Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Chevrolet Equinox owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-65 MPH in the rain with the windshield wipers activated, the windshield wipers became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.
Yesterday I was driving home during a rain storm and my windshield wipers all of a sudden stopped working. I had to pull over on the highway and wait for the storm to pass which was very dangerous situation to be in on the side of the highway with low visibility due to the rain and wind. We took a look at it later that night and the linkage came apart. There were no warning signs it just all of a sudden stopped working. I did find a special coverage adjustment that is available for this vehicle but I have over the 150,000 miles which doesn't apply to this vehicle. Are there other options for those vehicles that are over the 150,000 mileage.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Wiper transmission linkage How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Loss of visibility while driving Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No
My drivers side wiper blade stopped working while the passenger side is still working. I saw a recall for this linkage on the site but it's not for my specific VIN. Additionally, my catalytic converter has damage due to excessive oil consumption. Halfway through my regular oil changes the oil is almost completely empty. Again, there's a recall on this for my specific make, model and year but not for my VIN. I feel these should be covered to be fixed by manufacture due to symptoms equivalent to recall.
Wiper assembly has had to be repaired twice and then replaced altogether due to plastic caps in wiper assembly. While driving in a heavy rain, the wipers just stop mid swipe, which nearly caused a wreck due to visibility reduction. The same problem has happened in other Equinox vehicles before and after my vehicle year, and had recalled for safety issue but not 2012.
While operating my vehicle today, it began to rain and I went to turn on my wipers, and they would not turn on. I had to pull over several times due to poor visibility ecause of the rain. I had to wait for traffic to slow down or pass me by to avoid an accident. This has never happened to me and I was scared out of my mind.
Driving home in a heavy downpour, I engaged my wipers from medium speed to high. The driver side wipers extended over the edge of the car and got hung up. Turned off wipers. Pulled over and lifted the wipers back into position. Turned wipers back on. Wipers would not restart.
Wipers stopped working while driving on highway in light rain. In heavy rain lost all visibility leaving me no choice but to pull over to shoulder. Motor and linkage had to be replaced. Other Equinox years affected, but no recall listed for this vehicle's vin.
I was driving home from work at approximately 6:45 pm, during a downpour with high winds. My wipers had been on their highest setting for about 30 seconds or so when they rotated beyond their usual stopping place, to the point where the driver-side wiper was actually off the windshield and resting on the body of the car, and then completely stopped working. Changing the interval settings did not have any effect. When I stopped on the side of the road I turned off the wipers, put them back onto the windshield, and tried turning on the wipers on again, but they still did not move. …
Multiple ongoing issues with the vehicle (oil consumption - approximately 2 quarts consumed per oil life cycle with the updated oil life index monitor, clogged catalytic converter - likely due to the oil consumption) with the most recent being a windshield wiper linkage failure and the Special Coverage that expired 10 months ago based on time, but vehicle is still within the mileage limit of the Special Coverage. The Special Coverage, N192266180 Wiper Transmission Arm Linkage Failure, is good for 10 years or 150,000 miles whichever comes first. The subject vehicle coverage expired on 4/26/22 and it is now March 2023; the vehicle has 122,689 miles on it versus the 150,000 mile limit. The issue was discovered when my daughter attempted to use them to wipe some wet snow from the window but the wipers did not move...she thought the wipers were frozen. …
NHTSA investigations
Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure
On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.
Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative
On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Equinox years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA has 127 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, 19% of the model year's 685 complaints. The component named most often is windshield wiper/washer › motor (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Chevrolet Equinox window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2012 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 2012 Chevrolet Equinox window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.