2018 Chevrolet Equinox Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox most often describe a firm, hard-to-press brake pedal that comes on with a "Service Brake Assist" message, traced in many complaints to a failed brake vacuum pump. A second common theme is hesitation, jerkiness or loss of power around the engine and automatic transmission, including auto stop/start events where the vehicle does not move off as expected. These reports span a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to well past 100,000, so a thorough pre-purchase inspection and a check of open recalls and software updates are worthwhile.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Hard brake pedal / brake assist warning (vacuum pump)

   • 128 complaints (31%)
   • median 64,500 mi at 3.3 yrs old (48 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,698 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Complaints describe the brake pedal becoming very firm, as if pressing a brick, with extended stopping distance or no braking effect, sometimes with a "Service Brake Assist" or brake system message. Several owners say the dealer diagnosed a failed or disintegrated vacuum pump or booster and replaced it; a number report the problem returning after repair. Some complaints mention having to use the parking brake or coast to a stop. Reported across a broad range from very low mileage to over 120,000 miles, often during highway or steady-speed driving.

   Recall 18V576000

   What to check: Test the pedal feel on a cold start and ask whether the brake vacuum pump, booster or pressure sensor have been replaced, and whether any brake-related recalls were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Brakes failed following a vacuum pump failure while driving at faster speeds on a busy city street (45mph). Reduced engine power was displayed and when I applied the brakes, the pedal felt solid and did not depress. Using the neutral gear and parking brake I was able to stop the car. This could have been a fatal failure in a different scenario with a lesser driver”

   NHTSA complaint #11387419, filed 2021-01, 62,144 miles

   “Was driving in stop/go traffic - about 35-40 MPH. Went to hit the brakes and the brake pad wouldn't move. I pumped and nothing happened. No lights/warnings on the dash, and the car had functioned fine prior to then. I had to throw the car to neutral, try to veer into another lane, then pull emergency brake to keep from hitting another car. Warning then came across the dash saying brake assist service needed (or something to that effect). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11387747, filed 2021-01, 86,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hesitation, jerking and loss of power (engine/transmission)

   • 96 complaints (23%)
   • median 28,000 mi at 2.3 yrs old (55 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,500 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle hesitating or jerking at moderate speeds, failing to accelerate when the pedal is pressed, and holding or missing gears; some say the car went into limp mode. Complaints mention the dealer finding nothing on the computer, calling it a software characteristic, or diagnosing transmission fluid needs; a few report a transmission replacement was recommended. Auto stop/start events that leave the vehicle slow to move off are also described. Mostly reported between roughly 20,000 and 120,000 miles, both in stop-and-go traffic and at highway speeds.

   Recall 20V6680001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive at steady 40-50 mph and from a stop on an incline, feeling for hesitation or harsh shifts; ask for transmission service records and whether the start/stop accumulator recall was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving approximately 65 MPH on the state highway, the care began to slow down in speed close to 30 MPH which was a hazard on the highway at that time of day. I pressed on the gas to increase speed, but nothing happened. I feared being hit from behind so I safely coasted to the off ramp, then it jerked, as if re-starting the engine. I feared for my life and that of my child.”

   NHTSA complaint #11299784, filed 2020-01, 45,001 miles

   “Took car to dealer for routine oil change and service, I reported to them a very frequent problem with car hesitating to accelerate andjerks at speed between 40 and 50 MPH also passsenger can feel this riding in the back seat. Took to dealer they said nothing showed on computer but GM has software issue. For the price of cars feel that this is not acceptable performance to have to drive an otherwise nice car I notices several other similar complaint on this website”

   NHTSA complaint #11317938, filed 2020-03, 1,800 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Stalling, no-start and fuel smell (fuel pump / fuel in oil)

   • 58 complaints (14%)
   • median 64,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (36 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Complaints describe stalling at speed or at a light, a strong fuel odor inside or outside the vehicle, fuel leaking near the high-pressure fuel pump, and no-start or hard-start conditions. Some owners say a dealer found the fuel pump leaking fuel into the oil, or that the high-pressure pump failed; some note the vehicle was not covered by the fuel pump recall. Reported from about 65,000 to over 160,000 miles, often during acceleration or shortly after stopping.

   Recall 18V358000

   What to check: Smell the oil on the dipstick for fuel and look for fuel residue around the high-pressure pump; ask whether the fuel pump recall applies to this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated. The contact pulled over to the closest exit and pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was turned off and then restarted; however, while attempting to drive forward or reverse, the vehicle failed to move. The contact inspected the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11734222, filed 2026-04, 168,053 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to immediately start. The vehicle was started after several attempts. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light the vehicle began shaking and lost motive power. Additionally, the contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into park(P), the vehicle stalled three times, and the vehicle was restarted after several attempts. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11659245, filed 2025-05, 134,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Electrical gremlins: door locks, battery drain, warning

   • 56 complaints (14%)
   • median 20,074 mi at 2.6 yrs old (25 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners report door locks that stop responding to the fob or interior button after rain or a car wash, battery-saving messages followed by a dead vehicle from alternator failure, blank infotainment screens, and warning messages such as a restraint or emissions-related communication fault. Some complaints describe modules needing replacement or state inspection equipment failing to communicate with the vehicle. Spread from low mileage up to about 120,000 miles, with several reports tied to wet weather or after a software update.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check that all doors lock and unlock with the fob and interior buttons, confirm battery and charging system health, and ask whether any modules or emission-related updates have been replaced or applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Date of incident: 10/17/2020. Check battery light came on and the vehicle's alert message indicated the car was in 'battery saving mode'. No previous indicators had appeared to inform that there was a battery issue. A short while later, all power to the vehicle stopped while driver was on a highway. The alternator in the vehicle went out. This has happened to enough vehicles with this alternator model that all parts stores in duluth, mn and superior, wi were out of parts. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11365854, filed 2020-10, 41,000 miles

   “After going through a car wash or driving in a heavy rain, the vehicle door locks periodically no longer function. Door lock/unlock function cannot be used either with the key fob or with direct press of the lock/unlock button on the interior of the vehicle. At one point had to climb out the back of the vehicle. If you are outside of the vehicle, the only way to unlock the vehicle is to remove the cover from the door lock and use the embedded key in the key fob. Issue will last anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hours after the car gets wet. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11398547, filed 2021-03, 55,000 miles
5. 5
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers and sunroof / shade problems

   • 21 complaints (5%)
   • median 33,057 mi at 3.1 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Complaints describe windshield wipers that stop working while driving, sometimes after earlier adjustments, and sunroof or retractable shade failures where the shade jams, makes noise and hangs down obstructing rear visibility. Owners say dealers or independent shops were sometimes unable to resolve the concern. Mostly reported under about 60,000 miles, with several wiper failures in wet or snowy conditions.

   Recall 18V252000

   What to check: Run the wipers at every speed and open and close the sunroof and shade fully; ask whether the front door glass recall was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Sat 12/05/2020, 0745 hrs. Weather: snow/slush location route1 s/b north attleboro, ma problem: wipers stopped working while driving : while driving to merge onto I-295 s, wiper stopped working for no apparent reason, I quickly made emergency stop resulted in front passenger tire got blown due to hitting the curb sideway, thank god I was going below speed limit or otherwise. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11378038, filed 2020-12, 20,200 miles

   “The wipers on this car have never been right. I had them looked at oct 2018. Now they stopped working completely. If you google it, many people have had the same issue since 2000. This should be a recall!”

   NHTSA complaint #11394620, filed 2021-02, 56,395 miles

Buying note. Check the brake pedal feel and any brake-assist repairs first, then drive it through stop-and-go and highway conditions to look for hesitation or harsh shifting. Confirm which open recalls and software updates have been completed on the specific vehicle before purchase.

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.