⌘K
Find a vehicle
RecallsCompareNewsPricing
Your vehicle
VIN decoderWindow stickerProblems by systemTitle brands
Federal filings
Service bulletinsOwner complaintsInvestigationsEarly Warning reportsWarranty extensionsDriver-assist crashesTrouble codes
Browse the record
GuidesRankingsAll makesQuarterly reportsWhat is in the data
Paperwork
Repair Claim KitCar CheckFor attorneysFor expert witnessesFor repair shopsRecall disclosure formRecall fix sheets
Tools and data
Recall WatchFleet VIN checkCost calculatorsCar crosswordAPI & data
Sign inGarage
Your vehicleHome›Chevrolet›Equinox› 2020
Chevrolet · Compact SUV

2020 Chevrolet Equinox

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
75 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 4
Complaints21 crash · 7 fire · 12 injured · 1 died reported 318
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 28 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2020 Chevrolet Equinox is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Equinox FWD, is EPA-rated at 28 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 318 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Chevrolet Equinox — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Chevrolet Equinox · Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Equinox FWDGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo263128$2,400
Equinox AWDGasAWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo253027$2,500
Equinox FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222925$3,300
Equinox AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222824$3,400

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41499, 41504, 41500, 41505.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Equinox AWD, Equinox FWD7 / 10California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—
Equinox AWD, Equinox FWD5 / 10California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body styleSport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors4
GVWR classClass 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders4
Displacement1.5 L
Engine configurationIn-Line

Fuel Economy

FuelGasoline

Seating

Seat rows2
Seating capacity5 seats

Transmission

DrivetrainFWD/Front-Wheel Drive
TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission speeds6

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: LS, LT (1LT), Premier (1LZ), Premier (2LZ)). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length183.1 in
Width (body, without mirrors)72.4 in
Height65.4 in
Wheelbase107.5 in
Track, front62.2 in
Track, rear62.2 in
Curb weight3,274–3,609 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear57/43 to 58/42

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 4-door SUV 1.5L AWD, 4-door SUV 1.5L FWD, 4-door SUV 2.0L AWD, 4-door SUV 2.0L FWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

Also on file Beside the 2020 Equinox
Other years The 2027 Equinox Recalls Chevrolet recalls
Advertisement

Factory warranty running out?

The 2020 Chevrolet Equinox is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Child Seat

N232403240
668,187 vehicles 84% reported repaired
Problem General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems." Risk The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. Fix Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232403240.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 23V339000 reported May 11, 2023 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Power Train

N202313440
194,105 vehicles 82% reported repaired
Problem 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 Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts. Risk Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire. Fix GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
NHTSA campaign 20V668000 reported Oct 29, 2020 General Motors LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

N192270920
166 vehicles 99% reported repaired built Jul 29, 2019 – Jul 31, 2019
Problem General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. The rear brake calipers may have been produced with an incorrect lubricant, potentially causing the rubber seals to swell and the brakes to drag. Risk Brake drag may result in overheating of the brake pads, affecting the braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash. Fix GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear brake calipers, including the brake hose gasket, brake fluid and wheel to hub lubricant, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192270920.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 19V704000 reported Oct 3, 2019 General Motors LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

N192271870
301 vehicles 87% reported repaired built Sep 7, 2018 – Jul 29, 2019
Problem 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 seam, possibly allowing fuel to leak along the seam near the fuel inlet. Risk A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire. Fix GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N192271870.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 19V667000 reported Sep 19, 2019 General Motors LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Equinox

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2020 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Chevrolet publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Chevrolet’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Advertisement

Parts & accessories for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this Equinox →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
318complaints filed

21 involved a crash · 7 a fire · 12 injuries · 1 deaths reported

9.0 per 10,000 built · Chevrolet reported 351,803 Equinox built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2019: 5 · 2020: 29 · 2021: 29 · 2022: 27 · 2023: 40 · 2024: 54 · 2025: 61 · 2026: 73

Most-cited components

Service Brakes → 115
Engine → 102
Fuel/Propulsion System → 58
Electrical System 44
Unspecified 44
Power Train 40

In depth: brake problems → · engine problems → · fuel system problems →

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Turning right after a yield and took a loop (highway) my vehicle crashed another vehicle from behind, but my vehicle supposed to have an auto warning or alert sign that I should have noticed, a beep that supposed to alert me that the other vehicle was so close even the switch was at the on mode
Service Brakes Oct 22, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11365671
Received this notice on 9/23/2020 with less that 400 miles driven, booked appointment with service and had battery replaced under warranty because of 1.5 hour required test determined it was bad. Today, 9/30/2020 with less that 50 additional miles driven, I received the message again. Message received from onstar is as follows.
Electrical System at 389 miles Sep 30, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11361969
When accelerating the car begins to shake and shimmy noticeably beginning around 35 or 40 MPH. This shaking is felt in the seat as well as the steering wheel. The vibration continues until the acceleration is halted. This shaking feels like it is coming from the transmission or drive shaft. It seems to be getting worse too.
Power Train at 3,650 miles Sep 18, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11359761
I was pulling up to a family member's car port, behind their car. The car port has a grass portion leading up to the gravel section where they park their car. I pulled in slowly when my 2020 Equinox suddenly accelerated! I was on the brake, but the vehicle kept accelerating causing it to run into the back of the family member's car.
Vehicle Speed Control at 1,656 miles Jun 10, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11328227
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the lane departure assist feature displayed on the instrument panel that the contact was outside of the intended lane, despite the contact being within the lane.
Electronic Stability Control May 8, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11323889
This complaint is not the result of an accident, but to prevent one from happening and possible taking lives of people. The keep lane assist (LKA) is dangerous in that if you are depending on it.
Engine Jan 29, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11302773

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Chevrolet itself: 89 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 killed, 130 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 25 per 100,000 built. Every Equinox model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 19k

miles, typically

Half the 80 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 4,000 and 72,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

under 10k 31
10k–20k 10
20k–30k 4
30k–40k 5
40k–50k 1
50k–60k 4
60k–70k 2
70k–80k 4
80k–90k 3
90k–100k 5
100k–150k 10
150k + 1

Median mileage by component

ComponentReportsMedian milesVs same age
Engine2751,0001.02×
Service Brakes2371,0009.34×
Power Train1411,3990.28×

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2020-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Here, owners reported earlier than same-age vehicles: power train (0.28×); later: service brakes (9.34×). Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

Across 2018–2022 model years the Chevrolet Equinox ranks 34 of 79 nameplates in the odometer-at-first-complaint study: owners reported problems at 0.88× the mileage of vehicles the same age (median 19,000 miles against a fleet 23,512).

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆18%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 854
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-26
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 849 service bulletins, 3 service campaigns, 1 warranty extension

Most often about: Equipment, Engine, Electrical System, Power Train, Unknown Or Other.

  • PIT5698F Service bulletin
    2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
  • This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
  • PIP4902W Service bulletin
    2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
  • This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
  • PIT5099J Service bulletin
    2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
  • PI to help diagnose A/C concern
  • PIT3271Q Service bulletin
    2026-04-01 · Unknown Or Other
  • This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
  • PIT5992B Service bulletin
    2026-03-27 · Unknown Or Other
  • This preliminary information discusses a condition that may arise from the drivers window switch sending an errant message causing the vehicle to enter manual fob learn mode.
  • PIP6104 Service bulletin
    2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
  • This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
  • PIP4902V Service bulletin
    2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
  • This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
  • PIT6425D Service bulletin
    2026-03-02 · Unknown Or Other
  • This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC'ss

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
P0299
P0299 on Chevrolet →		The turbocharger or supercharger is not making the boost the computer asked for.Engine26 bulletins · 1 owner report
P0300
P0300 on Chevrolet →		Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder.Engine · Ignition coils →21 bulletins
P12A6
P12A6 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine19 bulletins
P1101
P1101 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine16 bulletins · 1 owner report
P2227
P2227 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Structure14 bulletins
P0172
P0172 on Chevrolet →		The engine is running rich on bank 1: too much fuel for the air going in.Engine · Oxygen sensor →10 bulletins
P0101
P0101 on Chevrolet →		The mass air flow sensor is reporting a figure the engine computer does not believe for the conditions.Engine · Mass air flow sensor →9 bulletins
P0506
P0506 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine · Throttle body →9 bulletins
B3925
B3925 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine6 bulletins
B3926
B3926 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine6 bulletins
B3927
B3927 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine6 bulletins
C0010
C0010 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Service Brakes · Brake pads →6 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox failed the emissions check on 2.1% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.8% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%).

New York inspections 2.1%

failed emissions

16,499 initial inspections of 16,164 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2020 EquinoxEvery 2020 vehicleBehind it
Failed the emissions check2.1%2.2%16,474
Failed the safety inspection1.8%1.6%16,499
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.13%0.19%16,499
Miles driven a year10,3439,980odometer at inspection
Average odometer64,85662,630odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Equinox by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2027 A 0 1 319 mi2026 B 3 86 319 mi2025 C 6 401 319 mi2024 B 2 190 319 mi2023 C 3 99 28 mpg2022 D 6 186 28 mpg2021 C 4 100 28 mpg2020 this page C 4 318 28 mpg2019 C 4 306 32 mpg2018 C 5 410 32 mpg2017 A 0 276 25 mpg2016 A 1 399 26 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 Equinox

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The most serious on file is 23V339000, covering Child Seat. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?

NHTSA gave the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (75/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?

Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, the best EPA combined figure is 28 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?

Transport Canada measured it at 183.1 in long, 72.4 in wide (body, without mirrors), 65.4 in tall, on a 107.5 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,274–3,609 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?

Owners have filed 318 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, most often about service brakes, engine, fuel/propulsion system. Of those, 21 involved a crash, 7 a fire, 12 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox runs 5 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?

The manufacturer has filed 854 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, most often covering equipment, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox failed the emissions check on 2.1% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.8% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations4 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates4 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls4NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints318NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings2 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins854NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA12 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions7 fieldsTransport Canada, Canadian Vehicle SpecificationsLength, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Other years The 2027 Equinox The Equinox model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Recalls Every Chevrolet recall on file All campaigns filed against Chevrolet vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this Equinox by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API