YearToAvoid

2016 Chevrolet Equinox Electrical System Problems

NHTSA lists 26 Electrical System complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, 7% of its 396 total complaints for the year. The median mileage at failure is 30,000 miles, and there are no related recalls tied to this component.

Electrical System complaints
26
7% of 396
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
30,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical electrical symptoms owners report

  • Instrument cluster and speedometer go dark while driving, sometimes returning after the engine is shut off and restarted.
  • Vehicle stalls or loses power without warning, including one case where the accelerator was depressed but the vehicle would not move.
  • Headlights and heater shut off unexpectedly, with high beams only reactivated by manually holding the switch.
  • Infotainment screen freezes or loops audio and stops responding to buttons, sometimes paired with air conditioning switching between hot and cold on its own.
  • Owners report a burning wire smell along with a non-functioning phone charger port.
  • One reported case involved a fire starting near the engine minutes after a low-speed crash.

When 2016 Chevrolet Equinox electrical complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 14, 2016, latest May 2, 2025.

2016 Chevrolet Equinox electrical system complaints: complaints filed per month3Jan 2016Feb 2017Jul 2018Jul 2019Mar 2020Mar 2022Feb 2023May 2025
26 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2016 to May 2025; peak Jul 2019 (3).

Electrical System recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Electrical System complaints by Equinox model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 2005168 (26%)
  2. 2006148 (21%)
  3. 2007114 (17%)
  4. 200883 (22%)
  5. 200924 (26%)
  6. 201083 (11%)
  7. 201175 (10%)
  8. 201274 (11%)
  9. 201373 (10%)
  10. 201448 (9%)
  11. 201546 (7%)
  12. 201626 (7%)
  13. 201721 (8%)
  14. 201867 (16%)
  15. 201947 (16%)
  16. 202045 (15%)
  17. 202120 (21%)
  18. 202222 (13%)
  19. 202312 (13%)
  20. 202418 (23%)
  21. 202584 (37%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are electrical problems in the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA lists 26 Electrical System complaints for the 2016 model year, which is 7% of the 396 total complaints filed for that year.
Is there a recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Equinox electrical system?
No. NHTSA lists no related recalls tied to the Electrical System complaints for the 2016 Equinox.
At what mileage do electrical issues typically show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this component is 30,000 miles.
What electrical failures do owners describe most?
Owners describe instrument cluster blackouts, unexpected stalling, headlights and heater shutting off on their own, and infotainment screens freezing or looping audio.
Were there any serious incidents linked to electrical complaints?
NHTSA data for this component and year shows 1 crash and 1 fire reported among the 26 complaints, with 0 injuries.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.