Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox has 398 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most for the engine at 203, followed by windows, mirrors and wipers at 114. Its EPA rating is 18 to 26 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $12,490 to $18,050 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 4 overall stars. It has 1 recall campaign that may apply, covering accessories and tires.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
18–26 mpgcombined; city 16–22, highway 23–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,490–$18,050U.S. average; Ohio $11,160–$16,120 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2016 Equinox. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 398 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Equinox. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
203
2
3
6
Visibility/wiper
114
0
0
0
Unknown or other
32
1
0
5
Power train
26
1
1
7
Electrical system
24
1
1
0
Fuel/propulsion system
19
1
1
0
Air bags
12
6
0
7
Engine and engine cooling
9
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
9
0
0
0
Steering
7
1
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
6
0
0
0
Structure
6
1
0
1
12 more parts
Visibility
6
0
0
0
Service brakes
5
2
0
2
Wheels
5
0
0
0
Suspension
3
1
0
1
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
2
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
1
0
0
Seat belts
1
1
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
1
0
1
Tires
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2016 Equinox over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles manufactured October 16, 2015. The certification labels may have incorrect tire/rim size and cold tire pressure information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: If the information on the certification labels is incorrect, the operator may install incorrectly sized tires or rims or may improperly inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1050, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 46600.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,245 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2016 Equinox, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (477), electrical system (243), engine and engine cooling (148), engine (137), power train (98).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA19005 Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative · covers 2 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2016 Equinox.
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data