"How reliable is the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox?"

"Based on 148 NHTSA complaints, the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox has a median complaint mileage of 76001 miles. The most common issue is Air Bags."

"What are common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox is Air Bags, accounting for a significant portion of the 148 total complaints filed."

2009 Chevrolet Equinox: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 148 complaints

148

Total Complaints

76,001mi

Median Mileage

Air Bags

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

55,250 25th Percentile

76,001 Median Mileage

103,011 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags

Electrical System

Engine

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Vehicle Speed Control

Power Train

Fuel/Propulsion System

Unknown Or Other

Steering

Fuel System, Gasoline

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"1.I WAS DRIVING THE CAR HOME FROM THE AIRPORT. AS I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION WITH A STOP TRAFFIC SIGNAL, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, HOWEVER, THE CAR CONTINUED TO TRAVEL WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN. I KEPT PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AS FAR AS I COULD BUT THE CAR CONTINUED AT THE SAME SPEED. AS I ENTE..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE DESTINATION LE 235/65/16 TIRES. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE SWAYED OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. THERE..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MADE A LOUD POPPING NOISE AS IT SHATTERED; THE WINDOW WAS STILL INTACT DESPITE SHATTERING. THE DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH A FAILURE. THE V..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 26 complaints

25th: 57,125 mi Median: 74,245 mi 75th: 98,725 mi

Electrical System 22 complaints

25th: 56,867 mi Median: 85,550 mi 75th: 90,875 mi

Engine 17 complaints

25th: 69,970 mi Median: 75,372 mi 75th: 106,250 mi

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 12 complaints

25th: 57,500 mi Median: 71,627 mi 75th: 75,500 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 10 complaints

25th: 52,396 mi Median: 72,545 mi 75th: 75,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

MI: 15 OH: 10 PA: 9 GA: 9 TX: 8 KY: 8 VA: 8 IL: 7 NJ: 7 FL: 7

Who Files Complaints?

0.7%

Original Owners

99.3%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Equinox — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2005	950	64,000	Electrical System	91
2006	950	73,499	Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System	26
2007	947	74,255	Fuel/Propulsion System	15
2008	535	73,000	Air Bags	21
2010	1117	80,000	Engine	24
2011	1133	80,000	Engine	52
2012	941	79,000	Engine	22
2013	978	80,000	Engine	27
2014	690	77,461	Engine	32
2015	838	73,000	Visibility/Wiper	37
2016	484	64,500	Engine	20
2017	361	65,775	Engine	29
2018	545	20,074	Service Brakes	32
2019	393	8,753	Engine	29
2020	425	9,500	Service Brakes	35
2021	107	55,000	Unknown Or Other	6
2022	194	24,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	21
2023	103	10,002	Fuel/Propulsion System	5
2024	81	16,989	Electrical System	5
2025	259	8,000	Electrical System	14
2026	46	150	Power Train	1

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28