2010 Chevrolet Equinox Electrical System Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Mar 27, 2026 · 81 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, 10% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 59,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “instrument panel” (15% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Instrument panel: mentioned in 12 of 81 complaints (15%)
  • Key ignition: mentioned in 7 of 81 complaints (9%)

At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?

Based on 59 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles10 · 17%
10k–25k miles8 · 14%
25k–50k miles7 · 12%
50k–75k miles11 · 19%
75k–100k miles9 · 15%
100k–150k miles10 · 17%
150k+ miles4 · 7%

How serious are the reports?

Of 81 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.

Chevrolet Equinox electrical system complaints by model year

Peak: 2005, with 159 complaints
2005: 15920051592006: 1412007: 10220072008: 652009: 2320092010: 812011: 7420112012: 702013: 6920132014: 462015: 4520152016: 242017: 1920172018: 612019: 4420192020: 422021: 1820212022: 222023: 1220232024: 172025: 7820252026: 12

n = 1,224 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearElectrical System complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2026 Equinox1216%5,900
2025 Equinox7833%4,333
2024 Equinox1721%16,989
2023 Equinox1212%5,161
2022 Equinox2212%—
2021 Equinox1818%55,000
2020 Equinox4213%4,857
2019 Equinox4414%8,500
2018 Equinox6115%36,955
2017 Equinox197%61,500
2016 Equinox246%30,000
2015 Equinox457%38,929
2014 Equinox468%63,556
2013 Equinox699%35,264
2012 Equinox7010%65,000
2011 Equinox749%60,500
2010 Equinox8110%59,000
2009 Equinox2324%85,600
2008 Equinox6518%75,000
2007 Equinox10215%62,000
2006 Equinox14120%81,300
2005 Equinox15925%67,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2014, with 12 complaints
2010: 6201062011: 442012: 4201242013: 442014: 122014122015: 772016: 4201642017: 552018: 9201892019: 662020: 112020112021: 222022: 1202212023: 442024: 220242

n = 81 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Electrical system:ignition; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Jul 5, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V502000 · 8,367 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: 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.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

The climate controls, including the seat warmers, located on the control panel directly below the radio/stereo controls on my 2010 Chevy Equinox stopped working. As a result, the ability to control the temperature and direction of heated/cooled air was lost. I tolerated the conditions for several…

Received Dec 11, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11630057

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the turn signals and the speed odometer were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that there were no open recalls on the VIN for the failure. Additionally…

Received Feb 14, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11571928

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal fuel odor throughout the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated and stalled. Several unknown warning lights…

Received Jun 7, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11525886
Chevrolet Equinox
A 2025 Chevrolet Equinox photographed in Flushing, Queens , New York, USA. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2010 Chevrolet Equinoxs have electrical system problems?

No. NHTSA has 81 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox (10% of the 784 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 2010 Chevrolet Equinox electrical system?

Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do electrical system problems start?

The median reported mileage is 59,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox?

The most frequent phrase is “instrument panel”, in 12 of 81 complaints, followed by “key ignition” (7).

Other 2010 Chevrolet Equinox problems

See all 2010 Chevrolet Equinox problems or electrical system problems across all Equinox years.