Case file · CHEVROLET-EQUINOX-2025-2026 · Field document

Chevrolet Equinox 2025–2026 · Pre-purchase checklist

Bring this to the inspection. Every check below is specific to this generation's documented failure modes — not generic used-car advice.

1. Check 01

   Run the VIN at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov. The gas 4th-gen has two campaigns so far — door strikers that can break (24V-737, 2025 cars) and a missing electronic owner's manual (26V-114, 2025–2026) — both free dealer fixes.

2. Check 02

   Ask the selling dealer to print the service/PI history and confirm the telematics-module software update (GM PIT6411/PIT6411B) has been applied. This is the single biggest complaint cluster on the 2025.

3. Check 03

   Check for telematics-failure symptoms: OnStar or 'Service Emergency Calling' errors, screens that boot black, and any history of jump-starts. A drained 12V battery on a 1–2-year-old car is the classic sign of a failing K73 module.

4. Check 04

   On an AWD car, cold-start it, shift Reverse then Drive, and pull away gently — engine revving high while the car crawls is the stuck-in-first-gear condition in GM bulletin PIP6100.

5. Check 05

   Reverse slowly in an empty area and watch for the rear automatic brake slamming on with nothing behind you — phantom activations are a documented NHTSA complaint cluster on this generation.

6. Check 06

   Test-drive in bright daylight, ideally toward low sun. The sculpted dash reflects onto the windshield; decide for yourself whether the glare bothers you, because it's a design trait, not a fixable defect.

7. Check 07

   Confirm how much factory bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranty remains. On a generation this young, the warranty — not the repair budget — is what protects you.