2011 Chevrolet Equinox Electrical System Problems
NHTSA lists 75 electrical system complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, 10% of all complaints for that year, with 5 crashes and 2 fires. The related recall (16V502000) covers a park-lock lever issue but applies to other Buick/Chevrolet models, not the 2011 Equinox.
- Electrical System complaints
- 75
- 10% of 782
- Crashes reported
- 5
- Fires reported
- 2
- Injuries reported
- 6
- Median mileage
- 63,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Battery drains fully after the vehicle sits in a garage for a day or two, sometimes tied to opening and closing the rear hatch.
- Vehicle stalls or shuts off unexpectedly right after starting or shortly after being put into gear, occurring on multiple separate occasions.
- Engine loses power and stalls while driving at low speed, with the engine light illuminating beforehand.
- OnStar system reportedly failed to make contact after a collision, despite the feature being active.
- Electrical control module resets after repeated stalling episodes, accompanied by reports of poor fuel mileage.
When 2011 Chevrolet Equinox electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Feb 22, 2011, latest Jun 23, 2026.
Electrical System recalls for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
- NHTSA 16V502000Jul 5, 2016Electrical System8,367 vehicles
Electrical system:ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Electrical System complaints by Equinox model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many electrical system complaints does NHTSA have for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox?
- NHTSA lists 75 electrical system complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, which is 10% of the 782 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for electrical problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox?
- There is one related recall, 16V502000, but it covers a park-lock lever issue on the 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, not the 2011 Equinox.
- Did the 2011 Equinox electrical problems cause any crashes or fires?
- NHTSA data shows 5 crashes, 2 fires, and 6 injuries linked to electrical system complaints for the 2011 Equinox.
- At what mileage do electrical problems typically show up on the 2011 Equinox?
- The median mileage at failure for electrical system complaints on the 2011 Equinox is 63,000 miles, though some owners reported issues within the first few thousand miles.
- How does the 2011 Equinox compare to other years for electrical complaints?
- The 2011 Equinox had 75 electrical complaints (10% share), close to 2010's 83 complaints (11%) and 2012's 74 complaints (11%), and higher in count than later years like 2016's 26 complaints (7%).