Chevrolet Equinox Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Chevrolet Equinox model year from 2005 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 12,639 federal complaints, 31 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2005–2007, 2010–2013, 2015. These years top the Equinox's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2009, 2021 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Engine tops the Chevrolet Equinox file with 3,171 complaints, concentrated in the 2010–2015 model years, most often reported around 83,807 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Too early to call | 104 | 1 | Driver assistance | 8 |
| 2025 | Too early to call | 338 | 0 | Electrical | 27 |
| 2024 | Too early to call | 121 | 1 | Fuel system | 11 |
| 2023 | Typical | 130 | 3 | Fuel system | 12 |
| 2022 | Typical | 218 | 5 | Fuel system | 22 |
| 2021 | Better year | 124 | 4 | Electrical | 11 |
| 2020 | Below average | 483 | 4 | Brakes & stability | 45 |
| 2019 | Below average | 415 | 4 | Engine | 36 |
| 2018 | Below average | 580 | 5 | Brakes & stability | 51 |
| 2017 | Typical | 370 | 0 | Engine | 34 |
| 2016 | Below average | 490 | 1 | Engine | 43 |
| 2015 | Avoid | 845 | 2 | Visibility & wipers | 70 |
| 2014 | Below average | 697 | 1 | Engine | 58 |
| 2013 | Avoid | 988 | 2 | Engine | 78 |
| 2012 | Avoid | 943 | 3 | Engine | 73 |
| 2011 | Avoid | 1,139 | 3 | Engine | 100 |
| 2010 | Avoid | 1,118 | 3 | Engine | 89 |
| 2009 | Better year | 151 | 0 | Electrical | 13 |
| 2008 | Below average | 535 | 0 | Airbags | 45 |
| 2007 | Avoid | 950 | 4 | Fuel system | 74 |
| 2006 | Avoid | 950 | 0 | Visibility & wipers | 76 |
| 2005 | Avoid | 950 | 1 | Electrical | 96 |
Questions buyers ask
What Chevrolet Equinox years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2005–2007, 2010–2013, 2015 as the Chevrolet Equinox years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Chevrolet Equinox problem?
Engine tops the Chevrolet Equinox file with 3,171 complaints, concentrated in the 2010–2015 model years, most often reported around 83,807 miles.
What are the best Chevrolet Equinox years to buy used?
The quietest Chevrolet Equinox years in federal records are 2009, 2021 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Chevrolet Equinox only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.