NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 72 complaints against the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2023 Chevrolet Equinox complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox has generated 144 NHTSA complaints and has 3 active recalls. If your 2023 Chevrolet Equinox has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Chevrolet pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
Fuel and propulsion system defects can cause stalling, fuel leaks, or power loss — all substantial impairments of use and safety. The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox has generated 42 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. Owner reports include: “High capacity fuel pump stopped working while going up a hill. Lost all driving power on freeway and was unable to accelerate any more. Luckily there was a pull off on the freeway or I would have been on a blind turn with cars going 70mph. Had to have pump replaced at a local shop as there was no recall for 2023. 2021 and 2022 have the recall for this specific component.” (NHTSA Complaint #11697956)
The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox has generated 14 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “Unable to respond to text messages verbally whenever you get a text. Initially the driver could accept and reply thru the radio if so desired but now this function does not work as before. Both the dealer and Chevrolet have not resolved the issue. Three case numbers have been assigned (9-14405693026, 9-14415635001, & 9-1445732776) without resolving the issue. The vehicle is well within warranty mileage. There is no safe way to safely respond to a text.” (NHTSA Complaint #11638776)
Brake defects affecting safety may qualify for California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, which applies to defects likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox has generated 14 NHTSA complaints related to braking, including ABS failures, grinding, reduced stopping power, and warning lights. Owner reports include: “Entering a freeway off-ramp at about 65 mph, I depressed the brakes and the brake pedal went to the floor with little resistance. Two error messages were displayed on the dashboard: “Brake System Failure – 62 MPH Top Speed” and “Service ESC”. The following dashboard lights came on: Check Engine, Brake, ESC, ABS. I held the brake pedal to the floor and coasted to a complete stop at the intersection, then proceeded slowly into a nearby parking lot and stopped. Braking effort did not become difficult, rather it was reduced to a small fraction of normal braking power. An online search indicated that disconnecting/reconnecting the negative battery terminal might resolve the problem, and it did, allowing me to carefully drive home with full braking. The local Chevrolet dealer replaced the brake system control module based on GM document 5081450.” (NHTSA Complaint #11631695)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 10 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “Water leak flooding the rear passenger compartment floor and the rear spare tire well. The water appears to be entering at the rear pillars. On the left rear leak, it is entering the fuse panel. The right rear leaks by the power outlet. I fear this is going to cause corrosion and create problems in the future. I removed almost 2 gallons of water from the rear floor with a carpet extractor. I was able to pull a drain plug in the rear spare tire well to remove that water. The moisture in the vehicle condensates on the inside windshield, moon/sunroof and the rear back glass making it difficult to leave in an emergency without first wiping all the window down with a towel. FYI: I am the brother of the vehicle owner. She has stage 4 lung cancer and I am handling things for her.” (NHTSA Complaint #11622594)
Brake defects affecting safety may qualify for California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, which applies to defects likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. The 2023 Chevrolet Equinox has generated 8 NHTSA complaints related to braking, including ABS failures, grinding, reduced stopping power, and warning lights. Owner reports include: “We bought a 2023 Chevy Equinox AWD specifically because it said it can be flat towed behind an RV. When towing it, we have noticed that when going around certain turns such as a cloverleaf on or off ramp, as you are in the turn, the tires start screeching loudly, you can smell burning rubber, and the RV feels like it’s being tugged on by the car. As soon as the RV goes straight again, the screeching and tugging stop. This does not happen when turning a corner at a stop sign or stop light. We did not notice any warning lights on in the car after stopping to check on the vehicle. I feel this is a big safety issue for those driving/riding in the RV and also for other drivers around us as we do not know the stress this is putting on our Equinox tow connection setup, the frame of the Equinox or the RV hitch system. This issue is happening to other 2023 Equinox owners and we all have different RV’s and various tow equipment setups. The common factor is the Equinox. I have not reported this to the dealer yet but plan to do so today.” (NHTSA Complaint #11552322)
The following 3 recalls have been issued for the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox by the NHTSA or Chevrolet. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: SEATS
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: A seat with a missing or loose bolt may not properly restrain the occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver’s seat and replace the seat cushion frame, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 4, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GMC’s number for this rec
Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: In the event of a crash, a front passenger air bag that deploys with a child or infant in the front passenger seat can increase their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger presence system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM’s number for this recall is N222388911.
Component: CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE LATCH ANCHOR
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle’s rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. Owners may contact Chevr
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2023 Chevrolet Equinox:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Chevrolet to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Chevrolet must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2023 Chevrolet Equinox qualifies as a lemon under California law, Chevrolet may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Chevrolet a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Chevrolet dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Chevrolet pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Chevrolet a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Chevrolet is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2023 Chevrolet Equinox has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
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