Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
26–27 mpgcombined; city 25–26, highway 29; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,030–$12,490U.S. average; Ohio $10,750–$11,160 at local prices; every version of this model year, electric versions apart; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026. Electric versions: $4,260–$4,820 at U.S. average electricity prices
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2026 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 84 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 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
Forward collision avoidance
30
2
0
5
Service brakes
21
3
1
3
Power train
17
1
0
1
Electrical system
13
0
0
0
Unknown or other
13
2
0
3
Lane departure
9
0
0
0
Engine
7
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
5
0
0
0
Back over prevention
4
1
0
1
Visibility/wiper
4
0
0
0
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Steering
3
0
0
0
9 more parts
Suspension
3
0
0
0
Visibility
3
0
0
0
Seats
2
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
2
0
0
1
Air bags
1
1
0
1
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
1
1
0
Structure
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 3 recall campaigns for the 2026 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 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.
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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Equinox EV vehicles. The pedestrian alert sound system may not produce a sufficient change in volume between the vehicle being stopped and moving at low speeds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: A vehicle that does not emit sufficient sound may fail to alert pedestrians of a moving vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: The body control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252530690. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 18, 2025.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Cadillac Optic and 2025-2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV vehicles equipped with 21-inch Continental all-season tires. One or more of these tires may experience partial or full tread detachment.
Risk: Tire tread detachment increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect all four tires and replace those manufactured during DOT week 4024, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252525030. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 16, 2025.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 219 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Equinox, the latest on Oct 7, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: unknown or other (196), electrical system (12), structure (5), service brakes (4), fuel/propulsion system (3).
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.
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 2026 Equinox.
See used 2026 Chevrolet Equinoxs for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
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Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Equinox Front-Wheel Drive
1.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
26 / 29 / 27
Equinox All-Wheel Drive
1.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 8-spd
Regular Gasoline
25 / 29 / 26
Equinox EV Front-Wheel Drive
180 kW AC Induction
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 319 miles of range
117 / 100 / 108 MPGe
Equinox EV (11 kW Charger) All-Wheel Drive
67 and 180 kW AC Induction
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 307 miles of range
112 / 95 / 103 MPGe
Equinox EV (19 kW Charger) All-Wheel Drive
67 and 180 kW AC Induction
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 288 miles of range
103 / 88 / 96 MPGe
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
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