Diagsheet

Compact SUVs · model years 2014 to 2026

Hyundai Tucson vs Chevrolet Equinox: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Equinox looks better on 3 and the Tucson on 2, with 2 too close to call.

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

5,110 complaints · 22 recalls

Chevrolet Equinox

Chevrolet Equinox

3,635 complaints · 20 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2014 to 2026TucsonEquinox
Complaints that report a crash3.3%5.1%
Complaints that report a fire1.8%1.0%
Complaints that report an injury1.8%2.7%
Median miles when problems are reported37,00063,000
Recall campaigns per model year1.71.5
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations32

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system Tucson owners complain about most is engine, and it is the same for the Equinox. Complaints citing transmission and drivetrain make up 21% of all Tucson complaints, against 11% on the Equinox. The Equinox leans the other way on windshield and wipers: 16% of its complaints, against 0.9% for the Tucson.

Hyundai TucsonChevrolet Equinox

Engine38%33%
Transmission and drivetrain21%11%
Electrical12%12%
Fuel and propulsion7.1%11%
Windshield and wipers0.9%16%
Brakes6.2%11%
Collision avoidance6.1%3.2%
Speed control5.9%2.9%
Structure6.2%2.0%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4.6%1.4%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the Tucson is engine failure (16% of its complaints). On the Equinox it is stalling (16% of its complaints), against 16% on the Tucson.

ProblemTucsonEquinox
Engine stalls or loses power while driving16% 798most in 2017 · 40k mi16% 571most in 2015 · 66k mi
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing16% 833most in 2017 · 74k mi8.6% 314most in 2016 · 89k mi
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early11% 556most in 2019 · 29k mi12% 446most in 2018 · 60k mi
Check engine light or misfire11% 583most in 2017 · 70k mi11% 408most in 2015 · 68k mi
Burns oil or oil level rises7.9% 404most in 2017 · 65k mi7.5% 274most in 2015 · 89k mi
Windshield wipers stop working014% 512most in 2015 · 79k mi
Windshield cracks or distorts0.8% 4132k mi11% 403most in 2015 · 78k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard8.1% 415most in 2016 · 13k mi1.3% 4855k mi

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Tucson owners report problems earlier. Half the Tucson complaints that give a mileage come before 37,000 miles; for the Equinox the halfway point is 63,000. 57% of Tucson reports and 39% of Equinox reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Hyundai TucsonChevrolet Equinox

Under 25k41%25%
25k to 50k16%14%
50k to 75k20%22%
75k to 100k12%19%
100k to 150k10%17%
Over 150k0.8%3.5%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 2,259 for the Tucson and 1,779 for the Equinox.

Worst and best years

The 2016 Tucson draws 4.4 times the complaints of a typical Tucson year for its age. The 2015 Equinox draws 1.6 times the complaints of a typical Equinox year for its age.

Hyundai Tucson

Every Tucson model year

Chevrolet Equinox

Every Equinox model year

Hyundai TucsonChevrolet Equinox

Each model year against its own model's median. Tucson: 2014 0.4, 2015 0.6, 2016 4.4, 2017 3.3, 2018 1.3, 2019 1.4, 2020 0.8, 2021 0.4, 2022 2.3, 2023 1.0, 2024 1.0. Equinox: 2014 1.1, 2015 1.6, 2016 1.0, 2017 0.8, 2018 1.3, 2019 1.0, 2020 1.2, 2021 0.4, 2022 1.0, 2023 0.7, 2024 0.7.2014 Tucson: 0.4 times its median2014 Equinox: 1.1 times its median'142015 Tucson: 0.6 times its median2015 Equinox: 1.6 times its median'152016 Tucson: 4.4 times its median2016 Equinox: 1.0 times its median'162017 Tucson: 3.3 times its median2017 Equinox: 0.8 times its median'172018 Tucson: 1.3 times its median2018 Equinox: 1.3 times its median'182019 Tucson: 1.4 times its median2019 Equinox: 1.0 times its median'192020 Tucson: 0.8 times its median2020 Equinox: 1.2 times its median'202021 Tucson: 0.4 times its median2021 Equinox: 0.4 times its median'212022 Tucson: 2.3 times its median2022 Equinox: 1.0 times its median'222023 Tucson: 1.0 times its median2023 Equinox: 0.7 times its median'232024 Tucson: 1.0 times its median2024 Equinox: 0.7 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 1.7 campaigns per model year for the Tucson and 1.5 for the Equinox. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Hyundai Tucson

22 recall campaigns and 3 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: electrical (5), airbags (3) and service brakes, hydraulic (2).

  • 20V-543 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 6 model years
  • 25V-893 (trailer hitches) covers 3 model years

Investigations

  • DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds (closed, led to a recall)
  • DP22003: Loss of motive power (closed)
  • EA21003: Engine fires (closed, led to a recall)

Chevrolet Equinox

20 recall campaigns and 2 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: fuel system (3), seats (3) and visibility (2).

  • 23V-339 (child seat) covers 4 model years
  • 20V-668 (transmission and drivetrain) covers 3 model years

Investigations

  • EA19005: Front wiper transmission inoperative (closed, led to a recall)
  • RQ18002: Windshield wiper transmission failure (closed)

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Equinox complaints report a crash: 5.1%, against 3.3% for the Tucson. Fire reports: 93 for the Tucson and 38 for the Equinox. Complaints on file report 1 death in the Tucson and 2 in the Equinox for these model years.

Hyundai TucsonChevrolet Equinox

Report a crash3.3%5.1%
Report a fire1.8%1.0%
Report someone hurt1.8%2.7%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Hyundai Tucson or the Chevrolet Equinox more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Equinox looks better on 3 and the Tucson on 2, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Tucson has 5,110 complaints and the Equinox 3,635 for model years 2014 to 2026, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the Tucson or the Equinox?

The Tucson has 22 recall campaigns and the Equinox 20 across model years 2014 to 2026. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 1.7 campaigns per model year for the Tucson and 1.5 for the Equinox.

What are the most common problems on the Tucson and the Equinox?

The most reported problem on the Tucson is engine failure (16% of its complaints). On the Equinox it is stalling (16% of its complaints), against 16% on the Tucson.

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