Chevrolet · Equinox · 2012
3
Recalls
681
Complaints
4/5
Safety Rating
The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox has 3 recalls and 681 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: engine (224 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
19.1% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX AND GMC TERRAIN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 18, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM" (TPMS). THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO ILLUMINATE THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WHEN THE PRESSURE IN A TIRE IS 25% BELOW THE RECOMMENDED COLD TIRE PRESSURE. ON THESE VEHICLES, THE LIGHT WILL NOT ILLUMINATE UNTIL THE TIRE PRESSURE IS MORE THAN 25% BELOW THE RECOMMENDED COLD TIRE PRESSURE.
Remedy Status
GM DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE BODY CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 9, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.
The abs braking and stability control light came on and has stayed on and took to mechanic shop and was told to repair would be 4000 .that's more than what the car is worth!changed motor oil many times since I owned the car and it uses oil quite much.ihe oil gauge can say I have 70 percent oil and the dipstick reads no oil so I must put 2 -3 quarts of oil in car because I can hear lifters rattle due to lack of oil.the abs stability control keeps car steady especially in i snow or rain weather and can lose control of the 2012 Chevy equinox.if I was to drive vehicle on long trip the motor could freeze up while driving and shut down and cause dangerous situation in traffic.
Recently got an oil change, and in a month I’ve had to “top-off” my oil. Constantly have to make sure I carry a few quarts of oil to make sure my oil is filled. One day, I forgot to check the oil and my car was stalling on a busy road. Had to pull over to make sure I put the oil in there. Everyone that I’ve asked said they have the same issue. I stopped asking people after the 10th person. My uncle is a mechanic and he said the same thing about the oil. He said he wasn’t sure where is goes but it just disappears.
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The rear suspension trailing arm and subframe assembly rusted completely through, causing the suspension to separate from the frame. The corroded and broken components are still attached to the vehicle and are available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The rusted frame and failed trailing arm caused the rear wheel alignment to shift dangerously, making the vehicle unstable and unsafe to drive. If the part had completely detached while driving, it could have caused a total loss of control and a serious accident, endangering the driver, passengers, and others on the road. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The issue was visually inspected and confirmed by an independent repair facility, which advised that the frame is structurally compromised and the vehicle is unsafe to drive without major frame replacement. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not yet by the manufacturer, but photos and documentation are available. The damage has been assessed by a certified mechanic who confirmed the severity and the safety hazard. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lights or messages appeared. The issue was first noticed after hearing unusual noises and instability from the rear of the vehicle. Upon inspection, severe frame rust and separation of the rear trailing arm were discovered.
Rear tailgate. Borrowed vehicle from a friend for a trip. When opening the tailgate with the external switch it opens all the way and immediately comes back down about 12 inches or so then it immediately goes back up and immediately comes all the way down. My wife was almost trapped between the bottom of the tailgate and the floor of the storage compartment. When I tried it, I tried to hold it up when it started down for the second time and it was impossible for me to stop the tailgate from closing. It substantially overpowered me. There is a PROBABILITY that it could have broken her back or strangled her. Even more so if she was packing the car by herself. I exerted all my strength trying to stop the tailgate as I indicated before. I have not contacted anyone about this situation. The vehicle has a little over 84K miles and is in excellent condition. When I called my friend about the problem she said she was aware of it and is living with it because it would cost over $1,000.00 to fix it. I know she bought it used from Ferman Chevrolet in Tampa a few years ago. I was hoping to get it fixed for her before returning the car to her.
The vehicles oil needs to be checked every day to make sure the levels are not low. The vehicle has no visible oil leaks on the ground or inside, but the oil levels will drop. With that I have to constantly have oil on hand to make sure I refill it or the engine would be dry. It’s becoming a hassle because I have to constantly monitor and make sure that the engine has oil so it doesn’t blow up.
the abs light came on the dash and traction control.i was driving in a rain storm and went around a corner and front end started to slide.was only going 35 mph so I didn't lose control.this happened on.04/15/2025 .if I would have been going any faster I would have lost control.this is very dangerous as I realized. it should be fixed by GM for safety concerns.
About six months ago, my steering wheel would get hot in the middle of it, but I kind of didn’t know what that was but then now my airbag sensor came on and then went off. I’m not really sure but I feel like something’s not right with it. Gonna go get it fixed, but I don’t feel like it should be something that was not recalled because it’s not right
ABS stabilizer light on dash shows ABS malfunction.took it to certified mechanic to check the problem and was told the system had to be replaced at the cost of $4000.
My Vehicle had an open Recall N192268180 TAILPIPE EMISSIONS - OXYGEN SENSOR. I made an appt for the recall for 1/20/2025 at Capital Chevrolet in Wake Forest, NC. The appt was cancelled and rescheduled for 2/10/2025 due to them needing to order parts for the recall. On 2/10/2025 my vehicle was dropped off and i was told it should be finished by end of day 2/10 or early morning 2/11/2025. On 2/11/2025 I called the dealership to see when my vehicle would be ready and was told the recalled part caused damage to my Catalytic Converter and they would need to replace it but this would be covered under the recall. At that time I asked about a Loaner car from the dealership because they were estimating 3 additional days and I do not have another vehicle to use to get to work or transport my children. The dealership reached back out to me on 2/12/2025 to say I did not qualify for a loaner because it is outside my vehicles extended warranty but they would have the part in hopefully that day or the next. I followed up on 2/13/2025 and was told they did not have the part yet. On 2/14/2025 I contacted the dealership to see when they were estimating I would have my vehicle done and was told that I could pickup my vehicle that day even though the repair was not complete because it was drivable and they just were waiting on a harness. i was scheduled to bring my vehicle back the following Monday for the harness to be installed. On Monday, [XXX] when I went to start my vehicle to take it to the dealership it made unusual noises then cut off and will not turn back on. I have left voicemails for the dealership and the manager, and I have contact my insurance to have it towed to the dealership but at this point I have missed a week of work causing me to lose income and do not have the $168 needed to tow the vehicle to the dealership. I have attempted to get assistance from the dealership and the manufacturer with no solution offered other than to pay out of pocket to tow it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine revved up abnormally. While driving at various speeds, there was a humming sound coming from the underbody of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed, the throttle body failed, and the exhaust manifold had fractured. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and confirmed there was no recall on the VIN. The failure mileage was 137,000.
My check engine light has been on and I've had people with machines to turn it off. It came back on each time. It is available for inspection. I don't feel totally safe as I don't know when or where it might fail and what that would look like. No, the it has not been inspected by anyone. The only warning I have is that the check engine light stays on.
Why is consuming a lot of oil This car the mileage is Les the 130000 I buy and didn’t know the issue Can you please fix it Sometime I hear noise from the engine
I had the excessive oil consumption recall repair done when it was recalled originally, however the problem has returned and from my research it appears that the piston rings were not the proper size to stop the oil from blowing back out the exhaust. Is there anything I can do about that as far as having those repairs covered again?
I purchased this vehicle on[XXX]. I was advised that there was an open recall for the O2 SENSOR. On 11/11/24, I took this vehicle to LOU BACHRODT in Coconut Creek,Fl. where they performed the recall. Shortly after having the recall done my vehicle's check engine light came on and then would turn off and continue to come intermittently. I took it to one of my local parts store that does the check engine light scan and it was giving the code for a faulty O2 sensor. I took it back to same dealership on 12/17/24. I explained to Charles Ramasir ( service advisor) what was happening. He ran a scan even though the check engine was not on at that moment. The code that was stored was a transmission modular code. He said I would have to bring the vehicle back when the engine light was actually on because he could not accept a scan/fix finder report from any other then this dealership. The problem continued and was now affecting the performance of my vehicle. I was able to get the vehicle back to Lou Bachrodt while the lite was on and their scan did indicate the O2 sensor. The part was reordered and the recall was done a second time by Lou Bachrodt Chevrolet. My vehicle continues to have the same problem. The engine lite continues to come on intermittently and the scans continue to indicate a problem with the O2 sensor: code on [XXX] =P0138 code on [XXX] =P2271 I returned to Lou bachrodt on may 3,25 while the lite was on. As I drove into the service area the service greeter advised me to drive up and wait for the service advisor-Charles. I proceeded to turn off he vehicle and wait. As soon as I turn the vehicle back on to show Charles the engine lite, it was no longer on. And once again I was told that if the lite was not on he could not run the scan or accept the scan report from Auto Zone from the day before. He also seems to be fixated on the transmission code that no longer comes up in current scan reports. problem not solved and continues. please help. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My drivers side wiper blade stopped working while the passenger side is still working. I saw a recall for this linkage on the site but it’s not for my specific VIN. Additionally, my catalytic converter has damage due to excessive oil consumption. Halfway through my regular oil changes the oil is almost completely empty. Again, there’s a recall on this for my specific make, model and year but not for my VIN. I feel these should be covered to be fixed by manufacture due to symptoms equivalent to recall.
Windshield wipers stopped working
In May 2024 there was an open recall regarding o2 sensor which was "fixed" by the dealer in July 2024. On September 22, 2024 the check engine light was triggered and diagnostics revealed o2 sensor failure. It could be a safety issue.
2012 Chevrolet equinox burns/leaks oil which cause the serpentine belt to pop off & I had to replace it. Having problems with the MAT & IAT codes, just replaced the fuel pump, crankshaft sensor, camshaft sensor, & spark plugs... Car still will not crank. They're saying there's no recall but why are all the Chevrolet equinox malfunctioning with the same problems with no help from the manufacturer?
The underbody of my 2012 Equinox is completely rusted and now not drivable. The KFrame is rotten and the car is not safe to drive. The engine consumes a great amount of oil. I've been told the engine needs to be replaced. I've only had the car for 2 years.
I have owned this car for over 3 years. I have ALWAYS started the car, closed the doors, gotten the kids in the car, and then got in the car myself and went on with my day. On [XXX], I put my 6 month old baby in the car, closed the door, and when I tried to get into the car, all the doors were locked. NEVER in my time of owning this car have the locks EVER locked itself after just starting it and letting it "warm up". Needless to say, thank God my air was already on so my baby was at least "safe" until the police could arrive and get the car opened. But they unfortunately broke my driver side window trying to get in, and so this safety malfunction could have literally killed my child, but it also did cause me damages that I have to get repaired. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox has 3 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 681 owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox.
The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox are engine (224 reports), visibility/wiper (109 reports), unknown or other (25 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 3 recalls on record for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.