The Chevrolet Equinox EV was supposed to be the spearhead of a broader stab at the mass market for the brand with the Equinox and the Blazer EV attempting to lure in more buyers that would feel comfortable making the jump to an EV, but were turned away by high price tags and an initial emphasis on the luxury vehicle segment. The Equinox EV in particular has proven to be a steady seller for the brand, but is there a problem brewing under the surface?
A growing number of Equinox EV repair delays raises concerns
According to a new report from the folks at InsideEVs, more and more Equinox EV owners are reporting delays in getting their EVs repaired with some of them claiming that Chevrolet is dealing with a possible shortage in parts for the new EV. This shortage is creating headaches for not only customers, but dealerships as well as they wait for an answer from Chevrolet and General Motors.
The bulk of the affected repairs in question are collision-related repairs with the EVs being serviced after they had an accident. With many parts for the affected EVs coming from GM part warehouses and other suppliers, owners are rapidly noticing how long it takes for them to get their vehicles repaired especially when compared to a traditional ICE-powered model. Part of this is due to the way the supply chain works between the dealership (especially ones with a bodyshop) and General Motors with many of the parts and components coming from General Motors themselves. Normally, the flow of components is not a major issue, with much of the supply kinks being hammered out after GM (or any other automaker) has had time to build up a stockpile of parts and supplies for a vehicle once the initial launch is completed.
However, in the case of the Equinox EV, it appears that this system is still going through growing pains and as a result, supplies of components and other parts are being affected. Unsurprisingly, many owners claim that GM is experiencing a parts shortage with some owners not even being notified about when they ever expect their vehicle to be fixed. GM for its part released a statement saying “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,”
The spokesperson went on stating “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.”
EV woes part of a broader issue
While the Equinox EV’s struggles with part availability are casting an unwelcome spotlight on General Motors, it’s also part of a broader but very common problem with EVs in general if they get involved in an accident. Many other EVs are also facing similar part shortages with this author actually experiencing first hand just how long it took for Tesla owners to get the parts they needed for their vehicles during his time in the collision repair industry with the company sometimes taking as long as three months to get components out to a shop for installation.
In addition to getting the components themselves, collision technicians are also facing more complex teardown and repair jobs due to the EVs not only integrating so many cameras and sensors into the bodywork, but also software repairs with many of these components requiring lengthy software updates and repair procedures to make sure that they are all working properly. This all results in lengthy delays and while GM may seem like it should be experienced enough to avoid these problems, even an experienced automaker is not immune from these challenges.
That said, these problems are slowly becoming a critical issue for GM, and the company will eventually need to come up with a solution to these problems since customer loyalty and keeping the owners of these vehicles happy after the sale is completed is crucial for the success of an all-new model like the Equinox EV especially as the SUV slowly becomes more entrenched in the sales environment for dealerships nationwide.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.