Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Chevrolet Equinox owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while entering the vehicle she noticed that the rear of the vehicle was full of water, and condensation was in the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the vehicle was drained of the water, but no failure was found. The failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available.
I took the Chevy Equinox to the Chevy dealership to have the oil changed. The House Technician said it was unsafe to put it on a lift. The entire frame was corroded. On 02/28/2023, I had the dealership do a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection. This is their findings: #1-1010: INSPECTIONS INSPECT/CHECK inspect due to customer request Inspected unit due to customers request found excessive rear under body rust and left rear upper control arm is held on by two bolts, but structure is unstable due to corrosion. The rear drive shaft has been removed for unknown reasons. This assessment is visual and at this time. Unit looks unsafe and unstable to drive due to rear under vehicle rust. l would recommend to park the unit and get alternative transportation and replacing the vehicle due to rust. Customer has been advised of our findings. I called GM and reported the problem. …
The contact's granddaughter owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that upon inspection of the vehicle, severe corrosion and several holes were discovered on the subframe. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.
Incident occurred: June 30, 2015 a tractor trailer was passing another vehicle and proceeded to come into the left lane. I had cruise control engaged. The truck came over admittedly at a speed that was going slower than the rate of speed I had on my cruise control. When I went to apply the brake, I felt as though my car was not decelerating enough based on the pressure I was applying to the brake. I quick checked my side mirror- I was unable to go around the driver because a car was next to me and I checked my rearview mirror to ensure I was not going to be rear-ended as well- knowing I was too close and going to collide with the truck driver at this point. I applied as much pressure as I could to the brakes to decelerate but unfortunately still collided with the driver. …
I started noticing that water was soaking the floor mat on the drivers side of the car after it rained or I went through a car wash. I took the car to a repair shop and they notified me that the bottom of the car is not welded properly from the manufacturer, so the space where it should have been welded together has left holes on both sides of the bottom of the car. These holes provide an area where water leaks into the car and continuously soaks the floors. There is also information from GM that states other 2010 Chevrolet Equinox cars have had this same problem, so it is clearly a manufacturing problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. While driving approximately 40 MPH over a pothole, the rear passenger tire became flat. The contact used the spare tire and drove the vehicle to a tire facility to purchase a new tire. The mechanic discovered that the frame and components were severely rusted and the control arm was fractured. The vehicle was deemed unsafe to be driven. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The other day it was raining slightly and I was at my friends house. Later when I left it was raining harder so I was using my wipers and when I had gotten 5 mins down the road my windshield wipers stopped working and it caused me to lose control because I could not see a thing. When that happened I hit something and was in the grass a bit. Now I have a chunk of my bumper gone and a headlight out cause of what I hit. Which I really don't know what it was I hit. Now my wipers don't work, a chunk of my bumper is gone, as well as some plastic under my car came off.
As I approached an intersection, I hit the rear end of a Ford 150 pick up truck that was in the intersection waiting to make a left turn. My approx speed was 15 miles per hour. I had my seatbelt on, I was taken by ambulance to the hospital - my evaluation revealed sprain/strain to my neck, fractured right ankle, and chest wall discomfort related to the seat belt. The car was totaled --- the airbag did not deploy.
Vehicle is 5 years old and there is rust on the inside lower door hem on three of the 4 doors. It has always been housed in a garage in the evenings and washed with relative frequency. GM has issued a notice to fix this issue but for vehicles housed in Canada only not in the us. It is obvious this is a design flaw that GM is correcting in Canada but not the us.
Chevy was stopped at a traffic light and was approx. 30 feet behind another vehicle and the driver had his foot on the brake pedal. The Chevy suddenly accelerated, driver tried to stop vehicle by stepping harder on brake pedal, he swerved to the left to avoid hitting vehicle in front of him, but still hit vehicle with extensive damage to the Chevy.
Body complaints in other Equinox years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the body & structure of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, 3% of the model year's 784 complaints. The component named most often is body (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Chevrolet Equinox body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2010 Chevrolet Equinox body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.