2009 Chevrolet Equinox

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Airbags & Restraints

Airbags & Restraints leads by volume: 26 of 94 complaints (28%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Engine include more reported injuries (4) than those mentioning any other identified area.

Complaints filed fell from 370 in 2008 to 94 in 2009.

Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology

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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.Also cataloged for 2009: 2 configuration(s) of a different vehicle class, excluded from the comparison bar only (but included in the figures above).
Category20072008200920102011vs. 2009 Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD
Annual fuel cost ($)3,100–3,3003,3003,100–3,3002,400–3,1002,400–3,300
Combined MPG19–201919–2020–2619–26
City / Highway MPG17 / 23–2416–17 / 2416–17 / 2417–22 / 24–3216–22 / 23–31
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)444–468468444–468342–444342–468
Complaints filed68537094784782Not compared
Recalls issued40033Not compared
Crash-involved complaints11951530Not compared
Fire-involved complaints61193Not compared
Injuries reported171262341Not compared
Deaths reported00002Not compared
Configurations compared12223

Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.

Common questions

How many recalls does the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox have?

No NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026.

What is the most common complaint about the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox?

Airbags & Restraints: 26 of 94 NHTSA complaints (28%) mention it.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Chevrolet Equinox get?

EPA rates it 19–20 MPG combined.

How much does it cost to fuel a 2009 Chevrolet Equinox?

EPA estimates $3,100–$3,300 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

EPA-Rated Configurations (4)

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
ConfigurationTransmissionCylindersDisplacementDrivetrainFuel TypeVehicle ClassCityHighwayCombinedAnnual Fuel CostCO₂
Configuration 1Automatic 5-spd63.4LFront-Wheel DriveRegularSport Utility Vehicle - 2WD17 mpg (high)24 mpg20 mpg (high)$3,100 (low)444 g/mi (low)
Configuration 2Automatic 5-spd63.4L4-Wheel or All-Wheel DriveRegularSport Utility Vehicle - 4WD17 mpg (high)24 mpg20 mpg (high)$3,100 (low)444 g/mi (low)
Configuration 3Automatic (S6)63.6LFront-Wheel DriveRegularSport Utility Vehicle - 2WD17 mpg (high)24 mpg19 mpg (low)$3,300 (high)468 g/mi (high)
Configuration 4Automatic (S6)63.6L4-Wheel or All-Wheel DriveRegularSport Utility Vehicle - 4WD16 mpg (low)24 mpg19 mpg (low)$3,300 (high)468 g/mi (high)

Complaints by Category

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
CategoryComplaintsCrash-InvolvedFire-InvolvedInjuriesDeaths
Engine181140
Transmission & Drivetrain100000
Fuel System120100
Electrical231030
Brakes151000
Steering50000
Suspension, Wheels & Tires61000
Airbags & Restraints262020
Driver Assistance & Speed Control110000
Body, Seats & Latches30000
Visibility & Lighting80000
Other70000

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

Recalls

No recalls have been issued for this model-year.