USED VEHICLE RESEARCH

2017 Chevrolet Equinox

Is This A Good Car? organizes available NHTSA-derived research for the 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. This page includes owner complaint records, safety recall campaigns, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and information about the completeness of the available evidence.

DATA CONFIDENCE: Limited

Owner complaints

271NHTSA records

Recall campaigns

UnavailableYear, make and model lookup

Manufacturer communications

0Matched NHTSA records

Investigations

0Matched NHTSA records

EVIDENCE AVAILABILITY — NOT VEHICLE RELIABILITY

DATA CONFIDENCE

Limited

Data Confidence measures how much usable evidence CarIQ has for this vehicle. It does not measure how reliable the vehicle is.

Why this rating?
Owner complaint data
Available
Manufacturer communications
Available
Recall data
Unavailable
Investigation data
Available
Production denominator
Unavailable
Complaint component completeness
100%
Mileage completeness
0%
Incident-date completeness
100%

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS

DATA INSIGHTS

Derived from official NHTSA source records. These statistics are descriptive and are not a reliability score.

Complaint records analyzed
271
NHTSA complaints
Most reported component
Engine
66% of categorized complaint records
Top-three component concentration
77%
Records mentioning at least one top-three component
Median reported incident mileage
Not available from current source
0 valid mileage observations
Recall campaigns
Unavailable
NHTSA recalls
Most recent recall report
Not available
NHTSA recalls
Manufacturer communications
0
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Most documented component
Not available
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Top-three communication concentration
Not available
Share of categorized manufacturer communications

SOURCE COMPLETENESS

DATA QUALITY

Complaint records analyzed
271
Component classification available
100%
Incident date available
100%
Mileage available
0%
Structured outcome fields available
100%

Completeness describes fields present in the retrieved complaint records. It is not a data-quality grade or a vehicle assessment.

Learn about CarIQ methodology

PRODUCTION-ADJUSTED DESCRIPTIVE METRIC

NORMALIZED COMPLAINT CONTEXT

Production-normalized complaint data is not currently available for this vehicle.

This metric compares the number of NHTSA owner complaint records retrieved by CarIQ with NHTSA-reported production volume for the corresponding vehicle population.

It is not a vehicle failure rate. Complaint reporting behavior, vehicle age, time on the road, production definitions, and other factors can affect the result.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early Warning Reporting, Light Vehicle Production Data. Read the methodology.

OFFICIAL NHTSA OWNER COMPLAINT DATA

OWNER-REPORTED COMPLAINTS

TOTAL COMPLAINTS271

COMPONENT CATEGORIES

Engine178 complaints
66%of categorized complaint records
Unknown or Other35 complaints
13%of categorized complaint records
Power Train32 complaints
12%of categorized complaint records
Fuel/propulsion System20 complaints
7%of categorized complaint records
Air Bags19 complaints
7%of categorized complaint records
Electrical System18 complaints
7%of categorized complaint records
Engine and Engine Cooling16 complaints
6%of categorized complaint records
Visibility/wiper11 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Service Brakes9 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Vehicle Speed Control7 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Seat Belts5 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Structure5 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Wheels4 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)3 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Exterior Lighting3 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Air1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Forward Collision Avoidance1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Hydraulic1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Steering1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Suspension1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Tires1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records
Visibility1 complaint
0%of categorized complaint records

A complaint may list more than one component and therefore contribute to multiple categories. Percentages show the share of categorized complaint records that mention each component—not the percentage of vehicles affected. Category percentages may overlap.

INCIDENT REPORTS BY YEAR

2016
2
2017
9
2018
9
2019
17
2020
16
2021
27
2022
48
2023
36
2024
42
2025
52
2026
13

Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.

RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS

Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control · Visibility/wiper

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11753998
Read complaint narrative

My car was in Clarksburg Crown, Mitsubishi, and a lot that had no monitoring, and it was a sticker saying the car was not ready to be sold, and I still went with it trusting the crown Mitsubishi Car associate however there are fuses added to my car weather from them or from car auto tunes in Morgantown I’m not sure but my car has the ability to run without my foot on the gas or things happening to my to my acceleration

Engine and Engine Cooling

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11736946
Read complaint narrative

The contact owns a 2017 Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced oil consumption failures. While examine the vehicle he contact discover very little oil was present although oil was recently added to the engine. The oil light warning light did not display and no oil leaks were present. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determined the cause of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. . The failure mileage was 130,000.

Electrical System · Engine · Fuel/propulsion System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11732611
Read complaint narrative

2017 Chevrolet Equinox Premier certified pre-owned vehicle experienced multiple safety-related defects. 1. REPEATED STARTING FAILURES (electrical/battery/starter system): - March 17, 2026: Complete battery failure, vehicle would not start. AAA/GM Roadside Assistance called. Dealer inspected but could not diagnose root cause or explain battery drain. Preceded by unusually loud windshield wiper motor and engine noise (March 15). - April 13, 2026 (4:01pm): Engine failed to turn over twice in parking lot before starting on third attempt. SAFETY RISK: Sudden starting failures create stranding hazard and risk of being rear-ended in traffic. 2. WATER INTRUSION THROUGH HEADLINER (sunroof/headliner/mic assembly): - April 15, 2026 (10:40-10:45am): Approximately 1 ounce of water poured from headliner/radio microphone assembly directly into driver's eyes while driving on expressway. Continued dripping intermittently for hours. SAFETY RISK: Complete vision obstruction while driving at highway speeds. 3. INTERMITTENT SAFETY CHIMES (electrical/infotainment): - Ongoing for weeks: Five rapid electronic dings with NO dashboard warning lights or indicators. Occurs sporadically while driving (10 occurrences in one recent day). Dealer previously informed by phone but no resolution. SAFETY RISK: Distracting chimes with no identifiable warning create driver confusion. 4. ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL: Remote start now works intermittently. All components available for NHTSA/manufacturer inspection. Dealer confirmed March 17 battery inspection but found no cause. No manufacturer inspection. No warning lamps preceded any failures except unexplained chimes. Problems began immediately after certified pre-owned purchase despite CarBravo certification. Safety defects render vehicle unreliable and hazardous.

Electrical System · Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11729639
Read complaint narrative

MY CAR STARTED TO USE A LOT OF OIL, AND UPON MY REGULAR OIL CHANGES IT WOULD ALWAYS BE VERY LOW, BUT OIL WAS NOT LEAKING OUT OF THE CAR. IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT I HAD TO PUT OIL IN OFTEN TO OPERATE THE CAR. IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD CUT OFF ON ME IN SCHOOL LINES. AFTER DEALING WITH THIS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME IT SOUNDED SO BAD THAT THE EXPRESS OIL CHANGE FACILITIES REFUSED TO CHANGE MY OIL BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS AN ENGINE PROBLEM. SO I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE 2 MONTHS AFTER TOWING IT HOME. I HAVE 2 VEHICLE PAYMENTS, MY 2017 EQUINOX BEEN DOWN OVER A YEAR NOW. PLEASE ADD MY VIN # TO THE RECALL. IM EXPERIENCES THE SAME SYMPTOMS

Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11724211
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While driving to work in negative degree weather I got a message saying reduce engine power and before I could pull over it had lost all power. Having it towed and now needing a new engine I see im not the first one with this problem. I also still have a loan im paying for on a dead car. Idk why theres not a recall on this .

Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11722146
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I have had this car for a little under a year. In January of this year 2026, I was driving on the freeway when I received a. reduce engine power alert. Which caused me to immediately get off of the freeway put the car power down before I can make it another half a mile. After having it looked at several times what was thought to be a rear seal oil leak turned out to be a leak in the transmission. Repairs as of now our thoughts to be needing an entire new transmission. . Repairs as of now our thoughts to be needing a entire new transmission. I don’t understand why there is no recall for this specific situation. Upon my research, I have seen many complaints many concerns of the exact same thing of the exact same making model of these cars. I have not been able to drive the car since January and have been paying for a rental. With cost estimated to be between 1500 and $4000. Surely there’s something that Chevrolet can do for all of the people who are having the same problems with the equinox

Electrical System

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11721826
Read complaint narrative

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 98,000. The contact found paperwork inside the glove compartment that indicated that the mileage on the Title was 156,300. The contact purchased the Carfax Report and confirmed the mileage. The contact filed a report with the local Police Department.

Engine

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11720034
Read complaint narrative

The rear main seal has gone out in two 2017 chevy equinox right around 100,000 for both vehicles costing over 1000$ plus to fix.

NHTSA complaints are reports submitted by vehicle owners and other consumers. Complaint counts do not represent the percentage of vehicles affected and do not by themselves establish that a safety defect exists.

A higher complaint count can partly reflect how many vehicles were sold, vehicle age, and other factors. CarIQ does not yet normalize complaint counts by vehicles sold.

Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This site is not endorsed by NHTSA.

OFFICIAL NHTSA MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION DATA

MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS0

No NHTSA manufacturer communication records were returned for this year, make, and model.

Manufacturer communications include service bulletins and other technical information submitted by manufacturers to NHTSA. The existence or number of communications does not establish how often a condition occurs or whether an individual vehicle will experience it.

Some manufacturers may issue more detailed service documentation than others, so communication counts should not be used alone to compare vehicle reliability.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manufacturer communications

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS

TOTAL INVESTIGATION RECORDS0

No applicable NHTSA defect investigation records were returned for this year, make, and model.

NHTSA investigations evaluate potential motor-vehicle safety defects. The existence of an investigation does not by itself establish that a safety defect exists, and the absence of an investigation does not establish that a vehicle is problem-free.

Open and closed describe NHTSA's process status, not a CarIQ reliability judgment.

View official NHTSA investigation data ↗

DESCRIPTIVE SOURCE OVERLAP

CROSS-SOURCE VEHICLE DATA

CarIQ compares categories appearing across independent NHTSA datasets. Overlap can help identify areas with more available documentation, but it does not establish defect frequency or prove that an individual vehicle will experience a problem.

ComponentOwner complaintsManufacturer communicationsRecall campaignsNHTSA investigationsOfficial sources containing records
Engine1780001 of 4
Unknown or Other350001 of 4
Power Train320001 of 4
Fuel/propulsion System200001 of 4
Air Bags190001 of 4
Electrical System180001 of 4
Engine and Engine Cooling160001 of 4
Visibility/wiper110001 of 4
Service Brakes90001 of 4
Vehicle Speed Control70001 of 4

Displayed first by the number of source categories containing the component, then by owner complaint count, then alphabetically. This is a presentation rule, not a vehicle ranking. Complaint reports, manufacturer communications, recalls, and investigations describe different events and are never added into a combined total.

complaint
Available
communication
Available
recall
Unavailable
investigation
Available
production
Unavailable

OFFICIAL NHTSA SAFETY RECALL DATA

SAFETY RECALLS

Recall data is temporarily unavailable. Please check again later or verify directly with NHTSA.

Recall results shown here are based on year, make, and model. A specific vehicle may or may not be affected. Check the vehicle's VIN with NHTSA to confirm open recalls before purchasing. Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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