Transmission and shifting | 20 | 6.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 20 | 6.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 18 | 6.0% |
| Steering behavior | 11 | 3.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 100 |
| Service Brakes | 67 |
| Electrical System | 41 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 40 |
| Unknown Or Other | 37 |
| Power Train | 34 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 |
Engine: 100; Service Brakes: 67; Electrical System: 41; Fuel/Propulsion System: 40; Unknown Or Other: 37; Power Train: 34; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 12; Vehicle Speed Control: 12
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 86 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 13 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 10 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 12 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 6 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 86; 25,000 to 49,999: 13; 50,000 to 74,999: 10; 75,000 to 99,999: 12; 100,000 to 149,999: 6; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (86). 173 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 60 |
| 2020 | 25 |
| 2021 | 24 |
| 2022 | 25 |
| 2023 | 34 |
| 2024 | 48 |
| 2025 | 48 |
| 2026 | 35 |
2018: 2; 2019: 60; 2020: 25; 2021: 24; 2022: 25; 2023: 34; 2024: 48; 2025: 48; 2026: 35
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 103 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 21 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 20 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11164934 · 2019-01-07 (January 7, 2019)
I AM UNABLE TO GAUGE THE TIME NEEDED FOR THE CAR TO RESTART AFTER "AUTOSTOP" SHUTS THE MOTOR AT A HARD STOP. THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR ALL DRIVERS AS EVEN WHEN LIFTING MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE AS IT SHOULD IN "DRIVE." INSTEAD, PLACING MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL IS REQUIRED. THIS CAUSES UNEXPECTED DELAYS IN BEGINNING TO DRIVE THAT COULD HAVE SEVERE AND LONG LASTING CONSEQUENCES. I DO NOT AT ALL FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS BOTH DURING CITY AND HIGHWAY DRIVING, I.E. WHEN SITTING IN TRAFFIC. OTHER MANUFACTURERS HAVE A SWIT…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11164934 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11183990 · 2019-03-04 (March 4, 2019)
BRAKES FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO FENCE WHEN BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO DRIVE & WITHOUT PUTTING FOOT ON GAS PEDAL, VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED THROUGH GARAGE - THRU FRONT DOOR & OUT THE BACK OF THE GARAGE. FILED COMPLAINT WITH CENTRAL CLAIMS CASE (XXX) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CW
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11183990 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11174820 · 2019-02-06 (February 6, 2019)
THE AUTO STOP ENGINE FEATURE HAS NO CONTROL DEVICE TO DISABLE THE FEATURE. AUTO ENGINE STOP CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO LURCH FORWARD WHEN RESTARTING FROM THE AUTO STOP CONDITION AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED HESITATION OF THE RESTART CONDITION WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A BUSY INTERESECTION CAUSING MYSELF SLIGHT PANIC WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO COMPLETE THE TURN WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC APPROACHING. VERY DANGEROUS! THIS FEATURE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE TURNED OFF BY THE OWNER ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. SAFETY IS MORE IM…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11174820 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11230412 · 2019-07-09 (July 9, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND RESTARTED AFTER FORTY MINUTES. AFTERWARDS, THE SPEED WOULD NOT EXCEED 5 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CHEVROLET OF HOMEWOOD (18033 HALSTED ST, HOMEWOOD, IL 60430, [phone removed]) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT AN UNKNOWN WIRE WAS BURNED OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,938.
Owner-reported narrative. 5,938 miles reported. Look up ODI 11230412 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11318545 · 2020-03-18 (March 18, 2020)
TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS WHILE DRIVING AT LOW RPM. INTERMITTENT HARD OR ROUGH SHIFTING. THIS HAPPENS USUALLY AT SPEEDS AROUND 45 MPH IT HAS A SHUDDER AND SLIGHT SURGE. ANOTHER INCIDENT WHILE STOPPED, FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD.
Owner-reported narrative. 10,650 miles reported. Look up ODI 11318545 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11319566 · 2020-03-28 (March 28, 2020)
I'LL BE DRIVING VERY LIGHTLY AND ABOUT 25MPH WHEN IT WANTS TO SHIP IT SURGES. I STILL HAVE THE SAME PRESSURE IN THE GAS PEDAL. I SEEN IT GET STUCK AT DOWN SHIFTING A FEW TIMES WHEN GOING DOWN A HILL. IT HAS LUNGED ALMOST TOO ONE TIME. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER THEY TEST DRIVE IT, HAD NO CODES WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. I BEEN DRIVING CVTS FOR A DECADE NOW AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT THAT SONI SORT OF BOUGHT IT. I THINK THE TRANSMISSION SHOULDN'T DO THIS.
Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11319566 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11233671 · 2019-07-21 (July 21, 2019)
IN MY VEHICLE OWNER'S MANUAL (PART NO. 84134729 B), THERE IS AN ERROR ON PAGE 352 WHICH MISIDENTIFIES THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TERMINALS OF A BATTERY USED FOR JUMP STARTING. UNDER THE SUBTITLE, JUMP STARTING - NORTH AMERICA, THE TERMINALS NOTED AS (3) AND (4) SHOULD BE (4) AND (3).
Owner-reported narrative. 7 miles reported. Look up ODI 11233671 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11278407 · 2019-11-06 (November 6, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SHUT OFF AND THE "ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL NOT AVAILABLE" INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DUNLAP MOTORS [phone removed], LOCATED AT 520 1ST STREET EAST, INDEPENDENCE, IA 50644) WHERE THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHO REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEH…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11278407 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11229047 · 2019-07-02 (July 2, 2019)
PURCHASED CAR ON 06/27/2019. ON 6/22/2019 WHILE DRIVING I HEARD A POP IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE HAD 400 MILES. I LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK TO A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSIS WAS A CLIP ON THE FUEL INJECTOR HAD BROKEN. NEW FUEL INJECTOR LINE HAD TO BE REPLACED.
Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11229047 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11291922 · 2019-12-29 (December 29, 2019)
THERE IS A FUEL LINK THAT APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM WHERE THE FUEL TANK THE LEAK WAS FOUND WHEN I PARK THE CAR AND LET IT SITE FOR A FEW HOURS. A STRONG FUEL SMELL AND A WET SPOT ON THE PAVEMENT UNDER THE FUEL TANK. I HAVE SMELLED THE GASOLINE PREVIOUSLY BUT DIDN'T NOTIC THE LEAK UNTIL I HAD SOMETHING TO UNLOAD FROM MY TRUNK.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11291922 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11287707 · 2019-12-07 (December 7, 2019)
WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE FROM WORK TO HOME, THE CONTROLS ON MY STEERING WHEEL FOR MY STEREO STOPPED WORKING. THE VOLUME STARTED GOING UP AND DOWN AND THE CHANNELS STARTED CHANGING. I TURNED MY RADIO OFF AND BACK ON AND IT IMMEDIATELY CONTINUED. I CALLED ONSTAR AND ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD DETERMINE IF ANYONE WAS REMOTELY CONTROLLING MY RADIO AND SHE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NO WAY TO DETERMINE THAT AND I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT MY DEALER. I DISCONNECTED MY PHONE FROM MY CAR, TURNED OFF THE WIFI AND BLUETOOTH SETTINGS ON MY PHONE AND THE VEHICLE AND…
Owner-reported narrative. 20 miles reported. Look up ODI 11287707 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11311556 · 2020-02-26 (February 26, 2020)
CAR STEERS ITSELF. STEERING WHEEL JERKS ITSELF TO LEFT OR RIGHT RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY ENOUGH TO CAUSE MINOR CONTROL OF THE STEERING OF MY EQUINOX. THIS HAPPENS MORE OFTEN ON HIGHWAY AND HIGHER SPEED ROADS. WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES IN THE ROAD / HIGHWAY, VEHICLE WILL NOT STRAIGHTEN OUT WHEN OUT OF CURVE. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO DRIVE OFF OF THE ROAD INTO GRAVEL SHOULDER AND NEARLY SIDESWIPE OTHER VEHICLES BOTH NEXT TO ME AND DRIVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NO ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CAUSED AS OF YET, BUT MANY NEAR MISSES. THIS ISSUE HAS B…
Owner-reported narrative. 16,519 miles reported. Look up ODI 11311556 at NHTSA ↗