2018 Chevrolet Equinox · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 132owner reports
- 65,000median miles
- $2,200median quote
- 10involved a crash
Newest report Sep 13, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
132 of the 408 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Equinox.
Narrower sheets: Brake pedal goes hard or the booster or vacuum pump fails (83 reports) · Brakes failed to stop the car (28 reports)
Tick what matches of 132 reports
Brake wear on other Equinox years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Brake reports cover a wide spread of symptoms. Grinding or squealing is common, and so is a pulsing pedal or a shake through the car when stopping. Others describe pads and rotors worn out long before they expected, a brake warning light, or a pedal that goes soft or sinks toward the floor. The most serious ones say the car didn't stop in time.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the booster (21 reports), the ABS module (7 reports) and the pads and rotors (5 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the brakes covers the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
All 5 recalls on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
11 of the 132 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $250 to $4,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 49,967 and 107,000 miles, from the 51 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 15 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This preliminary information discusses potential for a code C0010.5A to store in the brake controller which appears to be setting falsely or is induced by the customer.
This preliminary information discusses the possibility of brake module damage caused by performing the rear brake service incorrectly.
This service bulletin provides information for tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system concerns.
Rear Brake Squeak Type Noise Involved Region or Country North America and N.A. Export Regions Condition Some customers may comment on a squeak type noise heard from the rear brakes when cold.
11 more on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox page.
What owners wrote
“No warnings or lights. Brakes failed taking vehicle out of garage with foster children. All maintenance was kept up. 55,900 miles. Towed to Nissan dealer where purchased. Shop didn't know the cause. Vehicle could not be repaired because the cause was never found. Could it happen again, out of the blue, without warning. Documents available on request only. Dates of incident may be off a bit.”
Filed Feb 25, 2024 · 55,900 miles
“the vacumm pump grenaded and sent metal chunks into the camshaft knocking the reluctant wheel out of position causing the car to shut down and lose brakes and power steering. There were no prior engine codes or warning. multiple mechanics verified this and it is a known issue. Gm needs to deal with this and should put out a recall. such a new vehicle should not need motor work at 70k miles!!”
Filed Dec 30, 2023 · 70,000 miles
“I was in an accident when my 2018 Chevy Equinox rear ended a stopped vehicle at a traffic light. There was significant damage to the front of my vehicle 12k plus. The emergency braking system did not activate, nor did the airbags. My wife experienced severe contusions to the chest area.we wonder why the emergency braking system or airbags failed to deploy.”
Filed Oct 18, 2023 · 19,712 miles
“While driving brakes suddenly became very hard to press. We could not stop our car. We luckily were in a toll plaza and not moving at high speed. This problem was scary , no warning and my family could have been harmed. We had a mechanic come and fix the problem, but this needs to be fixed.”
Filed Apr 8, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 10 of 132 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 39 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 35 reports