2013 Chevrolet Equinox Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 94,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

We changed the external fuel pump, we changed the oil cap to the vented oil cap, We changed the oil 2x within 2 days, once trying to get it by until we could get the new fuel pump on,and once directly after and still had issues. Losing power and getting stranded while trying to cross a busy highway is terrifying, 100%, it is an extreme…Owner complaint, filed 2026

While driving at around 110,900 to 111,115 miles(it being 111,115 now), it occassionally will get a very loud thumping sound and my car goes into limp mode and loses power. Shakes horribly bad in the process. I have to turn the car off and sit there waiting for it to calm down and then drive 35mph to get home. Piston problem ive been…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 56,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving my car like usual and I almost reached home and my windshield vipers stopped working. I parked my car and checked it and the wipers are not working.Owner complaint, filed 2025

One of the wiper arms has failed entirely. The dealership we purchased it from (used) advised it was repaired, but it has failed nonetheless. Our 18 year old son drives this car and it is not safe. Based on other interactions with the dealership, we believe they may have "faked" the actual repair...or they replaced the possibly defective…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 84,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

Issue started appx 2015-2017, loss of oil in between oil changes but would only happen every 6-9 months, took it to Chevy dealership for inspection because there was no oil anywhere. They did 2 free oil changes 3 months apart and said nothing wrong with vehicle, even when I explained it wasn't long enough. But miracously it stopped for…Owner complaint, filed 2023

While driving in November of 2022 my truck started to make some really horrific noises. Got it into a shop who proceeded to tell me that my transfer case basically exploded. While trying to research my options for repair ( which this & extensive oil burning and consumption seem to be very common on this year, make, and , model) I learned…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 35,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The infotainment screen goes blank. I can hear the radio but nothing is on the screen so I can not use any buttons. This also affects the backup camera, being able to see that area to check to make sure nothing is behind the vehicle. The dealership can not duplicate the issue as this happens randomly, mainly when there is a lot of…Owner complaint, filed 2024

My car caught fire 1 minute after it started smoking while I was driving it due to an electrical issue. I nearly died. The fire totaled my car. I had to pull over as fast as possible and nearly caught a nearby restaurant on fire. It was inspected by the fire department. There was no warning messages or symptoms.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 95,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

It keeps throwing an error and my truck goes into Reduced engine power mode. It happens out of nowhere. One minute it's fine the next my engine starts to reduce power and I can't go faster then 25 mph. We have already replaced the high pressure fuel rail sensor and the fuel pump. It still is having this issue.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Fuel pump stopped working and caused the car to stall while moving at high speeds. Only has 120000 miles on it. Almost crashed into another car.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 73,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly brake and jerk. After the failure, the vehicle would drive and operate as needed. The contact experienced the failure approximately six times. The brake warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 100,000 miles

While driving my speed suddenly reduced and I got a message on my dashboard that said service stabilitrack engine power reducedOwner complaint, filed 2019, at 131,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 50,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Got into a front end collision, vehicle was totaled. Front airbags didn't deploy. Steering wheel and side airbags deployed about 5 minutes after the accident. My head hit the driver side window, cracking the whole window. Had a concussion from that.Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 158,105 miles

Unknown, just driving and service air bag light came on. Has not been on before and have not been in any type of accident.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 71,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Driving home and steering wheel and vehicle started shaking like the wheels were going to fall off. 11/08/23 purchased nov or dec of 2022 from dan cummins-as is no one mentioned this. Had my mechanic look it up and it's actually called a death wobbleOwner complaint, filed 2023

My car made an aggressive right turn on its own. Back story: I started up my car and started slowly driving straight out of a street parking spot. I noticed the steering was slightly resisting me. I made a right turn and noticed the car was pulling some to the right (I actively had to counter it). About half way down the block my car…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 127,600 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 29,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Purchased my 2013 Chevy Equinox from certified Chevrolet dealer in 2023. All 4 of my tires are: Michelin Latitude Tour M+S (Radial X Green), P235/55 R18. DOT M33J 007X 3012. These are the same tires that were on my SUV at time of purchase & are still on it. Upon purchasing from the dealership, the tires appeared somewhat cracked around…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Lug nuts have rusted through and are cracked. 70,000 miles on vehicle, and have had tires rotated at dealership at appropriate intervals.Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 70,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 59,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Vehicle has been experiencing stalling conditions in wet weather, dealer replaced a cam position sensor. Today after taking the car through a car wash upon starting the engine it went into wide open throttle condition, over 6000 rpm. At first I was standing on the brakes to keep the vehicle from accelerating out of control. After 10…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 59,000 miles

I own a 2013 chevy equinox with 7309 miles .bought the car december 18 2012 when I inserted the key into the ignition and tried to start the car it made clicking sounds started and abruptly shut off. Tried again car started with the engine running at high speed. Now when you try to die e the car it is speeding up.Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 7,309 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 19,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (9).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 chevrolet equinox. The contact stated that while attempting to open the driver and passenger's side door, the doors collapsed into the fender, creating dents in the doors. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the mechanic stated that the doors had to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The [VIN] was…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 11,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and the ABS warning light was illuminated. The warranty company was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled for a diagnostic test by the warranty…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 168,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear control arm mounts have rusted out and are unrepairable. This should not happen to a 10 year old vehicle and seems to be a common issue with this chassis style and numerous models.Owner complaint, filed 2023

The contact owns a 2013 chevrolet equinox. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 16v582000 (suspension) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. The [VIN] was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.Owner complaint, filed 2016

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 53,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The rear seat belt on the driver's side has stopped latching. After not using it for a long time it was necessary to buckle in a car seat and I was unable to latch it in. I have looked inside as best as possible and there isn't anything rattling around or inside but it will not receive the shoulder strap clip and buckle. I have tried…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 119,999 miles

The contact owns a 2013 chevrolet equinox. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the rear passenger side seat belt suddenly retracted, leaving the passenger unsecured in the seat. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the seat belt clip that mounted to the floor had separated due to faulty stitching. The contact also discovered that the…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 92,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

My car is loosing oil, I have to keep putting oil in my car. I think this is affecting the performance of the Cadillac converter that makes the car lose power, make noise and overall make the car not run correctly.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Initially, 6 months or so after owning the vehicle, the PCV reported tech bulletin occurred for me, and my rear main seal blew, causing $2000+ in repairs. Then, the Engine stalled out on the coldest day of the year, got an engine replacement under warranty from my dealership, that replacement engine had 66k miles (rebuilt) and was only…Owner complaint, filed 2023