2026 Chevrolet EQUINOX: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
69 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
1,550 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2026 model year. Data snapshot: . 12 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 16 of 69 complaints (23.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 25 | 36.2% |
| Steering behavior | 12 | 17.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 6 | 8.7% |
| Engine operation | 2 | 2.9% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 2.9% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 2.9% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 16 |
| Service Brakes | 16 |
| Electrical System | 11 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 11 |
| Unknown Or Other | 10 |
| Engine | 7 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 7 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 5 |
Power Train: 16; Service Brakes: 16; Electrical System: 11; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 11; Unknown Or Other: 10; Engine: 7; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 7; Fuel/Propulsion System: 5
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 12 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 12; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (12). 57 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 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 | 60 |
2025: 9; 2026: 60
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 25 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 12 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 6 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11671755 · 2025-07-07 (July 7, 2025)
The gear selection is on the steering column and to change from Park to Reverse or Drive takes usually over six attempts to get in the right gear. When your entering traffic and you get delayed trying to put the car into the proper gear this becomes a very dangerous safety issue. General Motors refuses to advise me how to deal with this problem unless I give them the name of an attorney who will represent me.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11671755 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11678454 · 2025-08-05 (August 5, 2025)
Faulty windshield. Replaced with two additional windshields (1GM, 1 Aftermarket) which were both defective. All Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles on the lot had defective (Warped) windshields. These windshields distort images, cause dizziness and motion sickness. The Dealer purchased the vehicle back.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11678454 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11682275 · 2025-08-21 (August 21, 2025)
I purchased this vehicle in June 2025 and the gear selection lever is constant problems. It will never go into or go out of gear on the first attempt. This has caused some near accidents on two occassions as I backed out of a parking space trying to get in gear and proceed timely to avoid on-coming traffic but the lever will constantly bounce to another gear or park which was not selected. The car also has a seat problem in which the seat will start a quiver motion which does startle me as the driver. As an 82 year old driver this becomes a…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11682275 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11686175 · 2025-09-10 (September 10, 2025)
My 2026 Chevrolet Equinox has been having problems; when cruise control is set it randomly puts itself into emergency park mode, the infotainment system loves to shut down which affects the entire vehicle. When this happens I can’t see my speed, every screen goes black and I have to pull over and reset the entire thing which takes a good 30 minutes, sometimes more. I have taken it to a shop which they said it was electrical and module issues, never told me exactly what or where and I’m having to struggle just to get the invoices. The problems a…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11686175 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11687720 · 2025-09-16 (September 16, 2025)
Car has never been aligned and pulls to the right. The dealership can not fix it, they advised me they have put in an escalation with Chevy. I have seen multiple social media posts regarding this same issue, with the same model of car.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11687720 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11688301 · 2025-09-19 (September 19, 2025)
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that there was a crackling sound coming from the brake pedal while depressing the brake pedal, with the message a "Service All Wheel Drive System" displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while the AWD feature was activated and driving up an incline, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal with the "Service All Wheel Drive System" message displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure, and an appointment was made for service. The vehicle was…
Owner-reported narrative. 150 miles reported. Look up ODI 11688301 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11693821 · 2025-10-16 (October 16, 2025)
When trying to disengage cruise control, with button on steering wheel, brakes locked up going 75mph on the interstate. Would not unlock until I physically pressed brake pedal. If I had not been able to control the car, we would have been sent head first into the concrete barrier wall. Also, when trying to start car or put in into gear, it tells me to "press brake" when the brake pedal is pressed as far as it can go. Radio will randomly cut off and screen goes blank. Trunk button on drivers door does not open trunk without pushing it minimum of…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11693821 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11695776 · 2025-10-27 (October 27, 2025)
After I purchased my vehicle, 2026 chevy equinox rs, I noticed severe distortion on the front windshield. I had it replaced once, with the same problem. They were going to put another windshield in but we wanted to see it first, which was worse than the first two. I do not like the feeling of being car sick. Also, the transmission slipped once, while driving. It felt like it went into neutral and then back into gear. The dealer looked at it and could not find anything wrong. It was good for a few weeks and then it did it again.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11695776 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
26V114000 · Equipment:Other:Owners/Service/Other Manual
Reported: 2026-02-26 (February 26, 2026)
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.”
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.
NHTSA campaign record ↗