2012 Chevrolet Equinox
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 685 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 5th highest complaint count among 21 Equinox model years with reports.
Of the 2012 reports, 16 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 13 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Electrical system, ignitionJul 5, 2016
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."
If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 16V502000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, power adjustJul 23, 2014
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.
If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 14V447000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, pressure monitoring and regulating systemsOct 19, 2011
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.
UNDERINFLATED TIRES CAN RESULT IN TIRE OVERLOADING AND OVERHEATING, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A BLOWOUT AND POSSIBLE CRASH. THE RESULTING CRASH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. UNDERINFLATED TIRES CAN ALSO RESULT IN PREMATURE OR IRREGULAR WEAR, POOR HANDLING, AND POOR FUEL ECONOMY.
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.
Campaign 11V511000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
685 reports, newest first.
Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 8, 2024
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?
Suspension, Engine, Sep 30, 2024
This vehicle is using insurmountable amount of engine oil.since I purchased the vehicle in 2024 I've had the oil changed once and twice the engine oil was down 3-4 quarts and when I started it,the engine was rattling because of oil disappearing.i purchased this nice looking car for.$5000.,so it's not junk to me it must be fixed.i think GM should be responsible for this problem.
Visibility/wiper, Sep 25, 2024
Windshield wipers stopped working
Suspension, Wheels, Engine, Sep 2, 2024
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.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 17, 2024
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)
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 8, 2024
I own a 2012 Chevy equinox 2.4 eco-tech all wheel drive I purchased it three years ago and a little over 90,000 miles on it asked the dealer if it was part of the class action oil consumption lawsuit. They said they knew nothing about it Shortly after I purchased vehicle I noticed I was having to add to 4 quarts of oil every two months I saw oil puddles under my car and not sure where it was coming from. I have driven less than 10,000 miles in three years and have had my serpentine belt snap off due to excessive oil leakage , I have added myself to the class action lawsuit but I’ve heard nothing. I am still adding at least 3 quarts of oil a month and I don’t even drive 400 miles a month. I believe this is putting my life in Jeopardy and passengers in my car. There is never been a check oil light come on yet. I have checked my oil and it has been almost completely bone dry..
Other or unspecified, Jul 23, 2024
My car just died, stopped, immediate dead car in full on rush hour traffic on the highway main road, me and my two grandchildren sitting in a car not able to move at all, not able to get restart. In review this is happening to 2012 and other years Chevrolet Equinox with no one knowing what the true actual engine problem is. it had to be pushed off the main hwy before we could have been injured or worse. When will the first death occur Chevrolet. This needs to be RECALLED, or BOUGHT BACK CARS BEFORE DEATH LAWSUITS BEGIN.
Tires, Jun 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the vehicle was handling poorly, after which the tire pressure system service light illuminated. Upon parking the vehicle, the contact smelled a burning odor around the exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V511000 (Tires), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 78,000.
Engine, Power train, May 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that her husband discovered that the timing chain had failed. In addition, there was an excessive consumption of oil causing the contact to add engine oil frequently. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the timing chain needed to be replaced but no further diagnosis was available for the other failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 22, 2024
So I know of atleast 4 Chevrolet equinox's all haveing the exact same issue doesn't matter milage all in the same area which have a issue saying engine power system low then it starts to studder and often stalls out or then over revs and trys to take off like it's been slingshotted which is unsafe even after repairing many issues it is coming up as and nothing seems to fix said issue. Also timing jumping and after being professionally fixed it jumps timing again shortly after being repaired also milage doesn't seem to be a factor in this issue as I have 1 that has jumped timing with only 150k miles while the other days after timing was all repaired jumped timing again and it has like 200+k miles and I know of atleast 2 others in the area having the same exact issue.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 16, 2024
Basically it has the recall for clogged cats and O2 sensors it has [XXX] my pistons I use quart oil every 100 miles I talked to customer service last night was told all ve fixed and I could have rental went to get it cause my car dies at every stop from not having right fuel mixture. Now they changed story . Lawsuit ? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Feb 9, 2024
Chevy sold the Equinox knowing full well that it had engine problems. The oil system fails, using oil at an excessive rate and oil dumping from engine. They were aware that around 80,000 miles the car would need over $4000 in repairs. They also knew the timing chain gets off timing causing over $2000 in repairs. Both of which happened to my vehicle within 6 months. The Engine ceased up and was undrivable. It sat in our driveway for over 18 months while we paid off the loan.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 27, 2024
While operating my vehicle today, it began to rain and I went to turn on my wipers, and they would not turn on. I had to pull over several times due to poor visibility ecause of the rain. I had to wait for traffic to slow down or pass me by to avoid an accident. This has never happened to me and I was scared out of my mind.
Engine, Jan 24, 2024
PCV freeze-up with blown main rear seal losing all oil almost instantly while driving on the interstate at 70MPH in 1 degree F weather. Spent 2.5 hours on the side of the road in 1F weather in a vehicle with no heat (because the engine was blown) before a tow truck could arrive. No warnings ahead of time, and no notification from GM of this well-known problem. Although it is a design flaw of the engine, it would be easily preventable if GM would notify users of the potential for this catastrophic problem.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 10, 2024
VEHICLE SHUTTERING/STUTTERING AT STOP LIGHT WHILE IDLING....OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE...CONSUMING OIL...HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP ISSUE.LEADING TO LOW PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. BECAUSE OF THIS. LEAKING OIL INTO ENGINE. NEED TO REPLACE ALL SPARK PLUGS. HAVE COMPLETE OIL CHANGE BECAUSE OIL IS ALL CLUNKY/CLOGGED. THIS HAS ALSO CAUSED A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE CAM SHAFT COVER... PCV VALVE. AND NEED TO HAVE WATER PUMP REPLACED. TOTAL COMING TO ABOUT $2600.00!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS PROBLEM!
Air bags, Jan 4, 2024, crash
Accident involving frontal impact with a deer. Heard and smelled propellant charge for airbag and service airbag light came on, no airbag inflation anywhere I could find it. Front grille/bumper cap, AC core, passenger fender are scrap. Any other cases of this.
Other or unspecified, Nov 21, 2023
A knocking nose fm the back passenger side it's heard every time I drive
Engine, Nov 15, 2023
Driving to work at 6:30 am. I slowed down at a stop light. Heard a weird noise I've never heard before from under the hood, headlights dimmed and became bright again, started to accelerate as stop light changed to green. Wouldn't accelerate passed 25 mph causing vehicles behind me to almost rear end me. Got to the next stop light, same thing, weird noise dimmed headlights back to bright but accelerated fine. Got to work 2 miles later and my engine was making a very loud noise (rattling). Shut engine off, checked oil which was full. 2 hours later tried to start it and it would not turn over. Towed to a mechanic shop where they determined my engine blew and will cost $7,500 to replace.
Engine and engine cooling, Air bags, Oct 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while having the vehicle serviced, the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,687. The contact stated the passenger airbag light stays on, even though there is no passenger present in the vehicle.
Engine, Sep 25, 2023
I purchased a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox with 100,550 miles on it in April 2023. The original owner gave me all service receipts & records to show the automobile had been taken great care of. The interior & exterior are still in like new condition. The problem I've experienced is sudden "reduced engine power" that caused the engine to stall while driving. Two weeks prior, I had had a service check with an oil change and the works. I had it towed and to my surprise, the mechanic showed me that my automobile didn't have ANY oil. The oil indicator light NEVER came on. Afterwards, I did research and discovered that GM is aware of this exact problem in this particular make and model and been sued in a class action lawsuit for this and lost. WHY HAVEN'T THEY ISSUED A RECALL TO REPLACE THE FAULTY PISTONS THAT CAUSES THIS?
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Aug 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the instrument display indicated a reduced engine power warning message. The contact stated that while driving up a bridge, the vehicle slowed down and failed to accelerate properly while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the accelerator pedal was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer but due to cost, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,595. The vehicle is currently at a Chevrolet dealer for repairs but they can’t get the parts because of the strike.
Electrical system, Jul 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while performing a daily oil check, the contact became aware that the oil level was low while checking the dipstick. The contact added oil and contacted the dealer and was advised that oil should be added. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the warranty had expired and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was 24,500.
Engine, Jul 24, 2023
Car is using a quart or more of oil a week. Consistently needing top offs and has shut off while driving before. This is a major safety issue. There is a major possibility I could be driving down the road and my engine explode because it ran out of oil. There is no leak. It is just the oil burning so fast. There is no resolution asides from putting a new engine in it and that is not something I can afford considering I just got the car from a dealership back in November. If there is not a recall on it, there should be. The oil will be full and then suddenly get super black and then next day be empty.
Power train, Electrical system, Jul 11, 2023
The contact’s friend owns a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact who is an independent mechanic stated that his friend had taken the vehicle to be repaired after the key became stuck in the ignition. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the key cylinder lock housing had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V502000 (Electrical System, Power Train) however, an undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 25, 2023
A light sprinkle happen and I turned on wipers and they immediately stopped. Fuse looks fine. I'm a Single father and can't afford to fix and this shouldn't have happen.