Owners have filed 395 safety complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 14 crashes, 3 fires, 22 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, engine & cooling issues stand far above everything else.
": "I live in my car. The 2016 Equinox 2.4L burned all its oil in 2 weeks with no leaks, failed to give a dashboard warning, and the engine is now knocking, threatening to leave me unsheltered." This ties my vehicle's specific failure to the federal database for future legal payouts."
"Excessive oil consumption with no warning light, loss of power, and stalling. Also caused the master seal to leak and plugged the PCV valve. I have records for the repairs. It continues to excessively use oil and is not a reliable vehicle. When it stalls, power steering is lost as well as the stabilitrack."
For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox peaked later than usual, in 2023.
Across the Chevrolet Equinox model years we track, the 2010 has the most complaints on file (784); the 2016 ranks 8 of 8.
1 recall applies to some or all 2016 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
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 Federal…
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 →
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.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 395 complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.
The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox has 1 NHTSA recall on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2016 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.
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.