102 complaints reported

2016 Chevrolet Equinox VISIBILITY/WIPER

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
102
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Dec 2025

While driving with windshield wipers on, they suddenly stopped working. The wipers were stuck in position in the center of my windshield. Upon inspection, it appeared that one of the arms had become disconnected from the piece it was connected to. Snapped right off during unsafe driving conditions.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 2025
Sep 2025

When I was driving home from the grocery store a very heavy thunderstorm started I turned my wipers off because of the sudden rain just to realize that they were not working. I had to pull over because I couldn’t see. Causing me to almost get rear ended with my 6 month old, 18 month old and 6 year old I was finally able to start driving 45 minutes later when the rain stopped. This was a very dangerous incident that happened that could have ended in a car catch INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Sep 2025
Jul 2025

While driving on the highway, it was barely raining so I turned my wipers on low and about 5 minutes into my drive the rain picked up, and I tried to turn my wipers up at which point the stopped working altogether. I had to pull off on the shoulder and wait for the rain to end, which was about 20 minutes later. Afterwards I proceeded to the nearest gas station and purchased a squeegee to use while I was driving since cars were kicking up rain from the wet ground. Having wipers abruptly stop while it is raining heavily and traveling at 55 mph is beyond dangerous. I see all of the complaints online and a recall should and needs to be issued, as this issue could have and still can caused a tragic accident.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2025
Apr 2025

The wipers quit working while I was driving in a thunderstorm. Safety was definitely a risk as I was on a major highway. I pulled over and waited for rain to stop and made it to an auto parts store to replace fuse. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the issue. The recall does not include 2016 equinox. I don’t understand why it’s not included.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 2025
Feb 2025

The wipers stopped working during a rain snow mix. My brother looked up der the shroud and the motor and assembly are all working fine. But the bushing or housing that keeps the arm in place has corroded and there are barely no threads left to them. This was said to be a problem with the 2015 Equinox as well. He tried to put a new nut in to fix the problem. But that only worked for a little while. Now it is no longer holding and it's going to be an awfully snowy few days starting tonight.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2025
Feb 2025

Front wipers stop working in the middle of a rain storm while driving down the highway we were unable to see anything(road/cars)out of the window. We had to put on flashers and stick head out of a rolled down window to (which with rain slapping you in the face is not safe either) try and get to a shoulder on the highway safely. My hubby and I were terrified and thought we were going to die or cause harm to others on the highway. After rain slowed down we got home very slowly with hazard light running. Once home I searched the web for problems that could have caused the wipers to suddenly stop. Results were to check fuses and relays (all checked out fine). I read that it could be a bushing on linkage arm that came off. Husband and I took off wipers and the cowl and sure enough linkage arm bushing had popped off of the ball joint. We tried to replace old bushing with a new one and put everything back together as it was taken off. Turned on wipers and it popped right back off. My car is now sitting in the yard unusable because I can not safely (for my family or other families out there) go any where because it is raining/will rain. There were no warnings or messages nothing they just stopped moving. One of the most scariest things in our lives, so glad our kids and grandson was not with us when it happened and that by the grace of God my husband and I made it home safely. This is very dangerous. It is also not uncommon due to information/videos on the internet. Please help correct this dangerous issue. Car is available for inspection any time Thank you

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2025
Jan 2025

component- windshield wipers available for inspection-yes How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was driving in light rain at first, turned on the windshield wipers on low. Slowed for a service vehicle and the rain became heavy so I moved the selector to high on the second or third pass across the windshield they quit, I could not see anything. I had to roll down my window and stick my head out to see so I could get off the road. I had to wait for the rain to stop before I could move. I first checked the fuses, it was fine. I can hear the wiper motor working. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not yet Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No got the car home before the next rain Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No absolutely no warning

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 2025
Oct 2024

Wipers stopped during driving on interstate during rain.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2024
Oct 2024

During a severe rain storm, the wipers just stopped working mid-use after only about five minutes of use. We had to quickly pull over due to significantly decreased visibility. They did not return to the off position on their own and no setting moved them. We manually pushed them back down, but they were able to stretch far beyond the window, leading me to believe something became completely disconnected, not a motor function failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Sep 2024
Sep 2024

Front windshield wipers bushing failed. Yes, vehicle is available for inspection. Safety was put at risk, as wipers stopped working while driving in heavy rain, causing severe lack of visibility. Problem is in ongoing, as wipers suddenly stopped and no longer work, as bushing came apart. Vehicle has not been inspected. No warning lamps before or during issue, just sudden loss of wipers.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Sep 2024
Sep 2024

While vehicle was in motion front wiper failed to operate while it was heavily raining. Resulting in have to pull to side of road and request a tow to a mechanics due to the dangerous hazard of no longer being able to see out of front windshield and possibly causing accidents and or fatalities. This problem was due to the Ball joint linkage system failing.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2024
Aug 2024

Wiper linkage. Wipers just stopped working.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2024
Aug 2024

During a snow storm the windshield wipers quit working. After troubleshooting, the short wiper linkage arm was disconnected. This was due to the plastic bushing popped off the ball stud. This part does not have a clip for retention. The replacement plastic bushing is extremely difficult to install without a press. 2 bushings were broken trying to preform a quality repair. A safe repair requires a replacement linkage assembly [$100 +] to complete the repair with confidence minimizing chance of a repeated repair.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 2024
Aug 2024

I was driving in the rain & it just stoped working out of nowhere .

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2024
Jul 2024

Wiper blades stop during light or heavy ran I spoke with the dealer and they won’t correct it I see there we recalls

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2024
Jun 2024

Front Windshield wiper motor stopped working / Broke while driving on an interstate in a severe rain storm. I almost and could have been killed in a crash. Why isn't this a RECALL?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2024
Jun 2024

While driving in heavy rain windshield wipers stopped working. 0 visibility while driving is a major concern for me and other drivers

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jun 2024
Jan 2024

On [XXX] at approximately 10:30 am I was driving on [XXX] to [XXX] . It started raining heavily and all of a sudden my wipers just quit. Could not see nothing and scared me to death but thankfully was able to get off road and call tow truck. Tow truck took me to Bentons Auto in Guthrie Oklahoma where they replaced the wiper blade mechanism. Mechanic said it was a bad design. They have a mechanism bar which just pops on to a plastic ball. There is not a screw to hold it in place on it anywhere. He said the plastic ball just wears down and arm mechanism just falls off. This could have cost me my life! I looked on line and saw many more complaints on same thing! How can I guarantee it wont happen again unless they have a recall and fix it? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 2024
Nov 2023

I was driving down the interstate at 70+ mph when my windshield wipers suddenly stopped mid swing. They stayed frozen in place and did not fall back down. I have been unable to have the wipers work in any situation since. This occurred during an extremely heavy downpour and my vision was immediately obscured. In the car we’re also my wife and 5-month old child. I was able to turn on my hazards and begin to slow down by releasing the accelerator but I had to drive blindly for about 30-seconds at speed to allow 2 18-wheelers and a car from behind me to pass before I could move over 2 lanes and onto the shoulder. My wife had to help provide assistance from the backseat where she was seated next to our child’s car seat. Her view out of the rear-passenger window was enough of an angle and less obstructed to be able to help. We were forced to wait out the remainder of the rain on a narrow shoulder with 18-wheelers continually plowing past. After the rain passed I could use the shoulder to drive about a mile to the next exit. Unsure at the time what the issue was, we were able to get rain-X and contacted a Jiffy Lube. A brief diagnosis by their mechanics was a faulty wiper transmission since the wiper motor was still operating and making noise but the wipers appear to have disconnected from the motor. They had neither the time nor the parts for repair. I will be taking the car to a GM/Chevy dealership for inspection and repair. There was no prior indication of a problem and has never occurred in the past.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2023
Oct 2023

I was driving on a freeway with my child in the car it was pouring down raining and my wipers stopped working almost causing up to be in a bad wreck!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2023
Oct 2023

Driving in a very heavy downpour and had wipers on high about 10 hours from home on a vacation. On a country road, no real burm to pull off on, both wipers stopped up on the windshield leaving no way to see the road. Had to drive not seeing until I could find a semi pull off. Had to sit for an hour with flashers on until rain passed. Stopped at a parts store to spray rainex on until I could find a garage. Next day, found a garage to look at it and paid him $72.00 to say hopefully it could get me home. He said there was something in there that was bad and had never seen this fail before. Left garage and next morning about 5 minutes into a drive, wipers quit working again. This is a very dangerous thing to fail.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2023
Aug 2023

Driving down the highway at 70mph in a downpour, when the drivers side wiper went up, and never came back down.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2023
Aug 2023

Windshield wipers became inoperative during a rain storm, leaving us stranded on the highway till the rain passed.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 2023
Jul 2023

I was driving down the road & my windshield wipers stopped working in the middle of a horrible downpour of rain. I know there was a recall on the 2015 model mine is a 2016

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 2023
Apr 2023

In February of 2021, I was traveling with my son (and was 8 months pregnant) on a highway going roughly 60-65 mph. All of a sudden, a terrible storm hit the area and I turned my wipers on. Within moments I heard a noise and both wipers were no longer working. I had no visibility and almost wrecked. I was extremely traumatized by the situation. I was able to pull off the road and waited until the storm passed (2 hours). I found a small shop that confirmed the wiper mechanism needed to be replaced because of the “ball joints”. They didn’t have the part, so I had to continue the 3 hour drive stopping when it started to rain. A 3 hour drive took us 6 hours. I was able to have the issue repaired for nearly $215.00. Fast forward to today (4/22/23) and again, the wiper mechanism has given out. Again, we were on the Highway and during a storm, the mechanism gave out and we lost operation in the wiper on the driver side. I was traveling with my two children, and again almost ran off the road and had no visibility. After doing research it looks like there is a “special coverage” for this issue and I think it’s a poor decision for this part to not be recalled and handled appropriately by GM. I have called GM and scheduled an appointment to have my wiper mechanism inspected/fixed and was told I would need to cover the cost. That is unacceptable. This is extremely dangerous and has caused me not only hundreds of dollars now, but the security of even getting in my vehicle to drive when it’s raining or a storm is approaching. Please do the right thing and require a recall. Invoice from the first fix in 2021 is attached. I am happy to provide the invoice for the next fix after it occurs next week.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2021

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Quick Summary

The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox has 102 VISIBILITY/WIPER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.