Your vehicle report
2016 Chevrolet Equinox
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 399
- Received Oct 2015 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail95 complaints · 24% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine burns excessive oil between changes49 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion14 complaints · 3.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V449000General 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."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Windshield wipers work intermittently or failFirst signal: Jan 2019
- Engine burns excessive oil between changesFirst signal: Jun 2022
- Timing chain fails and destroys engineFirst signal: Sep 2021
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 14 crashes, 3 fires, 22 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine burns excessive oil between changes
- Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion
- Timing chain fails and destroys engine
8 more problems
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates
- Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
- Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 14 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 43 |
| 2021 | 30 |
| 2022 | 53 |
| 2023 | 74 |
| 2024 | 54 |
| 2025 | 43 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 18 |
| Total | 399 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 95 | 24% | 48.8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.4% |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 49 | 12% | 12.4× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jun 2022 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.1% |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 14 | 3.5% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 14 | 3.5% | 34.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Sep 2021 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 14 | 3.5% | 2× | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 13 | 3.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 12 | 3.0% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 9 | 2.3% | 4.1× | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 1.8% | – | |
| Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates | 6 | 1.5% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration | 3 | 0.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V449000June 21, 201617 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels; tires
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."
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN