2025 Chevrolet Equinox Electrical Problems

Your 2025 Chevy Equinox EV is experiencing multiple serious electrical problems after only a few months of ownership, including randomly shutting off while driving, unexpected phantom braking, failed OnStar and WiFi connectivity, non-functioning climate control, and charging issues that have nearly left you stranded. The infotainment system is also unresponsive, preventing access to maps, music, and other apps. You're concerned the random shutdowns and phantom braking could cause a crash at highway speeds, especially since these failures occur without warning lights. The dealership has indicated you'll need a new OnStar module, though a full electrical system diagnosis may be required to address all the interconnected failures.

Your dashboard lights, center console, and headlights suddenly went completely dark for about 10 seconds while you were driving at night, making it impossible to see the road. You had to pull onto the shoulder to stop safely. After about 10 seconds, all the lights came back on and the dashboard displayed an "Auto shutoff" message, then everything returned to normal. This issue likely involves a problem with the electrical system's power distribution or a faulty auto-shutoff feature that needs diagnostic testing and repair.

Your 2025 Equinox has experienced complete power failures on multiple occasions, requiring jump starts and towing to the dealership. When power fails, your brake pedal becomes unresponsive, and you'll see warning messages for incorrect date/time, ABS, Check Engine, and "Drive Mode Unavailable." The dealership diagnosed a failing telemetry module and replaced what they identified as the telematic control module, but the "Drive Mode Unavailable" warning continues appearing daily even after the replacement. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and replacing the correct electrical control modules and checking the vehicle's battery and charging system.

Your dashboard and infotainment screens have gone dark and reset four times while driving, cutting off important information like navigation and vehicle data. Your cruise control remained active during these resets, and it's unclear whether safety features like collision avoidance also failed during the blackouts. This issue may require a software update or replacement of the display module and its electrical connections.

Your OnStar GPS and communication system failed while driving at night, leaving you stranded on the road. The dealership initially found no issues, but the problem happened again on the way home. A week later, your truck's battery was completely dead, and after inspection at another dealership, they determined the OnStar telematics module had failed and needs replacement. The replacement part is currently on back order.

Your Equinox's telematics and infotainment system keeps failing, causing GPS to lose accuracy, navigation to stop working, voice commands to drop out, and the touchscreen and instrument cluster to go completely black while driving. The dealership replaced the telematics control module under warranty, but the same connectivity problems came back. The vehicle has been in the shop for 82 days across multiple visits, and Chevrolet hasn't been able to permanently fix it. This repair will likely involve replacing the telematics module again and possibly reprogramming or replacing related electrical components.

Your OnStar telematics module is draining your car's battery, causing you to need multiple jump starts. The dealership confirmed the problem on March 5th, 2026, but the replacement part is on backorder with no estimated arrival date. The fix will involve replacing the defective OnStar telematics module once parts become available.

Your OnStar module is draining your car's battery, leaving you stranded and needing jump starts regularly. This is especially problematic if you rely on your vehicle for work. The dealership has the part on back order, so you may experience repeated battery drain and potential damage to your alternator and starter until it's replaced. The fix will involve replacing the faulty OnStar module once the part becomes available.

Vehicle telematics module defect across the board that deactivates safety features from Onstar in case of an accident. GPS and Internet connection lost.

Just after Thanksgiving, my vehicle displayed a “Service Emergency Calling” message. I brought it to the dealership and they documented the concern, referencing GM bulletin PIP6077B, but no repairs were performed. On December 30th, while parking, I shifted into reverse and the vehicle would not reverse and instead moved forward. A “Service Transmission” warning appeared and the vehicle was towed. The dealer cleared the codes and released the vehicle without performing any diagnostics. About two weeks later, when starting the vehicle after work, several warnings appeared, including “Service Safety Restraint System,” “Forward Collision System Unavailable,” and a rear-seat alert despite no passengers. While driving, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and blind zone steering assist were not functioning. The next morning, the vehicle suffered a complete electrical failure. It would not start, the screens stayed off, and the doors would not lock or unlock. The vehicle was towed again. The dealer replaced the battery, claimed it had simply died, and attempted to return the vehicle to me. I refused because none of the prior warnings were diagnosed, and I was told the codes “erase when the battery is changed.” After I demanded full electrical and transmission diagnostics, including a parasitic draw test, the dealership informed me the vehicle was unsafe to drive. They stated the OnStar/telematics module was draining the battery and the replacement part was backordered with no estimated arrival date. I was told multiple customers are waiting for the same part, which means this is NOT an isolated event and needs way more attention than it's being given. This defect results in loss of essential safety systems and complete vehicle shutdown, creating a significant safety risk.

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up as needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,600.

IN THE EQUINOX LT, VIN [XXX] , THE TELEMETRY MODULE HAS AN ISSUE PER THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER DUE TO THE TELEMETRY MODULE ISSUE. THE PART IS ON ORDER AND AS OF JANUARY 16, 2026. IT WILL TAKE 4 TO 6 WEEKS TO ARRIVE. IN THE MEAN TIME I HAVE HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TWICE IN TWO WEEKS, AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN JUMPED 3 TIMES IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES. ONCE PRIOR TO THE DIAGNOSIS, AND THREE TIMES SINCE THE DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 16, 600 MILES, AND IS DRIVEN TO AND FROM WORK. THE TELEMETRY MODULE IS THE CAUSE OF THE OVER ALL ISSUE, PER THE DEALERSHIP. THE BATTERY CONTINUES TO GO DEAD ON VEHICLE [XXX] , 2025 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Twice, while driving in falling snow away from home, the front wipers did not work properly when switched to LO or HI. They behaved as if set to intermittent wiping. The intermittent wiper setting worked properly to adjust the wipe interval. But setting to LO or HI did not cause the wipers to go constantly. As far as I could tell, the arm pivot area was clear enough for them to wipe. The problem went away on its own without restarting the car. It happened again a few days later when parked in a driveway.

The Equinox is detecting objects in the rear camera that are not there and automatically applying the automatic emergency breaking. This is causing the car to completely stop and has now caused me to injury my back due to the force of the stop. There is no warning given that the breaks are being applied. I was backing up at 7 miles an hour and the Equinox just stopped dead and there was absolutely nothing near the car. The car was in for an oil change and they said nothing was wrong with it. This latest incident of 4 now happened today and caused me to almost be hit in the parking lot of my child’s school while backing into a parking spot.

I am on 20 service calls.Mine is currently having onstar issues screens glitching, Apple CarPlay won’t connect, sensors on mirrors are going off nothing beside me, when I hit my breaks it keeps turning my emergency brake on and engine power reduced keeps coming on dash but the dealership is saying GM said my warranty is voided due to a aftermarket part

The vehicle’s display screen intermittently goes black, rendering the rearview camera inoperative. This failure significantly impairs rear visibility and creates a safety hazard while reversing

The vehicle’s heating system operates intermittently or takes an excessive amount of time to produce heat, reducing cabin visibility and comfort in cold conditions and creating a potential safety concern.

The vehicle became completely disabled due to a sudden battery drain at approximately 5482 miles. I purchased the car with 2553 on it in May. The vehicle would not start a few times and had to be towed to the dealership on Friday Dec. 26, 2025. The dealer confirmed that the OnStar/telematics module is malfunctioning and continuously draining the battery. The defective module is on backorder with no estimated arrival date, leaving the vehicle unusable. They also do not know if they have a loaner for me. This creates a safety risk because the vehicle can become inoperable without warning, potentially stranding the driver. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership. Prior to the failure, the OnStar system stopped functioning, but no warning lights appeared on the dashboard. My Chevy App stopped working 26 days ago as well. I now have a Loan payment to make for a car that isn't even working and brand new. Dealership doesn't know a timeframe either.

I bought this vehicle brand new on January 18th 2025 and it has been into the dealership 3 times now for a backup camera malfunction. My rear traffic alert or any of my other safety features when backing up are not working. On several occasions the entire instrument display including my speedometer and everything has completely blacked out.

My Equinox EV telematics module does not work. Prevents the use of navigation features and Onstar navigation features.

- The telematics module is bad, resulting in vehicle having no connectivity (GPS, entertaintment system, updates) - The car has no other means of hands-free operation for navigation software (no CarPlay or similar phone projection technology) - GM is unable or unwilling to supply the parts for warranty repair. - It is illegal to use the phone while operating vehicle in my state (Florida)

On November 30, 2025, while driving my 2025 Chevy Equinox EV LS, the vehicle displayed a “Service High Voltage System” warning message on the center screen indicating an issue with the vehicle’s high‑voltage electrical system and that some driving and/or charging functionality may not be available. The high‑voltage battery and related components are still in the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. This fault could cause sudden loss or limitation of driving or charging capability, which may increase the risk of being stranded in traffic or in unsafe locations. Beginning in the first week of November 2025, the myChevrolet app has continuously shown a “Lithium‑Ion Battery – Schedule Service Now” alert under Diagnostics, even though no corresponding warning appeared in the vehicle until November 30. I presented the in‑app lithium‑ion battery warning to the Chevrolet dealer earlier in November; they declined to act on it, stated they do not rely on the app, and asked me to reschedule and return later, so the issue has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent shop. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, or others specifically for this high‑voltage/battery issue. The only prior symptoms were the persistent lithium‑ion battery service notification in the myChevrolet app since early November and, as of November 30, the in‑vehicle “Service High Voltage System” warning message.

Our OnStar Control Module on our 2025 Equinox started having connectivity issues. It failed to access apps and showed our location 100 miles from where we actually were, and drains the battery. We could not access OnStar to correct the issue. It continued to go off and on, until it completely failed. Researching this, hundreds of 2025 Equinox owners are experiencing the same issues. It is an extreme safety hazard as affected Control modules would send emergency personnel to an incorrect location in the driver is incapacitated in an accident. The module is constantly on back order for weeks. This needs to be looked at

I drive 20 miles each way to work every day. Much of this drive is on highways, and currently the bridge connecting Ohio and Kentucky is down to three lanes with no berm. On a windy road with low visibility and a steep hill near my home, the car completely lost power and acceleration without any warning. I wasn't able to drive it completely off the road before it came to a stop and due to the loss of power was unable to move into neutral to push it and the hazards would not work. Thank God that this didn't take place on the bridge or with my family in the car. I made the decision to exit the car while it was still on the road and find a safe area in the grass where I could call for help. When I exited the vehicle, it locked me out and the only way to get in was through the driver's side door, which would put me back on the road in traffic and at risk. The electrical failure prevented me from opening the other doors. The car's complete system failure put my safety/life at risk and could jeopardize the lives of others if it wasn't investigated. To make matters worse when the tow truck came via OnStar they weren't equipped to move a car stuck in park or drive due to the electronic gear shift so they drug it with the tires locked onto the bed. After several days of testing the electrical system, the dealership found a loose wire and informed me that it had been fixed. I picked up the car and after a mile or so, the check engine light came on. I contacted the dealership to come pick it up and that's where it stands at the moment. My intention was to pass this on to my boys when they start driving, but this experience will alter that plan.

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while reversing, the transmission remained in drive. The contact depressed the shifter to move. The contact stated that the gear shifter was sticking. The vehicle jerked, hesitated, and then stalled. The contact stated that the doors were locking and unlocking without driver input after an update was performed, and the keys became locked inside the vehicle. The service transmission warning light was illuminated. The telematics module, GPS, and OnStar were not working as designed. The contact stated that the OnStar went into red and lost connectivity and was unable to locate the vehicle. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined after further inspection that the battery was drained due to the telematics module draining the battery. The dealer informed the contact that parts were on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.

On Th, Nov 6 ~1700, the 25 Equinox EV being driven encountered an electric drive failure and brake failure, including friction brakes. This Equinox EV is essentially still brand new with 3900 miles and no accident history. The vehicle was driven off the EB SR 528 exit ramp to Narcoossee Rd in Orlando and driven to the stop light at the WB on ramp. After the light changed and began driving, the vehicle console reported an exception with drive assist. At this time the driver attempted to slow down to take stock of the situation and the vehicle accelerated, at which time the driver took their foot off the brake pedal and attempted to identify a place to take the vehicle off the roadways. Thankfully a stoplight at McCoy Rd was green and the driver continued through that light and while attempting to brake, the vehicle accelerated instead. The driver then coasted, maneuvering the vehicle was into the Vista Palms commercial center. The vehicle, unresponsive to braking, propelled through a stop sign into the Kohl's parking lot at which time the driver began looping around the lot until the weight of the vehicle brought the motion down. While the vehicle was stopped, it rotated through warning messages indicating..forward collision, brake assist is reduced, steering assist is reduced, then finally Service Transmission Now Unable to Shift Soon. The vehicle was towed by AAA to AutoNation Chevrolet Airport in Orlando. Technicians found codes U1610 and U1639, and found K160 connecter unseated. It was reseated and greased. The concern is that this should have been locked and unable to be unseated. Is this an indication of manufacturing problem or operating problem? All braking was dysfunctional. How can we be certain that this was not a one off event?

One time (so far) the screen behind the steering wheel that shows the gear and speedometer did not turn on when we started the car. We were able to back the car out of the garage and park it in our driveway. This is a safety concern because we could have driven the car in that condition - without a working speedometer. We are worried that the screen will turn off while we are driving.

My vehicle has been at the dealership for over a month for an issue with the HVAC system. The technician and GM engineering support believe the problem is related to a faulty acuator, which requires the entire dash to be removed for repair. (See pictures) This is extremely concerning for a new vehicle with very low mileage. An HVAC acuator failure in a brand new car should not occur, and the repair is invasive- involving disassembly of the major interior components. I am worried this will lead to creaks, rattles, or compromised fit and finish afterward, as well as potential damage to electronics, airbags, and trim panels. In addition, this problem appears to be widespread among other 2025 Equinox owners, based on multiple reports in owner forums describing identical HVAC noise or clicking problems linked to acuators. GM has not yet issued a recall or service bulletin addressing it. Given the scope of disassembly required and the frequency of similar reports, this should be reviewed as potential design or component defect affecting vehicle reliability and safety systems (defrosting performance and interior air management).

Electrically, the time will not stay set at the correct time.Nor will the date. Other issue is there will be a loud roaring sound when driving. This happens frequently, there are no codes that pop up. No, one is sure what the loud roaring is.

OnStar telematics unit stopped working with no notification in the infotainment system. The LED light remained GREEN in color advising me that the OnStar system was working. Hundreds of people reporting the same issue across multiple GM vehicles. My vehicle has been at the dealership for almost two weeks and there is no ETA on when the replacement part will be received from GM. This is a known problem component that should have initiated a safety recall. Due to the non operation of the OnStar system, we no longer have access to the emergency notification if involved a traffic collision. We also no longer have access to the stolen vehicle tracking system. NHTSA needs to investigate this issue, especially since GM is taking their time with getting replacement parts to dealerships.

The vehicle had a fault in its GPS and it also had no communication with emergency assistance. This also caused battery problems that generated on two occasions that the vehicle did not start

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased at 66 miles. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle and approaching 100 miles; the odometer rolled over to 1,000 miles. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was inspected and the contact was informed that based on the oil life, the vehicle had been driven over 1,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to several other dealers who came to the same conclusion. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 66; it was later discovered that the mileage was over 1,000.

The onstar module installed originally from manufacturer was faulty, causing electrical issues. This ended up draining the battery unexpectedly. No warning that the battery was low. Only had .03 volts left when tested at dealership. The onstar button was experiencing issues such as blinking and loss of connection. Onstar Support was no help, and the car manufacturer ignored issues as my phones software problem, until new battery was drained and issues persisted while driving. Ultimately this left the OnStar not working for weeks leading up to the drained battery which was unsafe in case of accident as well.

FIRST INCIDENT: On uncertain date between 10/10/2024 (vehicle purchase date) and 04/22/2024 (initial service date), on a Sunday, 6:30 a.m., Infotainment and dash display went blank/dark on Sawyer County Highway B. Recovery within 30 seconds. Dark conditions, operating at recommended speed of 55 MPH. Fortunately no surrounding traffic at the time. Issue brought to attention of Don Johnson Motors Service Department at initial oil/filter/tire rotation on 04/22/2025. Mileage at time was 3287. SECOND INCIDENT: 07/15/2025 at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Sawyer County Highway N, Infotainment and dash display went blank/dark. Recovery within 15-20 seconds. Operating at recommended speed of 55 MPH. Fortunately no surrounding traffic at the time. Mileage at time of incident just over 7200. Have not contacted above dealership, but will do so shortly. This defect renders the vehicle out of the driver's control similar to a pilot losing engine power on an aircraft. Checked online to locate possible sources for the problem. Determined this is a known issue.

Sunroof is throwing a code that there is an obstruction. Sunroof will not close. Chevrolet could not fix. I was sent home with out any answers and was told they would contact me. That was over a week ago.

On May 8,2025 the lift gate failed and crashed down on my head, vehicle is available for inspection and only a GM inspector has looked at it so far. The dealership told me because I filed a complaint with GM they can't touch it unless directed by GM now. It almost knocked me out, I saw black and was hard to see for at first within a few hours it was a huge goose egg on my head. It put me and my 6yr old at risk as she was with me but luckily in the car already. When approaching my car I used the liftgate remote to open it ahead of time, got my daughter in car and went to put our backpacks in the back when it crashed on my head full force no warning. It was extremely painful and caused a concussion with multiple symptoms. Headaches, painful bump, ear ringing, feeling so hot, major brain fog, forgetfulness, watery eyes, feeling really tired and hard to wake up in the morning. It has been about 3 weeks and the symptoms are mostly gone except bad ear ringing, light sensativity, on and off headaches easily, can't put my hair in ponytail as it hurts still. I still have a small dent in my head. The doc says these lasting concussion symptoms could last for months. I don't understand why this has problem has not been fixed when research shows it has been a problem since 2010. The only other issue I had with the car was my instrument panel going black while I was driving a few weeks prior.

Center screen went black and is completely inoperational. Cannot utilize any center screen functions including headlights and rear backup camera. Took vehicle to dealer and they diagnosed as a bad display control unit, which is on backorder.

While driving, all my displays which includes speed and car warning indicators, went blank and the red light (collision warning) started flashing as if there was something in front of my car, but my car acted fine. I pulled over and then everything slowly came back on. The car continued to run just fine. It was just both displays went totally black and then the red collision warning lights were flashing. Car never turned off. Never had to restart car. No resets performed. Displays came back on after a short period of time. Interesting, the radio and volume had to be turned back on. Acted as if displays rebooted, but did not affect car mobility.

WIRELESS CHARGING OVERHEATS - CAUSES BURNS POTENTIAL PHONE DAMAGE

While driving my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox, both the digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen suddenly turned off without warning. This blackout lasted for several seconds before both systems rebooted and returned to normal. This has happened multiple times and does not seem related to any specific driving condition, speed, or weather. The vehicle itself continues to operate normally during the blackout, but the sudden loss of all visual information — including speed, alerts, and navigation — poses a serious safety risk. No warning lights or error messages appeared before or during the incident. This issue started shortly after receiving an over-the-air software update labeled GM N25-F172AE. The problem has not yet been confirmed or resolved by a dealer, and the vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance.

On two separate occasions, the dash and radio restarted while we were driving. Whole driving down the highway, the speakers stopped working, both screens would go blank and the red pre collision lights would turn on. This causes the inability to see your speedometer or other required information while driving. I am unsure if this affects any other safety equipment from functioning if there was a crash during this timeframe. This lasted for several seconds while the system essentially restarted itself. Once everything turned back on, everything worked as it should. It went into the dealer for the first time it did this and they did a software update to prevent this but it did not apparently fix the issue.

The screen for the radio goes blank and then the dash goes blank this happend a few times randomly but this time it was longer and then it told me there was no key found in car while driving and I was at a light the car in front moved forward and I started and went forward and my car braked unexpectedly I adjusted the gap settings but I don’t believe this should have happened the car seemed far

Both the speedometer/digital information center and radio went black while driving. I had no access to either of these for about 5-7 seconds. I had cruise control set at the time, and it did not affect my speed. I heard a “click” after everything went black and after restarting, it was normal. My red indicator above the steering wheel flashed a couple times and the radio came on first, then the speedometer. It would be available for inspection upon request. This put both mine and others’ safety at risk. I had no way to see my speed, cruise setting, or access any of my tools that uses either this or the radio to function. This has not happened again, I have reported the issue to the dealership the next day with no contact back. It has not been inspected, and there were no warning lamps or indication of the problem before it happened.

Infotainment and Main Driver Information Center blank. While driving on highway Infotainments screen went blank followed by the Main Driver Information Center. Problem only lasted for 2 seconds before screens reappeared.

Was driving down the road with a sudden loss of power to the infotainment system plus dashboard resulting in all black and being unable to see your speed/turn signals. The steering wheel lights suddenly flashed then shut off and won’t turn back on.

After I engage the right turn signal and complete a right turn, it occasionally bounces the turn signal back too hard and then the "soft" (not fully clicked in) and lights up my left signal about three times. This has happened multiple times since we leased it in early September.