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2020 Chevrolet Equinox

Gas Compact SUV

202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratingsCompare
F
Safety Signal
54 / 100
FSafety Signal · 54 / 100
4Recalls · 2 critical
304Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
28 mpgFuel economy · best combined

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, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 304 complaints, most often about service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Equinox FWDGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo263128$2,250
Equinox AWDGasAWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo253027$2,300
Equinox FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222925$3,100
Equinox AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222824$3,250

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

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Recalls (4)

Child Seat

high
668,187 vehicles

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.

NHTSA campaign 23V339000 · reported May 11, 2023 · General Motors, LLC

Power Train

critical
194,105 vehicles

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

high
166 vehicles

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.

NHTSA campaign 19V704000 · reported Oct 3, 2019 · General Motors LLC

Fuel System, Gasoline

critical
301 vehicles

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.

NHTSA campaign 19V667000 · reported Sep 19, 2019 · General Motors LLC

Owner complaints

304 complaints filed

20 involved a crash, 7 a fire, 12 injuries, 1 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2019: 5 · 2020: 29 · 2021: 29 · 2022: 27 · 2023: 40 · 2024: 54 · 2025: 61 · 2026: 59

Most-cited components

  • Service Brakes — 96
  • Engine — 85
  • Fuel/Propulsion System — 50
  • Unknown Or Other — 43
  • Electrical System — 41
“WHENEVER I BACKUP I HEAR A SQUEAL NOISE WHEN I PUT MY BRAKE ON TO PUT IT IN DRIVE. I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW AND IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A MONTH NOW.”Feb 27, 2020 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“RECEIVED "SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST" ON CAR DASHBOARD. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD. WENT TO 3 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, THE 1ST 2 WOULD NOT PROVIDER A LOANER VEHICLE TO ME WHILE CAR WAS BEING REPAIRED. NOTE THE CAR WAS PURCHASE ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND HAS 1200 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD THA…”Feb 24, 2020 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE EXCESSIVELY. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JIM TRENARY CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 501 AUTO MALL DR, O'FALLON, MO 633…”Feb 7, 2020 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report

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.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆18%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

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

Compare the 2020 Equinox with

2020 Toyota RAV42020 Tesla Model Y2020 Honda CR-V2020 Nissan Rogue2020 Hyundai Tucson2020 Toyota Highlander

Other Equinox model years

A

2027 Equinox

0 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2026 Equinox

3 recalls · 80 complaints

D

2025 Equinox

6 recalls · 384 complaints

B

2024 Equinox

2 recalls · 182 complaints

C

2023 Equinox

3 recalls · 95 complaints

D

2022 Equinox

5 recalls · 165 complaints

D

2021 Equinox

4 recalls · 91 complaints

F

2019 Equinox

4 recalls · 301 complaints

F

2018 Equinox

5 recalls · 403 complaints

A

2017 Equinox

0 recalls · 272 complaints

A

2016 Equinox

1 recalls · 395 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 41499, 41504, 41500, 41505). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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