RoadVitals

2025 Chevrolet Equinox

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
228
+10 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
10
3 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 228 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox, most frequently naming the electrical, driver assistance and powertrain (other) categories. 385 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed Sep 24, 2026

The braking system failed to communicate with the vehicles computer system. This communication failure occurred while driving and set off all kinds of alarms and codes inside the vehicle while driving and then I had to use both feet to apply the breaks in order to get the car to stop in the emergency lane on the road as we were driving. No other warning signs or messages prior to this happening everything happened all at once. Had Onstar run diagnostics on the vehicle and 2 codes came back a U1610 Communication code of the vehicles network. The network provides a link between the systems inside the vehicle and when interrupted a code can be established. Service within 7 days. Also code U1639 same description. I had the vehicle towed to the dealer and they advised there was a module that required a further update from when I had my vehicle in on 9/2 for an oil change

NHTSA ID
11766689
Incident
Sep 22, 2026
Engine
Filed Sep 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-50 MPH, the vehicle shuddered violently. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer several times to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via the phone. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

NHTSA ID
11766102
Incident
Dec 22, 2025
Mileage
12,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 20, 2026

The transmission failed while driving on about 11/2/2025, with myself and a child in the car. It was since fixed at a dealer and is not available from me for inspection. I lost the ability to accelerate normally. I stopped at a stop light then when I accelerated to enter the intersection it did not accelerate as predicted and I got stuck entering the intersection. There was a burning smell. Another motorist helped push the car to the side and there was a large transmission fluid spot on the ground and leaking. The dealer confirmed a sudden transmission leak occurred, and transmission components were damaged by lack of lubrication and associated heat. There was no warning. My research revealed this is a known problem with this car and other GM models with this transmission and there is an internal service advisory about bolts that loosen and sudden transmission failure. I confronted GM Customer service on this and they reimbursed less than my cost for rental and gave an extended warranty on rebuilt transmission. I had asked for a new one.

NHTSA ID
11765607
Incident
Nov 2, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 17, 2026
Crash reported

My vehicle is a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV equipped with a stalk-mounted electronic shift selector. On multiple occasions, when shifting from Reverse(R) to Drive(D), the transmission has failed to actually engage Drive despite the shifter indicating the D position had been selected. In most instances this resulted in the vehicle to unexpectedly move backward, requiring me to re-select the gear. This defect caused a collision. I was attempting to Dirve out of a parking space and needed to move quickly. I shifted the stalk to Drive, and — consistent with normal driving behavior — did not look at the instrument panel to visually confirm the gear had engaged before accelerating, as drivers do not typically re-verify gear selection after shifting. The vehicle had not actually engaged Drive. When I applied the accelerator, the vehicle did not move as expected, and I struck a vehicle behind me. The collision caused damage to my vehicle's rear hatch requiring full hatch replacement, estimated at approximately $4,000. There was no visible damage to the other vehicle. This is not an isolated occurrence for my vehicle — the shifter has intermittently failed to register a gear change from R to D on other occasions, typically resulting in only a few inches of unintended travel in the wrong direction rather than a collision. I reported this issue verbally to my dealership's service department, and was told they have received other reports of similar shifting problems with this vehicle, though I have not yet had a formal repair order completed for this specific issue. I am filing this complaint because a shift selector that does not reliably engage a gear is a safety defect: drivers reasonably rely on the shifter position without independently verifying engagement via the instrument cluster before applying the accelerator, and this can result in unintended vehicle movement in the wrong direction, including collisions, which it did in my car

NHTSA ID
11765001
Incident
May 17, 2026
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 14, 2026

Both passenger side tires, front and back, have bulging on sidewall. Nothing was hit or damaged. Tires: 275/40 R21 107 H. These tires have 10,600 miles on them.

NHTSA ID
11764112
Incident
Sep 14, 2026
Visibility
Filed Sep 11, 2026

The dashboard glare on the windshield is very unsafe. I am often unable to see pedestrians on the side of the road and pedestrians crossing the road. This is an ongoing issue, not a single incident.

NHTSA ID
11763652
Incident
Sep 11, 2026
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Sep 5, 2026
Crash reported

Car acclerated and steering pulled right, which pulled me off the road doing damage to steering gear and linkage, wheels, front suspension, exhaust system and slight body damage. Could be defect in car causing safety issue. With dealer, GM is involved but have been unable to determine why it happened. Insurance involved to cover damage. no warning lamps or failures appeared.

NHTSA ID
11762325
Incident
Aug 12, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated with the transmission hesitating while changing gears. Additionally, the contact stated that the timing chain was rattling abnormally. The vehicle was not diagnosed to determine the cause of the powertrain and transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled to be diagnosed.

NHTSA ID
11762009
Incident
Sep 3, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIC6629F

This PI is to instruct dealer on diagnostic procedures that need to be completed prior to replacing a radio or IPC display

PIP4902W

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

PIT6542A

This preliminary information addresses a clunk noise in the front suspension traced to the control arm bushings.

PIT6544

This preliminary information is to inform technicians and customers that GM is aware of the issue and the vehicle can still be driven. When a repair is available, this PI will be updated.

PIT6542

This preliminary information addresses a clunk noise in the front suspension traced to the control arm bushings.

PIT6541

This Preliminary information communicates to the technicians a diagnostic tip if a technician loses communication with the image processor #2 and how to restore communication

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Equinox by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000—
2026741052.1
2025Viewing2280044.1
2024791051.7
2023953055.4
20221746063.1
2021954058.7
20203084060.4
20193024059.6
20184085059.0
20172730047.5
20163961252.0
20156792254.7
20145481249.5
20137512047.7
20126853356.5
20117823357.1
20107843354.6
2009940036.9
20083700033.1
20076854046.3
20066950034.3
20056381043.2

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.