2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV: What to check before buying

Sunlight on the ridged, shiny black dashboard throws a reflection of its slatted pattern onto the inside of the windshield. Drivers say the glare is constant on bright days and hides pedestrians, crossing traffic, and the road ahead. Some notice it within the first few hundred miles. Several reports say it affects all trims, and many ask GM for a fix. One report adds that reflections in the side glass hid the mirrors and blind spot light, and the driver then merged into another car.

Sunlight on the dashboard reflects lines across the windshield and badly cuts forward visibility. One report also describes reduced travel on the driver's side wiper, which leaves part of the glass uncleared in the rain. That problem appeared at about 300 miles, and the dealer gave no help. Neither complaint reports a repair, so the glare remains the main concern.

Automatic emergency braking slams on with nothing nearby. Owners report it in stop-and-go traffic, in parking lots, while backing up in the rain, and more often after a software update. The stops are hard enough to cause near-whiplash and nearly cause rear-end collisions, and dealers often cannot reproduce the problem. Super Cruise can also cut out without warning and brake in traffic, and the brakes sometimes stay applied until they overheat. In another case, a failed video processing unit took out all cameras and radar while the replacement part was on order.

High-voltage battery warnings appear early. One showed up at less than 5,000 miles, and another came with a loss of cabin heat and a wait for dealer service. On a new car with 215 miles, a brake system failure message limited speed to 62 mph on the interstate, and the car was hard to slow down. Other reports describe the dashboard going dark and rebooting on the freeway, screens getting too hot to touch, false emergency braking at 75 mph, and turn signals flashing the wrong way.

Brakes engage on their own, most often while reversing, and sometimes at 70 mph on the interstate with no one around. Drivers describe hard, screeching stops that feel like backing into a wall. One crash is on file. The brake pedal did not respond while parking at an EV charger, and the car hit the barrier at a little over 3k miles. Owners also report trouble getting service, including dealers without an EV technician and long holds with Chevrolet.

The recessed headlamp wells fill with snow when driving in winter storms. The LED lamps do not run hot enough to melt it, so the light dims until the driver pulls over and clears it by hand. Other reports filed here describe both screens, the A/C, and the audio going blank for about 30 seconds at highway speed, auto lights not working properly, dashboard glare on the windshield, false emergency braking, and the left signal flashing after a right turn.

The car brakes hard in reverse, warning of a pedestrian or obstacle that is not there. Sometimes it stops completely and will not back up again until the driver shifts to park and then back to reverse. The same sudden stops also happen while pulling forward into a parking spot. Occupants report sore necks, and one report describes a near rear-end collision in traffic. Some events come with no warning beeps or seat vibration at all.

The turn signal stalk springs back too hard when it cancels after a right turn, and the left signal flashes for about three blinks. Other drivers may expect a left turn or lane change that is not coming. Owners say it happens repeatedly, and one notes that a replacement stalk did not always cure it. One report also describes forward collision warnings that are too sensitive when creeping up to stopped traffic, and blind spot alerts set off by oncoming cars.