Chevrolet Equinox 2025–2026Common problems, reliability & repair costs

Symptoms: Loss of OnStar, navigation, and emergency calling; 'Service Emergency Calling' messages; infotainment or cluster screens going dark; and — the expensive-feeling part — the module drains the 12V battery, leaving cars that won't start without a jump or that throw a cascade of warning messages afterward. Electrical is the single largest complaint category on the 2025 at NHTSA (73 of 209 complaints), and multiple owners report cars sitting at dealers for one to three months because replacement modules were on national backorder. GM's bulletins (PIT6411, then PIT6411B) identify the root cause as software in the K73 telematics module and direct dealers to update it rather than replace hardware; a broad fix rolled out in spring 2026.

Fix: Free under warranty: the first-line fix is the PIT6411B software update to the K73 module (done via GM's vehicle-wide programming), not a parts swap. If the module genuinely failed before the update, replacement is covered by the bumper-to-bumper warranty — the cost to owners has been downtime, not money. Before buying, have the dealer confirm the update is on the car; after buying, don't ignore a weak 12V battery, because on this car it's often a symptom.

Sources: GM bulletin PIT6411 — OnStar/connectivity software concern (K73 module), dot.report — GM PIT6411 OnStar and internet connectivity software update, GM Authority — GM releases widespread telematics control module fix (Apr 2026), OnStar Community — 2025 Equinox telematics module failure thread, NHTSA — 2025 Chevrolet Equinox complaints

Symptoms: On AWD cars with the 8-speed: engine revs high, the car jerks and won't accelerate past low speed because the transmission stays in first. GM's preliminary bulletin PIP6100 (Feb 2026) says it happens when transmission temperature is below about 68°F, after a Reverse-to-Drive shift with light throttle — the control system misreads the selectable one-way clutch housing as locked. Beyond the bulletin, NHTSA powertrain complaints on the 2025 include sudden deceleration at highway speed, a transmission that shifted itself to neutral, loss of motive power, and 'Service All-Wheel Drive System' warnings; Consumer Reports' owner survey flagged transmission fluid leaks and 'computer' issues as part of why it pulled the Recommended rating. FWD/CVT cars are not part of the stuck-in-first condition.

Fix: Dealer diagnosis under powertrain warranty — for the PIP6100 condition GM's guidance is software/controls-side, not a rebuilt transmission, and owners aren't paying out of pocket at this age. If a used candidate shows any of these symptoms on the test drive, make the dealer resolve it (and document it) before money changes hands rather than after.

Sources: Autoblog — 2025–2026 Equinox and Terrain can get stuck in first gear (PIP6100), GM Authority — GM investigating Equinox/Terrain transmissions stuck in 1st, GM Authority — Equinox loses Consumer Reports Recommended rating, NHTSA — 2025 Chevrolet Equinox complaints

Symptoms: The automatic emergency braking or reverse automatic braking slams the brakes on with no obstacle present — while backing out of a driveway, pulling into a parking spot, or in slow city traffic. Forward-collision-avoidance is a top-five complaint category on the 2025 at NHTSA (29 complaints), including a report of an occupant thrown into the visor hard enough to be hurt. There is no recall on the gas Equinox for this as of this writing — it's a complaint cluster, not a formal defect finding — but it repeats across owners too consistently to dismiss.

Fix: Dealer software updates are the only available remedy; some owners report improvement after camera/radar recalibration, others live with it or disable reverse automatic braking per drive. If it happens to you, document date, speed, and conditions and file a complaint at nhtsa.gov — clusters like this are what trigger formal investigations. The Equinox EV (a different vehicle) did get a braking-related recall (25V-012, adaptive cruise); don't confuse the two when searching.

Sources: NHTSA — 2025 Chevrolet Equinox complaints (forward collision avoidance), Lemberg Law — 2025 Chevy Equinox problems guide (phantom braking reports)

Symptoms: In daylight, the sculpted, ribbed dash top reflects onto the windshield as bright stripes of glare — owners describe it obscuring pedestrians and small animals in the lower field of view. Visibility is one of the largest complaint categories on the 2025 at NHTSA (26 complaints), and lemon-law firms tracking the model list it as the most common complaint type. This is a design trait shared with the Equinox EV's similar dash, not a failing part — there is no recall and no dealer fix.

Fix: No factory remedy exists. The practical fix owners use is a fitted fabric/non-reflective dash mat, which kills most of the reflection. Judge it on a bright-day test drive before buying — it bothers some drivers constantly and others not at all.

Sources: Lemon Law Experts — 2025 Chevrolet Equinox problems (visibility category), NHTSA — 2025 Chevrolet Equinox complaints (visibility)

Symptoms: Certain 2025 Equinox (and Blazer/Blazer EV) door strikers were not properly heat-treated and can break, which can prevent the door from latching securely. This is NHTSA recall 24V-737 (October 2024). Separately, 2025–2026 Equinoxes are in the very broad GM campaign 26V-114 (February 2026) because the radio wasn't set to download the electronic owner's manual — a compliance recall fixed with a radio reset.

Fix: Both are free at any Chevrolet dealer, forever: striker replacement for 24V-737, a radio reset for 26V-114. Run the VIN at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov before buying — open recalls on a used car are free money.

Sources: NHTSA recall 24V-737 — door strikers not properly heat-treated (2025 Blazer/Equinox), NHTSA recall 26V-114 — electronic owner's manual not downloaded (2025–2026 Equinox among GM models)

Tools: Flat screwdriver or 7mm socket (airbox fasteners)

1. Open the airbox lid in the engine bay, lift out the old engine filter, and seat the new one with the sealing edge flat all the way around.
2. Close the lid and snug the fasteners — an airbox leak feeds unfiltered air to a turbo engine.
3. For the cabin filter, open the glovebox, squeeze the sides to drop it past its stops, and open the filter door behind it.
4. Slide the old cabin filter out, note the airflow arrow, and insert the new one the same direction.
5. Reset the glovebox and run the fan — airflow should be noticeably stronger if the old filter was dirty.

Tools: None (release tab by hand)

1. Buy the correct lengths: 24-inch driver, 18-inch passenger.
2. Lift the arm off the glass, press the release tab, and slide the old blade off its hook or pinch mount.
3. Click the new blade on until the tab locks, then lower the arm gently — never let a bare arm snap onto the windshield.
4. Wet the glass and cycle the wipers to check for streaks or chatter before calling it done.

Tools: 10mm socket and ratchet, Battery terminal brush, Memory saver (optional)

1. On this car, test before you replace: the telematics-module fault drains healthy batteries, so a load test plus the PIT6411B software update may save you a battery.
2. If it genuinely fails the load test, buy the matching AGM battery (most cars take BCI Group 48 / H6 — verify against the battery in the car).
3. With the ignition off, disconnect negative first, then positive, then the hold-down clamp; lift the old battery out.
4. Clean the tray and terminals, set the new battery, secure the hold-down, and connect positive first, then negative.
5. Drive 15–20 minutes and confirm no warning messages return — recurring drain after a new battery means the module issue, not the battery, was the problem.