NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 308 owner complaints for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox.
4Safety recalls
308Owner complaints
20Complaints citing a crash
7Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: child seats, powertrain, brakes, and fuel system. Most-reported area: brakes (107 complaints, 35%; median mileage when it happened: 55,000). Excludes the Equinox EV.
4 safety recalls for the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Child seats
May 11, 2023
vehicle latch anchor
Fails federal standard 225 (child seat anchorages)
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign N232403240.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
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.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign N202313440.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign N192270920.
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.
The fix and full notice
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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Equinox all-wheel drive vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EQUINOX. Chevrolet campaign N192271870.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 308 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Equinox. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Brakes107 · 35%
Most named: power assist, vacuum (3) · Median 55,000 miles at failure (23 reports)
Engine89 · 29%
Median 29,200 miles at failure (21 reports)
Fuel and propulsion system50 · 16%
Electrical system41 · 13%
Powertrain39 · 13%
Speed control15 · 5%
Forward collision avoidance14 · 5%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (9); adaptive cruise control (4)
Unknown or other43 · 14%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Chevrolet Equinox recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2020 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Equinox drew the most (146) and the 2020 drew 90.
Owner complaints
2020: 308 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Equinox
Model year
Complaints
2016
396
2017
273
2018
408
2019
301
2020
308
2021
94
2022
174
2023
95
2024
79
2025
227
2026
71
Safety recalls
2020: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Equinox
Model year
Recalls
2016
1
2017
0
2018
5
2019
4
2020
4
2021
4
2022
5
2023
3
2024
1
2025
0
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Chevrolet Equinox SUV AWD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Chevrolet Equinox SUV FWD
Rollover risk 16.4%
Questions
What are the most common 2020 Equinox problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: brakes (107), engine (89), fuel and propulsion system (50). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Equinox has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: EQUINOX.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.