2020 Chevrolet Equinox: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
52%
153 of 293 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
52% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 68% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 12 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 50%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE07/28/2025CRASH1 INJURED
While driving on the freeway at 75 mph my vacuum pump seized and shattered, causing me to loose all breaking power, damaging my engine beyond repair and endangering my life and numerous other drivers on the road. There is a current recall on the particular year, make and model for this issue but my VIN is not included …
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE09/10/2026
While operating my vehicle, I experienced a sudden, catastrophic failure of the power-assisted braking system. The brake pedal completely lost hydraulic pressure, plunging effortlessly all the way to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to respond to normal foot-pedal application. Emergency stopping power was only achiev…
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE08/20/2026
Engine power reduced Car will not accelerate Jerks after a long stop Have replaced engine and transmission same problem occurred
Three of 153 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (4)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet…
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 se…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. The rear brake calipers may have been produced with an incorrect lubricant, potentially cau…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
