2008 Chevrolet Equinox Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 65 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Equinox, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 75,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “lock unlock” (12% of reports).
- 65electrical system complaints
- 75,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 29%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Lock unlock: mentioned in 8 of 65 complaints (12%)
- Door locks: mentioned in 8 of 65 complaints (12%)
- Stuck ignition: mentioned in 7 of 65 complaints (11%)
- Side window: mentioned in 6 of 65 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 47 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 65 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Chevrolet Equinox electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Equinox | 12 | 16% | 5,900 |
| 2025 Equinox | 78 | 33% | 4,333 |
| 2024 Equinox | 17 | 21% | 16,989 |
| 2023 Equinox | 12 | 12% | 5,161 |
| 2022 Equinox | 22 | 12% | — |
| 2021 Equinox | 18 | 18% | 55,000 |
| 2020 Equinox | 42 | 13% | 4,857 |
| 2019 Equinox | 44 | 14% | 8,500 |
| 2018 Equinox | 61 | 15% | 36,955 |
| 2017 Equinox | 19 | 7% | 61,500 |
| 2016 Equinox | 24 | 6% | 30,000 |
| 2015 Equinox | 45 | 7% | 38,929 |
| 2014 Equinox | 46 | 8% | 63,556 |
| 2013 Equinox | 69 | 9% | 35,264 |
| 2012 Equinox | 70 | 10% | 65,000 |
| 2011 Equinox | 74 | 9% | 60,500 |
| 2010 Equinox | 81 | 10% | 59,000 |
| 2009 Equinox | 23 | 24% | 85,600 |
| 2008 Equinox | 65 | 18% | 75,000 |
| 2007 Equinox | 102 | 15% | 62,000 |
| 2006 Equinox | 141 | 20% | 81,300 |
| 2005 Equinox | 159 | 25% | 67,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2008 Chevrolet Equinox. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Occasionally, when finished driving and the key is turned towards the off position it will not fully turn back in order to pull the key out. It will shut off the engine but generally stops in approx. the accy position. If you restart the engine and drive a little more it has then backed all the way…
While driving my headlights keep randomly shutting off while driving on the highway. When i try to turn the knob to turn them back on nothing happens. I have to turn the car completely off and start it again. And also when i press my lock button the car starts up with no key.
The ignition locks up when shutting the vehicle off. It won't let the key turn the whole way off and locks it in place for anywhere from a minute to 5 minutes. Sometimes if you slam the shifter in park it will release but not always.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Chevrolet Equinoxs have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 65 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2008 Chevrolet Equinox (18% of the 370 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Chevrolet Equinox electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 75,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Equinox?
The most frequent phrase is “lock unlock”, in 8 of 65 complaints, followed by “door locks” (8).
Other 2008 Chevrolet Equinox problems
- Air Bags problems (110)
See all 2008 Chevrolet Equinox problems or electrical system problems across all Equinox years.