2020 Chevrolet Equinox Reliability Report

Stalling and no-start conditions run through these reports. Causes include a battery with a shorted cell and fuel pump module faults. Water is a recurring theme, with sunroof drains leaking into the rear fuse box and spare tire well. Owners also describe the radio and infotainment screen shutting off while driving. Service ESC and traction control lights come and go, and a "shift to park" message can leave the car unable to turn off. A failed low beam means replacing the whole headlight assembly. No crashes are recorded.

The car stalls without warning, often in intersections or on highways. Most cases trace to the fuel pump control module or the fuel pump itself, and some cars will not start at all. Reported failures span roughly 14,860 to 80,000 miles. Owners note the same part was recalled on 2021 and 2022 models but not on the 2020. Parts shortages are a major theme. Some cars sat at dealers for weeks or months waiting for back-ordered modules, and owners paid for repairs once the warranty ran out.

Power steering assist cuts out while driving and leaves the wheel stiff and hard to control. Two of these events ended in crashes. A separate pattern is front-end shaking under acceleration, often near 39 mph or at the 2-3 shift. Dealers linked it to the front half shafts and a service bulletin, but the shaking can return after replacement. Other reports describe knocking during turns on new cars, "Steer Assist Reduced" messages, and lane keep assist that loses track of the lane lines.

Unintended acceleration appears in several reports, including one crash where the car kept accelerating with the brake applied. Adaptive cruise control is the other main complaint. It shuts off or slows the car abruptly at highway speed, or it fails to stop for slowing traffic. Automatic emergency braking also works only some of the time. Some owners describe the engine revving with an "Engine Power Reduced" message, or the car refusing to accelerate. Dealers often find no error codes and cannot reproduce the problem.

Side airbags fail to deploy in driver-side impacts. This is the main pattern, and it includes a T-bone crash where the side curtain stayed stowed and the car was totaled. Five of the six reports involve crashes, with 7 injuries recorded, including a concussion. Other reports describe airbags that did not deploy in a multi-car pileup and a front passenger seatbelt that did not tighten on impact. One crash is blamed on the brakes failing to stop the car in wet conditions.

The original tires wear out early. Owners cite a dealer bulletin and say they got pushback when asking for replacements. The compact spare does not clear the front brake caliper, so a front flat means moving a rear wheel forward. Other reports describe a cracked rim causing a slow leak, which the manufacturer refused to cover. Another describes the wheels feeling like they lock up, followed by Service ESC and StabiliTrak warnings. The one crash report gives no wheel-related cause.

Fire, sudden lunging, and water leaks make up the three reports here. In one, smoke came from underneath during highway driving, and the car burned completely. In another, the engine revved, the car lunged forward, and the brake pedal went to the floor before a low-speed collision. The third describes sunroof drains that keep clogging and let water into the rear cargo area. That car needed dealer cleaning every 1 to 2 months.