2026 Chevrolet Equinox Driver assistance Problems

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving with the cruise control activated, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated from 50 MPH to 80 MPH. No warning light was illuminated. During the failure, three minor occupants were seated inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,500.

NHTSA ID

11753238

Incident

Jul 27, 2026

Mileage

10,500 mi

Driving towards direct light/sunlight is damn near impossible with this vehicle die to the extreme amount of glare from the dashboard. It makes me worried especially now that summer is approaching, feels like it can be catastrophic. Rear brake assist is horrible on more than one occasion the car will stop as if it has just been hit by a semi. Leaving the vehicle unable to proceed in reverse(one has to shift to drive or put in park before continuing to reverse). This is not only a nuisance but can lead to an accident especially during the mad rush of drop off at the elementary.

NHTSA ID

11743805

Incident

Jun 11, 2026

While cruise control was active, the vehicle initiated un-commanded physical acceleration and deceleration in unpredictable 5 mph increments (up or down), forcing the vehicle to change speeds without driver input. This required me to immediately deactivate the system and override the accelerator/brakes to maintain control of the vehicle in while driving, creating a severe and direct safety hazard. With cruise off I could see the erratic jumping of the set-speed number on the digital display. This issue has occurred on two separate instances. In both cases, pulling over, turning the vehicle completely off, and turning back on completely cleared the glitch and restored normal operation of this feature.

NHTSA ID

11743667

Incident

Jun 12, 2026

At around 7k miles while driving the brakes and steering suddenly stopped working and all warning lights came on including check engine light. The dealership said it was the main brain and the fixed it. Then last Thursday night while driving on the highway my brakes stopped working suddenly and all warning lights came on again. It is at the dealership now and they are now saying the problem is the BCM. I’m honestly scared to drive on the highway now. I’m really scared someone will get hurt or killed from this vehicle if it happens again.

NHTSA ID

11741936

Incident

May 28, 2026

Sign recognition in advanced cruise control fails to slow prior to slower speed limit signs. Fails to decelerate in accordance with traffic regulations.

NHTSA ID

11738577

Incident

May 17, 2026

The vehicle cannot be shifted into neutral if the vehicle runs out of gas. There is no way to shift to neutral and roll it to the side of the road. The vehicle ran out of gas on the interstate, automatically braked and could not be moved out of the middle of the interstate. To make matters worse, this was in a construction zone.

NHTSA ID

11736615

Incident

May 8, 2026

I was driving down my neighborhood road about 20mph there were no other cars around on the road at all only mailboxes and cars parked in driveways. The car suddenly slams the brakes hard enough the tires were squealing and threw us forward thankfully me and my child had our seat belts on. It scared the heck out of us cause there was no warning and definitely not expected.

NHTSA ID

11736126

Incident

May 6, 2026

Vehicle will detect objects in the blind spot when there are none there. I will look back and see that nothing is in the blind spot. Turn my turn signal on to indicate a lane change. I get half-way through the lane change and the light on the mirror starts to flash indicating that something is in my blind spot. I react and return to my original lane. I look back again and ther is nothing there. This is the classic false positive. It is dangerous because I am learning that the system is unreliable and an unreliable system eventually gets ignored. This is the classic "Boy Who Cried Wolf." GM is aware of the problem but it is not getting the urgent attention that it needs. This is a bad situation. I would prefer it the system were turned OFF. This happens quite regularly in the drivers side blind spot.

NHTSA ID

11732190

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

Vehicle went into Brake Assist Failure and would roll in neutral but no drivetrain power or brakes. Dealer took 3 months to find part. Acceleration jerky at stop or while driving. Pedal too sensitive. Constant traction loss from stop at lights and stop signs if not careful on dry pavement. Mode selection to Rain/Snow helps by restricting power, if it is remembered to be turned on. With rain and snow on the road it becomes challenging. Aggressive safety features that include the automatic braking and alerts. Brakes and alerts on double turn lanes and going forward near passing objects on the side.

NHTSA ID

11730322

Incident

Dec 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking engaged, with the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure due to an ongoing Lemon Law case against the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 17,280.

NHTSA ID

11727571

Incident

Mar 27, 2026

Mileage

17,280 mi

While driving under normal conditions, the vehicle’s blind spot monitoring / side object detection system frequently activates alert warnings when no vehicle is present. These false alerts occur intermittently and are more common during rain or wet road conditions. Over time, the repeated false warnings create a “boy who cried wolf” condition, where the driver becomes conditioned to ignore or discount blind spot alerts. This undermines the effectiveness of the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and increases the risk that a real blind spot warning may be ignored during an actual lane change. The alerts activate without any adjacent vehicles visible, causing confusion and distraction. This results in hesitation, aborted lane changes, and reduced driver trust in the system. The issue has occurred multiple times and is not an isolated event. The dealer has acknowledged the concern but advised that no repair or software update is currently available. The manufacturer has acknowledged the issue but has not provided a fix. I believe this represents a safety concern because a safety warning system that generates frequent false alerts can condition drivers to disregard legitimate warnings.

NHTSA ID

11725067

Incident

Nov 24, 2025

The brake system, specifically the master brake cylinder and/or associated brake system components, failed or malfunctioned. The defect results in a sudden loss of braking performance without warning. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It has remained in the continuous possession of the authorized Chevrolet dealership since January 13, 2026, and has not been returned to service. The defect involves the primary braking system, which is a critical safety component. Sudden and unexpected loss of braking ability significantly increases the risk of a collision, serious injury, or death to the driver, passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists. The vehicle was deemed unsafe to operate due to the risk of brake failure. The problem has been confirmed by the authorized Chevrolet dealership. The service department diagnosed the issue as a defective master brake cylinder and/or related brake system components. The dealer advised that the condition presents a safety risk and that the vehicle cannot be safely operated until the issue is addressed. The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized Chevrolet dealership acting as the manufacturer’s representative. The manufacturer has been made aware of the problem. No inspection by police or an insurance representative has occurred, as no crash took place. The vehicle remains unrepaired as of February 9 due to parts unavailability. There was no adequate warning that would have allowed the driver to anticipate the loss of braking performance. The defect results in sudden brake failure without sufficient advance warning, which is a significant safety concern. The issue was identified in January 2026, at which time the vehicle was taken to the dealership. On January 13, 2026, the vehicle was removed from service and has remained at the dealership continuously since that date. The vehicle remains out of service because the master brake cylinder is on backorder. There is no ETA, and as a result, no repairs.

NHTSA ID

11716660

Incident

Jan 13, 2026

Blind spot indicator malfunction. Seat sensors alert for no reason. Cruise control stops working. Vehicle automatically brakes for no reason. Information screen malfunction and goes black at random.

NHTSA ID

11715792

Incident

Jan 9, 2026

Hello, since I purchased the vehicle on October 1, 2025, there have been issues regarding collison system and adaptive cruise control. When driving down the road it will try to come to a complete stop with no reasoning. It happens more often when it is rainy and night time. I believe the collision system is conufsed with oncoming traffic and it thinks they are on my side of the road but they are not. I also get alerts with side mirrors and shaking of my seat when no one is beside me. It triggers to say someone or a vehicle is approaching from the side, but there is no one or nothing there. The issue that is most troubling is I almost hit someone in the rear end on 02-03-2026. I went to slow down for a traffic light, and it started slowing down, but then got a surge and would not allow me to stop any more. It kept going. I had to remove my foot from the brake and hit it again harder. It has happened a few times, but not in a situation like this. Thankfully I was following a safe distance or I may have hit the vehicle stopped in front of me. Similar situation happened a few times, one when I was pulling into an Applebees to eat, the brake did not want to stop the vehicle. It was like a surge of power again. This time was not as bad as no one or a vehicle was not in front of me. I have also noticed it a few times driving and when I go to stop the surge, but it seems to be escalating. I do not have the auto start stop on, I switch it off as soon as I start the vehicle. I do not have the auto hold on when it happens either. I have an appointment on the 16th of February to hopefully get it looked at, but will see.

NHTSA ID

11715624

Incident

Feb 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that in the first month after the vehicle was purchased, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance system failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the alert system warned about vehicles or objects too close, while there were no objects or vehicles around. The blind spot detector failed to function as intended. The warning light on the driver’s side mirror was illuminated; however, there was no vehicle on the side of the vehicle. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. Most recently, while driving at 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact used force while depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle in front was almost rear-ended. The contact stated that the failure was more prevalent while raining. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15.

NHTSA ID

11715605

Incident

Oct 4, 2025

Mileage

15 mi

Car info – 2026 Chevrolet Equinox Purchased 9/25/25 Stock# [XXX] VIN: [XXX] Type: LT 4dr All-Wheel Drive On 1/8/26, I took my 2026 Equinox to Northpointe Chevrolet because I had a warning light that came on every time I started my car. The warning light states, ‘Service Driver Assist System’. The alert had been coming on for about a month but I had to cancel my previous two appointments due to bad weather. I explained to the man in service that I would like the automatic braking feature deactivated on my car as well as the alert light corrected. I told him that I was coming up to a red light and I was slowing down when my car automatically slammed on the brakes and gave me whiplash. The man in the service department asked me if I lived on a back road. I told him that I did and he told me that is why I am having this issue. He stated that the dirt and mud caused the wires on the sensor under the front bumper to corrode. He stated that the sensor was supposed to be waterproof/weatherproof but they are not. He showed me where the sensor was on my vehicle. He also stated that the automatic braking was not something that they could turn off because it was a safety feature. He also told me that the broken sensor causes the automatic braking system to operate. I am now afraid every time the red light comes on in my car that the brakes are going to slam on again so I slow way down. My neck has not fully healed from the first time. What would happen if I am driving down the interstate going much faster that I was the last time they automatically stopped the car suddenly. He then explained that the issue was not covered under my bumper-to-bumper warranty because the dirt caused the issue – apparently the waterproof sensor box had no bearing??? I have only made 2 payments so far on this brand-new car. I was charged $87.34 for the diagnostic check and I will be charged another $558.25 when the part comes in to repair my sensor. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5

NHTSA ID

11709910

Incident

Dec 8, 2025

I was traveling about 45mph and the SUV emergency brake system activated, it scared me and my passengers, the guy behind me was even more scared. I had the front seat passenger immediately deactivate the emergency braking system.

NHTSA ID

11709261

Incident

Jan 2, 2026

While driving South bound on an early morning drive in bright sun, the Forward Collision Avoidance/Alert System and Adaptive Cruise Control kept intermittently disabling itself. This continued to happen for 20 minutes.

NHTSA ID

11696717

Incident

Oct 25, 2025

When trying to disengage cruise control, with button on steering wheel, brakes locked up going 75mph on the interstate. Would not unlock until I physically pressed brake pedal. If I had not been able to control the car, we would have been sent head first into the concrete barrier wall. Also, when trying to start car or put in into gear, it tells me to "press brake" when the brake pedal is pressed as far as it can go. Radio will randomly cut off and screen goes blank. Trunk button on drivers door does not open trunk without pushing it minimum of 5 times. Sometimes it takes more.

NHTSA ID

11693821

Incident

Sep 21, 2025

My 2026 Chevrolet Equinox has been having problems; when cruise control is set it randomly puts itself into emergency park mode, the infotainment system loves to shut down which affects the entire vehicle. When this happens I can’t see my speed, every screen goes black and I have to pull over and reset the entire thing which takes a good 30 minutes, sometimes more. I have taken it to a shop which they said it was electrical and module issues, never told me exactly what or where and I’m having to struggle just to get the invoices. The problems are not currently resolved, it would’ve had to been in the shop for over a month and I can’t afford to be without a car that long with zero option of a rental. I have children. I got my car in May of this year with only 4 miles on it, been having the issues ever since.

NHTSA ID

11686175

Incident

May 24, 2025

The gear selection is on the steering column and to change from Park to Reverse or Drive takes usually over six attempts to get in the right gear. When your entering traffic and you get delayed trying to put the car into the proper gear this becomes a very dangerous safety issue. General Motors refuses to advise me how to deal with this problem unless I give them the name of an attorney who will represent me.

NHTSA ID

11671755

Incident

Jun 25, 2025