Two months ago, James Rapp was driving home at dusk when a deer appeared out of nowhere, straight into the path of his spanking-new Chevrolet Equinox EV.
The software engineer escaped unharmed and the deer bolted into the woods, but the car wasn't so lucky. His car hit the deer when he was going at about 40 mph, so the impact left the fascia mangled but thankfully without structural or powertrain damage. The EV drove just fine, so Rapp dashed to a Chevy dealership the next morning for repairs.
Two months later, he's still waiting to get his car back.
After the incident, the Chevy dealership in Gaithersburg, Maryland identified 26 parts that needed replacement, including the headlamps, front camera, parts of the grille and the bumper, registration plate brackets and more. Now his Equinox EV 2LT, draped in the Riptide Blue Metallic paint, has been lying idle at the dealer's body shop for over 60 days.
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“I had the car only for three weeks," Rapp said. "It had 400 miles on it. Now it’s been out for eight weeks and is [just] sitting there."
In the meantime, Rapp is back behind the wheel of his 2006 gas-powered Equinox. “What should have been a three-day repair, eight weeks later there's no indication when it’ll be done," he said. "It’s frustrating."
Rapp’s case isn’t unique. A number of Equinox EV owners have posted online or told InsideEVs that they are facing similar delays after relatively minor incidents where gas-powered General Motors cars might've been repaired in days or weeks at most. For Equinox EV owners, repairs are dragging on for months.
Several owners told InsideEVs that they have been left in the dark with no official estimated time of arrival for several collision replacement parts. They added that the dealerships had no clue either, as they await a fix from GM.
In a statement to InsideEVs, a GM spokesperson said that the Equinox EV doesn’t have a broader parts shortage problem, but didn’t mention the exact cause of the delays.
“Overall we have not seen a shortage of Equinox EV parts, but with all new product launches, part readiness varies based on vehicle and volume,” a GM spokesperson said.
“GM Customer Care and Aftersales, our parts, accessories and service division, stocks a variety of parts once the vehicle is on sale to customers," the spokesperson added. "There is a dedicated team which focuses on parts readiness for the first year of vehicle availability which allows us to be flexible and meet our customer’s needs quickly.”
A Common EV Problem, But An Unusual One For GM
The Equinox EV checks all the right boxes. It’s Chevy’s most affordable EV following the discontinuation of the Bolt EV, which is set to make a comeback in 2025. In the InsideEVs review of it, we found that it was excellent and exactly what the market needs.
With federal tax credits, the Equinox EV’s price can dip into the $30,000-$40,000 bracket, depending on your income and tax liabilities. It’s a big design upgrade over the Bolt EV and offers an EPA-estimated range of over 300 miles, meaning it’s a more attractive option for a wider audience.
GM hopes it could be a volume-seller, but the service experience may need to improve if that’s going to happen.
Granted, new EVs often face longer repair times. Dealerships and body shops may have to wait on parts, leaving no clear timeline for completion. Add in the complexity of modern software-defined vehicles with advanced electronics and it gets even trickier.
One Rivian owner told InsideEVs last December that his R1T was out for repairs for a year just to replace a side camera. Tesla owners have often faced long repair times in the past and often still do. And prior to its collapse, Fisker owners often faced nightmares with parts and repairs.
But unlike those startups, GM isn’t new to this. It’s far more experienced, has a vast supplier base and service network that should, at least theoretically, give it an advantage in resolving such issues.
Yet Equinox EV owners say the repairs are anything but quick.
Christopher Bernier, a logistics supervisor from Tampa, Florida, took delivery of his Equinox EV the day before Labor Day and decided to drive it to work after the holiday.
It was still dark when he left home that morning and shortly after, a police officer pulled up beside him to inform him of a rapidly flashing tail light. Despite switching the car on and off multiple times, the problem continued.
The body shop said the rear left tail lamp housing seal was defective, which led to water intrusion and that caused a short circuit inside. They said the rear tail lamp assembly was on backorder till December. Bernier escalated the issue up the chain of command at the dealership to replace the car since it was brand new, but that didn’t work out. The dealership was also out of loaners, so they gave him a gas-powered Equinox rental instead.
Gallery: 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV
“Three months for a tail light assembly? It's got just 100 miles on it. I drove it one day. I'm not waiting until December for parts. That's unrealistic,” Bernier said.
“I haven’t driven a gas car for six years,” he added. The 2019 Chevy Bolt EV was his first EV after which he bought a 2022 Nissan Leaf, which he said gave him no trouble at all. His husband also leased a new 2024 Nissan Ariya recently which has been flawless so far.
Another owner faced a similar frontal collision as Rapp but said that things got worse after the body shop investigated her EV further.
“Some key wiring was severed... my car is being transferred to a new shop 30 miles away. This has turned into my worst nightmare,” the owner posted on the Equinox EV forum. Last week, she posted an update saying all parts arrived after a month and the insurance covered the entire cost of over $15,000.
Software Problems Make Matters Worse
Multiple other owners reported software issues with faulty advanced driver assistance features (ADAS).
One owner had the Equinox EV only for two days and drove it only 147 miles when a message popped up on the driver's display, saying "service driver assist system." When the dealership ran a diagnostic check, ECU codes related to the cameras, braking and stability controls showed errors.
He posted on the forum: "...my car now has 'No ETA' as the part is not currently available. It appears that these cars are fine as long as they are working, when they aren't good luck getting parts. Ridiculous that they are selling cars that they can't fix because they don't have parts for them. I initiated the repurchase process for this brick today with EV Concierge."
There are more owners facing software troubles. One user reported: "Since taking delivery almost three weeks ago, the adaptive cruise control, Super Cruise, Lane Keep Assist, Parking Assist, etc. are temporarily unavailable. We have been informed by our dealer that it is a software issue. They are waiting for a fix from GM. Other than that, the car is great."
Another owner said on Reddit that the insurance company wrote off his Equinox EV 2RS because parts were unavailable. The damage on his car seemed severe, with a twisted frame and plenty of cosmetic repairs required. He got a 3RS as a replacement in a rather lovely Radiant Red paint. But not everyone was so lucky.
In the same thread, another Equinox EV owner commented: "My 2LT was hit 2.5 months ago at the exact same spot. It has been about two months since the car has been at the repair shop, waiting for parts. The repair bill is $23,000. Frame damage includes the underbody plus impact bar."
Owners Love The Equinox EV, When It Works
Owners who spoke to InsideEVs said they are bummed about the repairs, but they love the cars when they work as intended.
“It’s the best car I've ever had,” Rapp said. However, having to drive the gas Equinox, even though temporarily, is a big step down. He said he loved that he could simply come home and plug it in, never needing to go to a gas station again.
“I now have to pay attention to gas prices, think about oil changes and all that silliness of old gas cars," he said. "I can’t wait to get my car back.”
Facing issues with your new EV and have a story to share? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
