2020 Chevrolet Equinox Complaint Log

The vacuum pump broke and caused the brake booster to lose vacuum and made the brakes hard and almost caused an accident.

I purchased this vehicle as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle from George Moore Chevrolet in Jacksonville, Florida, in October 2023. At the time of purchase, the vehicle had approximately 35,000 miles, and it now has approximately 60,000 miles. I have maintained all recommended service intervals and oil changes as required. On June 14, 2025, while stopped at a traffic signal with my foot on the brake pedal, the pedal suddenly sank to the floor, causing the vehicle to roll forward into traffic unexpectedly. I was able to place the vehicle in neutral and then park to prevent a collision. After turning the vehicle off and restarting it when the light changed, the brakes continued to fail. I carefully maneuvered to a nearby area behind a warehouse and allowed the vehicle to come to a complete stop by shifting into neutral. I contacted a tow truck through my State Farm roadside assistance program and had the vehicle transported to my local mechanic. Upon inspection on June 16, 2025, the technician determined that the brake lines were corroded and leaking. Initially, he suspected the master brake cylinder, but it was confirmed not to be leaking. He noted that the metal-braided portion of the brake line had completely deteriorated on one side and was severely compromised on the other. Both brake lines were replaced to restore braking function. Fortunately, I was able to avoid an accident, but this was an alarming experience that I have never encountered in any vehicle I have owned. My mechanic expressed concern about the extent of corrosion on such a relatively new vehicle and indicated this could represent a broader safety issue. I respectfully request that this matter be documented and investigated to ensure that other drivers are not placed at similar risk.

Recently noticed that windshield wipers were not operating properly especially in heavy downpours. Difficult to see. Garage noticed that wipers were not operating correctly due to a flaw in the windshield wiper motor. There was a recall on earlier Chevy Equinox Windshield Wiper Motor on the 2015 model. I’m wondering if they ever Corrected that problem for later models or is it possible that they are still using a defective motor. Was confirmed by mechanic. Wipers will not operate properly and is definitely a hazard.

Vehicle brakes became hard and failed to stop, check engine light came on and warning saying reduced engine power. Vacuum pump seized and broke off in the crankshaft. After vacuum pump replacement vehicle failed to start multiple times. Vehicle started and had rough idle and stalled multiple times. Currently awaiting dealer inspection.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding a failure of the vacuum pump in my 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The failure occurred without warning and severely impacted the vehicle’s braking performance, posing a serious safety risk while driving. When the vacuum pump failed, I experienced a hard brake pedal and a significant loss of braking power, which made it difficult to stop the vehicle safely. Thankfully, I was not in heavy traffic or approaching a stoplight at high speed when it happened—otherwise, it could have resulted in a serious accident. After researching this issue, I discovered that vacuum pump failures appear to be a recurring problem in other GM vehicles of similar model years. It is extremely concerning that such a critical component could fail prematurely and without adequate warning. I believe this issue should be investigated for a potential defect and safety recall. I urge the NHTSA to look into this matter to ensure the safety of other drivers who may be at risk due to this defect. Thank you for your time and attention.

This past weekend, while driving my 2020 Chevrolet Equinox, I experienced a sudden and complete brake failure. I was turning into a residential neighborhood at approximately 20-30mph when the brakes locked up without warning. Despite pressing the brake pedal, the car would not stop. I attempted to shift into park, but the vehicle continued to roll forward. I had to engage the emergency brake, which caused the car to come to an immediate stop. Thankfully, there were no cars in front of me, but I came dangerously close to hitting a cement wall head-on. This created a serious risk to my safety and potentially to others had the situation occurred in traffic or near pedestrians. There were no warning lights, noises, or prior symptoms indicating an issue with the braking system. The vehicle has since been towed to the dealership and is currently awaiting inspection. I've learned that there are existing recalls on other VINS for the 2020 Equinox related to an incorrect lubricant used in the manufacturing process of the rear brake calipers. This defect can cause the calipers to swell, leading to excessive brake drag. Over time, this drag may result in overheating and possible brake lockup, which aligns with what I experienced. The component appears to be the braking system, specifically involving the calipers or pads. At the time of writing, the failure has not yet been confirmed by the dealer. This issue is extremely dangerous and could have resulted in a severe crash. I am reporting this in hopes that it contributes to a broader investigation, especially if this problem extends beyond currently recalled VINs.

My breaks stopped working while I was driving, they became hard to press and unable to function. The vacuum pump attached to the engine failed. The vacuum has broken pieces that are now inside of the engine. No warning indicator lights appeared before the incident. As far as I'm aware other similar models are having the same issue but my vin was not included in the recall.

Engine reduced power, over acceleration as well as sluggish acceleration, wobbling on the freeway, electrical dashboard problems, tire sensor light comes on after getting it repaired. This vehicle has the same problems like 2021 -2024, reduced speed and couldn't go over 40 mph on a busy street with speed limited being 50 mph.

Twice my vehicle has stopped working where the shift to park messaging comes up and the car will not turn on or off. The vecle displays sec, low fuel, and park to shift messaging. The p for park to shift with the wrench underneath it appears. This issue happened once while I was in park and tried turning on my car and the other while I was in drive at a light.

The contact owned a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the instrument panel lights became dim/flicker, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact mentioned she pulled over to the right side and left the vehicle at the scene. In addition, the contact drove back to the scene where the vehicle was parked, and she noticed the state trooper and a tow company. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention. The contact mentioned the fire happened overnight. The vehicle extinguished independently. A fire department mentioned to the contact that there were calls about the fire and that the fire was coming from the engine. However, the fire report was unknown. A police report was filed. The insurance company denied the claim of fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle could not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and a handheld diagnostic machine retrieved DTC: U18A2. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that at start -up, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the A/C compressor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Technical Service Bulletin: 18-NA-162; as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Service brake assist

I have driven this car for approximately 40,000 miles without issue, and regularly have the oil changed. Based on what my mechanic told me, the fuel pump either failed or detached while I was driving on the turnpike. This resulted in a loss of oil. I was simply accelerating to pass another vehicle when several warning light illuminated. The engine made grinding noises and there was an oil-like smell. The dashboard gave me a warning to “seek engine service immediately” and that “acceleration would be limited.” This was a potentially dangerous situation but luckily it was mid day and not in busy traffic. So I was able to safely pull over to the side of the road. I understand that Equinox models from other years were recalled — why don’t you recall the 2020 models?!

Our car has just around 77,000 miles and the brakes stopped working while driving. To our luck my husband quickly thought to use the e brake to prevent a car crash. We took it into our mechanic who diagnosed a brake pump failure. It looks as though the 2020 equinox has recalls for brake issues but our vin number was not listed. This is very dangerous and could have caused a deadly or serious injury crash. We had no prior warning to this happening. The shop owner is fixing the issue and we are holding onto receipts if this becomes a recall available on our vehicle. Very unsafe and according to my research has happened to alot of GM owners.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power, with the check engine and parking brake assist maintenance lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic at AAA. The vehicle was then diagnosed with fuel system assembly failure. The vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

ABS and breaks exploded at 67k miles and at 78k miles car shut off in middle of the street with no warning. Electric issues confirmed by mechanic.

Unknown, My wife was driving my 2020 Chevy equinox on the freeway when suddenly the vehicle shut down with no warning signs ..she tried to turn on the emergency lights and did not function slowly she yield to other lanes and cars honking she safely made it to the side of the freeway..she tried to turn the car and did not wanted to restart everything shutdown .she call roadside assistance..they came and try to give her a jumpstart and it fail.they tried to tow it and they couldn't cause the brakes were also locked..This.was a scary situation that would had cause major accident.

On February 25,2025 I first noticed my engine light was blinking constantly while my service esc light and tc light was on while driving on the freeway. When I exited the freeway all lights went off. I had my mechanic check it out and he suspected a misfire because he ran the vin and said my vehicle had a history of a misfire. I was unaware of that because I wasn't given that information when I bought the vehicle a little over a year ago. I drove the vehicle approximately a month just around town and on March 26 2025 I was driving on the freeway and again the service escaped light came back on as well as the TC light with a line across the letters TC. The engine light did not come on on this occasion. I've read stories with many people with my same vehicle having the very same issue however I've searched my vin and there's no recall listed for my particular vehicle and I think there should be. I find it strange that the lights only come on if I'm on the freeway and I don't feel safe driving the vehicle with my son in the car while traveling outside of the city. I'm still.under warranty but I'm unsure if this issue is covered under my warranty.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving above 50 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally and failed to properly accelerate. The contact stated that the message "Turn Off Engine" was displayed. The contact stated that the engine had experienced excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and it was determined that the PCV was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was unknown.

Engine burning excess oil causing engine to go in safety mode and preventing car to go over 25 miles per hr. This happen on a major highway with two kids in the car and was almost rear ended. Took to dealership who has recieved bulletins regarding this issue and will repair the engine. To me this should be on a recall due to saftety.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while his son was driving 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's son was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact's son called Roadside Assistance, who added gasoline to the vehicle, because the contact's son believed that was the cause of the failure. However, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The fuel pump and battery were replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

2020 Equinox with14,860 miles stalled in busy intersection due to failed fuel pump module. This part was recalled for the 2021 and 2022 models and was on back order. My vehicle remained at the service center for two weeks and I was without any other means of transportation. If this had happened on the highway it might have resulted in a serious crash with the possibility of a fatality. There were no warning lights or messages prior to this happening.

I was driving the car and suddenly the car started accelerating on it's own. No cruise control was on . My wife was in the passenger seat and it was lucky as I did not panic , just taped on the brakes to slow down. This happened many times until we got home and it is dangerous and scary, also this is a know problem with this model car. No lights or warnings came on. We could have easily crashed into a vehicle in front of us, run a red light , etc. No inspections by anyone, maybe it was inspected by the dealer?

On december 15, 2024 my car stalled out. on the middle of the road nearly causing me a collison. My vehicle for. the last month has been - what i assume is having electrical problems , my car is only 4 years old so im uncertain as to why it would be stalling out , this is also the first time that this has happen . i called my insurance company to file a report about my vehicle stalling out on a busy traffic road and all that was said was unless im in a collison there is nothing they can. do and if the car stallls out and i am in a accident it would be me at fault . I have one car which is the chevy equinox 2020. i cant afford to die nor be in accident that can potential put me in danger for a car that is only 4 years old .

Car would sputter and turn over eventually but then die out. Was unable to drive at all. Luckily I was not driving with my baby in the car when it went out like I see so many others. Took it to the shop and it is a fuel pump issue. I see that other years have been recalled for this so unsure why the 2020 has not.

The vaccum pump seized which is connected to the camshaft which broke causing the timing chain to break. This caused the vehicle to lose breaking g power and almost wreck.

Engine loss of power while on highway. When tried to excelerate engine sputtered, going up small incline it would not exceed 50mph. Took to auto shop and spark plug tip was broke and error for cylinder #1. They said take to dealer. Took to dealer and they said engine failed. Cyclinder #1 no combustion. Vehicle had 87,000 miles. Engine had to be replaced. $13,000. GM assist covered some but I paid $9072 to replace engine. Vehicle at approx 25000 miles had same issue. I took to dealer and they said a spark plug was cracked and had to replace. I took my vehicle in every 7k miles for oil change and inspection to local Conrad’s total car care. I was originally quoted verbally $9900 for engine repair. I called GM to file a complaint and they said engine “GM cost assist” program called me. When they got involved they offered $4100 towards repairs and dealer - Serpentini Westlake, oh increased their quote to $13k so I still pair $9072. Dealer got an extra $3k for me calling GM to complain and I “saved” or got $800 benefit from GM cost assist. What a scam.dealer refused to give me paperwork showing the details of repairs or breakdown of cost. I received a receipt that stated engine replacement $9072. They wanted me to sign the receipt but would not let me read or view any of the attached paperwork. I refused to sign the receipt and they reminded how much of a favor they did for me by giving me a loaner for approx 10 days while replacing my engine. They additionally said they aren’t required to provide me with any details regarding the GM cost assist or pricing.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The message “Engine Power Reduced” was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 95,000.

The computer module for the fuel pump failed. This caused the car to not start some days. As well as turn off in the middle of intersections after coming to a stop while in traffic. The car is currently at the dealership for 2 months now with the part on back order. Many other Chevy equinox are recalling this same part but not my vehicle. This is concerning as it seems to needed to be added to the list of recalls.

Water accumulate on backseat floor boards on both sides and in the trunk's spare tire compartment. Possible electrical issues from electrical components being wet. Vehicle has mold. No warning lights. Issue first known occurance on 11/9/24. Took vehicle to the dealership for inspection and was told that I'm responsible for diagnostic and repair. This is a known issue for this year and model but this has not been recalled.

fuel pump failed at 48246 miles the car shut off in the middle of a busy road in my city fortunately we were able to coast to a parking lot across the street and had the vehicle towed to Kerry Chevrolet Kerry Chevrolet inspected , confirmed and repaired the vehicle at a cost of $766.75 to me. They would not warranty this and I had to rent a car while mine was in the shop. If it had been warranties by chevrolet I wouldn't have had to rent the vehicle at a cost of $160.43. light on dash came on and car wouldl cut in and out I was on my way to Kerry Chevrolet for service on this issue when it completely stopped.

I put the vehicle into reverse to back in into my garage when it suddenly lurched forward and hit the garage door on the garage across the alley. There was damage to the garage and the car's front end. It has never done anything like this before.

1. The harness will randomly loosen while we are driving down the road after we have insured our child is securely in the seat. 2. Our child would not be properly restrained in the result of a wreck. 3. Yes, inspected by a CPST.

The harness will loosen while I’m driving, after I have tightened / secured my child, therefore making them unsafe in the result of a crash.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was hard while depressed, and the vehicle failed to immediately stop, causing the braking distance to become extended. During the failure the message "Brake Assist" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the brake pads and brake rotors, but the failure persisted. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 71,000.

I was going on ramp and started to go on Interstate when my vehicle slowed down, check engine lights came on. It wouldn't pick up speed. I had vehicle checked and it was Turbocharger. I had to pay $2,820.13 for repairs. 10/

I was driving my car approaching a four way intersection, to realize my brake pedal was not pressing down to the floor. This was 9/28/24. I have a 2020 Chevy Equinox. I put my car in the shop to only find out that vacuum pump has exploded and left metal inside the engine. Done some research with the repair shop and to my surprise, GM has had a lot of recalls with vehicles having this issue. Who ever the CEO is, I pray that you understand how deadly and serious this issue is. This could have ended badly for me and could have been tragic for my family. I can not afford to get the metal out of my engine. And to replace the vacuum pump alone was $700. In order for them to clean the engine would cost me an extra $1000. That's ridiculous for a car that I have only had almost 4 years and with maybe 10,000 miles when I purchased it. My voice will be heard. And I will keep advocating for people who are going through this! Our lives matter. This is very common in vehicles with 1.5 liter engines. I'm going to keep researching and hopefully GM will compensate me for this and the engine work.

Vehicle lost power because of a faulty fuel pump control module. On highway could have caused collision. GM knows of problems but not recalling them. Problem has occurred several times. Check engine light came on.

The Fuel module and fuel pump stalled my car out on a highway causing me to have to quickly roll off the road to not get hit by cars behind me going 60 mph. This car is just at 80000 and the fuel module and pump should not have gone out yet. This seems to be such a problem no one can find the part because it is on back order everywhere, I have been without a vehicle since Sept 19th...and am fixing to go through my second hurricane here in florida with no transportation. I'm trilled with this issue.

Engine light continues to turn on after taking it to shop multiple times and no one can find the problem. Code shows P0299. Everything has been checked and there’s nothing to correspond with this code. This has been going on for a year now with multiple fees paid to diagnose and repair.

I have 149,000 miles in this car. In my lifetime of being the one owner and purchasing this car brand new the vacuum pump has failed five times. Twice now resulting in blown engines. And still no recalls.

Was driving (in July) through a parking lot when brakes became hard to push. After stopping car, it would not start and went into battery save mode. Car was towed to Chevy dealership in Paducah, Ky. Vacuum pump was replaced and damage to cam shaft and timing chain. Problem was fixed after about $5800 of repairs. Now 2 months later, was driving and noticed “service brake assist” light came on, and brakes were hard to press. Luckily was at a low speed and able to pull over on the side of the road. Car was towed to the local Chevy dealership in Hopkinsville, ky. It is currently waiting for diagnosis of probably the same issue. first incident happened in July, 2nd was at the end of august.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to exceed 10 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto repair shop to purchase a diagnostic tool; the diagnostic tool was used to diagnose the vehicle. The diagnostic scan tool determined that the ECM Module, air induction system, and oil pressure system needed to be repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 144,919.

When pressing the gas pedal, my Equinox does not accelerate and move forward. It takes approximately 2-3 seconds for the vehicle to react to the pressing of the pedal and that reaction is slow despite applying full pedal movement. This happens intermittently and appears to be most notable during extreme high temperatures. It also has been noticed while trying to accelerate to pass in addition to trying to go from a stop. I was almost hit by another vehicle because my Equinox didn't go. When it did go, it took roughly another 5-7 seconds to get up to the 45 MPH speed limit.

I was driving home when I exited the freeway my car turned off on me. I tried to turn it back on since I was in the middle of a busy street it started for under a minute which it gave me enough time to merge jusr a little to the right. After that the car wouldn't start at all. This problem could've been a lot worse if it would've happened while I was on the freeway. My vehicle turned off without any warnings any vehicle would've slammed in to me at high speed if it would've shut down a minute prior to me exiting. I didn't get any warnings/ lights nothing it just turned off on me in the middle of the road. I had to get it towed to Autonation where they detected the Fuel Module was the problem. This item has been out of stock for sometime now. My car is still at a dealership and may be inspected if needed.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for the front grille replacement after the vehicle had struck a turkey, the contact was informed that the moon roof was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that water later entered the vehicle through the moon roof, soaking the spare tire and damaging the air compressor beneath the cargo space. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

Fuel pump modular went out and the car stalled out. The same issue is happening to the 2021 and 2022 models that have the recall not sure why the 2020s don’t have the sane

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while exiting the highway at 50 MPH, the brake pedal had hardened and the contact could not depress the brake pedal. Several brake warning messages appeared on the instrument panel. The contact shifted the vehicle into neutral(N) and pulled into a parking lot to allow the vehicle to coast to a stop. Once the vehicle slowed to a complete stop, the contact shut off the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart after multiple attempts. The contact called a relative to the scene who used a code reader to determine the cause of the failure. The code reader showed that there was a defect with the vehicle's vacuum pump, brake sensor, and intake camshaft position timing. The vehicle's codes were reset and the vehicle restarted; however, the brake failure persisted. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to the relative's home and eventually to the dealer. The dealer performed a diagnostic where they discovered metal shavings in the engine camshaft which damaged several parts of the engine. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was erratically jerking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed torque converter. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.