CSR

Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

8

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV have filed 8 safety complaints with NHTSA between January 2026 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is forward collision avoidance, named in 7 of them (88%). The typical failure was reported at 7,861 miles, the median across the 1 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (3)

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

26V114000 · February 26, 2026

The defect
General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Corvette Convertible E-Ray, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, Silverado EV, Suburban 1500, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, Sierra EV, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The radio may not have been set to the correct status to download the electronic owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Protection.”
The risk
Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-9700, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. The manufacturer's number for this recall is N252540430. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 26, 2026.

General Motors, LLC · up to 5,861 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION:WARNINGS:EXTERNAL/PEDESTRIAN ALERT

25V878000 · December 18, 2025

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Equinox EV vehicles. The pedestrian alert sound system may not produce a sufficient change in volume between the vehicle being stopped and moving at low speeds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
The risk
A vehicle that does not emit sufficient sound may fail to alert pedestrians of a moving vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
The body control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252530690. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 18, 2025.

General Motors, LLC · up to 81,177 vehicles across all model years covered

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

25V704000 · October 16, 2025

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Cadillac Optic and 2025-2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV vehicles equipped with 21-inch Continental all-season tires. One or more of these tires may experience partial or full tread detachment.
The risk
Tire tread detachment increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect all four tires and replace those manufactured during DOT week 4024, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252525030. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 16, 2025.

General Motors, LLC · up to 22,914 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 8.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 88%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 25%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 13%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 13%
LANE DEPARTURE 1 13%
POWER TRAIN 1 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 13%

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

1 injured · 7,861 miles

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced phantom braking on two separate occasions. The contact stated that while slowly reversing out of the garage, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and suddenly stopped. Additionally, while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and decelerated abruptly, causing the contact to sustain a mild neck injury. No medical assistance was required. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The contact stated that she had previously

NHTSA complaint 11742642, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

1 injured

On numerous occasions, while driving either on highways or streets, vehicle would brake on its own or aggressive braking when this type of braking was unnecessary. I was hospitalized for whiplash in one incident. After braking for NO REASON!!! GM sent a tow truck to pick up my vehicle, and I have not heard back for more than 100 days. If GM cannot fix this issue as stated in [XXX] then I should be compensated for the lack of use and my medical bills as well as loss of use. Not having a recall does not mean DEFECTS are not occurring!!!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11751192. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The Equinox EV has rear Automatic Emergency Braking. On multiple occasions while backing up the vehicle's AEB has activated by slamming on the parking brake. A check of the rear camera and sensor system shows the vehicle detected nothing. A visual check also shows nothing behind the vehicle that's outside the sensor system's.

NHTSA complaint 11735367. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The inability to permanently turn on the warning only option for front and rear emergency braking after the latest OTA update. Phantom braking conditions still exist for this model and occur at unexpected times causing potential rear end collisions with following vehicles.

NHTSA complaint 11735025. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Driving in the freeway at 70 miles per hour with adaptive cruise control on car went crazy with emergency lights and braking the vehicle In middle of freeway No accident Also lane Asíst is not working

NHTSA complaint 11735179. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
On February 23, 2026, while driving my 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV home from Folsom Chevrolet following a prior repair visit, the “Service Park Assist System” warning illuminated, first intermittently, then after a few miles, continuously for the remainder of the 11-mile drive home. During the same drive, while reversing with no objects present behind or around the vehicle, the automatic emergency braking system activated and applied the brakes with significant force without cause. The vehicle was returned to Folsom Chevrolet (Repair Order #559378, opened February 23, 2026). Diagnostic code U1126 was found — indicating the left rear short range radar sensor had lost communication on CAN Bus

NHTSA complaint 11727678, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Chevrolet Equinox EV

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 161 6
2024 107 1

Other 2026 Chevrolet models

Every Chevrolet on this site — 298 vehicles, 747 recall campaigns and 5 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

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.

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