Electrical System Problems of Chevrolet Equinox - part 2

Nhtsa safety complaint (loss of emergency connectivity) subject: 2025 Chevrolet Equinox ev — onstar/telematics failure disables emergency services & automatic crash response; part on national backorder VIN: [xxx] make/model/year: Chevrolet Equinox ev, 2025, rs trim mileage at first occurrence: 4000 date problem first occurred: [xxx] frequency: continuous (services remain unavailable) injuries/crashes: none to date component(s) affected: electrical system — telematics/communication (onstar); emergency calling/sos; crash notification (acr). Description of the safety defect: the vehicle’s onstar/connected services display “services unavailable. ” the dealer diagnosed a failed telematics module. Replacement is on national backorder with no estimated timeframe. While in this condition, emergency services and automatic crash response are disabled—the sos button does not connect, and the vehicle will not automatically contact onstar after a crash. Parts availability (scope/delay): my dealership and multiple gm/Chevrolet and onstar owner forums indicate 3+ month waits for the telematics module with no eta, leaving vehicles without emergency connectivity for extended periods. What has been done so far: dealer confirmed module failure and opened a parts order; advised no eta due to national backorder. Manufacturer has not provided an interim fix or loaner vehicle. Issue remains unresolved as of Aug 11, 2025. Why this is a safety concern: loss of emergency calling and crash notification defeats safety features marketed as critical for post-crash response. Owners cannot rely on the vehicle to summon help after a collision or medical emergency. Requested NHTSA action : track this failure and parts unavailability, assess scope, and determine whether a safety investigation or recall is warranted. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

1st incident: code p2138 - accelerator pedal sensor in March of 2024 - driving on highway dashboard warning lights illuminated(traction control & reduced engine power) vehicle went into limp mode putting my family & I in danger due to traffic volume and speed on highway. Had to drive on berm at speeds below 25mph to exit freeway safely. Removed battery cable to reset computer. Taken to serra bartlett Chevrolet in memphis- couldn't get vehicle to repeat error. 2nd incident: code - p2138 June 2024 - while traveling on highway same dashboard warning signals & car went into limp mode. Had to maneuver to the berm to exit the highway safely once again putting my family in danger at speeds below 25 mph exit. Vehicle was towed to serpentini Chevrolet the accelerator pedal position sensor was replaced under the extended warranty. 3rd incident - code p2138 June 2025- while traveling on highway, same dashboard warning signals & car went into limp mode again. Had to maneuver to the berm to exit the highway putting my family in danger again at speeds below 25mph. Removed the battery cable to reset computer - was unsuccessful. Contacted jeff schmitt Chevrolet - had to drive the vehicle over 35 miles on the berm of the highway at speeds lower than 25 mph to get to dealership. Upon arriving they ran the codes and annotated the p2138 code. The next morning when the technician checked the vehicle the computer had reset itself and everything was checking out fine, the code was still in the vehicle history . The sensor was under warranty and we inquired about replacement because the code showed failure, the dealership stated gm would not replace the part because it tested good. But I could pay to have it replaced if I paid for it. Gm service bulletin no:074-06-04-019f clearly states they are aware of issues with this vehicle, yet I cannot get it repaired to my satisfaction it puts myself and my family under extreme danger while driving this vehicle on the freeway.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Sunroof is throwing a code that there is an obstruction. Sunroof will not close. Chevrolet could not fix. I was sent home with out any answers and was told they would contact me. That was over a week ago.

I was driving my vehicle and went to make a left turn out of a parking lot into traffic and my engine shut off and my car rolled into traffic and the check engine light turned on. All of the other functions in the car stayed on I. E. Radio, air and all the lights. I had to have the car towed to a mechanic the mechanic was unable to diagnose my car so it was then brought to a chevy dealership. The dealership stated my car worked fine with no issues and tried to return the vehicle back to me I insisted they keep testing the vehicle. They drove the vehicle around the parking lot again in circles and the cars engine shut off and is unable to be turned back on. Gm and chevy are stating they have no idea why this is happening. I am very concerned about this considering they tried to return the vehicle to me stating their were no issues and ignoring my concerns at first, I had to insist that they keep checking the vehicle and now it will not even turn on.

See all problems of the 2021 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Since may 2025, my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox ev has experienced repeated electronic malfunctions with the central display and instrument cluster. The screens have frozen, flickered, and rebooted multiple times while driving. On one occasion at approximately 75 mph, the entire display and instrument panel shut down and did not return for about two minutes. The vehicle continued to respond to steering, brakes, and propulsion, but I was driving completely blind with no speedometer, warnings, or navigation. I slowed down and exited the highway to give myself space and carefully made it home. This was extremely stressful and left me concerned for my safety and my family’s safety. In another incident while stopped at a traffic light, the system froze while music was playing and the vehicle became unresponsive. It only restarted after I shifted into park and restarted the car. The “buckle to drive” safety feature has also failed twice. This feature was enabled, but the vehicle allowed me to shift into drive without the seatbelt engaged. In the most recent case, I drove for about five minutes before the reminder appeared. I have video evidence of this failure. In July 2025, the vehicle lost all connectivity (onstar, gps, and remote functions). This issue was eventually fixed, but I had to drive for several weeks without these features while waiting for a backordered part. The vehicle has been at the dealer since July 14, 2025. Many internal components have already been replaced, and one part is still on backorder. There were no warning lamps or error messages before the failures occurred. I am not confident that these problems have truly been resolved, because if such issues can happen with an extremely new vehicle, it raises serious concerns about what to expect from the long-term reliability and safety under warranty.

Electrically, the time will not stay set at the correct time. Nor will the date. Other issue is there will be a loud roaring sound when driving. This happens frequently, there are no codes that pop up. No, one is sure what the loud roaring is.

My 2026 Chevrolet Equinox has been having problems; when cruise control is set it randomly puts itself into emergency park mode, the infotainment system loves to shut down which affects the entire vehicle. When this happens I can’t see my speed, every screen goes black and I have to pull over and reset the entire thing which takes a good 30 minutes, sometimes more. I have taken it to a shop which they said it was electrical and module issues, never told me exactly what or where and I’m having to struggle just to get the invoices. The problems are not currently resolved, it would’ve had to been in the shop for over a month and I can’t afford to be without a car that long with zero option of a rental. I have children. I got my car in may of this year with only 4 miles on it, been having the issues ever since.

Electronics on car entirely go out including: headlights, turn signals, hazard lights, airbags, electronic braking, traction control, tire pressure monitor, fuel gage measurement, speedometer, odometer, temperature gage and all advanced driver assistance systems. The vehicle has been to the dealership on 4 separate occasions from may 16th - June 27th 2025 various inspections and repairs have been confirmed and completed by dealership: empire Chevrolet of hicksville located at 236 south broadway, hicksville, n. Y. 11801. After driving for about 1 day the problems persist. The car is being brought back to the dealer tomorrow 6/28/25 for a fourth service call for the same issue. Driver and passenger safety is at risk due to lack of headlights, turn signals, hazard lights, airbags, electronic braking and speedometer etc. . . Warning lights appear simultaneously with electronics malfunction.

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

I was driving one day and my radio shut off, screen black and no sound. Came back on like it rebooted. Worked fine. The next day it did the same thing but only the screen went out but for longer this time. I work at a collision center and used our scanner to see what the problem might have been. It was giving a bunch of codes for radio and onstar. The next day it was perfectly fine. So I scanned it again just to see if the codes were still there. They weren't, but instead had 2 codes for brake control module in my engine and my transmission. My fan in the front has also been making slowing down and speeding up randomly.

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Engine reduced power, over acceleration as well as sluggish acceleration, wobbling on the freeway, electrical dashboard problems, tire sensor light comes on after getting it repaired. This vehicle has the same problems like 2021 -2024, reduced speed and couldn't go over 40 mph on a busy street with speed limited being 50 mph.

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Twice my vehicle has stopped working where the shift to park messaging comes up and the car will not turn on or off. The vecle displays sec, low fuel, and park to shift messaging. The p for park to shift with the wrench underneath it appears. This issue happened once while I was in park and tried turning on my car and the other while I was in drive at a light.

On may 8,2025 the lift gate failed and crashed down on my head, vehicle is available for inspection and only a gm inspector has looked at it so far. The dealership told me because I filed a complaint with gm they can't touch it unless directed by gm now. It almost knocked me out, I saw black and was hard to see for at first within a few hours it was a huge goose egg on my head. It put me and my 6yr old at risk as she was with me but luckily in the car already. When approaching my car I used the liftgate remote to open it ahead of time, got my daughter in car and went to put our backpacks in the back when it crashed on my head full force no warning. It was extremely painful and caused a concussion with multiple symptoms. Headaches, painful bump, ear ringing, feeling so hot, major brain fog, forgetfulness, watery eyes, feeling really tired and hard to wake up in the morning. It has been about 3 weeks and the symptoms are mostly gone except bad ear ringing, light sensativity, on and off headaches easily, can't put my hair in ponytail as it hurts still. I still have a small dent in my head. The doc says these lasting concussion symptoms could last for months. I don't understand why this has problem has not been fixed when research shows it has been a problem since 2010. The only other issue I had with the car was my instrument panel going black while I was driving a few weeks prior.

Glaring issue. High voltage battery keeps popping up error.

To whom it may concern, I'm writing to formally report a critical failure of the auto start-stop system in my 2019 chevy Equinox that occurred today, resulting in a hazardous situation during rush hour traffic. While stopped in the northbound left turn lane of route 202 at the intersection with baltimore pike, the vehicle’s auto start-stop feature engaged as expected. However, upon releasing the brake to proceed, the engine failed to restart, and the vehicle remained completely inoperative — engine off, no power, and unresponsive to ignition attempts. This failure caused the vehicle to become stranded in a live intersection during heavy traffic, posing a serious safety risk not only to myself but also to other motorists. A pennsylvania state police officer arrived on the scene and assisted by pushing the vehicle across three active lanes of traffic while in neutral, performing a battery jump with a brand new battery of five months, and escorting me home to ensure I was safe. This situation was both dangerous and unacceptable, especially considering that the failure stemmed from a system designed for emissions/fuel efficiency, not safety. The auto start-stop feature in this vehicle clearly introduces critical failure points without adequate redundancy or reliability, particularly in real-world driving conditions. Additionally, I contacted my local Chevrolet dealership and spoke directly with a technician in the service department. He confirmed that they have had multiple customers reporting similar failures with the auto start-stop system. According to him, this is not an isolated incident, and in several cases, it has placed drivers in equal danger. I am formally requesting: an investigation into this incident, information on any existing technical service bulletins (tsbs) or recalls related to this failure, a full inspection of the vehicle at gm’s expense, and a report on what steps gm is taking to prevent similar failures from putting other drivers in harm’s way.

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.

Car sensors don’t work as intended. Stay on and continue flashing. While driving on free way sensor shut off and cause vehicle not be able to detect lane or vehicle next to it.

While driving, all my displays which includes speed and car warning indicators, went blank and the red light (collision warning) started flashing as if there was something in front of my car, but my car acted fine. I pulled over and then everything slowly came back on. The car continued to run just fine. It was just both displays went totally black and then the red collision warning lights were flashing. Car never turned off. Never had to restart car. No resets performed. Displays came back on after a short period of time. Interesting, the radio and volume had to be turned back on. Acted as if displays rebooted, but did not affect car mobility.

Vehicle experienced derating. Check engine light on. Called mobile repair service. 20 year mechanic. Replaced pedal sensor. Fail. Second visit replaced throttle body. Fail. He advised better to take it to a reputable shop. Did. Shop worked on it for 2 months and ended up replacing ecm. I finally had the unit towed to an electrical specialist in longmont colorado. They replaced wiring loom between pedal sensor and car worked again. Drove car to kansas and after about 300 miles, loud boom and messages on display. Ecm engaged electric emergency brake hard at 79 mph. Was on cruise. At 20 mph car stopped messaging, and resumed normal operation. Pulled over, checked car. 50 miles from nearest city. Cautiously drove about 20mph, then 30, then more until up to speed limit again. Worked fine 140 miles (needed a population center to get car fixed)) and it happened again. Limped car a few miles to repair in salina, kansas. Ecm erased all miles, messages, etc. They could find nothing. My research showed the 2025 Equinox ev recall (we had replaced ecm and reprogrammed). I went to get car and risked driving, but without cruise. Warnings would come up, but car ran. No more emergency stops, but plenty of warnings. $3k in repairs and still problem. I believe current problem is electrical that Equinox is known for. The ecm/reprogramming problem that activated the brake is the issue here and previously reported by many. Extremely dangerous! car has 50k miles. Was flawless driver until now. Note: unit was rebuilt salvage. I bought at 1460 miles. Hit right rear, replaced right rear sheet metal, rear driveline on right side (genuine gm parts), replaced hatch door. Inspected by state of michigan. Reputable rebuilder. Zero bad reviews. Hundreds of excellent reviews. P. S. Cannot take to Chevrolet - they universally refuse to work on car - not to even change oil.

While driving my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox, both the digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen suddenly turned off without warning. This blackout lasted for several seconds before both systems rebooted and returned to normal. This has happened multiple times and does not seem related to any specific driving condition, speed, or weather. The vehicle itself continues to operate normally during the blackout, but the sudden loss of all visual information — including speed, alerts, and navigation — poses a serious safety risk. No warning lights or error messages appeared before or during the incident. This issue started shortly after receiving an over-the-air software update labeled gm n25-f172ae. The problem has not yet been confirmed or resolved by a dealer, and the vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance.

Center screen went black and is completely inoperational. Cannot utilize any center screen functions including headlights and rear backup camera. Took vehicle to dealer and they diagnosed as a bad display control unit, which is on backorder.

On two separate occasions, the dash and radio restarted while we were driving. Whole driving down the highway, the speakers stopped working, both screens would go blank and the red pre collision lights would turn on. This causes the inability to see your speedometer or other required information while driving. I am unsure if this affects any other safety equipment from functioning if there was a crash during this timeframe. This lasted for several seconds while the system essentially restarted itself. Once everything turned back on, everything worked as it should. It went into the dealer for the first time it did this and they did a software update to prevent this but it did not apparently fix the issue.

Component malfunction and availability for inspection: the vehicle’s infotainment system is critically malfunctioning and poses a serious safety threat. The issue has persisted despite four service attempts, and gm refuses to repair it. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: this malfunction creates an extremely hazardous driving condition. While traveling at highway speeds in unfamiliar, high-traffic areas, the system has suddenly frozen, pixelated, emitted loud static from the speakers, and disabled all controls. In one incident during chicago rush hour (65 mph zone), I lost navigation, audio controls, and screen functionality simultaneously. The sudden, jarring noise and visual failure distracted me and left me unaware of my location. With no safe exits, I had to dangerously operate my phone while steering through speeding traffic just to regain directions—putting my life and others at risk. This wasn’t a choice, it was a desperate action forced by a system failure. This situation was terrifying, disorienting, and could have easily resulted in a crash. Reproduction/confirmation of the problem: the issue has not been successfully reproduced by the dealer, despite recurring complaints and multiple service visits. It occurs regardless of whether a device is connected via bluetooth or usb, and with different users' phones. Inspection by others: the manufacturer has failed to correct the issue after repeated attempts. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police or insurance representatives. Warning signs and timeline: no warning lamps or messages appear before the failure. It strikes without notice. The system shows severe symptoms: frozen screen, distorted sound, mismatched song info, unresponsive buttons, and audio continuing after the car is shut off. Restarting the vehicle does not fix it. The randomness and severity of these failures make the vehicle unsafe to operate, especially in high-speed or unfamiliar driving conditions.

One computer shorted out of 22 on the car cause major repairs.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

The screen for the radio goes blank and then the dash goes blank this happend a few times randomly but this time it was longer and then it told me there was no key found in car while driving and I was at a light the car in front moved forward and I started and went forward and my car braked unexpectedly I adjusted the gap settings but I don’t believe this should have happened the car seemed far.

Started the car . I noticed the their was no door chime with the door open, no radio , radio display dear, no seat belt warning chime, no rear backup display camera. I drove car down to corner stopped and made right turn and everything was all right ,everything worked ok. This morning got into the car and no door chime,no seat belt chime no radio or display no back up camera, no on star . Called my friend over and he checked the fuses . He checked fuse #9 radio fuse ok except for little tarnish on legs,checked display fuse #15 checked ok tarnish on fuse legs, checked the amplifier fuse #31 checked ok. But he replaced the fuses anyway, with new fuses. Started car same problem as above o difference , one can drive the car lights ,turn signal bulbs ok.

Service stabilitrak, power steering light, check engine light. Door locks lock and unlock continuously. Randomly has no acceleration, causes jolting at a low speed. Available for inspection ASAP. The code “uo101” comes up in a diagnostic test. Overall, the car basically shuts down while driving at no specific speed. Safety of myself and others is at risk because this can cause an accident resulting in being rear ended/collision with car and other vehicles as it randomly happens when driving. I took my car to the dealership on 3/5/25 and expressed this issue and they could not diagnose it as it was not physically happening after I dropped it off to them. They had the car for 4 days and couldn’t duplicate the issue. They gave back the car and told me there was no issue with the vehicle and it is continuing to happen again. They told me to get proof of the incident on video when it happens again. (I was able to get a video today 4/3/25) there is no warning before this event happens. It will go away and not happen for a few days and then the next day it is not drivable. I am concerned for the safety of myself and others and would like to find the cause of this once and for all. I’d like for the dealership to not send me away without a reason why this is happening or fixing my vehicle.

Abs and breaks exploded at 67k miles and at 78k miles car shut off in middle of the street with no warning. Electric issues confirmed by mechanic.

In Feb 2025, I was driving, a day after a snow storm, on the highway when without warning my car stopped accelerating, and just shut down. The mechanic said my oil was all over the ground. He also stated that there's a defect in the 2. 4l ecotec motors and the pistons broke on my vehicle. Now I have to pay $3500 to rebuild my motor. He stated that the vehicle has a higher oil consumption rate/ leaks and you will never know.

See all problems of the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

On February 25,2025 I first noticed my engine light was blinking constantly while my service esc light and tc light was on while driving on the freeway. When I exited the freeway all lights went off. I had my mechanic check it out and he suspected a misfire because he ran the VIN and said my vehicle had a history of a misfire. I was unaware of that because I wasn't given that information when I bought the vehicle a little over a year ago. I drove the vehicle approximately a month just around town and on March 26 2025 I was driving on the freeway and again the service escaped light came back on as well as the tc light with a line across the letters tc. The engine light did not come on on this occasion. I've read stories with many people with my same vehicle having the very same issue however I've searched my VIN and there's no recall listed for my particular vehicle and I think there should be. I find it strange that the lights only come on if I'm on the freeway and I don't feel safe driving the vehicle with my son in the car while traveling outside of the city. I'm still. Under warranty but I'm unsure if this issue is covered under my warranty.

It failed inspection after repairs secondary air injection pump tcm pmc . Check engine light came back on after it passed .

See all problems of the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

I was driving down the road and my engine stopped. It stopped so suddenly that I did not have time to get out of the road and my safety was put at risk. When I took it to a certified Chevrolet dealership, they told me that the vacuum pump failure caused extensive damage to the motor and I needed to have my entire motor replaced. When I asked them what I could have done to prevent such catastrophic failure, they stated that there was nothing to prevent it. I did not have any warning on my dash at the time of the incident. This was at least the 2nd vacuum pump failure on this vehicle since I've owned it. I got it replaced at a certified Chevrolet dealership in 05/2022 when my brakes went out. In 05/22, the brakes went out but I was in a driveway and I did not feel my safety was a concern at that time. Now it's not even been 3 years and the vacuum pump failure risked my safety and caused catastrophic damage to engine to be replaced.

It burns oil excessively stalls out while driving stability traction control comes on timing chain has to be replaced now fuel pump needs replacement all this happened at same time my cost is 2700. 00.

See all problems of the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox 🔎.

Snowy conditions. All of the traction control, stabilitrak, and abs systems are working normally. Sometimes when I accelerate and the wheels start to spin the whole infotainment console turns off. Its almost like the battery is dead for a few seconds then everything turns back on.

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while reversing, the transmission remained in drive. The contact depressed the shifter to move. The contact stated that the gear shifter was sticking. The vehicle jerked, hesitated, and then stalled. The contact stated that the doors were locking and unlocking without driver input after an update was performed, and the keys became locked inside the vehicle. The service transmission warning light was illuminated. The telematics module, gps, and onstar were not working as designed. The contact stated that the onstar went into red and lost connectivity and was unable to locate the vehicle. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined after further inspection that the battery was drained due to the telematics module draining the battery. The dealer informed the contact that parts were on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.

Unknown.