2016 Chevrolet Equinox Problems

2016 Chevrolet Equinox problems owners report most

2016 Chevrolet Equinox problems are documented in public: owners have filed 399 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2015 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the engine clearly first, at 203 of the 399 complaints, close to half of everything filed.

A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 51 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.

Of those complaints, 14 describe a crash and 3 describe a fire. Filers reported 22 injuries.

Recalls on the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox

A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There is one recall on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.

In owners own words

These are complaints filed about the engine, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.

Problem first appeared with the limp mode being initiated by the vehicles computer system. This occurred at 96,000 miles in July of 2021. After running numerous diagnostics with a OBD scanner, and removing VVT solenoids, came to the conclusion it was the problem. After replacing with new OEM Solenoids and restarting the computer from the battery. The problem seemed to be resolved. In March of 2021the vehicle started losing oil by the quart each week. January 2022 the computer link initiated the limp mode again at 100,000 miles. After trying to diagnose using OBD, the conclusion was not

I purchased a 2016 Equinox in April of 2019 and had no problems until November of 2022. The check engine light came on and the car kept stalling out on me. I took it to my mechanic, and he told me I needed a new intake solenoid. I did purchase an extended warranty and called them immediately. They told me where to take the car for repair. I did and they repaired it under warranty, but they never explained why it was running rough. They just told me that I should get an oil treatment with my next 2 oil changes. Fast forward to August 2023. The engine light came on again. I was due for

In February of 2025, while driving my 2016 Chevy Equinox home from work, I heard a loud pop and loss of engine power a block from home. The weather conditions at the time were below freezing and light snow. After getting my vehicle home, my neighbor, who works for GM looked under my Equinox and discovered the rear main oil seal had blown and informed me this was a known issue with the GM 2.4L Ecotec engine. The GM 2.4L Ecotec engine contains a non‑serviceable Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system that uses a fixed orifice built into the intake manifold instead of a replaceable PCV val

On January 21st,2025 (a day where temps did not exceed zero degrees driving this vehicle 3/4 of mile home from work, as pulling down my street, engine began to run rough. No warning lights came on. i pulled in my drive and garage and turned off, there was an oil trail up my drive. After about an hour i looked under car and a HUGE puddle of oil was there. I then had it towed to Chevy dealer. They said it was the 3rd car with this same engine brought in that week, and same issue, a blown rear seal, and in my case damaged the engine quickly. we were told by other dealers that fire could have hap

Every component, by complaint count

The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.

How other model years compare

The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox has drawn the most complaints and the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox the fewest.

What to check on the engine

Engine reports range from oil consumption between services to rough running, stalling and a loss of power under acceleration. Oil use is the one owners notice latest, because nothing warns you until the level is already low.

Buying a used 2016 Equinox

Ask for every service record and check the gap between oil changes against the level on the dipstick now. An engine using oil quietly is the most expensive fault on this list and the easiest one to miss on a test drive.

If you already own one

Start a log of oil level between services. A documented consumption rate is what turns a conversation with a dealer from an opinion into a claim, and some manufacturers have covered these repairs well past the warranty.

• Check the oil level and condition yourself before buying.
• Ask for service records covering every oil change.
• Record oil level between services to document consumption.
• Have a compression or leak down test done before a major repair.