Problems · by component

2013 Chevrolet Equinox fuel/propulsion system problems

43 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox cite fuel/propulsion system, 6% of all 751 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
43
6% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the fuel/propulsion system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“My 2013 Equinox is experiencing the excessive oil loss without warning..this led to transmission..engine..timing failure. The car loses power jerks at slower speeds it sounds horrible and has cost a lot of money for repairs. Still don’t know if it will last much longer. This is a burden on my family as we can’t afford to just go buy another vehicle. I purchased it in 2022 and in 2019 there was a lawsuit being settled for these exact problems and I was not told this nor was it disclosed on the carfax report!! Very upsetting as I will be without a means of transportation.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 29, 2026Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11747310
“My 2013 Chevrolet Equinox (~132,000 miles) has a serious and unsafe oil consumption problem. I had a full oil change, and only two weeks later the dipstick was completely dry. The vehicle provided no warning lights, no low-oil indication, and the GM Oil Life Monitoring System gave an inaccurate reading, failing to alert me to the critically low oil level. On November 25, 2025, while stopped with my foot firmly on the brake, the vehicle began constantly jumping and jerking forward as if it was trying to move on its own. During driving, I also began hearing a loud crunching, metal-on-metal noise whenever I accelerated or drove under 50 mph. Because these symptoms started suddenly and were severe, I took the vehicle to my mechanic the same day. On November 26, 2025, the mechanic confirmed that the engine had suffered major internal damage due to running with almost no oil. The timing chain and VVT components needed to be replaced. The mechanic confirmed that oil starvation caused this failure despite a recent oil change, and the inaccurate oil life monitoring system contributed to the hazard by failing to alert me to the critically low oil. This defect presents a…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 4, 2025Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11702890
“It keeps throwing an error and my truck goes into Reduced engine power mode. It happens out of nowhere. One minute it's fine the next my engine starts to reduce power and I can't go faster then 25 mph. We have already replaced the high pressure fuel rail sensor and the fuel pump. It still is having this issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 16, 2025Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11693767
“Excess oil consumption resulting in having to get oil changed monthly. Oil can be full one day and empty the next without any warning. I have read it is a defected piston however the special circumstances gm was granted rather than a recall has expired according to gm customer service. I was never sent anything in this exception either”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 24, 2024Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11567662
“At about 115,000 miles my carefully maintained one-owner vehicle began to occasionally shudder, and then finally stalled on a couple of occassions. I found out later (after the check-engine light was activated, apparently due to a failing catalytic converter) that the shuddering, and the ruined catalytic converter, were both due to excessive oil consumption--the result of a piston ring defect that I learned about years after a class-action settlement that I was never notified about. The dealer charged me $230 to diagnose these problems. My safety was at risk because of the engine stalling (this happened while driving on two separate occasions), and also because of exhaust/oil fumes seeping into the interior of the vehicle when switching the A/C to defrost mode. Failed catalytic converter and excessive oil consumption was confirmed by the dealer but GM/Chevrolet and dealership refuse to provide remedy. (See https://www.classaction.org/blog/new-class-action-claims-more-chevy-equinox-gmc-terrain-vehicles-plagued-by-oil-consumption-issue) (See also…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 14, 2023Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11511685
“I was driving along and all of a sudden heard and felt a crunching underneath my car. I went directly home and upon shutting my vehicle off, it ran for a few seconds more before quitting. There was also fluid(gear oil) pouring out from underneath my car. No warning lamps or messages. I had the vehicle towed to a mechanic where it was confirmed that the fuel pump and transfer case were non operational.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 31, 2022Power train, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11476745

Showing 6 of 43 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.