219 of the
12,688 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Equinox
are about the driver-assist systems —
2% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2025.
219
Complaints
2%
Share of all complaints
34
Crashes
2
Fires
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
After taking a long drive, our phone suddenly stopped connecting via Apple car play, all of a sudden the screen went black while we were doing 80 miles an hour on the highway using GPS and then the phones wouldn’t connect again at all. Multiple attempted to restart the car and display did nothing. This has now become an intermittent error on the vehicle. I was told by a Chevy dealership there was nothing they could do & I just needed to wait for an update to come out. Fast forward two months and countless hours of research I attempted to call onstar to have our connection reset to onstar because I saw that helped out. I found out our vehicle had not been connected for over 6 months while I was paying for the service and the telematics unit was likely the issue. 3 visits to the dealership, 3 modules later & the problem is still persistent. GM will not cover my rental, will not give me a loaner vehicle and will not accommodate my schedule to have the 4th module attempted to be replaced. This is an extremely scary and frustrating concern. I fear for my safety when I’m on the road and my dashboard goes black for several minutes at highway speeds. the issue has been confirmed and is widespread in this model and should be recalled - GM should be forced into a lemon law for anyone who has had this many problems as most of us have.
NHTSA complaint #11757907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Three times over the past month, this car has slammed the automatic emergency brakes, thinking there was an obstacle in the road. Each time, it has caused whiplash to everyone in the car, feeling like we were slammed by another car. It is related to the collision avoidance and is triggered by either a shadow on the road or a glare. If I turn off the feature, I have to do it every single time I get in my car. If I forget to turn off this dangerous feature, it could trigger again. I'm beginning to get nervous driving it, thinking it could engage at any second. Eventually, someone will crash into me because it's so sudden, the car behind won't be able to stop. This is apparently a major problem with others I've seen online with no remedy.
NHTSA complaint #11757249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Three times over the past month, this car has slammed the automatic emergency brakes, thinking there was an obstacle in the road. Each time, it has caused whiplash to everyone in the car, feeling like we were slammed by another car. It is related to the collision avoidance and is triggered by either a shadow on the road or a glare. If I turn off the feature, I have to do it every single time I get in my car. If I forget to turn off this dangerous feature, it could trigger again. I'm beginning to get nervous driving it, thinking it could engage at any second. Eventually, someone will crash into me because it's so sudden, the car behind won't be able to stop. This is apparently a major problem with others I've seen online with no remedy.
NHTSA complaint #11757249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I feel compelled to report this issue after 3rd incident and also after raising with the dealer service. I think this is a very very serious issue which should be investigated and dealt with promptly before it results in serious death or debilitating injuries. Let me describe the latest incident that happened yesterday with me in [XXX] between on XXX between 10:30 - 10:45 am PT. I was in a parking lot looking for a parking spot possibly driving at about 10-20 mph. A vehicle approached from the opposite side and it suddenly it slammed emergency braking. I and my family were shaken and felt a crushing jerk. This has also happened at least twice before - one time when I was pulling out of my driveway and another time on highway 1 in [XXX] near [XXX]. The highway incident could be very dangerous but possibly the slow traffic saved us. Driver behind me who is a friend called me immediately asking why I braked unsafely which I told him I did not. I have also 2 prior issues before the latest to the dealer who listened to me and documented it but I was told they don’t know anyone reporting this issue. Internet forum talks about this issue but OEM is possibly ignoring it. The dealer says they updated some camera software but that’s about it. This 3rd incidence has shaken me and I thought of reporting to you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11757265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The vehicle’s software, steering, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) create severe, active driving hazards. First, the steering and traction programming cause violent, unprompted lane deviations. While driving 20 mph on a snowy dirt road, the system automatically engaged and violently pulled the vehicle directly into the lane of an oncoming snowplow. A similar erratic swerving event occurred at 25 mph on [XXX] during icy conditions. Most recently, the steering violently pulled the vehicle 6 feet to the left at 50 mph, despite the suspension and wheels being in perfect factory specification with summer tires mounted. As a professional heavy-vehicle driver, I had to manually fight the wheel to maintain the lane. Second, the Adaptive Cruise Control unpredictably fails to recognize stopped traffic on both interstates and town roads. It repeatedly fails to apply the brakes when a lead vehicle stops, requiring emergency manual braking to avoid rear-end collisions. The system also triggers severe phantom braking without warning. We are forced to manually disable traction control and parking assist upon every vehicle start just to avoid losing control of the vehicle. The dealership has evaluated the vehicle multiple times but has failed to resolve these core software and ADAS defects, despite months of ongoing negotiations with GM Corporate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle’s software, steering, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) create severe, active driving hazards. First, the steering and traction programming cause violent, unprompted lane deviations. While driving 20 mph on a snowy dirt road, the system automatically engaged and violently pulled the vehicle directly into the lane of an oncoming snowplow. A similar erratic swerving event occurred at 25 mph on [XXX] during icy conditions. Most recently, the steering violently pulled the vehicle 6 feet to the left at 50 mph, despite the suspension and wheels being in perfect factory specification with summer tires mounted. As a professional heavy-vehicle driver, I had to manually fight the wheel to maintain the lane. Second, the Adaptive Cruise Control unpredictably fails to recognize stopped traffic on both interstates and town roads. It repeatedly fails to apply the brakes when a lead vehicle stops, requiring emergency manual braking to avoid rear-end collisions. The system also triggers severe phantom braking without warning. We are forced to manually disable traction control and parking assist upon every vehicle start just to avoid losing control of the vehicle. The dealership has evaluated the vehicle multiple times but has failed to resolve these core software and ADAS defects, despite months of ongoing negotiations with GM Corporate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2025 Chevrolet Equinox RS is experiencing critical active safety and electronic malfunctions. While reversing out of my driveway, the vehicle unexpectedly executed an aggressive "phantom braking" event, violently slamming on the brakes with no actual physical hazards or cross-traffic behind the vehicle. The Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) and Rear Cross-Traffic Braking systems are hypersensitive and falsely triggering mechanical emergency stops, creating an immediate physical hazard and whiplash risk. Additionally, the Google Built-in infotainment system constantly suffers from communication freezes with Apple CarPlay and media apps like Pandora. Commands to select or play audio tracks freeze and fail to execute on the 11.3-inch screen, indicating a systemic software architecture defect affecting the vehicle's dashboard modules. The vehicle has previously been out of service for an extended duration (30+ days)due to a broken telematics module causing parasitic battery drain down to 3 volts, along with multiple dashboard error messages. The manufacturer has been unable to permanently resolve these electronic and active safety failures.
NHTSA complaint #11756326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On a steep gravel road in a remote area, I pressed the accelerator and the vehicle stopped climbing. I inferred that traction control had intervened, but there was no immediate, obvious indication explaining why the car wasn’t responding. The most frightening part was not knowing what the vehicle was doing. A clear, immediate indication that traction control was actively limiting power would have reduced uncertainty.
NHTSA complaint #11752810 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was turning at a green light while following behind a truck pulling a trailer. All of the sudden, the car did the automatic emergency braking. It slammed on the brakes in the middle of an intersection while I was going ~15mph, and gave me whiplash. I am not sure if the car got confused by the trailer in front of me, but this is the first time this has happened in my first few weeks of owning this car. I've read that many others have had this issue with the Chevrolet Equinox EV, and this poses a serious safety issue for drivers of this car and others on the road.
NHTSA complaint #11751995 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
My telematics module for onstar is draining power from the car's battery which has been not allowing me to start after I turn it off without having to jumpstart it. Also when I do jump start it, the cruise control don't work and service messages pop up on my HUD. The dealership said it's undrivable due to safety concerns and the part is backordered for an unknown ETA.
NHTSA complaint #11745373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Chevrolet Equinox EV has a large blind spot because of the size of the front window pillars and the adjacent side view mirror. To quote from an Internet search, "This creates a significant blind spot when preparing to make left at intersections, making it difficult to spot pedestrians cyclists, or oncoming traffic." My vehicle was involved in an accident during a left turn in which I believe the blind spot was a significant factor. The Chevrolet Equinox EV is supposed to be equipped with "enhanced automatic emergency braking" which, if so, did not function to prevent an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11744882 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that after the manufacturer performed an over-the-air (OTA) update to the OnStar system, the radio module and infotainment system became inoperable, rendering the rearview camera and the OnStar system inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the radio module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,665.
NHTSA complaint #11743744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While cruise control was active, the vehicle initiated un-commanded physical acceleration and deceleration in unpredictable 5 mph increments (up or down), forcing the vehicle to change speeds without driver input. This required me to immediately deactivate the system and override the accelerator/brakes to maintain control of the vehicle in while driving, creating a severe and direct safety hazard. With cruise off I could see the erratic jumping of the set-speed number on the digital display. This issue has occurred on two separate instances. In both cases, pulling over, turning the vehicle completely off, and turning back on completely cleared the glitch and restored normal operation of this feature.
NHTSA complaint #11743667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving towards direct light/sunlight is damn near impossible with this vehicle die to the extreme amount of glare from the dashboard. It makes me worried especially now that summer is approaching, feels like it can be catastrophic. Rear brake assist is horrible on more than one occasion the car will stop as if it has just been hit by a semi. Leaving the vehicle unable to proceed in reverse(one has to shift to drive or put in park before continuing to reverse). This is not only a nuisance but can lead to an accident especially during the mad rush of drop off at the elementary.
NHTSA complaint #11743805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At around 7k miles while driving the brakes and steering suddenly stopped working and all warning lights came on including check engine light. The dealership said it was the main brain and the fixed it. Then last Thursday night while driving on the highway my brakes stopped working suddenly and all warning lights came on again. It is at the dealership now and they are now saying the problem is the BCM. I’m honestly scared to drive on the highway now. I’m really scared someone will get hurt or killed from this vehicle if it happens again.
NHTSA complaint #11741936 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Sign recognition in advanced cruise control fails to slow prior to slower speed limit signs. Fails to decelerate in accordance with traffic regulations.
NHTSA complaint #11738577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On May 9, 2026, while pulling into a parking garage parking space at low speed (below 5 MPH), the brake pedal was pressed but failed to engage or slow the vehicle. The pedal was pressed completely to the floor with no resistance, and the vehicle continued moving forward until it struck a wall, causing damage to the vehicle. Earlier the same day, the brakes produced an abnormal hissing sound while pulling out of a parking space. No other symptoms or abnormalities were present prior to failure. The vehicle may also have recently received a software update, although it is unknown whether that is related to the incident. The failure appears to involve the brake system and the driver safety assistance systems equipped on the vehicle like forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and Dynamic Brake Support systems. The exact failed component is currently unknown and remains under inspection by a Chevrolet dealership. No warning lights, messages, or audible alerts appeared before, during, or after the incident. The automatic braking/collision avoidance system also did not activate. Because the vehicle had no braking capability at the time of the incident, the occupants and nearby pedestrians were placed at risk of serious injury. On May 10, 2026, the vehicle was taken to a Chevrolet dealership for inspection. The dealership has been unable to reproduce the issue, and no mechanical defects or diagnostic trouble codes related to the incident were identified. On May 13, 2026, the issue was escalated to the GM Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for further review, and the vehicle remains at the dealership awaiting a response to the TAC case. The dealership acknowledges similar brake-loss concerns referenced in GM service bulletins involving the 2025 Chevy Equinox and other models, including bulletin N24471431, although they stated the bulletin does not apply to this specific VIN.
NHTSA complaint #11738069 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On May 9, 2026, while pulling into a parking garage parking space at low speed (below 5 MPH), the brake pedal was pressed but failed to engage or slow the vehicle. The pedal was pressed completely to the floor with no resistance, and the vehicle continued moving forward until it struck a wall, causing damage to the vehicle. Earlier the same day, the brakes produced an abnormal hissing sound while pulling out of a parking space. No other symptoms or abnormalities were present prior to failure. The vehicle may also have recently received a software update, although it is unknown whether that is related to the incident. The failure appears to involve the brake system and the driver safety assistance systems equipped on the vehicle like forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and Dynamic Brake Support systems. The exact failed component is currently unknown and remains under inspection by a Chevrolet dealership. No warning lights, messages, or audible alerts appeared before, during, or after the incident. The automatic braking/collision avoidance system also did not activate. Because the vehicle had no braking capability at the time of the incident, the occupants and nearby pedestrians were placed at risk of serious injury. On May 10, 2026, the vehicle was taken to a Chevrolet dealership for inspection. The dealership has been unable to reproduce the issue, and no mechanical defects or diagnostic trouble codes related to the incident were identified. On May 13, 2026, the issue was escalated to the GM Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for further review, and the vehicle remains at the dealership awaiting a response to the TAC case. The dealership acknowledges similar brake-loss concerns referenced in GM service bulletins involving the 2025 Chevy Equinox and other models, including bulletin N24471431, although they stated the bulletin does not apply to this specific VIN.
NHTSA complaint #11738069 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle cannot be shifted into neutral if the vehicle runs out of gas. There is no way to shift to neutral and roll it to the side of the road. The vehicle ran out of gas on the interstate, automatically braked and could not be moved out of the middle of the interstate. To make matters worse, this was in a construction zone.
NHTSA complaint #11736615 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving down my neighborhood road about 20mph there were no other cars around on the road at all only mailboxes and cars parked in driveways. The car suddenly slams the brakes hard enough the tires were squealing and threw us forward thankfully me and my child had our seat belts on. It scared the heck out of us cause there was no warning and definitely not expected.
NHTSA complaint #11736126 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.