Problems · by component
2012 Chevrolet Equinox power train problems
84 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox cite power train, 12% of all 685 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
84
12% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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 all the Chevrolet equinox malfunctioning with the same problems with no help from the manufacturer?”
“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 independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the timing chain needed to be replaced but no further diagnosis was available for the other failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.”
“Chevy sold the Equinox knowing full well that it had engine problems. The oil system fails, using oil at an excessive rate and oil dumping from engine. They were aware that around 80,000 miles the car would need over $4000 in repairs. They also knew the timing chain gets off timing causing over $2000 in repairs. Both of which happened to my vehicle within 6 months. The Engine ceased up and was undrivable. It sat in our driveway for over 18 months while we paid off the loan.”
“The contact’s friend owns a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact who is an independent mechanic stated that his friend had taken the vehicle to be repaired after the key became stuck in the ignition. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the key cylinder lock housing had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V502000 (Electrical System, Power Train) however, an undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.”
“My 2012 chevy equinox lt had had nothing but issues with the timing chain the oil consumption where it hardly wants to start I have only had this used vehicle for 6 months or less I shouldn’t be having all these problems with it! The tailpipe isn’t smoking out white clouds but when you put your hand over it it leaves black oil gas smelling grunge on your hand! This is the second equinox I have owed in less than 1 year and it should not be costing me a fortune in repairs within a year even though it’s used makes no sense to me why chevy allows this to happen!!!”
“I bought my 2012 chevy equinox Lt 2.4L because I owed one just like it but a deer totaled it at only 10 mph! It been nothing but issues since I purchased it drove it off the lot the check engine light comes on and then I go to get it checked and it states that I have a permanent catylic converter code that no one can fix except gmc! When I idle at a stop for longer than 1 min it starts stuttering and jerking like it’s gonna die! So I clean my throttle body like the mechanic said I should do and I found this dark brown whitish sludge in my pvc tube that runs up into the air box which now my air box is full of this gunk! I have to put oil into this vehicle every 3 days cause it will be full then three days later it’s just a smidge above out on the dipstick! I am poor I can not afford huge repairs or replacement of yet another vehicle ! GMC needs held accountable since they seem to know about this and it’s not recalled they need to do better in taking care of us poor customers who just want a reliable vehicle!! So VERY upset yet again!!!”
Showing 6 of 84 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.