NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the "Brake System Failure" message was displayed while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the brake pedal was firm. The contact continued driving to the residence. The contact parked the vehicle, and inspected the calipers but found no cause for the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.
The car had a full tank of gas prior to driving. While driving the car suddenly goes to empty and stalls out. Now the car won’t start and the battery works fine.
1. Drive Shaft fractured while driving my vehicle, yes it is available for inspection. 2. Car made a loud popping noise and part of the car was dragging and the car was shaking and unsafe to drive. 3. Yes, the car is in the shop and the drive shaft fracture has been confirmed. 4. Not at this time. Only AAA and my local garage have inspected the vehicle. 5. No warning lamps/lights were present. 6. I heard a loud pop and immediately pulled over because I thought it was my tire. I saw something hanging and called AAA for a tow because it was unsafe to drivet.
No code, no indication of anything wrong, no lights or warnings, no sounds or rough running indications on the vehicle. It just completely died in the middle of the highway while traveling down the road and would not restart. Middle of the night with me and my granddaughter in the vehicle. It ended up being a problem with the timing chain which was not broke. Nor were there any indication there was a problem with it.
Fuel injection systems is leaking onto the engine
Good afternoon I hope everyone is well. This complaint I'm filing for Turbocharger/Supercharger A under boost condition (P0299) with my daughters 2018 Chevy Equinox. When you research this error with Chevy/GM vehicles you'll see this impacts all vehicles, but Chevy/GM is only recalling their vehicles from 2022+. I've spoken with numerous auto mechanics throughout the United States, and every auto mechanic has stated this is an issue that impacts all Chevy and GM vehicles. Both Chevy and GM are deceiving everyone and there's a significant issue that requires Chevy and GM should address.
Vacuum pump for brake system failure
My car alerts shift to park when it is already parked and will not shut off. The battery has to be disconnected to turn the car off. It won't start and the dash displays multiple lights park, check engine lights, tire lights and more
The 2. 1018 Equinox has a brake booster.Vacuum pump on the side of the engine that is a known Failure. The vehicle has very hard brake pedal and barely stops. If left unfixed? The vacuum pump seizes and will blown the engine resulting in full engine replacement. The chevy dealer (local) acknowledges the issue and has stocked the parts shelf at $159. The problem is with multiple makes with the 1.5 l turbo engine. The cost of a new engine is around $5200.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Reduced Engine Power" message flashed on the instrument panel with an audible beep coming from the vehicle. The vehicle started to lose power and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the vacuum pump had damaged the cam shaft, causing the cam shaft to explode, releasing particles into the engine long block. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) which was then linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Camshaft broke into pieces into the engine causing the vehicle to not run on the roadway with minors in the car.
My 2018 equinox was running perfectly. Then several warning lights popped up on the dash. I pulled into my daughter's school and didn't have power breaks. Even though brake fluid was full. It wouldn't start back up. A mechanic shop looked at the car and said they thought the timing was off. But couldn't guarantee it. Another mechanic looked at it a few days later and said I needed a new power break pump that the had broken at the camshaft connect. He said the car would need to rebuild the motor or buy a used motor because of the damage. I have heard of several people who have had the same exact issue with the chevy 1.5 turbo motor in many chevy vehicles. There should be a recall as there is never a warning that the vacuum break pump is getting ready to go bad and cause severe engine damage.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, and attempting to stop at a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact made a left turn into a parking lot and became aware that there was brake fluid leaking from the vacuum pump where it was attached to the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V645000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while pulling in the driveway the vehicle shut off. Contact mention she was not able to restart the vehicle and when depressing on the brake pedal the brakes failed to respond. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic at contact's residences. where it was diagnosed the brake booster vacuum pump line detached and that the brake booster needs to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,888
On or about 10/10/24 …2018 EQUINOX my SRS light came on my digital control along with the body holding a ball indicating the I had an airbag(s) issue. I immediately called my dealership that wanted me to bring it in (a week later) and cost to put it on the machine would cost $180 for diagnostics. Later the next day, honked my hour..everything back to normal. Next morning, back on. Est costs to fix$1,000 approx. no accidents. No other issues. Diag indicates R/FRT & L.RT AIRBAG SENSOR needs replace. NHTSA #10137388 & 10164117 cases
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the brakes became inoperable. The brake pedal failed to depress as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump to the brake booster was inoperable. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Without warning my brakes just stopped working, had to push all the way to the floor and even then barely stopped. There were no warnings or lights.
Was parking and the brake went hard without warning. Using both legs pressing as hard as I could, but the brakes would not work. Had to tow this to a repair shop - No warning light at all. Brought to the shop, they confirmed a faulty vacuum pump that had gone completely bad. Very dangerous!
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50–60 MPH, the brake pedal was firm while depressed, and the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact stated that the infotainment screen was blank. The contact made a right turn and coasted the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the electrical system. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Vacuum pump failed and broke with no warning signs at all. After replacement now it will not start well and when it does I have lose off power. Lost brakes while driving on a country road and had to have it towed.
When put in drive it does move when gas pedal is pressed for a couple of seconds, and also when I come to a stop and the start ans stop feature activates it stalls as well with the D flashing. The engine light comes on as well.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pan had rusted and caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the part to do the repair was on back order. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
Driving towards to an address in Orlando, FL, tried to stop at a red light and the vehicle didn't stop, the car driver in front stop short my vehicle just ran behind the car causing a crash. Three additional cars were involved in the accident. My 2018 Chevy Equinox was purchased from Carmax back in 2021 and a recall of breaks was released in August 2018. I just learn about those safety problems or system failed or malfunctioned. My insurance call me and confirm a total loss for the vehicle. Now I still have to pay for a vehicle that I dont have anymore since the market value is much less than what I owe to Carmax Auto Finance. What should I do? This is a safety problem that affected me financially and emotionally. Please your help! (Recall # 18V576000) Service brake assist Breaks failure
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the "Service Battery Charger" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the alternator, but the failure persisted. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the pedal felt spongy, and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.
Brake assist light went on, had the brake pads and rotors replaced, light went off. 6 months later the light came back on but this time the brake pedal was hard. I did not drive it after that. After looking online and seeing dozens of people with the same issue, I took a chance and bought the brake booster and had my friend, who is a certified mechanic, replace the part. The old vacuum pump had frozen up and broken along with the gears, which had fallen into the engine, just like what I was seeing all over the Internet. People are getting hurt and lives are at risk, this should have been recalled!!!!
My son was driving our 2018 Equinox on the interstate when he went to brake while turning to an off-ramp. He discovered he had almost no ability to brake and narrowly avoided an accident. We discovered later that the vacuum pump responsible for the brake assist failed in catastrophic fashion. It not only failed but deposited numerous metal fragments in the crank case.
Driving interstate without difficulty. Made stop at rest area, got out with children, turned vehicle off. Returned to vehicle to leave, cranked vehicle put in reverse but had no brakes. Brakes in down position. Brakes would not return to normal position. Turned vehicle off and Looked under vehicle and noticed oil on the ground. No indicator lights on dash to alert of any issues. Tried to crank vehicle all power came on but motor would not turn over (long crank) Brakes remained in down position. Had vehicle towed home and upon inspection, oil was seen leaking out of the side of motor where brake vacuum pump is housed and noticed a crack in the brake vacuum pump housing. Oil leaking onto ground.
Driver side mirror sets itself to non useable position even when auto mirror option is not turned on. Everytime I shift gears the mirror positions itself to an unuasable position making it impossible to safely pull out from a parked position. It happens wether pulling forward or backing out. I can not seem to find any information on how to correct the issue. Other owners have reported the same issue but Chevrolet refuses to address the issue. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The speedometer does not operate. The gas gauge does not operate. The odometer does not operate and is not tracking miles driven. The blinkers work but no blinker sound occurs. Head lights must be turned on and off manually. The radio must be turned off manually. I ran out of gas on the freeway and Highway Patrol had to close the freeway to remove me safely under quite dangerous conditions. There is no way to monitor my speed. The milage is not being reported to reflect the miles put on the engine.
Service brake light comes on. Can hardly push brake pedal down.
P0299. Engine power reduced [XXX] mileage 95617 Charged air cooler needs to be replaced. P0299 [XXX]. Mileage 96101. Turbocharger O.E. REPLACEMENT replace Turbocharger Assembly. P0299 [XXX] engine power reduced. P0299 [XXX] engine power reduced. Mileage 68340. Engine light goes on and off. The code P0299 is a code where my engine light comes on. Then after calling the dealership Miller Brothers Ellicott City, MD With my concerns that the light is on again but by the time I'm given a service appointment the engine light goes back out. I feel that this continues to happen with my vehicle several times while my car was covered by my extended warranty as well as my 100 thousand miles powertrain where in which my Turbocharger is not functioning correctly and should be made part of a recall of All Chevy equinox vehicle which have the 1.5 liter engine where the engine power reduced code P0299 APPEARS the goes out on its own knowingly Even though my car VIN is not part of a recall it remains a safety issue for myself as well as other Equinox owners. It's like I think I am having a heart attack today (reduced engine power) But My local Chevy dealerships want me to make and appointment. This needs to be replaced and repaired by the dealership at no cost. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while his fiancée was driving 15-20 MPH uphill, the vehicle jolted and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's fiancée was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact's fiancée was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the camshaft had fractured, causing the vacuum pump and the solenoid sensor to be fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided because the vehicle was out of Warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
The brakes in our 2018 chevy equinox have went out three times in the past month. First time the car was parked fully functioning the night before, woke up the next morning for work and there was no brakes. Replaced the vacuum pump and they worked good as new. Second time we are driving down a busy highway and had been for half an hour. 2 minutes from our destination at the ONLY turn we had to make the whole trip, the brakes all of a sudden went out. This could have easily resulted in a fatal crash. Again, the vacuum pump. Now were to today, the third time our brakes have failed and this time it came with the check engine light and “engine power reduced”. GM NEEDS TO RECALL.
So where do i begin. There are no leaks on my driveway but I have to add coolant every other day & then when I opened my hood it looks like there’s grease everywhere like over the bolts where the bottom & top meet. At time the car stalls it loses power or doesn’t even pick up power. It just drags. Sometimes a strong odor comes from the vents of the a/c & then it at times doesn’t blow cool air just flat air. Also six months after having the vehicle the 2 TPMS went out & when I took it back to dealer where i purchased it they basically told me that I didn’t even have any TPMS that the machine didn’t pick up any & now the display was showing all 4 empty & the TPMS icon constantly on the display. I found that odd & I didn’t know much about TPMS at the time. I was still bothered so I kept asking other people I would come in contact with being new to the state of Texas & they said the only way it would not come up on the machine would be as if they wouldn’t be inside as they were removed but again I drove in with just 2 marking on the display. Not a big deal. I did purchase the gold package of warranty with the vehicle but I have no idea how to use it. I’m not sure if they even did all the past recalls on this vehicle. I read one of them was a window & I too hear that as I drive
Due to mechanical error with the vacuum brake pump that has had millions of vehicles listed in the recall except for the Equinox, it caused $4,000 worth of damage to my vehicle and almost caused a crash on a highway in close proximity to an ambulance that was actively on an emergency run. I was on a major highway traveling at about 60 MPH. I was able to coast enough to wear I could safely get to the shoulder of the highway, take an exit ramp, and coast up the hill out of the way of the ambulance. I contacted GM and have yet to hear anything further back. This incident could have cause a catastrophic crash and further delayed medical treatment for whomever was needing the ambulance. After some research on the matter, I found that 3.4 million vehicles of GM were recalled after this exact issue had resulted in 113 accidents and 13 injuries. 2014-2018 model year Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra and GMC Yukon were all listed under the recall, but not the Equinox. After being forced to have the vehicle towed to a dealership, they confirmed that the vacuum brake pump seizing up is what caused the pedal to lock up and send metal into my engine, which has now cost me upwards of $4,000. General Motors failed to include the Equinox in this recalls and still refuses to do so. I fear this will happen, in time, to other owners of a Chevrolet Equinox. I am reaching out to all possible avenues for what my next options are and attempting to prevent this from happening to someone else. GM needs to be held responsible for this matter and issue a recall for the Equinox as well before something catastrophic happens if it hasn't all ready.
Vacuum pump coming apart internally making it virtually impossible to stop the car using the brakes. This was a known issue on other GM Models the vacuum pump failing caused damage to my camshaft and possibly to my engine.
There's a leak by the rear fuse box. Moisture and water gets on the fuses. My sunroof and sunshade have stopped working. I noticed the Julian date on my sunroof motor falls with in the date range that it needs to be replaced cause it could be a faulty one.
U1345- code for shutter malfunction in front of vehicle. Says water intrusion and has a fix of splicing the wires. Chevy will not cover although it has a fix.
2/20/24 while coming to a stop at a stop light in a busy intersection, the car completely died/shut down. Hazard lights could not be turned on. No lights in car, no error message. no lights at all. RPM gauges remained in the same position as when the vehicle died. I was able to put it in park. After about 5 minutes the car was able to be restarted. It was not clear why it finally restarted. I tried to push break, push start button and push hazards. There have been similar incidents in the past but this incident took much longer to be able to restart the car. Those incidents the RPM gauge dropped into the off position in those other situations. The hazard lights were at least able to be turned on and I still had lights in my dash. This is a dangerous engine error that can not be replicated for service personnel to demonstrate the problem.
While driving the right front intermediate driveshaft fractured and separate. Took it immediately to a repair shop and they said it rusted for the inside out.
The service brake assist light came on and the brakes stopped working properly while driving on the highway. The car gave no indication that anything was wrong prior to the brakes going out and the message engine limited to reduced speed. I had to use all the power in my body to slow the car down and once stopped it did not start again. At that point the light came on. Now they are saying the problem is the brake vaccum pump which has a recall for many vehicles including the year just not my particular vehicle. If someone was driving in front of me, I could have possibly had a serious accident.
Code P0299 Dash says engine power reduced, speed has been reduced, a long with power and gas consumption not good, smelling gas in oil, not sure if connected. Dealer says no recall but it is a design flaw from supercharger freezing up due to no protection from elements, out of pocket to fix design flaw $1100 not covered under warranty or recall
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in cold weather, the message "Caution. Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the charge air cooler was replaced, and the CAC shutter, the temperature control valve and the winter grill cover were installed. Additionally, the ECM was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: N222372590. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact’s girlfriend owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated the girlfriend's vehicle was parked and would not start. The contact utilized a Nickson Industries Engine Heater Oil Product, CAT' Engine Heater 90-Watt Dipstick Heater 24-inch, Part number 15200, to heat the engine oil. However, a part of the dipstick heater melted off into the oil pan. No warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local mechanic who dropped the oil pan and removed the fragment from the dipstick heater. A new battery was installed, and the vehicle was inspected. The contact sent fragments of the dipstick heater to the manufacturer, and it was confirmed as a manufacturing failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
On many occasions while driving at highway speeds the steering wheel sticks causing me to use extra force to move the wheel. It's bad enough on dry pavement but on wet or snow covered roads it's worst. I have spun out 2 times already even while being cautious, luckily no one was around at the time. This needs to be addressed. There have been a few times that the blind spot monitoring stayed lit when there was no car around as well as at times the light never came on while I was being passed
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the start of the vehicle was abnormal. The contact drove the vehicle out of the driveway and then into the garage. The contact stated an hour later while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact connected to a jump box to the battery and charged the battery for an hour. The contact attempted to start the vehicle, but the shift to park warning light remained illuminated. The contact purchased a new battery however, the vehicle failed to start. The battery was disconnected to prevent the battery from draining. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a voucher for the repair of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. The VIN was not available.
The vacuum pump that provides brake assist failed without any prior warning. This resulted in an inability to properly stop the vehicle. This could have resulted in serious injury or death, but we were fortunate that the failure occurred at night in an area where there was no traffic or pedestrians. This failure appears to be similar to a previous recall that affected slightly earlier model years of GM cars and trucks. The vacuum pump was replaced and corrected the problem.
Vacuum pump for brake booster failed. Lost braking power. Caused debris to be injected in to engine. Caused camshaft failure. Dealership confirmed, and inspected. Check Engine light and Reduced Engine Power message at time of failure. Slight rear brake pulsation 1/2 hour before. I thought it was just moisture/rust on the rotor as the car had been in the body shop for 2 months following a deer collision.
I have a 2018 Chevy Equinox. Was driving one day when the lights for service brake assist, park brake released, and traction control came on. The brake petal went extremely hard and was almost impossible to stop. Had the vaccum pump replaced. Drove for two-three weeks, same lights, brakes go hard off and on, vaccum pipe with sensor changed, only one week later same issues, another vacuum pump put on and oil changed due to metal from faulty pump in oil. We are now 900 dollars in repairs and no fix. Same issues over and over. GM is well aware of the issue with their faulty pumps and system but refuse to fix the issues and continue to put them in the vehicles which will lead to fatalities.
the vacumm pump grenaded and sent metal chunks into the camshaft knocking the reluctant wheel out of position causing the car to shut down and lose brakes and power steering. There were no prior engine codes or warning. multiple mechanics verified this and it is a known issue. Gm needs to deal with this and should put out a recall. such a new vehicle should not need motor work at 70k miles!!