Used 2013 Chevrolet Equinox Consumer Reviews

Everything we expected

We bought our 2013 2LT 2 months ago and just love it! We have 2000 miles on it now and have recorded a best of 33.9 miles/gallon on our second road trip. I like the "eco" mode as it really helps get better mileage. I have also towed our small utility trailer to pick up some gardening items and a tree to plant and was very surprised at how easily it pulled the trailer.

Ga

Just bought this car September from carmax started cutting off in traffic a truck like to read ended me while my grands in the car now at 82000 GMC says engine gone nothing can be done no way to get work doctor or kids school

Nice Car

I really like this make and model. This is the second one I've had.

Bad power

Nice truck. Horrible acceleration. Needs a six. This four is underpowered.

Love our 2013 Equinox! GREAT VALUE!

I purchased this vehicle for my family as a family Christmas gift. We immediately have fallen in love with this vehicle. The bells and whistles it offers are hands down top of the line and other similar vehicles do not offer them as a standard feature. This car drives and feels very safe with all the safety features it has on it. Six air bags, all disc brakes, On Star, Rear backup camera. This is a very comfortable ride. The front seats fit like a glove and there is so much rear leg room and space for people to stretch on long road trips. My wife rides in the back often because she likes the overall comfort while my son and I ride up front. The My Link system is stae of the art as well. A+

Pleasantly Surprised

I am extremely happy with the 2013 Equinox LTZ with the 3.6L. The style and comfort are great. Ours has all the bells and whistles on it and it is pure fun to drive. Lots of power. The power lift gate and sun roof are a real kick. The seats are powered and adjust easily and comfortably. We have the memory adjust on our Equinox and when i or my wife drive it, it's so easy to push a button and the seat and mirrors adjust to our settings. The size is perfect for the two of us. Plenty of room in the back for guests and the rear seat is adjustable. Enough cargo space in the back for us for luggage or groceries and with the back seats down plenty of room for hauling all sorts of things.

Undecided on how I feel about the purchase

I hate how the steering wheel covers up the ac vents, could have designed it better. I have a 2013 with 13k miles, the black granite color. I have had to take it in once already because the paint has bubbled and now I’m taking it in again for the same paint bubbles, just in a different location. My equinox is a 4cy and I only get, at most 25 mpg and the dealer cannot explain why, I drive on open road, not much stop and go traffic. Just recently my brakes have started making a horrible sound. I have had to take it in multiple times for the electronics, all to do with the radio / navigation. I really liked the design of the car, for the most part.

WALK AWAY NOW!!!

We bought a 2013 equinox in 2016. Now has 128,000 miles on it. I do a lot of driving for work and have had some oil pressure problems. The oil and maintenance was done regularly and all systems were working well until recently. Then the real seal blew. Had the shop rebuild the engine to no avail. A month later we put a new engine in it. Then less than a week after we got it back from the shop, the motor wouldn't turn over. The display on the car showed a stability sensor and power steering at the same time. Back in the shop again. I have never had this much trouble with any vehicle I have ever owned. What a lemon.

Don't do it

I love the looks of my 2013 Chevy equinox but the motor is no good and Chevrolet house knows this motor isn't any good it uses oil and the timing jumps when it jumps it busted the heads on it there is no warning light that tells u that anything is even wrong with ur car I would have thought that I just got a bad car but if u research it there is a lot of people having the same trouble so I took it to the Chevrolet house and showed them the history and they say there isn't anything they can do even though this is happening to lots of motors I'm just trying to let everyone know this is a common problem with the equinox and u will be just like me setting there with a blown up motor wondering how to get 2,500 dollars to fix ur motor

Love this Equinox

Special thanks to Jerry Massa at AutoNation Northpoint Alpharetta, GA. He worked with us and got us a great deal on our 2013 Equinox, and he treated us like royalty every step of the way. This is a very well done suv, our second Equinox. Even quieter and smoother than the other one. We tested two other suv's, and this one beats them all.

Didn't expect to like this SUV as much as I do

This review is for a V6 AWD 2LT with leather (apparently Edmunds doesn't give us the option to rate a V6 model). After 16,000 miles, this has been an excellent vehicle. You'll likely be happy with it as long as you have the right expectations. The Equinox is not designed to be a sporty SUV. It's a solid, comfortable, roomy, un-pretentious, completely reliable SUV with excellent highway manners, good technology, and good value. Remember, the Equinox is built on the same platform with the same V-6 as the Cadillac SRX, only de-contented and de-tuned (and much cheaper). A new Equinox will be released in a year or so, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy this model again.

I didn't expect a Chevy to be this good

I bought a 2013 6 cylinder AWD 2LT Equinox with leather as a winter/extra vehicle to keep miles off my more expensive cars. I didn't expect a Chevy to be this comfortable, well designed, and almost "elegant" inside. I cross shopped a 2013 Escape SEL, which is sportier but lost points in every other category. The Chevy won with roomier interior, huge backseat room, more comfortable seats, better organized dash, intuitive controls, 301 hp V-6 for the price of a Ford 4 cyl, more refined drive train, quieter ride, classier interior. The Escape had a disjointed "chaotic" non-intuitive dash and controls, uncomfortable back seat with tight leg room, narrow front seats, awkward driving position.

My 2013 Equinox

I bought a new Chevrolet Equinox in May 2013. Now it got more than 70000 mi. It run great so far.

Love That Equinox

Excellent value for the money. All the features of a more expensive SUV. Low maintenance cost. Quality holds up over the years.

Gone is Caddy from hell, & enjoying driving again

In April of last year, my Caddy, I had, went berserk again, but I had no choice at that time but to repair it. In May, a friend dicided to up date her SUV, so I dicided to purchase her "use" one. It was an 2013 Chevy Equinox, fully loaded, with 27, 000 miles, garage kept, plus her husband was an automobile mechanic, and ran the bus garage at the school where I use to work. I have had not problems, thus far. Did have to replace the tires on the car (had the original tires on the car). I have put in 15,000 miles on it since I got it in June 2019. Will take it in for its first oil change soon. Only problems thus far is the rear tire sensors are showing false readings and the computer lady has a hard time understanding me when I try to make phone calls. So far so good.

Terrifying & Costly

I bought this car in 2020 with 99k miles. Within 3 months, I had to spend $3000 in repairs for all kinds of complications caused by the oil consumption issues (catalytic converter, oxygen sensonrs, etc.). I have seen other reviews mention this. I drive less than 10k miles in a year, especially during the pandemic, roughly every 2 months I go through 5 quarts of oil. I have had this car evaluated and repaired repeatedly. My mechanics have tried flushes and additives and nothing seems to work but the pricetag keeps ticking up. The loss of oil is also not linear so I can check the oil weekly and it seems fine then the next day the dipstick is completely dry. Oil is often dark brown or black despite the overly frequent oil adding and oil changes resulting from these issues. Also, none of the computers or engine lights will notify you of any issues with the oil even when the dipstick is dry. I had this car privately inspected before purchase and there were no signs of an issue. Then as soon as I took it in for the first repairs, the mechanics told me this is a very common, well known Chevy problem. Shame on you Chevy! The terrifying part is that 5 separate mechanics claim my Equinox is fine and the only issue is the oil consumption but that the only risk is fuel economy so long as I am vigilant and get the repeated oil changes. And don't worry, despite my care for the vehicle, the fuel economy has been declining. But additionally, the entire car SHAKES when idling whether its just been turned on or is at a stop sign or red light. The issue corresponds to the oil level, becoming more frequent and more intense as the level is lower. Mechanics say there is nothing that can be done for it and there are no other issues. It is absolutely terrifying to be in the middle of big city traffic and have your car violently shaking. The shaking episodes also often result in the engine turning off. So the car stalls at red lights, stop signs, and even sometimes at speeds up to 15 mph. I've had this happen up to 5 times in 1 day just driving 15 min to work and 10 min to the grocery store. I can't stand it. You can't help but worry that it will stall on an interstate or in an intersection. Given the mystery behind this allegedly nonexistent issue, I also can't help but picture the car bursting into flames around me. -_- My second biggest issue is that the car has the worst traction in rain that I have ever experienced. The orange warning light comes on and I feel the car slipping sideways anytime I have to accelerate from a stop or make a turn even in a light drizzle or through a puddle on a dry day. This could be more so due to the tires than the vehicle, but my tires are brand new and I live in a very dry area. I am too afraid to even attempt snow with this car. I generally avoid driving it in heavier rain or at the very least make the trip well under the speed limit. Other than that the car is mostly fine. Bluetooth has some issues freezing and not connecting but nothing extreme. Seats are very supportive and comfortable even on a 12hr road trip, but material is hard to clean (on my LT model at least). Interior and exterior plastics are cheap and get easily scratched and marked up. Steering wheel is comfortable. Good amount of cargo space. Shiny lining around cupholders is cheap and peels and chips off. AC vents could be angled better and more adjustable. I love my blindspot mirrors, they are the PERFECT angle and make driving feel much safer. The backup camera is good, but I'd prefer to have (at least the option of) guidelines. One of the rear doors has sort of a hitch in its range of motion. Engine is a little weak, especially with Eco mode on, (and Im not sure how much this could relate to the oil issues) so it feels like it struggles when I have to accelerate and merge with interstate traffic but fine in most other situations, even when full of cargo and/or passengers. After having owned this car for 1 year and 10 days, I am DYING to trade in and will be doing so very soon. :( Highly disappointed. So sorry for whoever buys my trade in... RIP

ONE OF THE BEST CARS I HAVE EVER OWNED!

Just a great, dependable, comfortable vehicle with great styling and use of space. Many user friendly features makes it a joy to drive.

So very disappointed...

Research...I bought mine on the spot and worst purchase ever..brought it back the very next day was not happy with it and of course I was stuck with it......just fyi I did buy it used from a Chevy dealership....

FWD HORRIBLE in the snow.

Love my new Equinox overall. Very stylish, roomy and lots of fun features. The back up camera is a plus and added with OnStar I have a reliable, comfortable driving experience. There are two things I do not like about the vehicle...one is driving on wet or snow covered roads. I elected not to pay the extra for the AWD and am kicking myself for it. I figured for the amount of time I spend on bad roads I really didn't need the AWD. Well, even on the city roads when the least bit wet or a dusting of snow and I feel like there is no control to the vehicle at all! And secondly, the blind spots are real bad.

Equinox Road Noise

Overall the vehicle is not too bad. The tire road noise is terrible. On the coarser paved roads the noise is very noisey and distractive. The vehicle is equipped with Michelin Latitude Tour tires that are also terrible in the snow. I will be looking for new tires if that doesn't remedy the problem, a new vehicle

Bad drivetrain in the 2011's

We initially loved our Equinox, until the breakdowns and dangerous acceleration problems. The engine repairs began at 4500 miles or so, the transmission was repaired at 15,000 miles or so. With 30,000 miles, my wife doesn't feel it is reliable, so she drives the 2007 Mazda. The GM approach to satisfaction? Sorry!

Equinox Love and Hates

I do love driving my Equinox for the most part except when it comes time to refuel. They have changed the nozzel connection to the actual pump and I find myself stressing about the connection from the pump to the nozzel, they do not catch therefore the pump continues to shut down. I actually hate refueling! I asked the dealer what was with that and its just a new change. The first time I needed gasoline I had to push the nozzel in tight for the duration for it kept popping out and shutting off!! I also don't necessarily like the new park break option, you push down on the park break and it sets, you push down again and it releases. I miss my release the park break lever.

adaquate

just ok

Last Chevy for me

Chevy sold me a car with a known & unresolved problem with the torque converter clutch. Not mentioned before the sale or the sale would not have occurred. I won't go into all the drama, but Chevy and the dealer sold a new car that needs the transmission dropped and would not replace a chipped chrome wheel, valued at over $700, that I did not cause. I have since traded this very poor example of Chevy quality, and yes, I took a real beating on the trade.

performance

very poor rear visibility, wish I had known!

Awesome

Ive had this car since august 2018 and have had no major issues. Its great on gas and I love the fact that it tells you the little things such as the percentage of oil left before your next change ,tire pressure and mile till empty.

Perfect Size for tooling around and mini road trip

Excellent size and repairs have been minimal. On 80,000 miles and still going strong with no major mechanical issues

STAY AWAY from the 2.4L

Bought this vehicle 2 years ago with 81k on it. Now, 2 years later, we are at 130k and the motor is shot. It started to go through oil like no tomorrow after the timing chain was replaced. (The 2.4L is notorious for oil usage and timing chain issues) Now the pistons are full of oil sludge and a spark plug is smashed into the engine and the engine is useless.

I love this car!

I was a Saturn owner since 1994. Changing brands was nerve wracking! I was nervous about buying the Equinox because of the reviews complaining about blind spots. I haven't had any problems in that regard & I'm enjoying the heck out of this vehicle. I don't but a lot of miles on a car so after 6 months I only have 3500 miles on the car. Gas mileage is just about as advertised - 23/29. I get about 22 around town & the best I've gotten on the highway is 30.2. The 4 cyl has been fine, but it can be a little sluggish when accelerating. Not enough to discourage me though.

4 problems in three months

Wipers,alternator,ac compressor

This vehicle is dangerous

This is a 4-cyl, 6-spd, front wheel drive. Owned for 8 months, have put 15,500 miles on it. I've been stranded twice due to break-downs, both times requiring a tow back to the dealer. The transmission has major problems, leads to the starter shorted and burned off, and fit and finish is so poor that road dust gathers in the cabin. The front wheel drive is fine on dry roads as long as you keep the traction control on. On wet or icy roads, the vehicle is down right dangerous. Without the traction control you slide all over the place, with the traction control the anti-spin engages and the vehicle will not move. All-wheel drive is obviously a most with this SUV.

Putrid backup camera

Wow, big screen display for camera.Finally, my wife has a car w/a camera. Hah! The camera is too dark to see when backing from a garage and then, apparently, it adjusts to the light and is better. Hmmmm? By then I guess you could run over 3 tricycles and a shovel. Likewise, at night, the camera is virtually useless. There is insufficient light from backup lights to illuminate the area you need to see. This thing should be recalled and fixed. NOW! Conversely, my Kia Soul camera works very well in all the same situations. So much for Yankee ingenuity and the $Billion bailout (oh yeah, my 2013 Equinox was made in Canada).Secondly, the luggage space is laughable compared to our RAV4s.

Love it!

I love my Equinox

Of course has 6 speed trasmitions but has plenty of power whit 2.4 in the snow driving in to hill fwd does very good job whit all season tire i love my equinox better than toyota and Honda very quiet ride save gas 5 stars

Extremely happy

This is my second chevy that I've owned. My first was totalled in a hail storm and then I chose a nissan which I hated, then a mazda, and now back to chevy with my first SUV. I have to say that I absolutely LOVE this car. There is alot to be said about an american made car vs. a foreign one. I was debating between the Huyandi Tucson and the Equinox. For me, the only thing Hyuandi has over Chevy is their long warranty, once I shut the door in the chevy, I was sold. I am updating my review. I have owned my Equinox now for 3 years. Still loving the car, the drive, the dependability, everything. I honestly can't say anything negative.

bad car to own

while coming home with my daughter my car stopped and won't turn.....i have 2013 Chevy Equinox...my husband worked on it and still didn't find the problem not sure what is wrong with it, still wont turn it bad car to own.

Forever car.

Good mileage for a truck chassis. Good acceleration for a 6 cylinder engine. Over 30 mpg on highway. Disappointed that there are no guidelines in backup camera. Columns interfere with view when turning. Button on key fob tore off. No other problems in 41,000 miles.

Literally doesn't work

Bought the vehicle with 105k miles and a clean carfax report. 15k miles and $1200 later im junking the thing because of a rear main seal/pvc issue. My rear main blew twice, after the first time I replaced the oil filler cap with the GM recommended vented cap and it STILL BLEW the seal 1k miles later. If you buy this vehicle you will either pay up to 2k or more trying to fix this pcv issue or you'll blow the engine and pay even more... even if you manage to fix it all, the problem will most likely come back. The 2nd gen equinox is a faulty vehicle, its very deceiving because there are many on the road and they do look nice, but the engine and pcv are a ticking time bomb. I have learned the hard way that newer car does not mean better, I've had 3 vehicles from 2004 that lasted over 200k miles, one of them was a chevy, and none of them needed major work like this equinox!! DO NOT BUY this vehicle!! You will end up on the side of the road!! Please do not be fooled by the price and looks.

Classy and affordable.

Great car. Reliable. Affordable. Durable. Love it.

It's adequate

Does not have much pick up, air vents are poorly placed. The ones on the driver side can't be adjusted to aim at your face, they just hit your hands. No vents for back seat either It's been reliable & I feel safe driving it, but it's underwhelming though

Lots of miles and lots of past problems

Well, I brought the car for Uber/Lyft rides. I used to put roughly 29k miles a year for three years. I brought it with 100k miles with a 65k warranty which I used numerous times. First, I’m 6’3”, and this car is very comfortable to ride. Plenty of legroom. Heated seats, NAV, sunroof all still work. I have 260k miles on it, and it runs fairly well. The buzzing when pushed is a common factor to live with. I’ve changed the plus, rear axle, front ball bearings, rotors, rear liftgate power struts, driver seat control (I fixed that for $25), leather seat wear, and PVCs. The worst is the oil consumption. There is a common problem of an internal oil leak that clogs up the catalytic converter, triggering the engine light (P0420 code). I’m getting my third converter, then, at the end of the year I’m selling it. Despite the low rating I enjoy this car immensely. Somewhat numb steering, but, it’s very comfortable to drive and passengers love it!

Horrible horrible vehicle

We had it for 6 weeks and the engine blew. The dealer Brenagan was horrible as was Chevrolet. Had to rebuild the engine. It forever burns oil . Tried to trade it in . Hoping for between $3-6000 but the dealer said being an equinox it’s only worth junking at $200 . And we see there are hundreds of owners in the same situation. I’ll never buy a Chevrolet again. Very very upset. So to add to this we bought a new Toyota tundra. Asked the guy about trading in the equinox. He laughed and said he’d only pay junking price. And that they shouldn’t be on any lot . They all are junk . I had hoped to get a few thousand out of it after paying $12,000 for it . Still the most horrible vehicle experience ever. I tell everyone not to buy Chevrolet since the company won’t admit this horrible vehicle and fix their relationship with all equinox owners.

Dependable

I’ve driven an Equinox LT for nearly 4 years. At over 150+ km it has yet to leave me stranded. I’ve changed brake pads and had front end suspension work around 130km, really just normal wear & tear stuff. Smooth ride overall, fun to drive and most importantly, dependable for its price point.

2013 LT Chevy Equinox

My Equinox has been a work horse, especially with trailer package. Great gas mileage and doesn't burn oil at 50,000 miles. Had both rocker panels replaced due to rusting out in winter driving. Code P0411 is an issue with these cars but can be fixed quickly. Going for 150,000 miles on this car.

Reliable SUV with good design.

I bought my Equinox with 90k miles on it 6 years ago and am up to 167k miles now. It's been a great vehicle, and overall very reliable. Never had a transmission or other major debilitating issue with this car. The worst thing that's happened is that it has a slow oil leak at the main seal, which my mechanic said wasn't even worth fixing. I just keep an eye on the oil and add a quart every couple weeks, or if I'm going to take it out of town. The backup camera hasn't worked some of the time the past few years. Other than that, regular maintenance, recently got a new alternator, battery, brakes... I've been satisfied with reliability of this Equinox. It's never left me stranded on many a road trip. I feel like the exterior and interior design has also aged well, and still looks pretty modern for a 14 year old design. Live in Illinois, it's starting to rust behind the front wheels on both sides.

My wife picked it…

We bought a 2013 Equinox 2.4L I-4 from a private party. He is a mechanic who bought it with engine problems. He rebuilt it top to bottom, and we’ve had no problems. In fact, it meets or exceeds MPG estimates. (The secret is to follow speed limits and use the cruise control.) I’ll use the trip monitoring that shows current MPG and MPG average for the last 25 miles. I’ve gotten it close to 40mpg on two-lane country roads at 55mph.

Trusty Road Companion

Fantastic in so many versital ways

Love it!

Great ride!

Love my Equinox

Very nice suv gas saver driving dynamic i love this Chevrolet nice styles

fantastic

enough space and cheaper gas