2020 Chevrolet Equinox transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 20V668000Oct 29, 2020194,105 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

  General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.

  Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.

  Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

What owners say

1. Filed Aug 20, 2026ILEngineAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   Engine power reduced Car will not accelerate Jerks after a long stop Have replaced engine and transmission same problem occurred

   NHTSA complaint #11758252 · source
2. Filed Jun 30, 2026CABrakesEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   December 2025 I was at a complete stop and the car clunked and the brake pedal got hard hard to push and then a couple months later a brake sensor light came on and when I plugged the code reader into it, it said give me a brake sensor code, and then it started slamming on the brakes all by itself when I went to takeoff hard like give you whiplash hard and it didn’t just do it once it did it a few times and then it wouldn’t go into reverse and then it wouldn’t go in neutral,…

   NHTSA complaint #11747321 · source
3. Filed Jun 9, 2026MNEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Recall Number N202313440 My car matches make, model, and year but for some reason is not included in the recall and my vehicle has the leaking bolts. Please Review

   NHTSA complaint #11742924 · source
4. Filed May 12, 2026KSBrakesSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

   I am submitting this on behalf of my daughter, [XXX] . On Friday, May 8, 2026, [XXX] was traveling southbound on Highway 89A approaching [XXX] . Highway 89A is a narrow, winding two-lane canyon road with limited shoulder and significant elevation changes. While still on the canyon road, her 2020 Chevrolet Equinox suddenly lost all power, including power assist to both steering and brakes. A sudden loss of power steering and brake assist on this road presented a serious risk…

   NHTSA complaint #11737381 · source
5. Filed May 10, 2026OHBrakesEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   On Saturday, April 18, 2026, I was driving home from a neurology appointment with my two daughters, including my child with special needs. I intentionally chose not to take the expressway and instead drove a lower-speed route home for safety reasons. While traveling approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly displayed an “Engine Power is Reduced” warning. As I attempted to safely maneuver through traffic and pull over, the brake pedal became extremely stiff and difficult to…

   NHTSA complaint #11736913 · source
6. Filed Apr 20, 202668,000 miMOElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate from a stop, the engine started choking. The vehicle lost automotive power, stalled, and shut off unexpectedly and stalled. The contact waited for a while, restarted the vehicle, and continued driving. The failure became persistent, and several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. Recently, the failure reoccurred 4 times while attempting to…

   NHTSA complaint #11732444 · source
7. Filed Apr 1, 2026ILTransmission & Drivetrain

   Multiple times (Friday, March 27, Monday March 30, 2026) we have had the 2020 Equinox fail to accelerate at green lights. The gas pedal is pressed to the floor and car is VERY slow to accelerate. It takes multiple depressions of the gas pedal to accelerate more than 10 mph. There are open recalls on certain vin numbers from the NHTSA but mine was not on list yet appears to have many of the same concerns. Our local mechanic believes the details of recall bulletin 20V668000…

   NHTSA complaint #11728637 · source
8. Filed Feb 12, 2026OKAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   I keep loosing power and get the message "Engine Power Reduced" and the car stops while driving down the road, sometimes it just stutters and won't maintain speed without the warning. I've had 2 shops check it out and can't find anything wrong. This vehicle has had all required maintenance done by the dealer since it was new.

   NHTSA complaint #11717644 · source
9. Filed Feb 3, 202672,000 miTXTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the front wheel drive transmission assembly, flushed the transmission fluid, and updated the transmission control module. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the…

   NHTSA complaint #11715208 · source
10. Filed Dec 8, 2025MICrashAirbagsDriver Assistance & Safety TechTransmission & Drivetrain

    Forward collision system dint notify of an object infront , also breaks locked up when used .Air bags didn’t go off while a forward collision with a bus happened

    NHTSA complaint #11703653 · source
11. Filed Nov 12, 2025SCTransmission & Drivetrain

    The Engine Power Reduced Sensor came on and the gas pedal was hard to push so we took the car to a Chevy Dealership. We were told the code po299 was showing and that the turbo needs to be replaced ($4000). This is a VERY common problem and Chevy even acknowledges that but they are doing nothing about it.

    NHTSA complaint #11698912 · source
12. Filed Oct 19, 2025FLEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

    Pulling into traffic car stalled without warning. Went from about 25 MPH to a complete stop in approximately in less than 100 feet. Car sputtered with transmission grabbing intermittently as it jerked to a stop. Restarted about several times with similar behavior. (Covered under 60,000-mile warranty (actual mileage ~55,000)). Replaced fuel pump driver control module to correct. No accident due to distance to on-coming traffic, but easily could have caused an accident during…

    NHTSA complaint #11694420 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology