2026 Chevrolet Equinox
Electric Gas Compact SUV
The 2026 Chevrolet Equinox is sold in the U.S. as a electric and gas compact SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the Equinox EV FWD, is EPA-rated at 319 miles with 108 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 80 complaints, most often about forward collision avoidance. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equinox EV FWD | Electric | FWD | 180 kW AC Induction | 117 | 100 | 108 MPGe | 319 mi | 31.1 | 9.5 h | $700 |
| Equinox EV AWD (11 kW Charger) | Electric | AWD | 67 and 180 kW AC Induction | 112 | 95 | 103 MPGe | 307 mi | 32.6 | 9.5 h | $750 |
| Equinox EV AWD (19 kW Charger) | Electric | AWD | 67 and 180 kW AC Induction | 103 | 88 | 96 MPGe | 288 mi | 35.1 | 5.9 h | $800 |
| Equinox FWD | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 26 | 29 | 27 | — | — | — | $2,300 |
| Equinox AWD | Gas | AWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 29 | 26 | — | — | — | $2,400 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (3)
Equipment
highProblem: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the req
Risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 2
Back Over Prevention
minorProblem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Equinox EV vehicles. The pedestrian alert sound system may not produce a sufficient change in volume between the vehicle being stopped and moving at low speeds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: A vehicle that does not emit sufficient sound may fail to alert pedestrians of a moving vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: The body control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252530690. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 18, 2025.
Tires
highProblem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Cadillac Optic and 2025-2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV vehicles equipped with 21-inch Continental all-season tires. One or more of these tires may experience partial or full tread detachment.
Risk: Tire tread detachment increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect all four tires and replace those manufactured during DOT week 4024, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252525030. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 16, 2025.
NHTSA investigations
Service Brakes — Electronic Brake Module Component Failure (open)
On April 11, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24011 after receiving complaints concerning a loss of brake assist in 2023 MY Cadillac Lyriq vehicles. These complaints allege a hard brake pedal, followed by a “Brake System Failure� message at start up or while driving. GM shared records regarding several internal investigations for loss of brake assist due to alleged spindle fractures in the eBoost system. GM has stated that in the event of a spindle fracture, anti-lock brakes (ABS), stability control, and traction control remain functional until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. At this point, ABS, brake assist, stability control, and tra
Opened Aug 21, 2026 · action EA26006
Owner complaints
80 complaints filed
5 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 6 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2025: 9 · 2026: 71
Most-cited components
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 35
- Service Brakes — 19
- Power Train — 17
- Electrical System — 12
- Unknown Or Other — 10
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
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| SUV AWD | not rated | not rated | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
| SUV FWD | not rated | not rated | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Compare the 2026 Equinox with
Other Equinox model years
2027 Equinox
0 recalls · 0 complaints
D2025 Equinox
6 recalls · 384 complaints
B2024 Equinox
2 recalls · 182 complaints
C2023 Equinox
3 recalls · 95 complaints
D2022 Equinox
5 recalls · 165 complaints
D2021 Equinox
4 recalls · 91 complaints
F2020 Equinox
4 recalls · 304 complaints
F2019 Equinox
4 recalls · 301 complaints
F2018 Equinox
5 recalls · 403 complaints
A2017 Equinox
0 recalls · 272 complaints
A2016 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 49953, 49955, 49956, 49442, 49480). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.