Reliable Auto DB

2013 Chevrolet Equinox reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox holds 751 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 23 per year. Equinox years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 23 complaints per year. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Motor and Ignition.

2012 Chevrolet Equinox
Photo by Ryan Daniel, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

751

Per year

23

Recalls

2

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (412 of 751), then Visibility and wipers (144) and Powertrain (80). Those filings include 20 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, and 13 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Equinox has 685 complaints, 22 per year, and the 2014 has 548 complaints, 18 per year. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall visibility, windshield wiper, motor 2016-08-04 · NHTSA campaign 16V582000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear over time, possibly resulting in one or both of the windshield wipers becoming inoperative.
Remedy GM will notify owners, dealers will repair the AIP-hole, inspect and, if necessary, replace the front wiper module, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2017. 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 25302.
Recall electrical system, ignition 2016-07-05 · NHTSA campaign 16V502000
Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Complaints by component (751 total)

Engine
412
Visibility and wipers
144
Powertrain
80
Electrical system
69
Fuel and propulsion system
43
Air bags
25
Electronic stability control (ESC)
20
Steering
19
Visibility
19
Service brakes
12
Speed control
12
Structure
11
Engine and engine cooling
10
Suspension
9
Tires
8
Exterior lighting
7
Seat belts
7
Forward collision avoidance
5
Wheels
5
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Seats
2
Back-over prevention
1
Equipment
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

20

Fire-flagged

5

Injury reports

13

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120121420133420142120158720161012017952018106201980202066202136202250202330202421202592026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Suspension, Structure · filed 2026-09-09
  • "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…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-02
  • "225/65/r17 Side wall blew out on me tire pressure system did not let me know . I had to sweave to miss oncoming traffic"
    Tires · filed 2026-07-26
  • "225/r17 Pressure system did not alert the other driver of liss of pressure blew out side i recked into her"
    Tires · filed 2026-07-26
  • "My 2013 Equinox is experiencing the excessive oil loss without warning..this led to transmission..engine..timing failure. The car loses power jerks at slower speeds it sounds horrible and has cost a lot of money for…"
    Powertrain, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-06-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Chevrolet Equinox SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2013 Chevrolet Equinox SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Equinox all-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $2800
Equinox all-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $2800
Equinox all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Equinox all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Equinox front-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 17 24 20 MPG $3250
Equinox front-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 17 24 20 MPG $3250
Equinox front-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 22 31 26 MPG $2500
Equinox front-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 22 31 26 MPG $2500

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2012–2017
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-30 (4-cylinder); 5W-30 (V6 where equipped) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 225/65R17 to 235/55R19 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Owner complaints for mid-generation years (especially 2013) concentrate on the engine and visibility/wipers. Recall 16V-582 covers certain 2013 Equinox and Terrain vehicles: ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear until one or both wipers stop working; dealers repair the AIP hole and inspect and replace the front wiper module as needed. Recall 14V-447 covers certain 2010-2012 Equinox vehicles with power height-adjustable front seats: the bolt securing the seat height adjuster may fall out, so the seat may move unexpectedly and increase injury risk in a crash. Recall 11V-511 covers certain 2012 Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles that do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 138 for tire pressure monitoring.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Chevrolet Equinox Next year 2014 Chevrolet Equinox See every Chevrolet Equinox model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox holds 751 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 23 per year. Equinox years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 23 complaints per year. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Motor and Ignition.

What are common problems with a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (412 of 751), then Visibility and wipers (144) and Powertrain (80). Those filings include 20 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, and 13 that report an injury.

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Equinox has 685 complaints, 22 per year, and the 2014 has 548 complaints, 18 per year. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox been recalled?

The 2013 Chevrolet Equinox has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox?

Owners have filed 751 complaints about the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox is 22 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?

3rd generation (2018-2024).

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Equinox use?

5W-30 (4-cylinder); 5W-30 (V6 where equipped)

What does NHTSA recall 16V-582 cover on the Chevrolet Equinox?

Recall 16V-582 covers certain 2013 Equinox and Terrain vehicles: ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear until one or both wipers stop working; dealers repair the AIP hole and inspect and replace the front wiper module as needed.