Skip to content

FREE VEHICLE RESEARCH

2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD

The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD has 1 NHTSA safety recall on file, 391 owner complaints, and gets about 23 mpg combined. Here's the full free record from NHTSA and the EPA.

SPECS

2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD at a glance

Engine
4-cyl 2.4L
Cylinders
4
Displacement
2.4 L
Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Transmission
Automatic 6-spd
Body
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Fuel
Regular

Source: EPA / NHTSA vPIC, as of July 13, 2026.

SAFETY RECALLS · NHTSA

1 open

Equipment

21/06/2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles manufactured October 16, 2015. The certification labels may have incorrect tire/rim size and cold tire pressure information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1050, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 46600.

NHTSA has opened one or more investigations covering this model. Recalls can follow an investigation, so check NHTSA for the latest before you buy.

Open safety recalls are free to fix at any franchised dealer. What recalls mean → Source: NHTSA recalls, as of July 13, 2026. Recalls can be issued any time, confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.

OWNER COMPLAINTS · NHTSA

391 filed
14 crashes 3 fires 22 injuries
  • ENGINE

    I started up my car on a cold winter morning and I heard a loud popping noise. I backed up my car minutes later and discovered puddles of oil in front of me in my driveway. I asked my husband to come out and look. He got under the car and s

    152
  • VISIBILITY/WIPER

    While driving with windshield wipers on, they suddenly stopped working. The wipers were stuck in position in the center of my windshield. Upon inspection, it appeared that one of the arms had become disconnected from the piece it was connec

    102
  • UNKNOWN OR OTHER

    The 2016 Equinox is not keeping oil in the engine. Therefore, the engine is unsafe and extremely dangerous - there is no warning! It will just stop in traffic! Life threatening to driver, passengers and other vehicles on the road.

    28
  • POWER TRAIN

    Coming home from a trip without any warning our 2016 equinox scared me when it made a terrible sound lost power and stopped working. We’re 100’s miles away from home on the side of a road in the dark. We called for towing to a dealer payed

    25
  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

    In Feb 2025, I was driving, a day after a snow storm, on the highway when without warning my car stopped accelerating, and just shut down. The mechanic said my oil was all over the ground. He also stated that there's a defect in the 2.4l ec

    20
  • AIR BAGS

    The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The warning light remained illuminated constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was

    12

Problems owners reported to the government, useful for spotting patterns, not proof any one car has them. What complaints mean → Source: NHTSA complaints, as of July 13, 2026. Owner-submitted reports, not verified diagnoses.

CRASH-TEST RATINGS · NHTSA NCAP

Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal
★★★★☆
Side
★★★★★
Rollover
★★★★☆

Government crash tests of this model; not every trim or year is tested. Source: NHTSA NCAP, as of July 13, 2026.

FUEL & RUNNING COST · U.S. EPA

Combined
23 mpg
City / Hwy
20 / 28
Est. fuel / yr
$2,700
CO₂ / mi
381 g

EPA lab estimates; real mpg varies by how you drive. Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov, as of July 13, 2026. Annual cost assumes 15,000 mi/yr at EPA's reference price.

All figures above come from free U.S. government sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, investigations, crash tests) and the EPA (fuel economy and specs). We don't show market price, insurance cost, or proprietary reliability scores, because there's no free, reliable public source for them. For a verdict on a specific listing, with a fair-offer number and what to ask the seller, that's the VINly app.

BEFORE YOU BUY

What to check on this car

Confirm the recall was fixed

This model has 1 open NHTSA recall (including the equipment). Recall repairs are free at the dealer, so ask the seller for proof the remedy was performed, or verify by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.

Watch for a pending investigation

NHTSA has an open investigation covering this model. A recall can follow an investigation, so check nhtsa.gov for the latest before you commit.

  • Test-drive the basics

    Cold start, full-lock steering both ways, firm brakes with no pulsing, smooth shifts, and every electronic feature. Warning lights should come on at key-on, then go out.

  • Check the title and the VIN

    Confirm the title status in hand matches the listing, and that the VIN matches across the dash, door jamb, and title. VINly does not show ownership or accident history, for that, run a paid report like Carfax.

  • Ask the seller the right questions

    Why they are selling, any service records, accident or panel-repaint history, how many owners, and whether any open recalls were completed.

See the full used-car inspection checklist. None of this replaces a hands-on inspection by a mechanic.

Quick answers

What is recalled on the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD? +

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD, including the equipment. See the full list above, and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov.

What gas mileage does the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD get? +

The EPA rates the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD at 23 mpg combined (20 city / 28 highway), about $2,700 a year in fuel.

How safe is the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD? +

NHTSA's NCAP program gives the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD 4 out of 5 stars overall, with 4 stars for rollover resistance.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD? +

Owners have filed 391 complaints with NHTSA for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD, including 14 involving a crash. The most-reported area is engine.

FREE IN THE APP

Comparing a few cars? Save the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD and line it up against the others in the app.

No account. Saving and comparing cars is free; the per-listing report is $3.99.

THE FULL BUYER'S REPORT · $3.99

Found a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox AWD for sale?

The research above is free. The app takes a screenshot of one real listing and returns a verdict, a fair-offer number, the red flags specific to that car, a walk-away floor, and a message you can send the seller, word for word.

Research another car → Have the VIN? Decode it free →