Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Chevrolet Equinox owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, she began to smell a burnt odor inside the vehicle. The contact saw white smoke entering from the windshield defroster and decided to continue driving to her destination. The contact stated the check engine warning light was illuminated and black smoke began to enter the windshield defroster. The contact depressed the brake pedal but failed to stop the vehicle and caused her to crash into a guard rail on the front driver side. No air bags deployed. The contact was not able to open the front driver side door due to being blocked by the guard rail. The contact climbed into the back of the vehicle and exited the rear driver side door, while the flames were inside the front of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed. The police report was filed. …
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, he depressed the brake pedal however, the brakes were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle crashed into the rear of a truck, striking the truck three times before coming to a stop. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The contact stated that a Police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,150.
My wife and I were in our car driving on [redacted] on [redacted] at about 4:30 in the afternoon. I was about three car lengths behind the car in front of me and I was doing 30-32 miles per hour. The brake lights in front of me went to red and I immediately stepped on my brakes but my car would not stop nor slow down causing me to hit the person in front of me. It was a matter of seconds passing but when I hit the back of that car in front of me I had both feet on the brake pedal. My car would not stop. My wife was injured, the young lady that I hit hurt her leg and the back end of her car was destroyed. Our car was totaled. The vehicle is now in possession of AAA auto insurance where I was told the brakes would be looked in to. I will be placing a call to the General Motors customer service to lodge a complaint. There were no warning signs of any type prior to this accident. …
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the rear brakes. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The contact completed the work himself. The contact recently took the vehicle the vehicle in for service at a dealer and was informed that the rear brakes and calipers would need to be replaced soon. The contact stated that the pads and rotors had been replaced approximately one year ago, and the vehicle was not driven daily. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V576000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. …
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the "Service Brake Assist" message briefly flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle then independently downshifted and decelerated to 30 MPH, with the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle but was able to coast the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The contact was able to turn off the vehicle after the failure; however, the mechanic was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where a mechanic informed the contact that the vacuum pump had failed and sent debris through the camshaft. The contact was informed that the vacuum pump, timing chain, cam shaft, and pistons all needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a reference number. …
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, when the vehicle in front stopped suddenly, the contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle slowed down; however, it did not stop. The contact depressed the brake pedal twice, and the vehicle failed to respond and rear-ended the vehicle in front, where it came to a stop. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. All the air bags were deployed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The insurance company was notified, and the vehicle was declared a total loss. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V704000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the VIN was not included. …
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake assists, and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed oil valve. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that when the check engine warning light illuminated, other warning lights would sometimes become illuminate. The contact stated that a day later, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes were inoperable. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the contact noticed that the brake pedal was difficult to depress. The brake assists warning light illuminated and then disappeared. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. …
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine made an abnormal ticking sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal felt firm and failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal two feet, the brake pedal travelled down as needed, causing the braking distance to be extended by 222 ft. approximately. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had seized and shredded to parts inside the engine. The mechanic determined that the vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that two unknown dealers and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. …
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal was extremely hard and tight. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to stop the vehicle because the vehicle was not being driven at a high speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as CAM shaft failure, timing chain, and vacuum pump failure. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft, timing chain, and vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact, who was an independent mechanic, stated that it was very important that the braking system operated independently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,400.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, she became aware that the brake pedal required excessive effort to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. Later, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the vacuum pump, resulting in damage to the timing chain. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018.
Brake complaints in other Equinox years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA has 83 complaints about the brakes of the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, 27% of the model year's 306 complaints. The component named most often is power assist › vacuum (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Chevrolet Equinox brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-576 (caliper, Aug 30, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 Chevrolet Equinox brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to brakes 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.