The first-ever all-electric 2025 Chevy Equinox EV was launched in 2024, with a promise from the automaker that this “fun-to-drive electric SUV” would give owners “what you need — to do exactly what you want.” They label the second 2025 model year a “no-compromise electric SUV.” However, major problems make some owners worry that they’ve made the wrong choice. They highlight serious issues relating to glare on the windshield and dashboard that create a safety risk. There are also severe concerns about phantom braking and problems with adaptive cruise control not engaging the brakes and stopping vehicles.
Most Common Problems
The most common complaints made to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) about the 2025 Chevy Equinox EV are about a hazardous visual glare that reflects off the windshield and sculpted dashboard. Some say it is so bad it blocks a clear view of what is in front of the Equinox. Others point out that it is also a huge problem with the launch 2024 model.
Other very common problems are linked to the forward collision avoidance system. One, which is acknowledged in a recent recall (see below), is due to adaptive cruise control (ACC) not braking or slowing down quickly enough when it approaches other vehicles. There are also complaints about phantom braking — which is the opposite of the ACC problem — when the Equinox brakes unexpectedly when it mistakenly senses vehicles ahead.
Another common issue is regarded by owners as being either an electrical system, exterior lighting, steering, or an “unknown or other problem”. This involves turn signal problems.
Backover prevention is also highlighted in consumer complaints.
Recalls
Three recalls that affect the 2025 Equinox EV. However, only one of these is linked to consumer complaints. This is NHTSA Campaign Number 25V012000, issued on January 16, 2025, that warns owners ACC may not activate the brakes. A total number of 2,890 all-wheel drive (AWD) electric vehicles are affected by a potential ACC malfunction. The recall warns that the ACC may fail to engage the brakes as expected, due to incorrect brake module software.
Another recall warns that the doors of 731 General Motors (GM) vehicles, including the 2025 Equinox, might open unexpectedly. This is due to door strikers that weren’t properly heat-treated, which can cause them to break. A door that opens suddenly increases the risk of injury.
The third recall warns the owners of 7,606 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV vehicles that the pedestrian alert sound system may have incorrect software and not produce sound at a sufficient volume. The issue is that if pedestrians are not aware of approaching vehicles, there is an increased risk of injury.
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2025 Chevy Equinox EV Complaint Summary
Complaint Category
Number of Complaints
Visibility/wiper
34
34
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
Glare problems relating to the 2025 Chevy Equinox EV windshield and dashboard are rampant on the NHTSA website. Most are reported as being visibility/wiper issues, but there are also complaints that are listed as being “unknown or other.” In all, by June 11, 2025, they accounted for more than 60% of all the complaints to the NHTSA about this model Equinox.
Most of the complaints are short and to the point, but others provide more information.
For example, an owner from Delaware states that there is “a major safety issue with overwhelming windshield reflections/glare caused by the odd design choices of the sculpted dash.” He then says that the design creates “numerous surfaces across the entire width of the dash that easily reflect the light thus producing a horrible glare on the windshield.” He was extremely unhappy when he discovered that the problem was also evident with the 2024 model, and that it hadn’t been resolved.
“The problem is worse during bright, sunny days and from certain angles to the sun, but I have also noticed it on cloud-covered days as well. It has been suggested that I use polarized glasses to mitigate the issue, and they do help, but they create other issues such as (not) clearly seeing controls inside the car or viewing the rearview mirror, as they darken everything. I am concerned that at some point when the reflections are very bad, that I will not see a car backing out of a space in front of me or a pedestrian starting to walk out in front of me. It’s unbelievable Chevy did not recognize this issue and address it at some point during all their testing before releasing this car for sale.”
Safety Concerns
There are many examples of complaints that highlight safety issues. “There is a glare in the windshield from the dash. During the day when the sun hits it, I have a hard time seeing pedestrians, bicyclists, and small animals. Any smaller-sized (less than an average car) things are distorted and hard to see. I’ve tried using the visor and it doesn’t help. I’m worried it may cause me to injure somebody or something.”
An owner from California states that the intense dashboard glare that reflects on the “front window” at times is “a visual hazard that makes it so I can’t see straight ahead at certain times.”
Another owner from California states that the glare has “caused near collisions while driving.”
When an owner from Tennessee drives in sunny weather, the sun hits the dashboard and then reflects up on the windshield. This makes it difficult to see the road. “The top of the dashboard has a mesh-like pattern that reflects sunlight onto the windshield. When the sun is out, this pattern becomes visible on the windshield, making it almost impossible to see the road ahead. Depending on the time of day, and the direction you are traveling, the glare is very, very bad. It is so bad that it obstructed my vision. The majority of the time I couldn’t even see it. Very unsafe at times – especially with any hills (even very small ones) or driving into light.”
Forward Collision Avoidance Malfunctions
The most common forward collision problem aired in NHTSA complaints corresponds with the ACC-related recall. Phantom braking is a close second, with complaints about critical features being disabled being another prominent issue.
An owner from Maryland states that malfunctions with the brake system are “extremely annoying, frustrating, and most importantly, very dangerous. I’m forced to repeatedly turn my vehicle off and back on, while attempting to re-engage the one-pedal driving.” A major problem is that critical features are disabled, including “the auto-hold and forward collision systems. I believe it also impacts the cruise control as well.”
An owner from New York tells how, while approaching a hairpin exit, suddenly the lights went on for the Stabilitrack, Collision Alert and other alerts. “Messages popped up saying Braking Assist was not available, Cruise Control was not available. Basically, the braking assist was gone and I had to press REALLY hard on the brake pedal to get any slowdown. This put me at extreme risk because it was essentially a power braking failure and it was extremely difficult to slow down. I had to really push hard on the brake pedal.”
Adaptive Cruise Control
Even though there is a recall for ACC problems, this only includes the AWD and not the four-wheel drive (FWD). However, there are owners who have problems with FWD vehicles as well — but they don’t appear to have a resolution.
An owner from Illinois states, “My car, which is FWD, not AWD, is exhibiting the same behavior that the recall for the AWD Equinox has. With Adaptive Cruise engaged the car does not slow down or brake when approaching vehicles in front of it. I have to intervene and apply the brakes to prevent hitting the vehicle in front. Also, with ACC on, the vehicle will accelerate on its own. I have to intervene to slow the vehicle down. For example, I set the ACC to 68 mph. All of a sudden it starts speeding up. I had to intervene when it hit 73 mph as it approached vehicles in front of me without slowing down.”
Another owner states that ACC works at normal highway speeds. However, when the vehicle in front slows to under about 25 mph, the ACC doesn’t slow down anymore. “Then the vehicle alerts with the emergency braking light and you need to stomp on the brakes to avoid a collision. It has been like this since I bought the car and Chevrolet doesn’t seem to know what the problem is.”
An owner from New Jersey states that after activating ACC, when braking, the SUV follows the car ahead as it speeds up or slows down. “But if that car slows down to a stop light, my car will not slow down enough before the red collision warning activates and I need to apply the brakes immediately to avoid impact. It happens every time at any gap distance or set speed.”
Phantom Braking
When it comes to phantom braking, some owners say that it seems to happen more often when it rains or snows. Others say that they have to cancel certain features to stop it from happening.
An owner from California tells how sometimes when he travelled at less than 5 mph the Equinox would suddenly slam on brakes. “I figured out that the emergency braking system gets nervous when objects are close, and when I touch the brake with my foot the emergency braking system would freak out and slam the brakes. I talked to a person who had an electric Volvo who said the slamming of the brakes freaked him out, too.” His solution was to turn off the emergency braking system.
An owner from Illinois was forced to cancel Cruise Control to stop the equinox from braking for no reason. “This could have been bad had there actually been another vehicle directly behind me when this happened.”
Turn Signal Confusion
Complaints to the NHTSA about the 2025 Equinox indicate that signal problems are a major problem.
An owner from Michigan states that when taking a right turn and letting the steering wheel return the signal stalk to the center, the left turn signal flashes three times as if a “soft turn” was requested.
An owner from Indiana states that 20%-50% of the time when a right turn cancels, it causes the left turn signal to activate two or three times. This, the complaint says, is “very confusing to people in front of you, thinking that you will be turning and (so) they pull out in front of you.”
According to an owner from North Carolina, sometimes, “after indicating and making a right turn, the turn signal stalk will snap back far enough to cause the left turn signal to be enabled for three flashes (i.e. “lane change” mode). This has happened to me at least a dozen times since I’ve owned this car, and as far as I can tell, only happens after right turns.”
A recent March 3, 2025, complaint from an owner in New Jersey is more comprehensive. It states, “After activating the turn signal fully, it will often spring past the neutral/off setting and straight into signaling the opposite direction. Occasionally this is with enough force that the signal will stay on, but it is usually only with force sufficient to tap the other signal and register only 2-3 blinks before stopping. This is a safety issue because it looks like erratic signaling behavior to those outside of the vehicle.”
He believes the fix is just to tweak the turn signal resistance to be more like other vehicles, suggesting it requires a recall to replace the part with a new part that doesn’t exist.
Recourse for Repeat Problems
If your 2025 Chevy Equinox EV is experiencing recurring issues that affect its safety, performance, or usability, you might be dealing with a lemon. Whether it’s persistent electrical malfunctions, charging problems, software glitches, or glare off the windshield, these problems can be frustrating — and usually costly.
Lemberg Law is here to help. Our team will evaluate your case free of charge and explain your legal options clearly and promptly. We’ve helped thousands of vehicle owners secure buybacks, replacements, or cash settlements from major automakers, and we would like to help you too.
The best part? Pursuing a lemon law claim won’t cost you anything. Under federal and state lemon laws, manufacturers are required to pay your legal fees.
Don’t wait. Call our Helpline or complete our contact form today. A member of our team will be in touch as soon as possible to start your free case review.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
