Reliable Auto DB

2012 Chevrolet Equinox reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 685 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox over 15 years — 22 per year. The other Equinox years sit at about the same rate: their median is 23 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Ignition, Power adjuster, and Tire pressure monitoring.

2012 Chevrolet Equinox
Photo by Ryan Daniel, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

685

Per year

22

Recalls

3

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (355 of 685), then Visibility and wipers (121) and Powertrain (84). Those filings include 16 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, and 11 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Equinox has 751 complaints, 23 per year. The 2012 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall electrical system, ignition 2016-07-05 · NHTSA campaign 16V502000
Summary 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.
Recall seats, front assembly, power adjuster 2014-07-23 · NHTSA campaign 14V447000
Summary 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.
Recall tires, tire pressure monitoring 2011-10-19 · NHTSA campaign 11V511000
Summary 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.

Complaints by component (685 total)

Engine
355
Visibility and wipers
121
Powertrain
84
Electrical system
70
Fuel and propulsion system
54
Steering
36
Electronic stability control (ESC)
26
Structure
26
Air bags
19
Speed control
18
Service brakes
12
Suspension
12
Wheels
11
Engine and engine cooling
8
Visibility
7
Exterior lighting
6
Seats
5
Tires
4
Seat belts
3
Adaptive and mobility equipment
2
Back-over prevention
2
Equipment
2
Forward collision avoidance
2
Child seat
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Lane departure
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Parking brake
1
Show 20 more Show less
Crash-flagged

16

Fire-flagged

6

Injury reports

11

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

220111720121620133120143820153920168620171172018112201983202054202130202219202321202414202562026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "We would like to know what kind of Airbag is mounted in the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox ? pertaining to the Detroit News Article ,September 5 2026 Page 3B = 11th Death tied to Chinese Air Bag made by Jillin Province…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-09-20
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. While the contact's daughter was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the engine shut off. The contact's daughter attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-18
  • "See attached document for complaint."
    Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system · filed 2026-09-01
  • "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"
    Fuel and propulsion system, Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-05-03
  • "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…"
    Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-03-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Chevrolet Equinox SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2012 Chevrolet Equinox SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Equinox all-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $2800
Equinox all-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $2800
Equinox all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Equinox all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Equinox front-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 17 24 20 MPG $3250
Equinox front-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 22 31 26 MPG $2500
Equinox front-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 17 24 20 MPG $3250
Equinox front-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 22 31 26 MPG $2500

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2012–2017
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-30 (4-cylinder); 5W-30 (V6 where equipped) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 225/65R17 to 235/55R19 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Owner complaints for mid-generation years (especially 2013) concentrate on the engine and visibility/wipers. Recall 16V-582 covers certain 2013 Equinox and Terrain vehicles: ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear until one or both wipers stop working; dealers repair the AIP hole and inspect and replace the front wiper module as needed. Recall 14V-447 covers certain 2010-2012 Equinox vehicles with power height-adjustable front seats: the bolt securing the seat height adjuster may fall out, so the seat may move unexpectedly and increase injury risk in a crash. Recall 11V-511 covers certain 2012 Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles that do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 138 for tire pressure monitoring.

Compare

Next year 2013 Chevrolet Equinox See every Chevrolet Equinox model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox reliable?

Owners have filed 685 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox over 15 years — 22 per year. The other Equinox years sit at about the same rate: their median is 23 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Ignition, Power adjuster, and Tire pressure monitoring.

What are common problems with a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (355 of 685), then Visibility and wipers (121) and Powertrain (84). Those filings include 16 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, and 11 that report an injury.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Equinox has 751 complaints, 23 per year. The 2012 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2013.

Has the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox been recalled?

The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?

Owners have filed 685 complaints about the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox is 22 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox?

3rd generation (2018-2024).

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Equinox use?

5W-30 (4-cylinder); 5W-30 (V6 where equipped)

What does NHTSA recall 16V-582 cover on the Chevrolet Equinox?

Recall 16V-582 covers certain 2013 Equinox and Terrain vehicles: ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear until one or both wipers stop working; dealers repair the AIP hole and inspect and replace the front wiper module as needed.