2012 Chevrolet Equinox: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
682 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
682 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 48.71
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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
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.th…
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.
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V502000 | 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 m… |
| 11V511000 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating | GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX AND GMC TERRAIN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 18, 2011, THROU… |
| 14V447000 | 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 C… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (354 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 31/100, computed from 682 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 05/07/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.