Electrical System Problems of Chevrolet Equinox - part 1

Safety vehicle complaint / defect report vehicle: 2019 Chevrolet Equinox complaint type: brake failure / loss of braking ability / vehicle malfunction incident date: xxx location: [xxx] request: safety defect investigation description of incident on xxx, while my 2019 Chevrolet Equinox was being operated in the [xxx] area after exiting the highway, the vehicle experienced a serious and potentially life-threatening malfunction. As the vehicle approached a situation requiring the driver to stop, the brake pedal was pressed, but the vehicle did not stop as expected. The brake pedal went completely to the floor, and there was little to no braking response from the vehicle. At the same time, the vehicle experienced additional significant mechanical/electrical problems. The vehicle would not properly shift into gear, and the vehicle began flickering/shaking and malfunctioning. The combination of loss of braking ability and the inability to properly shift the vehicle created an extremely dangerous situation. A failure of the braking system while the vehicle is being operated on or near a highway presents a serious risk of a crash, injury, or death. The vehicle was subsequently inspected by a mechanic. I was informed that the issue was possibly related to the fuel pump, although the cause of the brake failure and the other vehicle malfunctions has not been definitively established. I am requesting that this incident be formally documented and investigated as a potential safety defect involving the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox. My primary concern is that the vehicle experienced a complete or near-complete loss of braking ability, with the brake pedal going to the floor and the vehicle failing to stop normally. The simultaneous inability to shift gears and additional vehicle malfunction makes this particularly concerning. I believe this issue warrants investigation to determine whether there is a recurring defect . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

On xxx I was driving a rental car that I was placed in due to my vehicle being repaired. I was placed in a chevy trailblazer VIN#: [xxx] my rental with this chevy trailblazer began on xxx. Using the available features in the vehicle, the center console has an area that you can place your cellular phone to charge your cellular phone. Which is used this option on xxx. On xxx, I placed my cellular phone in the charging bank location while I was operating the vehicle. When I arrived at my destination I took my cup out of the cup holder and grabbed the keys, and grabbed my phone and tucked it against my arm to get out the car and the charging bank my cell phone case so hot that it burnt my forearm. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

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.

The fuel pump control module failed at 22,016 miles on a basically new vehicle, with supposedly covered 36,000 mile manufacturer warranty!?.

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Chevrolet 2018 Equinox with 2. 0l has a fail for no obd communication. The vehicle was take to two separate smog local state inspections; however, the vehicle failed to communicate with the system. I believe from looking at previous complaints on NHTSA that the vehicle has a module with defects and needs to be replaced. Vehicle has 49,000 miles. Previous complaint states that the local dealer was contacted; however, product emission recall: n202298780; repair was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Breaks failed almost crashed on a highway.

While operating my vehicle, I experienced a sudden, catastrophic failure of the power-assisted braking system. The brake pedal completely lost hydraulic pressure, plunging effortlessly all the way to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to respond to normal foot-pedal application. Emergency stopping power was only achieved by pushing the pedal into the absolute floorboard, which engaged an emergency mechanical override and forced the anti-lock braking system (abs) pump into a violent stutter/pulsation to halt the vehicle. No dashboard warning lights, diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs), or fluid level sensors illuminated prior to or during the braking failure. A certified automotive repair facility diagnosed the root cause as a total internal seizure and mechanical failure of the engine-driven brake booster vacuum pump. Because the vacuum pump is driven directly by the engine, its sudden lockup sheared and severely damaged the drive slots on the exhaust camshaft, necessitating an intensive engine teardown, camshaft replacement, and secondary component repair totaling $2,390. This design poses an extreme, life-threatening safety risk. The total loss of braking assist occurs without warning, and the mechanical failure simultaneously compromises internal engine timing components while moving at speed.

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Unknown 2018 chevy Equinox is known that the radio goes out, even after reset or hard reset (disconnect battery) the screen is black no sounds or music plays and the biggest safety related is no reverse camera.

The electrical system just stopped working it is throwing up false alerts of driving systems and brake assist, and then the air conditioning on/off button doesn’t respond defrost nothing lights up or comes on.

I am reporting a serious safety issue involving my 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. While I was driving on the highway, the vehicle suddenly shut down and became completely immobilized in a travel lane. I was unable to move the vehicle out of the lane or shift the transmission into neutral. This created an extremely dangerous situation, and a truck nearly struck my vehicle while I was stopped in the roadway. The vehicle had to be towed to a Chevrolet dealership. It has now been at the dealership for three days, and as of this complaint, the dealership has not been able to determine the cause of the failure. I am extremely concerned that the vehicle suddenly lost power while being driven and could not be moved to a safe location. I believe this presents a serious safety risk to the driver, passengers, and other motorists if the failure occurs again. I have also opened a case with Chevrolet/general motors regarding this incident. I am requesting that NHTSA document and review this incident as a potential vehicle safety defect.

While driving on the interstate, the moonroof glass began opening without any input from the moonroof controls. The power sunshade was still closed at the time. I opened the sunshade manually so it would not interfere with the glass. After the glass opened, I was unable to get it to remain fully closed. When I was able to close the glass, it would reopen on its own several more times. I also heard a clicking sound during the repeated opening and closing. After this occurred, the power sunshade also stopped operating correctly. It would open fully, but when closing, it would stop approximately halfway and leave the front portion of the moonroof uncovered. It would not close completely. There were no warning lights or other dashboard indications during the incident. The only way I was eventually able to get both the moonroof glass and the sunshade to close completely was to leave the vehicle turned off for approximately two hours and then perform the moonroof reset/initialization procedure. After the reset, both the glass and sunshade returned to normal operation. The most concerning part of the incident was that the moonroof glass opened by itself while the vehicle was being driven, without anyone touching the controls.

See all problems of the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

1. The telematics control module failed and was replaced by the dealer under recall n262547330, along with the battery. The vehicle is available for inspection. The original module was kept by the dealer when it was replaced. 2. The vehicle went completely dead without warning — it could not be unlocked or started. It happened at home, but had it happened on the road I would have been stranded. The keyless entry also no longer works, so I cannot reliably get into the vehicle. 3. Yes. The dealer confirmed the telematics module failure and replaced it, and replaced the battery. The ongoing problems — failed software updates, "no cellular signal" message, check engine light, and keyless entry failure — have not been diagnosed yet. 4. The vehicle was inspected and repaired by [xxx] Chevrolet GMC in [xxx]. Gm's customer resolution team is involved in the case but has not physically inspected the vehicle. No police or insurance inspection. 5. The navigation/gps was glitching intermittently before the vehicle went dead in August 2026. The last successful software update was xxx — every update since then has failed. The check engine light came on at pickup on xxx. The "no cellular signal" message appears every time an update is attempted. The keyless entry stopped working recently. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2025 Chevrolet Equinox rs is experiencing critical active safety and electronic malfunctions. While reversing out of my driveway, the vehicle unexpectedly executed an aggressive "phantom braking" event, violently slamming on the brakes with no actual physical hazards or cross-traffic behind the vehicle. The reverse automatic braking (rab) and rear cross-traffic braking systems are hypersensitive and falsely triggering mechanical emergency stops, creating an immediate physical hazard and whiplash risk. Additionally, the google built-in infotainment system constantly suffers from communication freezes with apple carplay and media apps like pandora. Commands to select or play audio tracks freeze and fail to execute on the 11. 3-inch screen, indicating a systemic software architecture defect affecting the vehicle's dashboard modules. The vehicle has previously been out of service for an extended duration (30+ days)due to a broken telematics module causing parasitic battery drain down to 3 volts, along with multiple dashboard error messages. The manufacturer has been unable to permanently resolve these electronic and active safety failures.

The ongoing issues with my 2023 Chevrolet Equinox, VIN [xxx], which I have brought to your dealership multiple times for the same unresolved problem. I was told three separate times that the engine light was fixed. I checked the vehicle today, and the engine light is still on. I was misled three times. Since purchasing this vehicle, I have not been able to drive it. Instead, I have spent the last four weeks repeatedly picking up and dropping off the car at your dealership. The vehicle has spent more time in your service department than with me. This has caused significant loss of time, money, and peace of mind. You have wasted my time, energy, and resources, and your team has already put 95 miles on my vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2023 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

From the very first day of purchase, the vehicle displayed a check?engine light, which I immediately pointed out to your salesperson. My concerns were dismissed, and I was assured that it was “not a big deal,” despite the fact that the issue was clearly present at the time of sale. Since then, I have spent substantial time and money attempting to resolve the vehicle’s defects. A mechanic spent six hours diagnosing and attempting repairs, yet the vehicle continues to display serious fault codes, including: evap system switching valve “b” performance / stuck open DC/DC converter voltage sensor “a” range/performance.

My cooling and heating sensor is reading negative 40 degrees outside but it has been 80 degrees and higher the past several weeks. This is not safe when you have children especially if they are under [xxx] old. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The on star component failed mid- drive, resulting in loss of navigation and emergency calling. This happened before, parts were replaced and it has happened again.

The electronic brake control module causes the car to no start and goes into limp mode. Cuts off the power to every system in the entire dashboard including the transmission making the car very dangerous to drive.

Check engine light with message engine running at diminished capacity as speed would not go above 20mph. Safety at risk from other vehicles on highway until able to reach safe location. Dealer states ses light on p0089 and p228c. Gm bulletin on both codes. Programmed ecm with latest calibration for codes listed. If codes come back must do further diagnostics. Concerned about repeat possibility.

My car is a 2020 chevy Equinox with only 31852 miles. While driving today, all of a sudden the car started shuddering badly and stalled in the middle of the highway. Talk about a very scary situation. I pushed the car to the side of the road, and had it towed to a local shop. They found that the fuel pump control module had failed (p129f code). Upon doing some research, I found out that the 2021 Equinox had recalls issued for this same exact issue. I also found that the 2020 and 2021 Equinox both used the same part number fuel pump control module (13565638). Because of this, the recall should be extended to the 2020 chevy Equinox so that owners pay get the major possible safety issue fixed. Luckily, I did not get into an accident when this occured and honestly Chevrolet should be reimbursing me for the repair as this should have included in the safety recall for 2021 Equinox using the same part. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to hopefully seeing the right thing done here. Sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My car seized while I was driving. It started fine and I drove about 10 min down the road and all of a sudden it seized. My car was towed to dealership. Onstar sent me a code p129f fuel pump. I was driving on the road and it seized. Could have caused a bad accident. Cars had to go around me. Yes the problem was “fixed” today 6/30. No prior error messages after is seized my battery light came on.

The sunroof opens and closes without driver input. It initially occurred at startup but now also while driving (safety/security risk) . The sunroof switch has currently been unresponsive since 2025 . The issue is intermittent and has occurred multiple times. I have a pending diagnostic appointment and an open Chevrolet customer assistance case. * 2020 Equinox has approximately 55,000 - 60,000 miles on it and I'm also not certain if I have any warranty left that will cover the cost for this issue. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter.

About 3 weeks ago my battery completely died and I had to get 3 jump starts in one day. Upon replacing my battery I continued to experience a drained battery. Then my in-car wifi stopped working. I contacted onstar and they attempted to reset it which didn't work. So they escalated the issue to the highest department. I also had the battery and alternator tested and it showed that the battery and alternator were not the issue. It was decided that the problem was electrical. So I had all the electrical connections tested and it was determined that the issue was with the oem module.

Walked out of the car into the gas station came back out the brake pedal was locked up literally didn’t even wiggle at all couldn’t start the car I tapped it a couple times and then it made a horrible snap/pop sound and works fine for now.

My telematics module for onstar is draining power from the car's battery which has been not allowing me to start after I turn it off without having to jumpstart it. Also when I do jump start it, the cruise control don't work and service messages pop up on my hud. The dealership said it's undrivable due to safety concerns and the part is backordered for an unknown eta.

I have no sound at all no turn signals, no seat belt no nothing, had chevy in leesburg tell me I need an update did that and being told to replace radio and amplifier.

My car was in clarksburg crown, Mitsubishi, and a lot that had no monitoring, and it was a sticker saying the car was not ready to be sold, and I still went with it trusting the crown Mitsubishi car associate however there are fuses added to my car weather from them or from car auto tunes in morgantown I’m not sure but my car has the ability to run without my foot on the gas or things happening to my to my acceleration.

See all problems of the 2017 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

See attached document for complaint.

See all problems of the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the automatic engine start/stop system engaged, and the vehicle shut off completely. The message "please hit the start button again" was displayed, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact press the start button, but the vehicle failed to start. Additionally, the gear shifter was stuck in park(p), forcing the tow agency to drag the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,900.

Known issue of arabic language reset on engine start with this make/model infotainment system. (TSB 23-na-118 / 23-na-042). Causes language and user errors upon startup and causes the rear backup camera to not engage properly every time, creating a safety issue when reversing. With the user’s language not saving, it creates a safety issue because the warnings are in a language that the user cannot understand on startup.

See all problems of the 2022 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Purchased a 2014 chevy Equinox from direct auto sales on 03/07/26, and I am currently experiencing serious issues with the vehicle after only 2 months of purchase I noticed the vehicle is making a clicking and grinding sound the vehicle powers down when driving. The problem still exists even after multiple oil changes.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

My name is [xxx], I live at [xxx]. I own a 2021 Honda passport, VIN ending in [xxx]. Two serious safety issues: 1. The multifunction camera behind the windshield has failed with codes [xxx] and u0416-f8. This is the same known defect that is the subject of a class action lawsuit. The dealer quoted me $1700 to fix it. I have only had the car for two years and I should not have to pay this much for a major safety failure. 2. The front passenger power seat moves backwards on its own and does not stop. On one occasion it trapped my young nonverbal autistic son in the car seat. I had to physically intervene to stop it from crushing him. I reported this issue to Honda USA customer service, and they told me to take it to the dealer. Both of these are serious safety defects. The seat issue especially is extremely dangerous for a child who cannot speak or scream for help. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate these defects immediately. Thank you, [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The starter on a new 2026 Chevrolet Equinox rs failed at approximately 6,500 miles. While the vehicle was being driven home during evening rush hour, it shut off at a red light and would not restart. The vehicle was stranded in the left lane of a four-lane highway. It could not be moved because the engine would not start, and the vehicle would not even roll in neutral, as the wheels were locked and would not turn. The disabled vehicle blocked a live travel lane in heavy traffic. The driver was a [xxx] new driver. Being stranded in a moving traffic lane during rush hour created a serious risk of a rear-end collision to the occupant and to surrounding vehicles forced to maneuver around the disabled car. Police responded because the vehicle was creating an active roadway hazard and arranged for a tow. The tow operator had to drag the immobilized vehicle onto the flatbed because the wheels would not turn. The failure was confirmed by an authorized Chevrolet dealer, which diagnosed a failed starter and replaced it under the manufacturer's warranty. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. The vehicle shut off and failed to restart without any advance indication. The vehicle has been repaired and is available for inspection. The failed starter was replaced by the dealer. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My vehicle onstar telematic module has shorted out the complete electrical system. This module is backordered. No time frame was told it could be months. Many gm vehicle have the same problem. The vehicle can stop while sitting or driving. This vehicle is unsafe to drive I traded it to the dealership. They will hold on to it until(if & when) they get the part.

Onstar module faulty causing parasitic battery drain unable to get a loaner car.