Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2013 Chevrolet Equinox: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 750 safety complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

750
Complaints
2
Recalls
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 20 crashes, 5 fires, 20 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling issues dominate. They appear in 56% of the 750 complaints on file — an unusually concentrated failure pattern.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 98 of the 750 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 6 years after the model year (106 filed in 2019) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox, engine & cooling issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 750 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
420
Visibility & lighting
166
Power train / transmission
80
Electrical
69
Other / unspecified
64
Fuel & propulsion
45
Brakes & stability
32
Airbags & restraints
29

"Excessive oil consumption i have the same 2.1 liter echo tech engine that was previously involved in the lawsuit against General Motors for the 2013 chevy equinox excessive oil consumption. My car has stalled, jerked and keeps me in the auto parts stores buying oil all the time even long before time to change the oil."

Owner complaint filed February 2026 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11718889

"When gas is applied the transmission skips and doesn't get the power needed to drive car safely. I don't have any lights to indicate this is a problem within the engine. This recall has been issued for my vehicle but when I contacted the customer service for repairs, my vehicle information says there is no recalls for my vehicle. I did receive a letter in the mail stating my car has a recall"

Owner complaint filed October 2025 · Power Train,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11693096

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2013 Chevrolet Equinox peaked later than usual, in 2019.

Complaints filed per year — 2013 Chevrolet Equinox
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
1
14
34
21
87
101
95
106
80
66
36
50
30
21
8
121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2013 compares with other model years

Across the Chevrolet Equinox model years we track, the 2010 has the most complaints on file (784); the 2013 ranks 3 of 8.

Total complaints by model year — Chevrolet Equinox
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
784
782
683
2013
750
546
679
395
403
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 2 recalls

2 recalls apply to some or all 2013 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Jul 201616V-502
Electrical System:Ignition

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-…

Aug 201616V-582
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear over time, possibly resulting in one or both of the windshield wipers becoming inoperative.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 750 complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox have?

The 2013 Chevrolet Equinox has 2 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.