Chevrolet Equinox vs Hyundai Tucson: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Equinox is ahead of the Hyundai Tucson on the federal record, 76/100 against 66/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Chevrolet Equinox
- 15 model years scored
- 5,754 owner complaints on record
- about 56 complaints per year on the road
- 38 recall campaigns, 15 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (90/100) · worst 2025 (46/100)
Hyundai Tucson
- 8 model years scored
- 4,101 owner complaints on record
- about 72 complaints per year on the road
- 20 recall campaigns, 13 safety-critical
- best year 2021 (89/100) · worst 2016 (37/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Equinox against Tucson
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Equinox
- Engine — 2,316 complaints
- Visibility/Wiper — 891 complaints
- Power Train — 668 complaints
Hyundai Tucson
- Engine — 1,759 complaints
- Power Train — 999 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 536 complaints
Both nameplates have Engine as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Chevrolet Equinox — avoid: 2025.
Hyundai Tucson — avoid: 2016, 2017.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Chevrolet Equinox prices at about $30,500 and a Hyundai Tucson at about $21,900 — the Hyundai Tucson is roughly $8,600 less, and they return 26.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Equinox or the Hyundai Tucson more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chevrolet Equinox scores 76/100 against the Hyundai Tucson's 66/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Chevrolet Equinox and Hyundai Tucson years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Equinox: 2025. Hyundai Tucson: 2016, 2017. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Chevrolet Equinox and the Hyundai Tucson?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Equinox is Engine (2,316 complaints); on the Hyundai Tucson it is Engine (1,759).
Is the Chevrolet Equinox or the Hyundai Tucson cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Equinox prices at about $30,500 and a Hyundai Tucson at about $21,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.