2023 Chevrolet Equinox
The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Equinox FWD, is EPA-rated at 28 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 99 complaints, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS | Gas | FWD | — | 175 hp | 203 lb-ft | 29.9 cu-ft | 17 in |
| LS | Gas | AWD | — | 175 hp | 203 lb-ft | 29.9 cu-ft | 17 in |
| LT | Gas | FWD | — | 175 hp | 203 lb-ft | 29.9 cu-ft | 17 in |
| LT | Gas | AWD | — | 175 hp | 203 lb-ft | 29.9 cu-ft | 17 in |
| RS | Gas | FWD | — | 175 hp | 203 lb-ft | 29.9 cu-ft | 19 in |
| RS | Gas | AWD | — | 175 hp | 203 lb-ft | 29.9 cu-ft | 19 in |
| Premier | Gas | FWD | — | 175 hp | 203 lb-ft | 29.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Premier | Gas | AWD | — | 175 hp | 203 lb-ft | 29.9 cu-ft | 18 in |
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equinox FWD | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 26 | 31 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Equinox AWD | Gas | AWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 24 | 30 | 26 | $2,600 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 45823, 45827.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equinox AWD, Equinox FWD | 7 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30 | All 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.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2023 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 (3)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseAir Bags
N222388911Seats
N222377890These 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 2023 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.
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 2023 Chevrolet Equinox, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2023 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 database5 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported
6.6 per 10,000 built · Chevrolet reported 149,974 Equinox built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2023: 26 · 2024: 26 · 2025: 18 · 2026: 29
Most-cited components
In depth: 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.
Total loss of brakes. Pedal went to floor on down hill grade. Got vehicle stopped. 8600 miles on vehicle. We are waiting for back ordered part. A month wait till available
Traveling 75 mph on a 3-lane highway when the car jerked (as if it was downshifted), started to rattle, and then ultimately a CE came on with the "Engine Power Reduced" warning on the dash. After a few close calls trying to merge over to the breakdown lane, I was able to rest safely and call for a tow.
Vehicle doesn't start all the time. Also has shut down when driving.everything shuts down.then it will start back up in about a minute or two. Had it at dealer and the can't find any problems or codes
Front impact crash with two deer, rear seatbelt came unlatched causing car seat to fly into the front seat and the front seat belt did not lock nor did the airbags go off. No sensors alerted
When flat towing behind a motorhome, per manual instructions, going on or off a highway ramp....cloverleaf, the tires will squeal like they are dragging. This does not occur every time, however 75% of the time it does. A very loud screeching, dragging or braking, pulling the motorhome down from 35mph or 40mph to 10mph.
We bought a 2023 Chevy Equinox AWD specifically because it said it can be flat towed behind an RV. When towing it, we have noticed that when going around certain turns such as a cloverleaf on or off ramp, as you are in the turn, the tires start screeching loudly, you can smell burning rubber, and the RV feels like it's being tugged on by…
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: 28 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 34 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 19 per 100,000 built. Every Equinox model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · GM warranty extension 22-NA-244This warranty administration service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.
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 →
Most often about: Unknown Or Other, Electrical System, Engine, Equipment, Power Train.
- PIC6626B Service bulletin2026-10-16 · Unknown Or Other
- PI created to guide technicians through radio restriction process
- PIT6457C Service bulletin2026-09-28 · Unknown Or Other
- This preliminary information is for technicians that may see DTCs that are history and should not perform any part replacements. They should follow the notes mentioned prior to anything being replaced.
- PIC6540K Service bulletin2026-09-28 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealers a procedure to reset the radio.
- PIT5698F Service bulletin2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- N262558690-02 Service campaign2026-09-23 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- General Motors has decided to conduct a Voluntary Emission Recall. Certain vehicles may have a condition which can cause the fuel pump power control module to fail. If this were to occur, fuel flow to the engine could be interrupted. Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module.
- N262558690 Service campaign2026-09-16 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- General Motors has decided to conduct a Voluntary Emission Recall. Certain vehicles may have a condition which can cause the fuel pump power control module to fail. If this were to occur, fuel flow to the engine could be interrupted. Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module.
- PIP4902W Service bulletin2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- PIC6551C Service bulletin2026-08-20 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
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 complaintsCodes 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.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0299 P0299 on Chevrolet → | The turbocharger or supercharger is not making the boost the computer asked for. | Structure | 13 bulletins |
| P023F P023F on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 7 bulletins |
| P0300 P0300 on Chevrolet → | Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder. | Structure · Ignition coils → | 7 bulletins |
| P129F P129F on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 7 bulletins |
| P2227 P2227 on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Structure | 7 bulletins |
| P0089 P0089 on Chevrolet → | The fuel pressure regulator is not holding the pressure it was told to. | Fuel/Propulsion System · Fuel pump → | 2 bulletins · 4 owner reports |
| P0237 | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 6 bulletins |
| P228C P228C on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Fuel/Propulsion System · Fuel pump → | 2 bulletins · 3 owner reports |
| B3924 B3924 on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 4 bulletins |
| B3925 B3925 on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 4 bulletins |
| B3926 B3926 on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 4 bulletins |
| B3927 B3927 on Chevrolet → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 4 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 DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox failed the emissions check on 2.0% of first inspections — higher than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.2% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%).
failed emissions
6,472 initial inspections of 6,390 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2023 Equinox | Every 2023 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 2.0% | 1.6% | 6,462 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 1.2% | 1.1% | 6,472 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.26% | 0.16% | 6,472 |
| Miles driven a year | 10,545 | 10,038 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 34,703 | 32,673 | odometer 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 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 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).
Compare the 2023 Equinox with
Any vehicle, your weights →| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime · Compact SUV · grade B | RAV4 Prime +5.5 |
Equinox by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2023 Equinox
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2023 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 2023 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA gave the 2023 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 (79/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox?
Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 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 do owners complain about on the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox, most often about fuel/propulsion system, engine, unspecified. Of those, 5 involved a crash, 3 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 2023 Chevrolet Equinox?
The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox is 7 out of 10. 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, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox?
The manufacturer has filed 475 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox, most often covering unknown or other, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-10-16. 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 2023 Chevrolet Equinox do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox failed the emissions check on 2.0% of first inspections — higher than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.2% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). 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.
Is the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox better than the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime?
The Toyota RAV4 Prime edges it, 92.4 to 86.9, on fuel & range, space & cargo. The Chevrolet Equinox is ahead on performance and safety. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox against the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.
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.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 2 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 2 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 3 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 99 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 475 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No 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 NHTSA | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 8 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from. |
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.
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. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.