YearToAvoid

2019 Chevrolet Equinox Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

33/100

#11 most-complained of 16 Equinox years

The 2019 Chevrolet Equinox has 301 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 33, and ranks 11th worst of 16 model years, earning a "Good" rating relative to other Equinox years. Engine problems dominate at 37% of complaints, with 4 recalls on record.

Complaints
301
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
22 / 7
Injuries / deaths
9 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
27.5
25.5 city / 31 hwy

Top 2019 Chevrolet Equinox problems

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

  1. Engine111 (37%)
  2. Brakes83 (28%)
  3. Electrical System47 (16%)
  4. Fuel System45 (15%)
  5. Other39 (13%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain36 (12%)
  7. Airbags11 (4%)
  8. Collision Avoidance & Cameras9 (3%)
  9. Steering9 (3%)
  10. Structure & Body8 (3%)

What owners report

  • Engine compartment fires reported both while parked and while driving, in some cases consuming the engine bay before being extinguished.
  • Sudden unintended acceleration reported while parking or creeping forward with the brake applied, leading to collisions.
  • Backfiring and reduced-power warnings tied to turbo failure, recurring multiple times before diagnosis.
  • Side airbags reported to deploy and catch fire during a crash, causing burns.
  • Brake system reported to emit burnt odor and smoke into the cabin along with a check engine light.
  • A wheel reportedly separated from the axle while cornering, with the tire remaining intact.
2019 Chevrolet Equinox complaints: complaints filed per quarter252018 Q32019 Q42021 Q12022 Q22023 Q32024 Q42026 Q1
414 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2019 Q3 (25).

2019 Chevrolet Equinox recalls

4 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 19V667000Sep 19, 2019Fuel System301 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  3. NHTSA 19V184000Mar 7, 2019Structure & Body120 vehicles

    Seats

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The rear-right seat may have insufficient welds on the head-restraint bracket.

    Risk: In the event of a crash, the insufficient welds may result in an increased risk of injury for an occupant seated in the rear-right position.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-right seatback frame, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. 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 N192209550.

See all 4 recalls for the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox →

2019 Chevrolet Equinox fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25.5 MPG
Highway
31 MPG
Combined
27.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,950
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
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.

2019 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
2017Best20273023
2018Caution60408527
2019Good33301427.5
2020Good47308426
2021Best094427.5

All Chevrolet Equinox years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?
Relative to other Equinox model years, the 2019 is rated "Good" with a complaint index of 33 and ranks 11th worst out of 16 years tracked, meaning most other years have more owner complaints per vehicle.
What is the biggest problem with the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox?
Engine issues are the top complaint area, accounting for 37% of the 301 complaints filed, with a median failure mileage of 4,785 miles and 3 reported fires.
Does the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2019 Equinox, covering the transmission/powertrain start-stop accumulator, a fuel tank seam leak on all-wheel-drive models, a rear seat weld issue, and a brake system bleed procedure.
How does the 2019 Equinox compare to other Equinox years to avoid?
The 2019 Equinox (complaint index 33) performs much better than the worst years like 2011 (index 93) and 2010 (index 87), which are both rated "Avoid".
Are there engine fires reported in the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA data shows 7 fire-related complaints for the 2019 Equinox, with several tied to the Engine problem area, which also recorded 3 fires among 111 complaints.

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.