Chevrolet Equinox Complaints (2026)

91 consumer complaints on file.

#11774375October 29, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
YOU CAN PUT THIS CAR INTO PARK AT ANY SPEED all you need to do is push the button when you are reaching for the radio or something this happen to me in a walmart parking lot
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773684October 26, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving down the road in the car came to an abrupt stop. It would not start it just stalled out and we cannot get it to start. It will turn on via the battery, but the engine will not turn on. My children were also in the car during this time as we were driving through an intersection on a busy street.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773730October 26, 2026
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV. The contact stated that the windshield washer fluid capacity was only 5 ounces. The contact stated that the small capacity created a safety hazard because the volume of the fluid might be depleted quickly during inclement weather. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773138October 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is more about this issue online What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle’s body control module, infotainment software, and HVAC (climate control) system malfunctioned. The system entered an unresolvable software loop that forced the temperature to lock at 76 degrees Fahrenheit, engaged the max defroster/defogger, and blasted the cabin fan at maximum speed while ignoring all manual overrides or touchscreen inputs. The vehicle is fully available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety and the safety of others on the road were severely compromised by extreme driver distraction and hazardous environmental conditions. Because the software locked the cabin controls, the interior of the vehicle rapidly became unbearably hot during high-summer temperatures. To stop the system from overwhelming the cabin, I was forced to constantly look away from the road to repeatedly press non-responsive touchscreen buttons while driving. Furthermore, the only known remedy to break the software freeze requires pulling over, turning the vehicle off, and letting it sit completely powered down for 20 minutes. This forced me into dangerous situations where I had to choose between driving while completely distracted in extreme heat, or pulling over and waiting in high-risk areas where it was unsafe to stop. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? UNKNOWN. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? UNKNOWN. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lamps, error messages, or prior symptoms before the failure. The climate control system suddenly locked and became completely unresponsive without warning while the vehicle was in operation
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772933October 22, 2026
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving, the driver’s side mirror indicator light illuminated spontaneously without an object nearby. In addition, the front driver's seat vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed but the dealer was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The dealer advised the contact to continue driving the vehicle as-is. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772371October 20, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle misfired and hesitated. The vehicle momentarily lost power, during which it would not accelerate or brake. Power then returned, and all vehicle functions resumed. The contact stated that during the failure, the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the dealer reprogrammed the vehicle; however, the reprogramming did not resolve the failures. The failure mileage was 32,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771855October 17, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
When I drive my 2026 Chevy Equinox when you accelerate there is a wobble and shake. Sometimes my side mirrors give off warning and nothing is beside me and flashes on and off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771504October 15, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
My 2026 Chevrolet Equinox LT has experienced repeated failures involving the braking system and electronic safety systems. While driving, multiple warning lights illuminated, including ABS, BRAKE, check engine, traction control, parking brake, and “Steering Assist is Reduced – Drive with Care.” Most concerning, my brakes became extremely hard to press, and the vehicle failed to slow down or stop as expected. This malfunction placed my life and the safety of other motorists and pedestrians at serious risk. The unexpected loss of normal braking ability could have resulted in a major collision, especially while approaching an intersection or traveling at higher speeds. Apple Chevrolet has inspected my vehicle multiple times for these recurring issues. Previous diagnostic testing identified communication-related trouble codes involving the braking and electronic control systems. General Motors Technical Assistance was involved. Despite previous repairs and being told my vehicle was safe to drive, the problems returned. My vehicle is currently at Apple Chevrolet for its third service visit involving related concerns. GM is involved and dealership technicians are working with GM technical personnel to investigate. The problems began earlier in the vehicle’s ownership, with a check-engine warning appearing around 6,249 miles. Additional braking and electronic safety warnings subsequently developed. The most recent incident occurred at approximately 8,266–8,283 miles. I purchased this vehicle brand-new in March 2026. It has already required three dealership visits, and I have been without reliable transportation for at least nine cumulative days. I am extremely concerned that this recurring safety defect has not been properly identified or repaired. I am requesting a thorough investigation before this malfunction causes serious injury or death.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769112October 5, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
After a large rain storm the Blindspot warning detector was malfunctioning. It was saying there was something in your blind spot on the driver side when nothing was there. The light was flashing on and off. Also, when it does that your automatic lights will not turn to bright as it assumes something is coming up on your side. You then had to take your lights to manual to get the brights to work. There are technical bulletins from GM out on this. I called the dealership at the location I was at, and they said that it may take up to a week if they have to get parts and then I would need to probably wait till I got home. I called the dealership when I got home and made an appointment the very next business day. I am being told since they can’t reduplicate the error or error code that there’s nothing they can do. The parts dried out and it should be functioning properly now. I contacted GM customer care corporate and I’m trying to get them to do something about this with the dealership, but they’re saying there’s nothing they can do. They can’t force the dealership to do something so I’m waiting to figure out what’s gonna come of this, if I have to go to executive leadership or higher. The car is still under the original three year 36,000 mile warranty. The blindside detection system is sold as a safety feature to the Chevy Equinox. I am shocked at the fight I am receiving to get this fixed, especially since it is a known issue with GM technical bulletins.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765451September 19, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
I have owned my Chevy since 6/30/25 when I bought it new. Since then, the blind spot warning system has activated many times when there hasn’t been anything there or remotely nearby. It’s like a ghost. It’s usually the driver’s side mirror that gets activated. I have cleaned the sensors too and it still occurs, making me think I’m going to get hit, or hit a person, pedestrian etc. i have read of other owners on social media experiencing same issue & thought I should report it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764675September 16, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While pulling forward out of a parking lot at a low speed, the vehicle's Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system suddenly and aggressively engaged without warning. There were no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles whatsoever in the vehicle's path. The deceleration was extremely severe and violent, mimicking the sensation of hitting a brick wall. This unprompted, false-positive system activation subjected my body to intense, sudden forces, resulting in a painful back injury that requires medical attention. The system completely failed to accurately evaluate the path of travel, creating an immediate and unexpected hazard to my physical safety and that of anyone following behind me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11762656September 8, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Breaks failed almost crashed on a highway
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762353September 5, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When you accelerate from a stop, the car wobbles and shimmy’s until you reach about 15mph and then it stops and drives normally.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762382September 5, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I am driving a rental Chevrolet Equinox with the steering-column-mounted electronic gear selector. I believe this shifter design creates a serious safety hazard. The gear selector is a stalk on the steering column positioned and operated similarly to controls commonly used for windshield wipers in other vehicles. While driving, pulling back on this stalk can immediately shift the transmission into Neutral, even at highway speeds. My wife and I have unintentionally shifted this vehicle into Neutral approximately a dozen times because of this control arrangement. Once the vehicle is in Neutral while moving, we have been unable to shift it back into Drive until coming to a complete stop. This creates a dangerous situation: the vehicle suddenly loses propulsion in moving traffic, and the driver cannot simply restore Drive. The driver must coast, find a safe place to stop, come to a complete stop, and then select Drive. This is particularly dangerous while merging, crossing an intersection, driving on a highway, or anywhere that maintaining acceleration may be necessary to avoid a collision. This is not a complaint that the controls are merely unfamiliar. The vehicle accepts a Neutral command at road speed from a simple movement of a steering-column stalk, while preventing the driver from immediately restoring Drive. Because the stalk’s location and operation can conflict with established driver muscle memory for steering-column controls, I believe this represents a foreseeable human-factors safety hazard. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this design and determine whether it presents an unreasonable risk to drivers and other road users.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762083September 4, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, SERVICE BRAKES
At approximately 5pm EST, my wife stopped the EV vehicle after backing out of the garage and put the vehicle in park. After exiting the driver's seat, she was outside the open driver's door, had both feet on the ground and cleared the door enough that she was preparing to close it, when the vehicle began moving with no one in the driver's seat. The vehicle traveled down our inclined driveway, across the street and striking my neighbor's house. A [XXX] neighboring child was in the vehicle's path. My wife believed the vehicle would strike the child and screamed for her to move. The child moved clear before the vehicle reached her, and no contact occurred. The vehicle stopped when it hit the left side of the neighbor’s garage causing damage to the stone siding and framing of the garage. The vehicle then started to move forward over the lawn and into the street. At some point after it started moving forward the neighbor, an adult male, was attempted to stop the vehicle physically but was unable to. I came out of the house and saw what was going on and was able to help stop the vehicle, entered it and apply the brakes. My wife also tried to enter the vehicle to stop it during these events causing her to get ran over, substantial scraps, bruising and other injuries. We are reporting unintended movement after driver exit and request investigation of park engagement, the shift-by-wire system, electric parking brake, Automatic Vehicle Hold/driver-exit functions, reverse automatic braking and propulsion/brake controls. 2 GM EV Concierge agents separately were unable to retrieve remote diagnostic information. The vehicle was towed to [XXX] in [XXX] with very specific instructions. I opened a case with GM EV Concierge and they escalated it to "the executive team". Despite multiple calls and emails the executive team has not reached out. The case was even closed once and I had it reopened. I opened ticket # XXX but can't find it so I'm opening this one. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA),
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11762008September 3, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
my 2026 equinox is having an issue with the blind spot warning on my driver side mirror will either say on or flash. this is regardless of driving, or being parking. i have washed my car, checked my sensor, and i am still having issues. the dealership does not see any issue with the car, however, while driving at night, this is such a distraction because i'm constantly checking my mirror to make sure there's nobody there. there was one day, i had open my trunk from my keyfob, in the house, and when i walked up on the driver side of my car (the car was turned off) it beeped and when i looked over, the blindspot light was on and flashing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761245September 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Under light-moderate acceleration, a feeling of the transmission slipping is felt. From my understanding, this is a known issue with the newest generation of Equinox & Terrain. I previously owned a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD and it had the exact same issue. My local GM Dealership replaced the CV Axle and Axle and the issue was corrected temporarily, but soon after the issue returned. I then recently purchased a brand new 2026 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD and the issue started with mine around 300 miles, but worse than my previous 2025 model. I am not sure if this an issue with only the AWD models or not, but an investigation needs to be conducted because I am concerned about the safety and longevity of the the axles and or other affected components on the vehicle that is causing the persistent issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761249September 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On XXX, at approximately 5pm EST, my wife stopped our 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV after backing out of the garage and put the vehicle in park. After exiting the driver's seat, she was outside the open driver's door, had both feet on the ground and cleared the door enough that she was preparing to close it, when the vehicle began moving with no one in the driver's seat. The vehicle traveled down our inclined driveway, continued onto neighboring property, and continued through grass. A [XXX] neighboring child was in the vehicle's path. My wife believed the vehicle would strike the child and screamed for her to move. The child moved clear before the vehicle reached her, and no contact occurred. The vehicle stopped when it hit the left side of the neighbor’s garage causing damage to the stone siding and framing of the garage. The vehicle then started to move forward over the lawn and into the street. At some point after it started moving forward the neighbor, an adult male, was attempted to stop the vehicle physically but was unable to. I came out of the house and saw what was going on at this point and was able to help stop the vehicle, entered it and apply the brakes. My wife also tried to enter the vehicle and stop it during these events which ended in substantial scraps, bruising and other injuries. We are reporting unintended movement after driver exit and request investigation of park engagement, the shift-by-wire system, electric parking brake, Automatic Vehicle Hold/driver-exit functions, reverse automatic braking and propulsion/brake controls. Two Chevrolet EV Concierge agents separately were unable to retrieve remote diagnostic information. The vehicle is currently at my house and has only been driven to secure it in the garage since the incident. Opened a case with GM EV Concierge and they escalated it to "the executive team". It should be towed to a dealer today. Police report submitted but I do not current know the report number. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11761002August 31, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On Saturday, August 29, 2026, at approximately 12:00 PM, I was driving my 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV RS on the highway at about 65 mph. The weather conditions were clear and sunny. Without warning, the vehicle's automatic emergency braking (AEB) system abruptly engaged with full force, causing a severe and sudden deceleration. There were no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles in front of my vehicle at the time. There was active traffic trailing my vehicle. Fortunately, the driver directly behind me had enough following distance to react in time and avoid a severe rear-end collision. Today, August 31, 2026, I spoke directly with my Chevrolet dealership, and they confirmed that my vehicle's software had already been updated to be compliant with GM TSB #N252521591 (Image Processing Module / Unwanted Integrated Brake Assist) prior to this event. This phantom braking event occurred despite the vehicle already having the official software patch applied, indicating that the safety hazard persists.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760739August 30, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Had problewith the gas pedal being to close to the brake pedal found later from the head mechanic after we had a problem with it. He taught us this problem with big people and big feet their shoe catching on the brake pedal which causes your foot to hold down the gas pedal. We should have been told about this when we brought car
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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