Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record
Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 228 safety complaints about the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox with the US government. Of those, 10 describe a crash, 4 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 76 complaints, 33% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 8,300 miles, the median across the 27 complaints that gave an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers October 2024 to September 2026 · How this is counted
228
Complaints
10
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
4
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 228.
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 119.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2024 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2025 Chevrolet EQUINOX, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.
| Test | SUV AWD | SUV FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | Not rated | Not rated |
| Frontal crash | Not rated | Not rated |
| Frontal, driver | Not rated | Not rated |
| Frontal, passenger | Not rated | Not rated |
| Side crash | ||
| Side barrier | ||
| Side pole | ||
| Rollover | ||
| Chance of rollover | 17.4% | 18.5% |
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.
1 injured · crash · towed
My vehicle seemed to accelerate when pulling into a parking spot at my work. It then launched over the curb sending me rolling down the hillside several feet. I required extraction and the car is now totaled. I am available to explain more and share pictures at your convince.
NHTSA complaint 11693146. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
1 injured · crash
The Chevrolet Equinox EV has a large blind spot because of the size of the front window pillars and the adjacent side view mirror. To quote from an Internet search, "This creates a significant blind spot when preparing to make left at intersections, making it difficult to spot pedestrians cyclists, or oncoming traffic." My vehicle was involved in an accident during a left turn in which I believe the blind spot was a significant factor. The Chevrolet Equinox EV is supposed to be equipped with "enhanced automatic emergency braking" which, if so, did not function to prevent an accident.
NHTSA complaint 11744882. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
1 injured
While pulling into a parking spot of a business and approximately 6 feet from the curb, the automatic emergency brake engaged forcing my whole body forward, slamming my head on the visor/roof of the car very forcefully/painfully. I was not in traffic, I was getting ready to park. My front seat passenger slammed against her seatbelt and I had a child in the back seat who slammed forward as well. No dash indicators or seat rumbling occurred, it was just an immediate jolt/hard stop that I was not braced for. At risk of concussion or TBI.
NHTSA complaint 11724460. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
crash · towed
After hitting a deer, the body shop fixed the damage to the front part of the vehicle. They realized the battery kept being drained even after purchasing a new one. It’s now at a dealership and they are staying it needs a new ONSTAR module, not sure when it will come in either. I’m paying for a rent car that I can’t afford to pay for anymore. I wanted them to just do away with the ONSTAR but they said it’s not possible.
NHTSA complaint 11721528. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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
NHTSA complaint 11766689, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
12,000 miles
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 complaint 11766102. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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
NHTSA complaint 11765607, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
crash
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
NHTSA complaint 11765001, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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 complaint 11764112. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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 complaint 11763652. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 71 | 1 | — |
| 2024 | 79 | 1 | — |
| 2023 | 95 | 3 | — |
| 2022 | 177 | 5 | — |
| 2021 | 96 | 4 | — |
| 2020 | 309 | 4 | 1 |
| 2019 | 302 | 4 | — |
| 2018 | 408 | 5 | 1 |
| 2017 | 273 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 396 | 1 | — |
| 2015 | 680 | 2 | — |
| 2014 | 548 | 1 | — |
| 2013 | 751 | 2 | — |
| 2012 | 685 | 3 | — |
| 2011 | 782 | 3 | 2 |
| 2010 | 784 | 3 | — |
Complaints on file, same model year.
Every Chevrolet on this site — 304 vehicles.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst