Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Chevrolet Equinox owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle on a cold, snowy day, there was oil on the driveway. There was a fuel odor inside the vehicle, and the engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was related to the PCV system. The mechanic stated that the PCV valve was clogged, causing the gasket to fail. The vehicle was partially repaired. The mechanic later informed the contact that other repairs were necessary. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there were no recalls associated with the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall coverage associated with the VIN for the repair. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
My 2016 Chevrolet Equinox caught on fire about 10 minutes after my accident. I rear ended a pickup truck going about 5-10 miles an hour. Although nobody was hurt, I don't think SUVs should catch on fire. I'm unaware if this problem is frequent in 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, but there wasn't any warning of the sudden fire that appeared from the engine, i.e. sirens, sounds from within the car. I'm unaware if Chevrolet, law enforcement or the insurance company has inspected the vehicle after the accident?
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud sound coming from the vehicle with a gasoline odor coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the exhaust manifold had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
I was driving the vehicle from Madison, WI to Janesville, WI on the interstate. The car was operating normally until about 35 minutes into my drive. I heard unusual noises coming from the vehicle and I started to feel more resistance then normal while accelerating. I checked the dash for any indicator lights or high temperature but nothing was indicated. I exited the interstate and noticed the car was not accelerating normally. While stopped at a stop light the vehicle stalled, but powered back on after restarting. About a mile up the road the vehicle stalled again, but again restarted. I was less than a mile from my destination. After parking the vehicle at my destination, oil was observed gushing out from above the real driver's side wheel well. The vehicle had an odor. It was determined an intake value burst causing an oil leak. …
During my recent travel after a few short miles, oil began to leak and the engine began to knock. After the engine stalled, I was able to restart and begin to drive around 20 miles per hour when the engine stalled and cut off again as I was on my way to the repair shop. I noticed during this time that the car was leaking oil. The following was revealed after receiving a diagnostic test performed by the repair shop that the engine suffers from internal damage/massive oil leak and it is not recommended attempting to repair. Repairs are estimated to be due more than $6K without guarantee that the vehicle will not repeat the same problematic performance. Upon some investigation, it has been revealed that my vehicle is among the many 2014-2017 Chevy Equinox models that are plagued with the same 2.4L engine/oil consumption defect. …
When temperatures were around 0 degrees, I was driving to work and I started hearing a noise and the car was shaking. I oil all over the ground and checked the oil once parked, the dip stick had no oil and there was white foam under the oil cap. This issue could've cause me to lose control of my vehicle while driving, putting myself and anyone around me at risk. I had the vehicle towed to a dealership where they found out that the rear main seal failed. They replaced the rear main seal along with the front main seal and sent me on my way. I had no issues for the next month, but the weather went back below 0 degrees and the same issue happened again, this time there was ice found in the intake manifold. This repair is being completed now. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than the dealership. …
My car is a 2016 chevy equinox - the check engine light never came on and I was driving it home from the store when it started bucking, showing "power to engine low" error message and barely moved when pressing the gas. I got the car home and my husband was checking the car only to find I have no oil when I never received any warning. I have done research and have seen this is an issue for many chevy equinox owners who all experienced this with their cars. I just had an oil change completed a few months ago in early Sept/Late August with very minimal driving in the 4 month window as I was out of work for 2 of those months. I do believe this is a defect in the car due to the fact that I was out of oil so quickly PLUS no alert informing me that the oil was low prior to the issue with the vehicle. now it will not start and the engine appears to be trash now.
My vehicle went into "limp mode" in a dangerous intersection due to the garbage design of the PCV. The "valve" is simply a hole that gets clogged by cold climates, and it allows the oil pressure to build up in the crankcase and then without warning, oh boy, my engine had a catastrophic failure and needs to be replaced. Blown rear main seal. There are multiple lawsuits against GM for this. They can't continue to get away with knowing about this flaw and not fix it. I only put 37,000 miles on this car (108K total). Changed the oil myself religiously. I came in, and they told me there was no oil on the dipstick despite the fact that I had just changed the oil 2 days prior.
I have completed extensive research on my 2016 chevy equinox and it is my understanding this model has ongoing issues with the high pressure fuel pump. However only the newer models have been recalled for the same exact issue. I need to report the same issue with the 2016 models as well. I have never had any major issues with this vehicle until it suddenly started stalling and failing emissions inspections causing a huge monetary set back. I want to file a complaint for Chevy to acknowledge that this is an ongoing issue for not just newer vehicles and address my repairs.
Problems with oil leaking on rear seal. No notice given until light came on that said stop engine now. Upon inspection all oil was gone. My mechanic said this is an unfortunate issue with this engine because the pressure release hole is so small that any dirt can block it and but a lot of pressure on the back seal until it bursts and leaks out oil. This could have blown my engine and it only has 67000 miles. Definitely a manufacturers defect.
Fuel System complaints in other Equinox years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, 5% of the model year's 399 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Chevrolet Equinox fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Chevrolet Equinox fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 113,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.