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 are 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.