2012 Chevrolet Equinox Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 84 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, 12% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 75,341 miles. The words owners use most often: “timing chain” (13% of reports).
- 84power train complaints
- 75,341median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 17%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.
- Timing chain: mentioned in 11 of 84 complaints (13%)
- Oil consumption: mentioned in 11 of 84 complaints (13%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 58 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 84 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Equinox power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Equinox | 16 | 22% | 5,900 |
| 2025 Equinox | 35 | 15% | 5,700 |
| 2024 Equinox | 11 | 14% | — |
| 2023 Equinox | 5 | 5% | — |
| 2022 Equinox | 12 | 7% | — |
| 2021 Equinox | 17 | 17% | 64,500 |
| 2020 Equinox | 40 | 13% | 7,600 |
| 2019 Equinox | 37 | 12% | 15,100 |
| 2018 Equinox | 66 | 16% | 20,074 |
| 2017 Equinox | 32 | 12% | 55,831 |
| 2016 Equinox | 26 | 7% | 61,000 |
| 2015 Equinox | 63 | 9% | 80,674 |
| 2014 Equinox | 40 | 7% | 75,000 |
| 2013 Equinox | 80 | 11% | 84,000 |
| 2012 Equinox | 84 | 12% | 75,341 |
| 2011 Equinox | 145 | 19% | 76,000 |
| 2010 Equinox | 182 | 23% | 83,500 |
| 2009 Equinox | 10 | 11% | 107,500 |
| 2008 Equinox | 16 | 4% | 91,000 |
| 2007 Equinox | 31 | 5% | 46,000 |
| 2006 Equinox | 31 | 4% | 55,788 |
| 2005 Equinox | 114 | 18% | 61,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:ignition; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
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.
Its iz using 2 or 3 courts of oil every 200 miles
2012 Chevrolet equinox burns/leaks oil which cause the serpentine belt to pop off & I had to replace it. Having problems with the MAT & IAT codes, just replaced the fuel pump, crankshaft sensor, camshaft sensor, & spark plugs... Car still will not crank. They're saying there's no recall but why are…
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that her husband discovered that the timing chain had failed. In addition, there was an excessive consumption of oil causing the contact to add engine oil frequently. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Equinoxs have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 84 owner complaints about power train for the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox (12% 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 power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 75,341 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?
The most frequent phrase is “timing chain”, in 11 of 84 complaints, followed by “oil consumption” (11).
Other 2012 Chevrolet Equinox problems
See all 2012 Chevrolet Equinox problems or power train problems across all Equinox years.