CHEVROLET EQUINOX · model year

2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

482 NHTSA complaints, 20 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016CHEVROLETEQUINOX carries 482 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 20 crashes, 6 fires, 31 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 EQUINOX is engine with 194 filings, followed by visibility/wiper (111) and unknown or other (31). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2016 EQUINOX, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

482
Complaints
20
Crashes
6
Fires
31
Injuries
0
Deaths
2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

482 filings

Crashes Reported

20 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE194
VISIBILITY/WIPER111
UNKNOWN OR OTHER31
POWER TRAIN24
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM22
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM19
AIR BAGS12
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL8
STEERING7
STRUCTURE:BODY6
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)6
SERVICE BRAKES5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING5
WHEELS4
SUSPENSION3

Recalls (1)

16V44900021/06/2016

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles manufactured October 16, 2015. The certification labels may have incorrect tire/rim size and cold tire pressure information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Feder

Recent Complaints

20260206ENGINE

Transfer case and front differential failure. No warning lights came on beforehand

20260206WHEELS

Transfer case and front differential failure. No warning lights came on beforehand

20260206UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Transfer case and front differential failure. No warning lights came on beforehand

20260205FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle on a cold, snowy day, there was oil on the driveway. There was a fuel odor inside the vehicle, and the engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was related to the PCV system. The mechanic stated that the PCV valve was clogged, causing the gasket to fail. The vehicle was partially repaired. The mechanic later informed the contact that other repairs were necessary. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there were no recalls associated with the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage associated with the VIN for the repair. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

Mileage: 113,000

20260205ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle on a cold, snowy day, there was oil on the driveway. There was a fuel odor inside the vehicle, and the engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was related to the PCV system. The mechanic stated that the PCV valve was clogged, causing the gasket to fail. The vehicle was partially repaired. The mechanic later informed the contact that other repairs were necessary. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there were no recalls associated with the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage associated with the VIN for the repair. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

Mileage: 113,000

20260115ENGINE

I am writing to formally document a series of catastrophic mechanical failures regarding the aforementioned vehicle. Despite rigorous maintenance and significant financial investment, the car remains non-drivable, posing a severe safety risk. Chronology of Failures: October 2024: Four months post-purchase, the timing chain failed on I-94. Atwater Chevrolet replaced the component; however, this did not resolve the underlying engine instability. December 3, 2025: Following a dashboard warning light, a Northland Chevrolet dealer replaced the solenoids. At this time, the windshield wiper motor also required replacement. Late December 2025: Shortly after these repairs, the vehicle suffered a major failure of the rear main seal and engine block during sub-freezing temperatures. This caused a total loss of oil and left the driver stranded in hazardous conditions. Maintenance and Disclosure: We have invested over $4,000 in preventative maintenance, including oil changes every 2,800 miles

20260115VISIBILITY/WIPER

I am writing to formally document a series of catastrophic mechanical failures regarding the aforementioned vehicle. Despite rigorous maintenance and significant financial investment, the car remains non-drivable, posing a severe safety risk. Chronology of Failures: October 2024: Four months post-purchase, the timing chain failed on I-94. Atwater Chevrolet replaced the component; however, this did not resolve the underlying engine instability. December 3, 2025: Following a dashboard warning light, a Northland Chevrolet dealer replaced the solenoids. At this time, the windshield wiper motor also required replacement. Late December 2025: Shortly after these repairs, the vehicle suffered a major failure of the rear main seal and engine block during sub-freezing temperatures. This caused a total loss of oil and left the driver stranded in hazardous conditions. Maintenance and Disclosure: We have invested over $4,000 in preventative maintenance, including oil changes every 2,800 miles

20260105VISIBILITY/WIPER

The wiper blade motor is gone out. The tire pressure sensor is off : the oil seems to disappear faster than the sensor

20260105WHEELS

The wiper blade motor is gone out. The tire pressure sensor is off : the oil seems to disappear faster than the sensor

20260105ENGINE

The wiper blade motor is gone out. The tire pressure sensor is off : the oil seems to disappear faster than the sensor

20251229ENGINE

Clogged PCV caused engine pressure resulting in failure of rear main seal

20251225VISIBILITY/WIPER

While driving with windshield wipers on, they suddenly stopped working. The wipers were stuck in position in the center of my windshield. Upon inspection, it appeared that one of the arms had become disconnected from the piece it was connected to. Snapped right off during unsafe driving conditions.

20251220ENGINE

I just got this used car in seemingly great shape, was told it was garage kept and well cared for. Dealer had oil changed before I drove it off the lot. I only had it about one month, had driven about 1,000 miles so far, I check the oil, and dipstick was nearly dry. I threw oil in it and took it for an oil change just in case. No oil leaks, etc. No indication, no oil light, nothing to alert me to low oil level. I saw here on NHTSA that these cars burn through excessive amounts of oil, and I definitely saw that firsthand. I’m wondering why no recalls exist when this is a well-known issue with these cars, and so many of them are dead at 50-70k miles…? The last two cars I had (Ford Escapes), had over 218k or 185k miles and they were still drivable when I got a replacement vehicle. Now I buy this used Equinox with almost 70k miles and I’m wondering if it is going to break down within the first year. I expect I will be buying lots of oil and checking/changing it often. This is not jus

20251204ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that two weeks after the vehicle was purchased, while the vehicle was being serviced, the contact was informed that the engine was very low on oil. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an oil change was performed on the vehicle. Two weeks later, the contact took the vehicle back to be checked and was informed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. However, no cause for the failure was found. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact had to check the oil level weekly. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Mileage: 100,000

20251107CrashENGINE

This car used so much oil that I had to put it in constantly. Eventually the time belt broke, and the car stopped because it literally had no oil in it causing the engine to blow. This is a known problem I found out later on.

20251107CrashLANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

This car used so much oil that I had to put it in constantly. Eventually the time belt broke, and the car stopped because it literally had no oil in it causing the engine to blow. This is a known problem I found out later on.

20251002AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The warning light remained illuminated constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the weight sensor on the front passenger’s seat had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

20250929VISIBILITY/WIPER

When I was driving home from the grocery store a very heavy thunderstorm started I turned my wipers off because of the sudden rain just to realize that they were not working. I had to pull over because I couldn’t see. Causing me to almost get rear ended with my 6 month old, 18 month old and 6 year old I was finally able to start driving 45 minutes later when the rain stopped. This was a very dangerous incident that happened that could have ended in a car catch INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250922ENGINE

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle vibrated and idled abnormally. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle jumped unintendedly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the timing chain had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The independent mechanic advised the contact not to drive the vehicle. The failure became a recurring failure, and the contact parked the vehicle, and the vehicle was no longer driven due to safety concerns. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

Mileage: 78,000

20250918ENGINE

The high pressure fuel pump leaking into crankcase and leaking gasket the fuel in the oil was so much it lit on fire.

Compare 2016CHEVROLETEQUINOX to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX have?
The 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX has 482 NHTSA complaints, 20 crashes, 6 fires, 31 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX?
The 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX?
Yes, the 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX?
The most-complained component for the 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX is ENGINE with 194 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY/WIPER and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.