Home · 2012 Chevrolet Equinox EV · Complaints

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 · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 12, 2019Electrical systemLightsEngineCrash

THIS VEHICLE FREQUENTLY LOSES CHARGE ON BATTERY BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR ARE NEW. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 70K MILES ALSO THROWS UP COMPUTER CODES RADIO TURNS ON AND OFF WHEN IT WANTS TO. I PURCHASED IT USED WITH 40K MILES AND HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE. I HAVE QUOTES FOR OVER 2K IN REPAIRS AND WAS TOLD AT TIME OF PURCHASE ALL RECALLS WERE CARED FOR. WAS PURCHASED CERTIFIED PREOWNED FROM A DEALERSHIP. EVERY TIME I FIX SOMETHING THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11166602

Aug 2, 2016Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system1 injury

THIS MAY BE RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 16V502000. ON JULY 11, 2016, I WAS IN MY SON'S DRIVEWAY, PLACED MY CAR IN PARK, AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER AND I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. THE CAR WAS STILL, AND MY KEYS WERE STILL IN THE IGNITION. WHILE I WAS BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE CAR, THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS, WHICH KNOCKED ME TO MY FEET AND UNDER THE CAR. THE CAR ROLLED UP ONTO MY RIBCAGE AND MY VISION STARTED TO GO DARK. A NEARBY PERSON MANAGED TO ROLL THE CAR OFF OF ME. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE I LEARNED I HAD FIVE BROKEN RIBS AND A SMALL PUNCTURE IN MY LUNG. MY LEG IS BRUISED FROM MY THIGH TO MY TOES. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, I DEVELOPED AN INFECTION IN A WOUND ON MY ANKLE. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL FOLLOW UP VISITS TO DOCTOR TO CHECK FOR PNEUMONIA AND BLOOD CLOTS. A VISITING NURSE COMES TO MY HOUSE TWICE PER WEEK. I CANNOT DRIVE AND HAVE WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. I HAVE MAILED A LETTER TO THE CEO AND GENERAL COUNSEL OF GM, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE.

NHTSA ODI 10892376

Nov 30, 2012SteeringElectrical systemFire

THE NIGHT SANDY HIT ON THE EAST COAST, IT WAS WINDY IN MICHIGAN. OUR CITY WAS DOING LEAF PICKUP AROUND THAT TIME SO LEAVES WERE ACCUMULATED AT THE EDGES OF THE ROADS. THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN THROUGH A SUBDIVISION ON A PAVED ROAD AND IT JUST CAUGHT ON FIRE. GM WILL TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FIRE. THEY SAY LEAVES BLEW UP UNDER THE CAR AND THEY ARE WHAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. HOW CAN VULNERABLE AREAS NOT BE SHIELDED FROM THIS? THE CAR WAS ABOUT A MONTH OLD!!! THE FIRE BURNT FOR ABOUT 7 MINUTES. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. A TEAM FROM GM INSPECTED THE CAR AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN LET US SEE THEIR REPORT. WE HAVEN'T HAD A CAR FOR OVER A MONTH AND I FOR ONE AM FURIOUS! THEY TELL US IF WE HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED WE LOSE ANY RIGHT TO PURSUE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.... WE HAVE TO PAY $500 (OUR INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE) TO START REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH THEY WONT TELL US WHAT IS DAMAGED EVEN THOUGH WE PURCHASED ADDITIONAL INSURANCE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THROUGH THE DEALER TO COVER OUR DEDUCTIBLE IN THE EVENT OF DAMAGE... ALL THEY SAY IS THAT IT WAS OUR FAULT FOR NOT READING THE MANUAL REGARDING DRIVING OR PARKING OVER LEAVES... WE FOUND REFERENCE TO IT IN THE OFF ROAD PORTION OF THE MANUAL. THE CAR HAD NEVER BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10486613

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 →