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What 682 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox EV

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (682)Crash / fire / injury (28)Engine (354)Visibility & wipers (127)Transmission & drivetrain (84)Electrical system (69)Fuel system (54)Steering (36)Body & structure (26)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (26)Airbags (18)Speed control (18)

3 of 682 complaints match · Body & structure · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jun 12, 2017Body & structure2 injuries

ON MAY 27TH I WAS OPENING THE LIFT GATE TO UNLOAD ITEMS. THE CAR WAS OFF. I OPENED THE LIFT GATE USING THE BUTTON UNDER THE HANDLE.THE DOOR OPENED FULLY. I REACHED IN THE CAR TO REMOVE LUGGAGE. THE DOOR CLOSED QUICKLY ON MY BACK AND STOPPED JUST BEFORE PINNING ME IN THE DOOR WAY. THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY OPENED A SECOND TIME AND I MOVED QUICKLY OUT OF THE WAY. AS SOON AS IT OPENED FULLY,IT SLAMMED COMPLETELY SHUT. I AM STILL UNABLE TO USE THE LIFT GATE SAFELY.

NHTSA ODI 10994526

Dec 4, 2013AirbagsBody & structureSeatsCrash

WE WERE SITTING STILL AT TRAIN CROSSING WHEN WE WERE STRUCK FROM THE REAR AND WAS SHOVED FORWARD 8-10 FEET INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. WITH ALL OF THE REAR AND FRONT DAMAGE, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. ALSO, BOTH FRONT SEATS BROKE LOOSE FROM THE SEAT BRACKETS THAT HOLD THE SEATS TO THE FLOOR. MY WIFE (PASSENGER SEAT) NOT ONLY BROKE LOOSE BUT THE SEAT TWISTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10554862

Nov 3, 2013Body & structureCrash

I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT AT AN ANGLE TO THE CURB WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED CAUSING IT TO JUMP THE CURB AND HIT A TREE NEAR THE CURB CAUSING CAUSING OVER $6000 WORTH OF DAMAGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10550676

Working with the data? Download all 682 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Chevrolet Equinox EV verdict →