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2019 Chevrolet Equinox

The Verdict

44 Proceed with Caution

The 2019 Chevrolet Equinox has 290 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (129 complaints) and brakes (57 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 44/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Chevrolet Equinox, consider the 2024 model year which has 77% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2024 has 77% fewer complaints

View the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox dashboard →

44

Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution

About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Recalls 2

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

19V667000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Equinox all-wheel drive vehicles. The fuel tanks may have been manufactured with an improperly sealed seam, possibly allowing fuel ...

Risk

A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this r...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

19V184000 SEATS

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The rear-right seat may have insufficient welds on the head-restraint bracket.

Risk

In the event of a crash, the insufficient welds may result in an increased risk of injury for an occupant seated in the rear-right position.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-right seatback frame, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or ...

Reported Jul 3, 2019

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20051267714219696
20063337412114224
20071392520529124
200810971598113
200916341286
201022913101325116
2011164208143974
201221484637834
201320795943331
201423194524117
2015337126324223
20161463232109
20173182419213
201885894912045
201948573312923
202046672613022
2021255192711
2022264131064
2023131410462
202417128244
20257717583222

By Category

Engine
129
Brakes
57
Body
48
Electrical
33
Transmission
23

By Severity

1
134
2
131
4
25

Worst Problems

Compare Against

See how the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox stacks up against rivals.

Complaints

Engine 2

I was driving on the freeway at 64 MPH when my Brake Assist alert appeared on my dashboard. At that time I lost assisted braking capability. I was able to steer and stop my vehicle on the shoulder of the freeway. I turned the car off and was unable to start the car again. The car was towed to the dealership where they stated “ Hi Erika, the vacuum pump on your engine seized and broke the shaft and damaged the tone ring on the camshaft, there are quite a bit of metal pieced in the engine due that that failure. Unfortunately, the solution is a remanufactured engine at the cost of $11500.00 parts and labor plus tax. How would you like to proceed?” Currently we are opting to not replace the motor. It is apparent that this is a common issue with this year/make/model of vehicle.

11d ago
Engine 2

The Fuel Pump Control Module (FPCM) connector corroded and disabled the fuel pump system. My car's fuel system failed while driving, and I had to pull over. After further research, I found that this particular FPCM and connector are located by the rear passenger axle and are exposed to the weather elements. This makes corrosion highly likely and poses a significant security threat for drivers, as there was no warning or engine light indication until moments before the failure. This is a design flaw and should be recalled by the manufacturer immediately.

1mo ago
Brakes 2

Vacuum pump went out while driving down the interstate causing hard breaking. Break pedal was extremely hard to push down putting us at risk of not being able to break in time. There were on and off alerts to service breaks assist, however it was not consistently an alert. We replaced the vacuum pump and the issue seems to be resolved. The pump is not available as we tossed it in the trash.

2mo ago
Brakes 1

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the braking system became inoperable, and the brakes unexpectedly locked up with no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved trouble code TSB-21NA268. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump connected to the crankshaft had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

2mo ago
Engine 1

Vacuum pump failed: On May 28th, 2025 the brake pedal on our 2019 Chevrolet Equinox became very hard along with check engine light, a "Reduced Power" notification, and "Brake Assist Failure" notification. After a mechanic inspected the engine, he found that the vacuum pump had shattered. The mechanic replaced the pump with an OEM replacement from GM. On May 11th, 2026 the same exact issue happened again. 1. The vehicle and/or part is available for inspection. 2. Anyone driving or riding in the vehicle is at risk due to the difficulty of braking. 3. The vehicle/component has not been inspected by the manufacturer since the 2nd incident.

2mo ago
Transmission 2

The transmission system failed abruptly. I pulled away from a stoplight, had accelerated to 20-25 mph, and then the car came to a sudden stop, as if someone had put on an emergency brake. It continued to act as if the brake was on when I tried to go forward or reverse. I put it into neutral so that I could push it off the road. I realized it would drive slowly in neutral, so I drove it less than a mile back to my workplace. Regarding safety, I nearly got rear-ended when the car stopped suddenly. This endangered me and the other driver. I was headed to the freeway, then would have been crossing a bridge, to get home, so the danger could have been amplified. The dealership's service manager told me that something internally had failed in the transmission. As far as I know they haven't taken it apart to find out what internally failed. They told me that the transmission needed to be replaced. As far as I know, no one has inspected the internal components of the transmission. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to this incident.

2mo ago
Engine 2

I was trying to stop at a light and the brakes wouldn't work. I almost crashed into the car in front of me but I had to step on it really hard to stop. Then the brakes were stiff and it was hard to stop. I brought it to a Chevy dealer yesterday and they said the vacuum pump exploded and pieces were in the engine, and it messed up the cam shaft. This is 5l worth of damage. When I looked it up online it seems this has been an issue with GM cars and the equinox was left out of the recall which could have prevented this. I have 95k miles on this car and never had an issue until now. However it is not worth spending 5k on a car that is high in mileage.

2mo ago
Electrical 4

Air bags did not deploy at all on passenger side after collision with a utility pole. Once vehicle stopped drivers side air bag was release but did not deploy the way it should to prevent injury. SUV was totaled per insurance company due to extensive damage on passenger side

2mo ago
Engine 2

The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the brakes failed to operate properly while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the brake pump had exploded, causing damage to the camshaft sensors and several other parts inside the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact researched the failure and became aware of a recall associated with the failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

2mo ago
Body 4

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while reversing from a complete stop, the rearview camera and beeping sound were inoperable, causing the vehicle to crash into an electrical grid. The liftgate and the rear bumpers were damaged. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was drivable and was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a related recall, and the vehicle was not covered under warranty due to the mileage and age. The vehicle was taken to Ronco's Autobody Tire & Wheel, where it was determined that the liftgate, the rear bumpers, and the cameras needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle would need to be repaired at the owner's expense. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

2mo ago
Brakes 2

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 45 MPH and exiting the parkway, the brake pedal was depressed but remained depressed to the floorboard. The contact's husband attempted to pump the brake pedal, but the vehicle was unresponsive and failed to slow down as intended. The contact's husband then shifted to neutral(N), and the parking brake was activated until the vehicle came to a stop. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brake booster pump or vacuum pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

3mo ago
Brakes 2

On Monday 12/22 at around 10:30am, I was driving back from Stanford CA where I have been taking my mom to her radiation therapy appointments. All of a sudden my brakes got super hard (Service Brake Assist appeared) and when pressing the brake pedal it continued to accelerate, I was able to swerve to my right hand side went over a curved side wall and pulled over before almost crashing the car in front of me and scaring my mom that was resting her head on the side seat. Vehicle has OnStar but prior to this it had not given me any alerts that is what caused such concern as it directly affects braking performance and Vehicle safety specially about this happend 8 months after purchase and No recalls are listed for my VIN. I had to call my brother to pick up mom because she has been delicate of health with cancer pain and couldn't wait long for towing truck to arrive since I used my insurance AAA to tow my car. After doing research this is a known malfunction and they are still selling the vehicles with a high price. My car has been in repair for over 3 months and still waiting.

3mo ago
Brakes 1

My brakes stopped working while driving on highway I80 West. I had to have AAA tow my car to nearby shop. The mechanic said my vacuum pump needed to be replaced and he sees this happen often with Chevrolets.

3mo ago
Brakes 1

On multiple occasions my vehicle (2019 equinox LT) that I bought just over 30 days ago has falsely activated the forward collision feature and slammed on its own brakes followed by “service ESC” and “service brake assist” with traction control lights and stability control lights illuminating. Dealership has confirmed that 4 computer modules are out of date on programming/updates. This is a critical safety issue and I am unsure why it hasn’t been recalled as I have read multiple instances of this. Unfortunately because it has not it is a hefty repair bill. When this happened the last time before heading into the dealership, there was a vehicle behind me that could’ve rammed into my rear due to the sudden and excessive braking at highway speeds when I was pressing on the gas.

4mo ago
Electrical 2

The instrument cluster and driver information center is completely blank, and none of the steering wheel controls are operating. Vehicle starts and runs normally, but no indication of speed, turn signals, headlights, gas level, etc.

4mo ago
Engine 2

Air filter box housing top came off. Loss of power. Found that screws are used instead of a latch system. They had been wrenched down after last oil change and cracked the screw housing which is plastic. Filter housing came loose allowed more air and dirt to come into the housing box. Loss of fuel economy.

4mo ago
Brakes 4

My wife and I were in our car driving on [XXX] on [XXX] at about 4:30 in the afternoon. I was about three car lengths behind the car in front of me and I was doing 30-32 miles per hour. The brake lights in front of me went to red and I immediately stepped on my brakes but my car would not stop nor slow down causing me to hit the person in front of me. It was a matter of seconds passing but when I hit the back of that car in front of me I had both feet on the brake pedal. My car would not stop. My wife was injured, the young lady that I hit hurt her leg and the back end of her car was destroyed. Our car was totaled. The vehicle is now in possession of AAA auto insurance where I was told the brakes would be looked in to. I will be placing a call to the General Motors customer service to lodge a complaint. There were no warning signs of any type prior to this accident. This car is a 2019 model with only 30,200 miles on it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

5mo ago
Engine 1

This issue presents a serious safety concern. During the initial occurrence, the vehicle was unable to sustain highway speeds for extended periods (approximately 10 minutes or more). When coming to a stop, the vehicle would shake, rev unexpectedly, lose power, and shut off completely. During these events, the vehicle would not accelerate, creating a hazardous situation, especially in traffic. The condition has since worsened. The same symptoms now occur upon starting the vehicle and during the warm-up period, increasing the risk of sudden engine shutdown without warning. Additionally, a distinct “gulping” sound is coming from the rear of the vehicle, raising concern that the fuel system may be compromised. No diagnostic or pending fault codes are present, and the local dealership has been unable to identify the cause. The vehicle has fewer than 100,000 miles. Due to the unpredictable loss of power and engine shutdown, this issue poses an immediate safety risk to the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists.

5mo ago
Body 2

My 2019 Chevy Equinox, LT model has experienced issues where the seat will no longer recline. Seat that raises but won't recline is likely caused by a faulty seat control switch, a jammed recline actuator/gear, or a broken wire, rather than a blown fuse.

5mo ago
Engine 2

A "Reduced Engine Power" warning in a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT usually indicates the car has entered "limp mode" to protect the engine, most commonly caused by a dirty/faulty throttle body, loose Charge Air Cooler (CAC) tube, or sensor issues (MAF/TPS). Common codes include P0299 (turbo underboost). When this occurs, I cannot utilize my remote starter. I purchased an Innova OBD2 Code Reader, connected it to the vehicle and this code P0299 populated. There has been a few times that the engine light would go off, then I was able to use the remote starter to start the engine.

5mo ago

290 total

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