2012 Chevrolet Equinox

2012 Chevrolet Equinox recalls (3)

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

  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: 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.

• SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST

  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: 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.

• TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

  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: 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.

2012 Chevrolet Equinox safety ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.

2012 Chevrolet Equinox owner complaints (15)

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER

  Wipers do not work Seems to not recognize when idling and starts to shake if stopped at a red light. Randomly will go through 2 quarts of oil in one day

• SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE

  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.

• ENGINE

  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.

• STEERING,SUSPENSION

  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.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  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.

• SUSPENSION

  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.

• 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?

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  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.

• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

  Its iz using 2 or 3 courts of oil every 200 miles

• ENGINE

  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)

• STEERING,SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES

  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.

• AIR BAGS

  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

• ENGINE

  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.

• UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

  In 2023, I purchased my 2012 Chevrolet Equinox from a private seller. It was in excellent condition, inside and out with only 75,000 miles on it. She had purchased it brand new. The vehicle was serviced and maintained regularly. She gave me all the receipts and service records when I signed the title. Everything was fine until it hit 76,000 miles. Without any type of warning, the motor went in limp mode and wouldn't accelerate over 24 mph and the valves were rattling very loudly. I immediately pulled over and called triple A and got towed to an auto repair shop. The triple A dispatcher told me what the problem was as soon as I told him it was a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. There was NO OIL in it. Sure enough, the mechanic added 5 quarts of oil and it thankfully, I had pulled over immediately before it blew the engine. I'm a [XXX] so I really don't know how mechanicals and motors work but the gist of it, as explained to me by Chevrolet dealers and mechanics have, the 2012 Chevrolet equinoxes are notoriously famous for excessive oil consumption due to faulty Pistons. CHEVROLET SHOULD'VE INCLUDED THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL IN THE RECALLS! I will NEVER purchase another Chevy or GMC. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE

  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.