Chevrolet Equinox wiper problems: what 656 owners reported

Owners of the Chevrolet Equinox have filed 656 NHTSA complaints about windshield wipers stopping or failing, which is 12% of the 5,457 complaints on file for the model. Almost all of them concern the 2012 to 2016 model years, and the 2015 model year alone has 220. Many owners describe the wipers quitting while driving in heavy rain.

There are two recalls for this: campaign 16V582000 covers 2013 Equinox and campaign 22V165000 covers 2014 and 2015. They concern corroding ball joints in the wiper module. If this is not your case, read the full Chevrolet Equinox problem report.

TL;DR

• 656 complaints mention wipers, 12% of the 5,457 complaints for the Equinox.
• 2015 has the most (220 reports), then 2014 (141), 2012 (112) and 2016 (95).
• Model years 2012 to 2016 account for 639 of the 656 reports. From 2017 on, the count is in single digits per year.
• Recall 16V582000 (2013) and recall 22V165000 (2014 and 2015) cover corroding ball joints in the wiper module.
• 601 reports name the component Visibility/Wiper and 32 name Visibility.
• 2 reports mention a crash and 1 mentions a fire. The reports list 2 injuries in total.

Which Chevrolet Equinox years have the most wiper complaints?

The complaints cluster in 2012 to 2016. In 2015, about one complaint in three mentions the wipers, and in 2014 about one in four. The 2013 model year has the most complaints overall (751) but a lower wiper share, 9.5%. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their low counts say less than the older years' high ones. Still, the drop from 95 reports for 2016 to 7 for 2017 is sharp.

What do Equinox owners describe?

Wipers stopping in heavy rain on the road. This is the most common story. One 2016 owner wrote: "Wipers just stopped working on the highway in a very bad rain storm, when I was taking my daughter to school. We could not see and had to put our hazards on and somehow carefully pull off to the side of the road." (NHTSA 11766510). A 2015 owner reported that the "wind shield wiper stopped working while driving on the highway in heavy down pour, safety was my next concern, so I pulled over and waited for the rain to stop to continue driving home." (NHTSA 11614365).

Sudden failure, no warning. A 2013 owner wrote: "I was driving my car like usual and I almost reached home and my windshield vipers stopped working." (NHTSA 11649602). A 2021 owner wrote: "Windshield wipers stopped working while driving losing clear forward vision. Dealership has had car for 4 days and still unable to fix the wipers" (NHTSA 11450177).

Wiper motor failure and the recall repair. A 2014 owner wrote: "The wiper motor failed in a downpour while I drove on the Interstate surrounded by sem trucks." The same owner said a dealership completed the recall work on 4 November 2022 (NHTSA 11492377). Another 2014 owner asked for reimbursement of recall repair costs (NHTSA 11494096).

Owners outside the recall. A 2012 owner wrote: "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." (NHTSA 11624644). A 2020 owner reported that a garage found "a flaw in the windshield wiper motor" and wondered whether later models still use the same motor (NHTSA 11686932). The complaint is the owner's account; it is not an NHTSA finding.

Newer models, different behaviour. A 2025 owner wrote that the front wipers, when set to LO or HI, "behaved as if set to intermittent wiping" and that the problem "went away on its own without restarting the car." (NHTSA 11709883). A 2024 owner wrote: "Wiper stops more than 4 inches from the edge of the window which I could probably just deal with, but when driving it pulls water anywhere from 3-8 inches further across the windshield" (NHTSA 11701827). A 2018 owner described the rear wiper: "Back wiper stopped working while it was on. Wiper arm is stuck straight up on back window." (NHTSA 11761747).

Of the 656 reports, 601 name the component Visibility/Wiper, 32 name Visibility, 20 Engine, 16 Electrical System, 4 Fuel/Propulsion System and 3 Power Train. Some reports also mention other problems, such as oil consumption, in the same complaint.

Is there a recall for wipers on the Chevrolet Equinox?

Yes, for some model years. NHTSA lists two campaigns, both for the component Visibility: Windshield Wiper/Washer: Motor.

For 22V165000, the remedy is that dealers inspect the wiper module and repair or replace it as necessary, free of charge. Chevrolet customer service is on 1-800-222-1020. For 16V582000, dealers repair the AIP-hole, inspect and, if necessary, replace the front wiper module, free of charge; the recall began on 13 April 2017. GM's number for 16V582000 is 25302. Neither recall carries a do-not-drive instruction.

These recalls name 2013, 2014 and 2015 only. NHTSA's recall data as of the brief date lists no wiper recall for the other model years, 2012 and 2016 onward, even though they have complaints. Recalls often apply to specific VINs within a model year, as one 2012 owner found, so check yours.

What should you do if your Equinox wipers stop working?

• Check open recalls for your VIN at NHTSA recalls. I would do this first, even for a model year not named above.
• Ask a Chevrolet dealer to check for open recalls and manufacturer service bulletins on the wiper module.
• Report the problem at NHTSA report a safety problem. Complaints are how this data exists.
• Write down the date, mileage, weather, which wiper setting you used and whether the failure was front or rear, so the dealer has something concrete.
• If the wipers fail in heavy rain, slow down and pull off the road when it is safe, as several owners did, rather than driving on with poor visibility.

How this guide was made

The data is NHTSA owner complaints and recall campaigns for the Chevrolet Equinox, as of 9 November 2026. A complaint counts here when the owner's text matches this symptom, wipers stopping or failing. Counts are reports, not confirmed defects. The method is explained on the methodology page.