2016 Chevrolet Equinox Problems

What owners report

The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox's owner complaints in this sample center on two themes: engines using or leaking an unusual amount of oil (sometimes down to a stall or a seized engine), and windshield wipers quitting during rain. Oil complaints arrive across a wide mileage band, roughly 30,000 to 160,000 miles, and owners often say no warning light appeared before a stall. Wiper failures are described as sudden, usually in a downpour or heavy spray.

1. 1
   Engine

   Excessive engine oil consumption and oil leaks

   • 157 complaints (39%)
   • median 91,500 mi at 6.3 yrs old (44 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,500 (median of 27 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe finding the engine several quarts low, adding oil weekly or every few days, and seeing smoke or smelling burning oil, often with no low-oil warning. Some say the dealer replaced a sensor or checked for leaks and found nothing at first; others were told a clogged PCV valve, a failed rear main seal, a gasket leak, or a worn timing chain was behind the loss. In several cases the oil loss ended in a stall, a knock, or an engine that had to be replaced. Spread across the sample from about 30,000 to 160,000 miles, with many reports between roughly 60,000 and 120,000 miles; several owners mention cold weather.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level on the dipstick and look for a fuel or burning smell, then ask the seller how much oil is added between changes and whether any PCV, seal, or gasket work was done. A pre-purchase inspection with a look underneath for leaks is worthwhile.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Truck was sputtering while driving and could smell oil & had smoke coming from back. Took to chevy dealer in january. Dealer replaced mass air flow sensor & bored/reset throttle body & reset idle. They claimed there wasnt a leak. Two weeks later oil was pouring from under my truck & it was back at the dealer with proof of a massive leak. They kept my truck til march 23 and it was the pcv port had to be modified and blown rear main seal on the engine ($1,948). I only have 65,000 miles on it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11323228, filed 2020-05, 65,000 miles

   “We bought this 2016 Equinox about a month ago. It has used 2.5 guarts of oil in less than 4 thousand miles. I have seen on internet sites that there are a ton of complaints on this problem”

   NHTSA complaint #11383711, filed 2020-12, 116,000 miles
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop working

   • 109 complaints (27%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (42 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $550 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners report the wipers suddenly stopping mid-stroke, usually while driving in heavy rain, with the motor still running but no movement or a clicking sound. Several describe the wiper linkage or a ball joint coming apart, and shops replacing the wiper motor or the whole linkage assembly rather than just a small part. Most had to pull onto the shoulder and wait out the weather. Reported across the sample from roughly 50,000 to 165,000 miles, most often in rainstorms at highway speed.

   What to check: Turn the wipers on at low and high speed and listen for clicking or uneven movement, and ask whether the wiper linkage or motor has been replaced. If wipers have already been repaired once, ask what parts were used.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving my vehicle on the new york state thruway in a rain storm when my wipers just stopped working. I had to pull over to the shoulder of the thruway and wait it out until the rain stopped. My father in law (retired automotive teacher) diagnosed the problem to be a ball joint on the wiper transmission had come apart disconnecting the wiper transmission from the wiper motor. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11348600, filed 2020-08, 102,064 miles

   “There have been recalls with Chevrolet Equinox's wiper components in recent years due to the wiper ball joint bushings corroding. As I was driving with my young son in the middle of a terrible storm, my wipers stopped working putting us in danger on a highway with cars traveling around us in speeds in excess of 70 MPH. I took my Equinox to the local shop and was told it would be ~$500 to fix because chevy doesn't allow for the bushings to be purchased. You have to replace the entire linkage. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11396249, filed 2021-02, 90,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling or loss of power while driving

   • 86 complaints (22%)
   • median 77,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (37 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,000 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle cutting out at random, sometimes at a stop or when pulling away, other times at speed, leaving power steering and other systems off until it is restarted. Some complaints tie the stalls to low oil, a camshaft actuator solenoid code, or a clogged PCV valve; a few report the vehicle failing to restart and being towed. Reported from roughly 36,000 to 140,000 miles in this sample, with no single mileage pattern.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the check engine light has come on and whether any camshaft actuator or PCV codes were diagnosed, and take a test drive that includes stops, low-speed acceleration, and a cold start.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Initially the rear main seal was leaking or broken; all the oil drained from the vehicle. After spending $992.60 I was advised that the timing change and guides needed to be replaced. I've had the vvt celanide replaced as well as the crank and cam shaft sensors; the vvt gears and an oil pump rebuild...$2017.60 later, my truck drove for approximately 3 miles where it died on the side of the road. I have not driven my car (aside from the 3 miles) in nearly 2 months. Now I'm being told they think it may be electrical. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11303062, filed 2020-01, 89,000 miles

   “My 2016 chevy Equinox randomly stalls while driving, at any random time. No lights or warnings go off to let me know that this is going to happen, it just stops. Everything turns off, the steering wheel locks and all power shuts off. You have to stop and throw it in park and restart it. It usually does restart right away but this is extremely dangerous. Most of the time it happens when you try to move from a complete stop or slow down, but it has happened a few times while in drive. Vehicle stalls when in motion and when stopped. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11329675, filed 2020-06, 57,775 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Engine noise, knocking or overheating damage

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report ticking, rattling, or knocking from the engine, sometimes followed by lost power and a no-start condition. Several were told the oil pump had failed, that the timing chain had slipped or was excessively worn, or that the engine had to be replaced; some mention recurring repairs after an initial fix. Mostly reported between about 58,000 and 120,000 miles in the sample.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for ticking or knocking at idle and on a cold start, and ask for service records showing oil pump, timing chain, or engine work. Check the oil condition and level rather than relying on the oil life monitor alone.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “In early november of 2020 my Chevrolet Equinox engine failed due to excessive oil consumption and burning oil. My low oil light never went on and we did regular oil changes which still didnt matter. We were putting oil in it every few days until finally it wouldnt start anymore. I had it then towed to the Chevrolet dealership to have it fixed as it is my only means of transportation.they corrected the problem but refuse to take accountability for the excessive oil consumption resulting in a bill of over $2,200. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11406656, filed 2021-04, 98,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed at the drive-thru, the engine made a knocking sound. The vehicle then lost motive power and failed to restart. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, after the vehicle had an oil change at the dealer, the engine started consuming an excessive amount of oil, causing frequent oil changes every 3,000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11570975, filed 2024-02, 103,000 miles

Buying note. On this model year, the items worth checking before buying are oil use and wiper operation: verify the oil level between changes, listen for engine noise, and test the wipers. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the engine and wiper linkage gives you the clearest picture.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.