HomeChevroletEquinox › 2021

2021 Chevrolet Equinox

Gas Compact SUV

202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratingsCompare
D
Safety Signal
68 / 100
DSafety Signal · 68 / 100
4Recalls · NHTSA campaigns
91Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
28 mpgFuel economy · best combined

The 2021 Chevrolet Equinox is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Equinox FWD, is EPA-rated at 28 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 91 complaints, most often about power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Equinox FWDGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo263128$2,250
Equinox AWDGasAWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo253027$2,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

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Recalls (4)

Child Seat

high
668,187 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."

Risk: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232403240.

NHTSA campaign 23V339000 · reported May 11, 2023 · General Motors, LLC

Fuel System, Gasoline

high
23,323 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Equinox and 2022 GMC Terrain vehicles. The fuel pump module may not consistently provide sufficient fuel to the engine, resulting in an engine stall.

Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 5, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222372310.

NHTSA campaign 23V013000 · reported Jan 19, 2023 · General Motors, LLC

Tires

high
9,597 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with certain Hankook tires. The tires may have been manufactured with an insufficient amount of curative agent, which could cause tread separation.

Risk: Tread separation can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the tire DOT numbers, and replace any affected tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 31, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782; and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212343560.

NHTSA campaign 21V612000 · reported Aug 5, 2021 · General Motors, LLC

Seat Belts

high
470 vehicles

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.

Risk: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.

NHTSA campaign 20V811000 · reported Dec 23, 2020 · General Motors, LLC

Owner complaints

91 complaints filed

5 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 5 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2021: 6 · 2022: 15 · 2023: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 19 · 2026: 22

Most-cited components

  • Power Train — 17
  • Electrical System — 17
  • Unknown Or Other — 16
  • Engine — 15
  • Fuel/Propulsion System — 14
“The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the messages "Fuel System Needs Service", "Front Detection System Needs Service", and "Side Detection System Needs Service" and other unknown messages illuminated. The contact exited the highway and veered to the side of the road. Th…”Mar 18, 2022 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“power locks with not lock or unlock with key fob or door buttons, doors will only look with the door buttons after exceeding 60+mph”Feb 12, 2022 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Windshield wipers stopped working while driving losing clear forward vision. Dealership has had car for 4 days and still unable to fix the wipers”Feb 3, 2022 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆18%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Compare the 2021 Equinox with

2021 Toyota RAV42021 Tesla Model Y2021 Honda CR-V2021 Nissan Rogue2021 Hyundai Tucson2021 Toyota Highlander

Other Equinox model years

A

2027 Equinox

0 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2026 Equinox

3 recalls · 80 complaints

D

2025 Equinox

6 recalls · 384 complaints

B

2024 Equinox

2 recalls · 182 complaints

C

2023 Equinox

3 recalls · 95 complaints

D

2022 Equinox

5 recalls · 165 complaints

F

2020 Equinox

4 recalls · 304 complaints

F

2019 Equinox

4 recalls · 301 complaints

F

2018 Equinox

5 recalls · 403 complaints

A

2017 Equinox

0 recalls · 272 complaints

A

2016 Equinox

1 recalls · 395 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 43200, 43397). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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