Car · Chevrolet problems

2012 Chevrolet Equinox problems

685 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (53% of them). NHTSA also lists 600 service bulletins and 3 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 13. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 685 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Engine and engine cooling361 · 53%
• Visibility and wipers127 · 19%
• Power train (transmission and drive)84 · 12%
• Electrical system70 · 10%
• Fuel system54 · 8%
• Other or unknown53 · 8%
• Steering36 · 5%
• Body and structure26 · 4%

18 smaller areas not shown (129 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 600 repair bulletins from Chevrolet for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. PIP6113Received May 28, 2026

   This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic trouble code P0191 and may also set P0172.

2. PIT3271QReceived April 7, 2026

   Information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

3. 25-NA-156Received December 4, 2025

   Wheels

   Information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.

4. 00-06-01-026RReceived December 3, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   Information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.

5. PIT5214GReceived November 28, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer's vehicles that exhibit...

6. 23-NA-153Received October 25, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is...

7. PIC5650MReceived August 12, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on.

8. PIT5074RReceived June 4, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer.

1. 16V502000July 5, 2016

   Electrical system

   As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

2. 14V447000July 23, 2014

   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.

3. 11V511000October 19, 2011

   Tires

   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.

See all 3 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Equinox will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Engine and engine cooling 361 complaints · 53%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Visibility and wipers 127 complaints · 19%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Power train (transmission and drive) 84 complaints · 12%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Electrical system 70 complaints · 10%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

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Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2012 Chevrolet Equinox: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?

Of the 685 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, 361 (53%) name engine and engine cooling, and 127 (19%) name visibility and wipers. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 16 of the 685 complaints as involving a crash and 6 as involving a fire. They also reported 13 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 600 repair bulletins for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox.

More

• 2020 Equinox problems
• 2019 Equinox problems
• 2018 Equinox problems
• 2016 Equinox problems
• 2015 Equinox problems
• 2014 Equinox problems
• 2013 Equinox problems
• 2011 Equinox problems
• 2010 Equinox problems
• 2012 recalls
• All Chevrolet recalls
• Chevrolet problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.