Table 1 shows one common power train related problems of the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Power Train problems |
While driving on the freeway, my vehicle displayed a “service all-wheel drive system” warning and unexpectedly switched into two-wheel drive. This created a serious safety concern due to sudden loss of traction and control. Additionally, on multiple occasions while reversing, the vehicle abruptly applied the brakes without any obstruction present, displaying a message that automatic braking had engaged. My foot was on the accelerator at the time, and this created a sudden and unsafe situation. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership for repair, but due to the unpredictable nature of these issues, I no longer feel safe operating the vehicle.
While operating the vehicle on both interstate highways and local roadways, an intermittent malfunction occurs involving the all-wheel drive (awd) system. The instrument panel displays a warning message stating, “service all-wheel drive system. ” when this warning appears, the vehicle automatically disengages from awd and reverts to two-wheel drive (2wd). Once this occurs, the system does not allow the driver to manually return the vehicle to awd. This issue has occurred on more than three separate occasions. Notably, there have been instances where the warning indicator illuminated immediately upon starting the vehicle, prior to any extended operation. When the malfunction is present, the vehicle exhibits abnormal driving behavior, including a noticeable jerking or hesitation that feels consistent with a transmission-related issue. The failure is unpredictable in nature, with no clear pattern or triggering condition identified. This creates a significant safety concern, particularly when operating the vehicle at highway speeds or in conditions where awd capability may be necessary for proper traction and control. An appointment has been scheduled with an authorized dealership for diagnostic evaluation; however, at the time of this report, the vehicle has not yet been inspected or repaired, and the issue remains unresolved.
I was driving my car and a "service high voltage battery" message appeared on the screen and a message to reduce charging the car to 68%. The message coincided with the car having no cabin heat and no ability to defrost the windshield. The dealership says that the cabin heat and ac use the same cooling system as the battery and that any failure in the battery cooling system can cause a no heat/ac situation.
The vehicle’s high-voltage battery system and propulsion system appear to have failed, causing a complete loss of power while driving. The vehicle is currently at the dealership for inspection, the vehicle completely shut down while I was driving on florida’s turnpike, creating an extremely dangerous situation on a high-speed highway. There was no warning prior to the shutdown, and I am currently pregnant, which made the situation especially traumatic and heightened the risk to both myself and my unborn child, as well as other drivers on the road. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership for inspection. As of now, the problem has not been reproduced, but the shutdown event is confirmed and documented by the dealer during the incident report and intake process. The vehicle is currently at the dealership for inspection. General motors engineers or technical assistance center (tac) may review the vehicle once the dealership reports the incident. No police or insurance representatives have inspected the vehicle for this issue. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms appeared prior to the sudden battery drop and complete loss of propulsion. The failure occurred without any prior indication while driving on the highway.
Was told bad fluid pump at 35k. Replaced. Car broke down 30 seconds from dealer. New transmission to be replaced now. Parts on backorder. Will be without car for “months”. No symptoms prior to failure. No warning lights. Car just wouldn’t start.
The car automatically brakes when nothing is in front of you and all of sudden it slams on its breaks. This is going to cause someone to rear end you. The steering is all over the road and does. It feels safe to drive. Transmission gets stuck and revs really high until it catches and they say nothing is wrong. Safety sensors go off all the time and nothing is near you. Key fob not detected, multiple awd issues.
Transmission fluid leaking from the bolts.
Onstar module malfunctioned, has been diagnosed and awaits identification of specific type of module to determine if one is available or if it is one that will be on back order. The safety of myself and my family was put at risk, along with others, when vehicle braking system randomly activated and slammed on the brakes despite clear highways all around, almost causing us to be rear-ended more than once. This has happened prior to 12/01 several times randomly but we assumed the sensor was sensitive and was picking up something we couldn't see, however this was not the case in this situation. The battery keeps going dead and needing jumped and there are numerous warning messages/lamps. Dealer service department confirmed onstar module failure and need for replacement, has not yet reproduced braking issues. Vehicle is currently at dealership service department for inspection and was deemed unsafe to drive at this time. Dealer stated they had no loaner vehicles to supply and instructed us gm would reimburse up to $45 daily for rental at enterprise, so a rental vehicle was obtained and placed on waiting list at two different dealerships for loaner vehicle. Wifi and navigation system originally quit working, then car battery started dying and requires being jumped multiple times if not driven within 8 hours, received alerts off and on of "lane change alert system off", "service parking break", "adaptive cruise control temp unavailable", "service power steering", "service electronic stability control", "service transmission now, unable to shift soon", and cruise control/lane assist etc quit working. We became stranded in another town and had to purchase a portable jumper. Dealer currently has no anticipated repair date.
Got the Equinox brand new on March 2025. Few weeks later had to take it to service/dealer with backup camera problems and it had to be replaced. It started to have speakers issues due to a very loud humming sound while driving. Also window from drivers side runs slower than the rest of windows. The visibility through front glass is non existent when raining due to the angle. Transmition started slipping and started to have a check engine light pop up and had to take it to service again. . . And finally at the beggining of November had to take it to service due to a sudden battery drain. She wouldnt turn on for no reason. The defective module is on backorder with no estimated arrival date, leaving the vehicle unusable. Its been there for 2 months now. . . They provided a loaner. Everything has been confirmed by dealer. They said that had 3 pages of codes pop up to be fixed.
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic sign, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission automatically shifted to park(p). The vehicle was towed to a service station and the vehicle was refilled. The contact was able to start the vehicle, and the message "auto shut down" was displayed and a 5-minute countdown was started, and the vehicle turned off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
Vehicle rolls back very often when in drive. Even holding down the brake at a hill then hitting the accelerator it still rolls back. When in cruise control and I take over it also tends to make the vehicle jump when the vehicle takes back over. Overall harsh riding. Feels like it’s all coming from that cvt. Dealer says that it may be an issue but can’t replicate it unless it stays there with them for a while until they can replicate the issue. There have been incidents where I’ve almost rolled back and hit other vehicles due to this cause. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. No warning lamps or anything on the vehicle.
The vehicle has ongoing and worsening electronic and safety-related issues. The fuel range and fuel economy fluctuate abnormally and frequently, sometimes even while the vehicle is stopped. The infotainment screen has experienced intermittent black areas/partial blackout while driving, affecting system reliability. Recently, the automatic transmission began hesitating during the initial gears, behaving abnormally and requiring me to reduce speed for the vehicle to respond properly. This occurs consistently. These issues have been reported multiple times to the dealership and gm with no resolution, and communication has stopped. I am concerned the vehicle is unsafe to drive and could fail unexpectedly.
On two occasions as I have pulled in to park this vehicle, while pressing brake the car lurched forward. The first time no damage happened however the second time damage occurred. While pressing the brake as hard as I could would not stop the lurching car. None of the avoidance warnings helped either.
This complaint is to clarify and supplement a previous report. The issues began in August 2025, not September. Initially, the vehicle presented abnormal fuel range fluctuations, including while stationary, as well as intermittent “key missing” warnings while driving and display black spots. These issues were reported to dealerships and gm without resolution. Over time, the condition has progressively worsened, and additional symptoms have developed, including abnormal noises and, more recently, transmission hesitation during the initial gears, requiring me to reduce speed for the vehicle to respond properly. The escalation of these issues over time raises ongoing safety concerns.
Telematics module stopped working out of nowhere and drains my battery to my vehicle. Had to have the vehicle towed to nearby dealship. Huge safety hazard as it is essentially the brains to my computer. App doesn't work without it, battery doesn't work and can't even get inside vehicle with key fob. Please issue recall.
Phantom braking at speed: I have experienced more than one alarming instances of "phantom braking at speed" where the vehicle unexpectedly brakes, all wheels locked, and violently skids on the pavement. This is a very alarming occurrence to driver and passengers as well as to drivers of other nearby vehicles. Specifically, this first occurred without warning on [xxx] on [xxx], traveling at 30 mph. The wheels then unlocked spontaneously after 2 to 4 seconds. This is potentially a significant and intolerable life-safety issue. When a car suddenly and unexpectedly slams on its brakes, it can create a dangerous situation for both the driver and passengers and others on the road. This could lead to a rear-end collision if the driver behind my Equinox vehicle does not have enough time to react; this may also result in driver panic and overcorrection: the startling nature of the phantom braking can cause the driver to potentially swerve into another lane or oncoming traffic. The phantom braking again occurred on the afternoon of [xxx] on [xxx] in slo while driving at 40 mph past [xxx]. Loss of confidence: repeated incidents of phantom braking have eroded this driver's trust in the vehicle's safety features, which could lead to ignoring legitimate warnings in the future. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
My new 2025 Equinox rs awd ran out of gas entering a 55 mph highway. I tried to roll to the shoulder, and I came to a stop half on the right shoulder and half in the lane. When a 2025 Equinox rs awd won't run, in this case because it is out of gas, there is no way to shift the car out of park and into neutral so it could be rolled out off the road, or on to a tow truck ramp. When a 2025 Equinox rs awd isn't running, it's locked in park, and in order to move it needs to be jacked up and set on wheel dollies, for all four wheels.
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that upon attempting to park their vehicle, or attempting to shift into reverse, neutral, or into drive, the shifter becomes extremely difficult to put into gear, and a message will display on the instrument panel that stated "conditions not correct for shift", and all of the warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the valve body and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however the failure persisted. The contact noted that this is the second occurrence of their vehicle needing to have the valve body replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 870.
When accelerating to enter a road with high speed traffic the engine dies for a few seconds resulting in on coming traffic having to brake to avoid a collision. Then, the engine suddenly accelerates wildly. This problem occurs every time the vehicle is driven. The dealer service people has "tested" by driving the vehicle for 7 miles and declared there is nothing wrong. This is dangerous because the vehicle engine dies/stalls at a critical moment and if an oncoming driver isn't paying attention this could result in a collision.
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while attempting to use the vehicle, there was an automatic update alert. The contact's wife's cellphone had alerted her to the update; however, she was unable to access the vehicle for 15 minutes. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the transmission failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the reverse symbol was displayed on the instrument panel, and there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted, and informed the contact that the automatic update was normal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 999.
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(n). No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to shift back to drive(d); however, the vehicle idled while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,060.
The car vibrates hard, like being on the rumble strip, but only while driving about 1. 7 rpm to 2 rpm and only sometimes. The transmission light came on. The dealer said it was leaking and fixed it. A few days later, the vibrating is back. It's at the dealer again. Still don't know what's wrong. I only have 4,500 miles on the car so far.
8 speed transmission will not shift to 8th gear at highway speeds. It will shift at a lower speed which makes merging onto an interstate dangerous. The vehicle gets better fuel mileage if it will use 8th gear. For it to use 8th gear on the interstate you must merge onto the road at a much slower speed than posted speed limit and then very slowly accelerate to posted speed limit which puts driver at greater risk of an accident.
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to a nearby dealer, where the rear differential oil was drained, and metal shavings were found in the oil. The dealer determined that the rear end assembly needed to be replaced; however, the part was not available. The dealer had ordered the part. The contact stated that the vehicle had been at the dealer for repairs since January 10, 2025. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and recently sent an email, advising the contact that the part was not yet available to repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 1,600.
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact became aware that transmission fluid was leaking from the bottom of the vehicle and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
When the vehicle was stopped in an intersection, the vehicle would shift from d to p by itself. The check engine lamp was subsequently lit. I would not able to shift it out of p until I restart the vehicle several times. During such incidents, I was stuck in the middle of the intersection for a few minutes, impeding traffics and endangering myself and other motorists on the road. This problem first happened on September 20, 2024. The vehicle's odometer was at 1824 miles. The dealer made a repair. This problem happened again on October 14, 2025. The odometer was at 22065 miles. The vehicle is current still in the dealership. The vehicle was normal before such incidents. There was no warning light or any other noticeable anomaly before such incidents.