The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 30 MPH with the contact seated in the front passenger seat, the contact attempted to open the retractable sunroof shade cover, which retracted only 6 inches. After several attempts, an abnormal loud sound was heard, and the shade cover detached, hanging down and obstructing rear-view visibility. The manufacturer General Motors was notified of the failure via telephone and referred the contact to a dealer and to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 30,115.
The worst 2018 Chevrolet Equinox problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes133
- Engine94
- Transmission66
- Electrical61
- Fuel system41
- Driver assistance25
- Visibility18
- Body17
- Airbags15
- Steering15
- Wheels13
- Acceleration11
- Seat belts7
- Seats7
- Lights6
- Tires3
Specific symptoms reported on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Check engine light 55Brake failure 23Loss of power 18Stalling 17Jerking 13Won't shift 13Won't start 12Engine failure 9Fuel smell 9Hesitation 8Start-stop 8ABS 7Backup camera 7Fuel leak 7Fuel pump 7Spongy pedal 7Door locks 6Fire or smoke 6Slipping 6Fuel gauge 5Harsh shifting 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox mention
P0299 4P0017 3
Recalls 5
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 20V668000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 18V576000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 18V358000 · Recall details
Structure: emergency: escape/egress/exit
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. The driver and front passenger door window glass may not be properly tempered. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 205, "Glazing Materials."
- Risk
- If the glass is not tempered properly, and the window is broken, the glass can break into large pieces, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the glass in the front doors, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 18136.
Recall number 18V252000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
- Risk
- If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
Recall number 17V516000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 1,338
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories
- Unknown or other
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- Unknown or other
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
2018 Chevrolet Equinox fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4‑cyl Diesel | FWD | 28 | 39 | 32 |
| 1.6L 4‑cyl Diesel | AWD | 28 | 38 | 32 |
| 1.5L 4‑cyl | FWD | 26 | 32 | 28 |
| 1.5L 4‑cyl | AWD | 24 | 30 | 26 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 22 | 29 | 25 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | AWD | 22 | 28 | 24 |
What 2018 Chevrolet Equinox owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
start-stop accumulator is leaking fluid on transmission. Fluid coming from bolts and gasket area.
Complete and sudden failure of Transmission involving the clutches (clutches are burned up inside the transmission). No warning or dash lights. Confirmed by mechanic and the solution is transmission replacement ($10,000). Car would not accelerate and began losing power on highway. After I exited the highway, the car would not engage gears and stopped accelerating resulting in having to push it out of the roadway and get it towed to my mechanic for diagnostic.
Chevrolet 2018 Equinox with 2.0L has a fail for no OBD communication. The vehicle was take to two separate Smog Local State Inspections; however, the vehicle failed to communicate with the system. I believe from looking at previous complaints on the federal safety agency that the vehicle has a module with defects and needs to be replaced. Vehicle has 49,000 miles. Previous complaint states that the local dealer was contacted; however, Product Emission Recall: N202298780; repair was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.
My 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 1.5L developed an active gasoline leak. After the vehicle is cranked/started, gasoline begins leaking from underneath the front/engine area and forms a visible puddle on the ground. Prior to discovering the leak, the vehicle had intermittent hard-starting symptoms where the engine would crank/stutter several times before starting, along with a strong gasoline odor. The exact failed component has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or repair facility. I stopped driving the vehicle because leaking gasoline near the engine/electrical components creates a serious fire and safety risk. The vehicle is available for inspection. Chevrolet advised me that there are currently no open recalls or programs associated with my VIN. I am reporting this condition to the federal safety agency because of the severity of the fuel leak and potential fire hazard.
Unknown 2018 chevy equinox is known that the radio goes out, even after reset or hard reset (disconnect battery) the screen is black no sounds or music plays and the biggest safety related is no reverse camera
On approximately 09/04/2026, while driving my vehicle and slowing to a stop, I applied the brake pedal and it suddenly became extremely hard to depress. At approximately the same time, the steering became very stiff and difficult to turn. I believed I had lost normal braking ability and had difficulty controlling the vehicle while attempting to stop. The engine then shut off on its own. After the vehicle stopped, attempts to restart it were unsuccessful. The engine would crank/attempt to start but would not complete the ignition cycle and remain running. A ticking noise was also present. The vehicle remains available for inspection and is being towed to a local GM dealership for diagnosis. The specific component responsible for the failure is currently UNKNOWN. The vehicle previously generated diagnostic code P050F in January 2026. Following the 09/04/2026 failure, diagnostic code P0017 was identified. I did not receive P0017 prior to this incident. I did not observe an overheating warning or temperature-gauge indication showing that the engine was overheating before the vehicle shut down. The incident created a safety risk because the brake pedal became extremely hard to depress and the steering became difficult to operate while the vehicle was in motion, significantly affecting my ability to slow and control the vehicle. There was no collision or injury. As of the date of this complaint, the cause has not yet been confirmed by a dealer, independent service center, manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. The vehicle is being taken to a GM dealership for diagnostic inspection. I can provide the vehicle and subsequent diagnostic/repair documentation for inspection upon request.
Back wiper stopped working while it was on. Wiper arm is stuck straight up on back window. Back wiper motor got extremely hot still trying to work with the car ON or OFF. Would make a clicking sound every 30secounds 24/7 and would drain the battery dead. No power.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service restraint error message was displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a front passenger's seat air bag sensor failure. The contact was informed that the front passenger's seat air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact reported the failure using the report by phone using the manufacturer's automated system. The failure mileage was approximately 56,744.
I am an investigator w/ the Medical Examiner's office in Dallas, TX. We are investigating the death of an individual who was inside a 2018 Chevy Equinox that was "rebuilt." During the minor accident, the steering wheel airbag deployed, but exploded and shot many large pieces of debris and shrapnel at the decedent's face. Ultimately leading to her passing. After the examination, a large piece of metal w/ a serial number was located. [XXX]. We are working alongside Dallas PD VHU for this crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Compare the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
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Other model years
20052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262027
Questions about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Is the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?
Owners have filed 410 complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, close to a typical Equinox model year.
What is the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox year score?
The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox scores 69 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Equinox: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
Brakes, with 133 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles. Next is engine (94).
How many recalls does the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox have?
5 recalls, covering power train, service brakes, hydraulic and fuel system, gasoline.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox brakes?
Yes, 1 recall: 18V576000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Equinox have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Equinox model years with the most brakes complaints are 2018 (133 complaints), 2020 (114 complaints) and 2005 (105 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox get?
Official estimates for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox range from 24 to 32 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl diesel, FWD) gets 28 city and 39 highway.
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