2018 Chevrolet Equinox electrical problems
61 of the 408 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). Filed under the same heading: 305 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 61 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 8 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 10
Half of the 27 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 4,000 and 70,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
408 complaints in all about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, 10 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Electrical System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Chevrolet Equinox electrical problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Driving down the road the car started to smoke under the hood area and all I could smell was burned plastic. Pulled over and got out. Not even a minute later the car burst into flames
The contact's parents owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the vehicle failed to start without warning. The vehicle was towed to jeff gordon Chevrolet (228 s college rd, wilmington, nc 28403) where it was diagnosed with a defective computer system and repaired.
While driving on I-95 in palm beach county florida, in heavy traffic, I came to a stop and the car automatically shut off. This is what is supposed to happen. However, when I took my foot off the brake the car did not restart. When that happened the entire car went dead.
I turned on my car and the engine light was on took it to the deal they poked the gas tank flap and reset the light sensor and for now it's off. The radio media screen keep freezing on back up camera
I took my car through a automatic car wash and after leaving the car wash..my doors would not unlock. I had to crawl out through the back of the vehicle to get out. The car would not unlock until the next day. I went through the car wash at 4pm and at 630am the next day, it finally unlocked.
What is on file about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications305 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0299 P0300 P2227 B3055 B3060 B3935 C0010 P0747
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Source: the same files- brake problems 132 complaints
- engine problems 95 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 66 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre electrical problems common on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 61 owner complaints naming the electrical system on this model year (15% of everything owners filed about it), and 305 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 5 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do electrical problems show up on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 39,910 miles; half of them between 4,000 and 70,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?
Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.