YearToAvoid

2018 Chevrolet Equinox Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

60/100

#7 most-complained of 16 Equinox years

The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox has 408 NHTSA complaints and a Complaint Index of 60, ranking 7th worst of 16 model years with a Caution verdict. Brakes are the top problem area (139 complaints, 34% share), backed by 5 recalls.

Complaints
408
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
23 / 4
Injuries / deaths
30 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
27
25 city / 31 hwy

Top 2018 Chevrolet Equinox problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Brakes139 (34%)
  2. Engine104 (25%)
  3. Electrical System67 (16%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain66 (16%)
  5. Other57 (14%)
  6. Fuel System41 (10%)
  7. Structure & Body23 (6%)
  8. Collision Avoidance & Cameras16 (4%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires16 (4%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers16 (4%)

What owners report

  • Brake pedal reportedly travels to the floor or locks up hard without stopping the vehicle, sometimes leading to collisions.
  • Vehicles parked in gear without the parking brake engaged have reportedly rolled away on their own and hit other vehicles or objects.
  • Side or driver airbags reportedly failed to deploy during moderate-speed collisions, or smoke came from the airbag area.
  • A front wheel rim reportedly detached at highway speed, causing the vehicle to drop and roll multiple times.
  • Owners reported the engine bay smoking and catching fire while driving, with a burned-plastic smell before flames appeared.
  • Electrical issues reportedly led to fires, in one case starting under the hood while the vehicle was in motion.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox complaints: complaints filed per quarter362017 Q22018 Q32019 Q42021 Q12022 Q22023 Q32024 Q42026 Q1
586 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2017 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2026 Q1 (36).

2018 Chevrolet Equinox recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 20V668000Oct 29, 2020Transmission & Powertrain194,105 vehicles

    Power train:automatic transmission

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  2. NHTSA 18V576000Aug 30, 2018Brakes210,628 vehicles

    Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

    Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

  3. NHTSA 18V358000May 31, 2018Fuel System895 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.

    Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.

See all 5 recalls for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox →

2018 Chevrolet Equinox fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25 MPG
Highway
31 MPG
Combined
27 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,950
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2018 compared with other Equinox years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2016Good40396123
2017Best20273023
2018Caution60408527
2019Good33301427.5
2020Good47308426

All Chevrolet Equinox years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2018 Equinox a Complaint Index of 60 and a Caution verdict, ranking 7th worst among 16 model years. It has more reported problems than the 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 model years.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
Brakes lead with 139 complaints (34% share) and a median failure mileage of 64,000 miles, followed by engine issues (104 complaints) and electrical system issues (67 complaints).
Does the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2018 Equinox covering transmission, brakes, fuel system, structure/body window glass, and a driveshaft that could fracture. None are do-not-drive recalls.
Should I avoid the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
Compared to other Equinox model years, 2018 carries a Caution verdict rather than Avoid, but its Complaint Index of 60 is higher than the 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 model years.
How many people were hurt due to 2018 Equinox problems?
NHTSA data shows 23 crashes, 4 fires, 30 injuries, and 1 death reported for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.