2012 Chevrolet Equinox Engine Problems
Owners have filed 355 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, 52% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 88,957 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil consumption” (27% of reports).
- 355engine complaints
- 88,957median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $4,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%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.
- Oil consumption: mentioned in 95 of 355 complaints (27%)
- Timing chain: mentioned in 41 of 355 complaints (12%)
- Rear main: mentioned in 20 of 355 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox at $4,300, and half of them between $2,700 and $6,950.
Based on 28 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2015–2023), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 246 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 355 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 3 a fire.
Chevrolet Equinox engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Equinox | 7 | 10% | 3,678 |
| 2025 Equinox | 23 | 10% | 12,000 |
| 2024 Equinox | 14 | 18% | 10,000 |
| 2023 Equinox | 17 | 17% | 37,000 |
| 2022 Equinox | 28 | 15% | 63,360 |
| 2021 Equinox | 16 | 16% | 119,433 |
| 2020 Equinox | 92 | 29% | 29,165 |
| 2019 Equinox | 100 | 33% | 4,400 |
| 2018 Equinox | 86 | 21% | 31,500 |
| 2017 Equinox | 180 | 65% | 80,000 |
| 2016 Equinox | 203 | 51% | 85,000 |
| 2015 Equinox | 227 | 33% | 90,000 |
| 2014 Equinox | 218 | 40% | 95,000 |
| 2013 Equinox | 412 | 55% | 91,918 |
| 2012 Equinox | 355 | 52% | 88,957 |
| 2011 Equinox | 386 | 49% | 88,000 |
| 2010 Equinox | 271 | 35% | 87,000 |
| 2009 Equinox | 18 | 19% | 78,200 |
| 2008 Equinox | 27 | 7% | 84,000 |
| 2007 Equinox | 37 | 5% | 97,985 |
| 2006 Equinox | 68 | 10% | 98,000 |
| 2005 Equinox | 55 | 9% | 100,631 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2012 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.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. While the contact's daughter was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the engine shut off. The contact's daughter attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle started. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with several…
The abs braking and stability control light came on and has stayed on and took to mechanic shop and was told to repair would be $4000 .that's more than what the car is worth!changed motor oil many times since I owned the car and it uses oil quite much.ihe oil gauge can say I have 70 percent oil and…
The vehicles oil needs to be checked every day to make sure the levels are not low. The vehicle has no visible oil leaks on the ground or inside, but the oil levels will drop. With that I have to constantly have oil on hand to make sure I refill it or the engine would be dry. Itâs becoming a…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Equinoxs have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 355 owner complaints about engine for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox (52% of the 685 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 2012 Chevrolet Equinox engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 88,957 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,300 (half paid between $2,700 and $6,950), from 28 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?
The most frequent phrase is “oil consumption”, in 95 of 355 complaints, followed by “timing chain” (41).
Other 2012 Chevrolet Equinox problems
See all 2012 Chevrolet Equinox problems or engine problems across all Equinox years.