I’m not Chabad, but I spent plenty of time in Chabad when I first became frum. I agree with what farbycoffee wrote.
Chabad is has multiple facets. Ultimately, the meshichists pushed me, personally, away from Chabad, but there are plently of non-meshichists as well. In fact, the entire Morristown Yeshiva, in New Jersey, is opposed to the meshichist issue, from what I understand.
Even within the meshichist movement you can have very normal, intelligent, wonderful people who believe that the Rebbe was/is Moshiach, and that he’s been “hidden” or whatever. Which is certainly not mainstream thought, but still not avodah zara.
I’ve only ever encountered a few crazies who get all mixed up and think that the Rebbe was anything higher than that. And they were notably nuts. Like, admitable to a mental asylum nuts.