2025 Chevrolet Equinox Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical8526.4%
- Driver assistance5617.4%
- Powertrain (other)3510.9%
- Brakes319.6%
- Visibility309.3%
- Engine278.4%
- Fuel system165.0%
- Exterior lighting144.3%
- Steering123.7%
- Other / unspecified41.2%
- Body & structure41.2%
- Suspension41.2%
- Tires & wheels30.9%
- Interior & seats10.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2025 Chevrolet Equinox AWD would not start, and the wheels were locked, preventing the vehicle from being moved normally. Message on HUB screen stated "System Error. See dealership to restore operating system." The vehicle had a little over 14,000 miles at the time. Had to be towed in. When the vehicle first went to the dealership, they found that the battery had critically low voltage. After consulting with GM Technical Assistance, the dealership replaced the battery. Even with the new battery, the vehicle still would not start and the wheels remained locked. The dealership then replaced the brake control module per TAC guidance. The dealership told me the vehicle started after the module was replaced and the locked wheel issue was resolved. The vehicle was at the dealership for more than 30 days. In a separate earlier incident, while I was driving on the freeway at approximately 75mph with my young child in the vehicle, the Equinox downshifted extremely hard and lost all electronic functions. This incident happened twice in one trip. I am including this incident as a prior safety history. I am asking NHTSA to review the no-start and locked wheel incident and the dealership's repair findings for a possible safety defect.
when using adaptive cruse control the car senses a car coming at me and breaks. there was nothing ahead of me nor any oncoming traffic in the other lane. It was a straight road with clear and open lanes. this has happened two times. it takes the car down from 55 to 40 right now. Lucky there wasn't anyone behind me. My second issue the car breaks when backing out of the garage with no obstructions. no safety issue but frustrating.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
when using adaptive cruse control the car senses a car coming at me and breaks. there was nothing ahead of me nor any oncoming traffic in the other lane. It was a straight road with clear and open lanes. this has happened two times. it takes the car down from 55 to 40 right now. Lucky there wasn't anyone behind me. My second issue the car breaks when backing out of the garage with no obstructions. no safety issue but frustrating.
Blindspot warning indicator (driver's side) sporadically lights up any where from a blink to approx. 10seconds along with corresponding seat vibrations. Also, forward obstruction light and seat vibration will also activate with nothing in sight. All occur while driving. Which can lead to anxiety about human error. I've had my vehicle to Auburn Chevrolet 4 times for this problem. They tell me that both modules connected to this problem have been replaced. And all software is up to date. Chevy admits this is a problem and states that they are working on a solution. When I asked the service manager if any other equinox's have this problem he stated that they did...but not as consistently as my vehicle.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
Electric Drive Unit and 12V battery have failed 3 times in less than 6 months. The vehicle will not shift into drive, reverse, or neutral. It is stalled/stuck and can't be driven.
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.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
Multiple phantom braking events have occurred since we purchased this vehicle, but traveling forward and reverse. We have been forced to turn this automatic emergency braking off and set to alert only.
INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: On October 20, 2026, at approximately 11:15 AM, I was driving my Chevrolet Equinox EV and was stopped at a red traffic signal. When the light turned green, I began accelerating normally into the intersection. Suddenly and without warning, the vehicle experienced a severe "phantom braking" / false Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) event. The vehicle’s emergency braking system engaged violently, bringing the car to an abrupt, full stop in the middle of the intersection. There were NO vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles in front of my car or anywhere in my path. A vehicle traveling directly behind me was forced to slam on their brakes and narrowly avoided a rear-end collision. This unexpected hard deceleration caused severe panic and created an immediate, life-threatening traffic hazard. Had this sudden stopping occurred at highway speeds or above 25 MPH rather than starting from a green light, it would have resulted in a severe crash. CRUCIAL CONTEXT / RECENT SERVICE HISTORY: This life-threatening failure occurred directly after taking my vehicle to Coggin Chevrolet at the Avenues (Jacksonville, FL), where technicians performed software servicing under Open Recall N262545360 ("Early ABS engagement on slippery road surfaces"). The dealership verified completion of this recall update. This phantom braking event occurred immediately after this recall software was flashed to the vehicle's brake control module. I suspect this software recalibration introduced a critical bug or miscalibration affecting the Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM), regenerative braking system, or Forward Collision Avoidance system on dry pavement. I am requesting an immediate investigation by GM Engineering and NHTSA regarding the safety of Recall N262545360 software calibration.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
After taking a long drive, our phone suddenly stopped connecting via Apple car play, all of a sudden the screen went black while we were doing 80 miles an hour on the highway using GPS and then the phones wouldn’t connect again at all. Multiple attempted to restart the car and display did nothing. This has now become an intermittent error on the vehicle. I was told by a Chevy dealership there was nothing they could do & I just needed to wait for an update to come out. Fast forward two months and countless hours of research I attempted to call onstar to have our connection reset to onstar because I saw that helped out. I found out our vehicle had not been connected for over 6 months while I was paying for the service and the telematics unit was likely the issue. 3 visits to the dealership, 3 modules later & the problem is still persistent. GM will not cover my rental, will not give me a loaner vehicle and will not accommodate my schedule to have the 4th module attempted to be replaced. This is an extremely scary and frustrating concern. I fear for my safety when I’m on the road and my dashboard goes black for several minutes at highway speeds. the issue has been confirmed and is widespread in this model and should be recalled - GM should be forced into a lemon law for anyone who has had this many problems as most of us have.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2025 Chevrolet Equinox AWD would not start, and the wheels were locked, preventing the vehicle from being moved normally. Message on HUB screen stated "System Error. See dealership to restore operating system." The vehicle had a little over 14,000 miles at the time. Had to be towed in. When the vehicle first went to the dealership, they found that the battery had critically low voltage. After consulting with GM Technical Assistance, the dealership replaced the battery. Even with the new battery, the vehicle still would not start and the wheels remained locked. The dealership then replaced the brake control module per TAC guidance. The dealership told me the vehicle started after the module was replaced and the locked wheel issue was resolved. The vehicle was at the dealership for more than 30 days. In a separate earlier incident, while I was driving on the freeway at approximately 75mph with my young child in the vehicle, the Equinox downshifted extremely hard and lost all electronic functions. This incident happened twice in one trip. I am including this incident as a prior safety history. I am asking NHTSA to review the no-start and locked wheel incident and the dealership's repair findings for a possible safety defect.
Roughly 6 months ago, the check engine light came on in my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox RS, which had under 20,000 miles on it at the time. I purchased an OBD scanner to run a diagnostic test, which came back with error code P04FB (Crankcase Ventilation Hose Connection Pressure Sensor Issue). I called the dealership that sold me the vehicle, and they ran their own diagnostics. They encountered the same error code, and ended up replacing the "faulty" crankcase ventilation pressure sensor, which was covered under warranty. Less than a week after they replaced the sensor, the check engine light came back on. I re-ran my OBD scanner, and it showed the same exact error code as before. Basically, the sensor was replaced, but the issue has not been resolved. I've been keeping tabs on GM's bulletin regarding this issue (which is apparently a known issue), and I'm concerned about the fact that there haven't been any recent updates regarding a fix. GM's own recommendation to dealerships is to simply clear the error code and return the vehicle to the customer... I can clear the code myself, but that certainly does not prevent it from coming back. At this point, the error code has been cleared at least 10 times, and it always comes back within a few days of clearing. This becomes a safety issue because we are quickly approaching the Winter months again, and the temperatures get very cold where I live. When the check engine light is on, my car fully prevents me from using the remote-start feature. I'm unable to remotely start the car from both my key FOB, and from the MyChevrolet app. Thank you for your attention to this matter. My hope is that GM's engineers find a real solution to this problem, and quickly! Because, as I said before, this has been an ongoing issue for many months, and I've yet to see any meaningful movement from GM on this issue.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
Evap switch / fuel system. Vehicle slowed in heavy traffic. The issue was diagnosed and repaired at the dealership. There were no warning lights prior to the issue.
Electric Drive Unit and 12V battery have failed 3 times in less than 6 months. The vehicle will not shift into drive, reverse, or neutral. It is stalled/stuck and can't be driven.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
On the climate control panel, where you turn the knob to turn on the ac/heater and the knob whether you want cold or hot air blowing, has a very tiny and dim light. It's really hard to see it especially in the daylight, other vehicles I've had shows this very clear where you don't have to take your eyes off the road for more than a second. With trying to find where that light is, it isn't safe while driving. I feel this needs to be fixed. The dimmer switch does not work for this, b/c I've been told by the dealership the lighting on the control panels is adjusted automatically when it's bright outside and you can only adjust it when it's dark out.
The back lighting for the controls does not work the check engine light is on the dealer said there is no fix for either one of these items at this time
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
Steering wheel oscillates at higher speeds, most notably around 64 mph. This has been confirmed on roads of various types (concrete, asphalt, etc) by GM dealers. Manufacturer, so far, is not taking responsibility for this issue impacting numerous Equinox EVs.
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.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The factory wheels on my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV suffer from a recurring structural defect. Within just over a year of ownership, two separate factory wheels have cracked under normal driving conditions on standard highway imperfections without hitting major potholes. The local dealership refused to cover the issue under warranty, claiming wheels are excluded. This poses a serious safety hazard due to unexpected structural failures on standard equipment.
The rim has a crack in it and it won’t hold air
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
The door handles are hidden/flush into the door when driving or locked. They pop out electronically when the car unlocked. However, my door handle is faulty and they do not pop out anymore. There is no way to grab the handle and open the door. This is a safety hazard. In a fire or other emergency, there is no immediate way to grab the door handle and open the door. From my dialogue with other Equinox EV car owners, many have the same defect. Over time, more and more of these door handles will malfunction. This should be made into an immediate and permanent recall.
I was driving and my sunroof exploded. This sent shards of glass lose in my car and glass flying onto the road as well. The sunroof was replaced and was inspected by the service department as well. No warning signs or message.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The dealer made the contact aware of an unknown recall and stated that the wheel bearings needed to be replaced; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Grinnell Motors (410 W St S, Grinnell, IA 50112); where it was diagnosed and determined that the front wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,700.
This vehicle makes a noise that sounds like your driving over rumble strips. The front end shakes and there is a hard vibration. I purchased this vehicle used on 5/5/26 and it’s been in the dealership twice already. The Onstar module is defective and now this noise and vibration. The shaking starts upon accelerating. The dealership, Central GMC/Buick of Jonesboro, AR. told me that GM knew about the problems and that their Engineers did know the fix yet. They say it’s not a safety issue but This is an unsafe vehicle and GM knows it’s unsafe. I’m afraid to drive it.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
On July 18, 2026, I was driving to work around 0530 am when my rear driver's side tire blew out from the tread sidewall to the rim ruptured, having a catastrophic failure that almost resulted in a crash. The tire only had 18,500 miles without any prior damage or hitting something. Their is a current recall for these tires for the very thing that happened yet my tire batch was not listed as part of the recall. This event was costly and prevented me from working that day. Continental CrossContact 275/40/R21
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
Blindspot warning indicator (driver's side) sporadically lights up any where from a blink to approx. 10seconds along with corresponding seat vibrations. Also, forward obstruction light and seat vibration will also activate with nothing in sight. All occur while driving. Which can lead to anxiety about human error. I've had my vehicle to Auburn Chevrolet 4 times for this problem. They tell me that both modules connected to this problem have been replaced. And all software is up to date. Chevy admits this is a problem and states that they are working on a solution. When I asked the service manager if any other equinox's have this problem he stated that they did...but not as consistently as my vehicle.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .