Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Equinox VISIBILITY

2006 equinox...heat blows out cold air..cannot defrost windshield which is a safety feature..hvac fails to blow warm air..hvac temperature door failed..this is only happening in 2006 equinox..many complaints on the 2006 equinox. *tr

Our car 2006 equinox vin [xxx] heater failed and defroster then did not work. december 5 my heater on this car failed to work causing dangerous conditions in my car as it was cold and defrost would not function. window kept fogging over. noted that there are multiple complaints on line about this. reported this to chevy. part that determines heat vs cool fails, part costs about $38.22, chevy charged over $1317 to repair as this part is in the dashboard and supposedly difficult to reach!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2006 chevrolet equinox. letter from the office of senator collins on behalf constituent re the chevy equinox recall *tgw the consumer stated his daughter purchased the vehicle last year and occasionally the heat would not work. during the summer, the problem became worse when his daughter was unable to change the heating and air condition mode. the consumer discovered it was an inherent problem with the 2005-2010 models and a recall had also been issued for the 2010 model. the consumer stated the problem was with the door blend, which was connected to the temp control and by the door moving between the heat and ac, the temperature could be adjusted. the door used to have a metal tab that connected to the blend door actuator. starting with the 2005 models, gm used a plastic tab. the tab was not strong enough and snapped off causing the door to stay in the ac position. *jb

I was reading through other complaints and i had the same issue as everyone else a year ago. my 2006 equinox was blowing out cold air. i took it in to get fixed (while still under warenty) and had to pay about $900. well, about $750 for labor. they said since it's regular wear & tear i had to pay for it. i've never even heard of it before. the had to take off my entire dash board! it was just a piece of plastic that broke off that door behind all the controls. i actually got on here because recently my safety/auto theft light keeps coming on while i'm driving! the other day my car wouldn't even start and i don't know if this has to do with it or not! has anyone else been having these problems? is it a big deal? help? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the air acuator would overextend and break. this failure caused the vehicle to lose heat and the defroster failed. the dealer stated that the failure was common and would occur again even after repair if the heat was on full. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were 53,622.

I have a 2006 chevy equinox, i have been driving this vehicle for 19 months i had bought it used from a gm dealer. i was driving to thanksgiving and notice it no longer blew hot air. the suv only has 56,000 miles on it so i began doing research online, apparently this is not an unknown problem, the chevy equinox from 2005 to 2010 has a defective temperature valve aculator as well as the hvac door valve, gm decided to make these parts plastic and from other blogs i have read that as an equinox owner you where not to ever use your heat on its highest setting this will destroy the valves. then upon talking to a gm dealer i was told the replacement of these valves will cost 1500 dollars and they replace it with another plastic part and give you a 12 month warranty. this is a danger since a defroster will not clear a windshield in winter with cold air. gm had the decency to recall the 2010 equinox part, but refuses to hear out any of the owners of prior year models. i turn to you in hopes some one will help. *tr

Like hundreds, maybe thousands, of other 2006 chevy equinox owners, the heater will only blow cold air out because of a faulty part that wears out and breaks after approximately 2-3 years. i have been told by the dealership that gm is refusing to issue a recall because it is not considered a safety issue, however when i am driving my kids to school in the morning and cannot see where i am driving because i can't defrost my windows, it seems to be quite a safety issue to me, not to mention the fact that my children are freezing. any length of time in the during a michigan winter we will risk hypothermia & frostbite. i have been told it is $900 to fix, which like many others i don't just have that amount of money sitting around and now have to wait awhile to get the repair made. i understand that things go wrong with cars and cars require maintenance and repairs, but this is obviously an issue with gm's design and decision to use cheap parts that wouldn't last and they should be held responsible for their poor decision. *tr

All of a sudden the heat in my car stopped working, but the fan works. a chevy dealership diagnosed the issue as a failed heater door, which costs $900-$1300 to fix as they have to take the dash board apart. i found out this is happening on a lot of 2006 chevy equinox. chevy should recall this and fix it as it's a faulty part. i have no choice but to fix it now as i need heat in my car and need a defroster. chevy should recall and pay to fix this issue and should reimburse anyone that has already paid. *tr

The heat started to take longer to warm up then after a month of this the heat totally stop working. i can't defrost the windows. this occurs everytime. i have research this and there are numerous complaint about having this issue. gm needs to recall this because they charge anywhere from $900-1200 to fix the problem. i found that the air blend door on the actuator that controls the temp of the airflow. i have found this problem going on since 2008 on the 2006 chevy equinox and pontiac torrent. *tr

I own a 2006 chevrolet equinox. i had no symptoms or signs of the failure i had with my heater. no leaks or symptoms lead up to the issue- it simply stopped working. because gm (starting roughly in 2005) started manufacturing vehicles with a plastic blend door for the actuator- the heat is malfunctioning and only blows extremely cool air. this is a definite safety issue that thousands of americans are experiencing. we are unable to defrost the windows and see visibly- the only response from gm that we are getting is to "roll a window down" and with 3 infants in the car, this is impossible. the estimates range from 900 to 1800 to fix this part (which requires dismantling the entire dash down to the firewall) which arguably causes a domino effect of other issues to the vehicle. with no visibility and now way to transport my infant children safely in the winter- this should definitely be a recall that is a safety and hazard issue on multiple levels. gm refuses to recognize the problem. americans can't afford to have the car fix, but also can't afford to have no heat. there's nothing we can do and we are suffering. *tr

Heater was working fine yesterday, this morning the heater would only blow cold air, even after the car was fully warmed up. called the local chevrolet dealership and they said it was a faulty air temp door that needed to be replaced and it would cost about $925. after much research i have noticed this is a continuing and constant problem for this vehicle year and make. *tr

Heater not working on 2006 chevy equinox causing safety and visibility problems. one day the ac and heat were working fine, the next day the heater would only blow cold air...no heat as well as a non-working window defroster. this began in early november. the dealership says the actuator needs to be replaced as well as the temperature door (blend door). cost is $100 for the analysis and about $1,000 for parts and labor. i have a securenet extended warranty but they say this is not covered. car is at dealership now awaiting my approval to do the work. i am in limbo and looking for another shop who can maybe fix it cheaper. considering the hundreds if not thousands of complaints i have seen online about this, and the fact the parts were cheap and should not be breaking so soon, this needs to be recalled! *tr

2006 chevy equinox bought brand new and now has 31t miles on it and the heater does not work. therefore, my windshields freeze up and cannot be defrosted. i am pregnant with my first child and am not going to be able to use this vehicle as it is safety hazard. the dealership sited it would cost me $1,076.00+tax to fix the air director door. *tr

Nothing caused the failure. just driving down the road and the heat quit blowing. just blows cold air now. the consequences are i can not defrost my windows and i have to drive my 6 year old handicapped son shivering in the back seat. gm knows about their defect but will not issue a recall. this is a huge safety concern for me and other drivers around me as my windows frost up driving. the part is a cheap plastic piece that gm used that is causing the temperature blend door and actuator to be faulty. to access this part the whole dash has to be removed, steering column and all. this should not be the owners responsibility when it is the manufactures problem. *tr

My car lost all heating function due to a faulty heater blend door and actuator which prevented hot air flow from coming into vehicle. this door was inside the dash console and required disassembling the entire dashboard. we were driving and unable to defrost our windshield as no heat was coming out of vents and ice/fog build up difficult to remove. the vehicle became a danger to other vehicles and pedestrians as windshield visibility was limited and blocked. dealer and gm considered this a non-safety issue and requires auto owners to repair the faulty parts. *tr

2006 equinox suddenly began blowing only cold air, regardless of the heat/cold settings, 100% of the time. there were no noticeable events leading up to the failure. because of this failure, the defrost function is inoperative leading to reduced visibility. out of the factory warranty period, the quotes for repair range from $800 to $1800. this is not affordable at this time, and given all the other identical complaints found on the internet, i believe this to be a recall issue due to the safety hazard resulting from decreased visibility. for reference, please see these forums for additional complaints: http://www.web2carz.com/797/2006/chevrolet/equinox/reviews/overview http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-equinox/tnmhvcte76u9hgth4/p18 after brief browsing of these forums, you can see that this problem is nowhere near unique to mine! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle during cold weather, the defroster would not defrost the windshield. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the blend door failed. the failure continued to recur during cold weather. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered a partial discount on the repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 58,000. updated 12/12/11*lj updated 12/14/11

In november the heat on our 2006 chevy equinox went out-only cold air blows. was informed by local chevy dealer that the heat blender door/valve frequently breaks and that they could repair it for 1500-1800$. if they frequently break why hasn't chevy issued a recall and stopped using s substandard product? *tr

In october of 2010 my 2006 chevy equinox heater began blowing cold air. i did research and found a lot of equinox owners are having the same issue. i went and received a diagnostics at the dealership and they said it is the temperature door and the repair cost is $1300. this is a safety issue because i am unable to defrost the windows if there is a snow storm or just being too cold. this happens whenever i turn on the heat and my concern is being able to see out the windshield if it fogs up or freezes. gmc has yet to issue a recall on the defective part. i have googled this problem and there is a website with over 400 complaints of consumers with the same issue and their vehicle being diagnosed with the same defective part. *tr

It is now the end of october in pennsylvania. it is very cold at 32 degrees. i turned my heat on in my equinox and it is blowing cold air. i did some research online, and found out many other owners of the 2006 equinox are having the same problem. it is due to the plastic piece braking on the heater blend door. it will cost $1,200 to fix. i called gm to see if their was a recall on theis part. i was told by gm that it has not been recalled because it "is not a safety issue". not a safety issue? i am unable to defrost my windows so i may see the road, putting my life, my children's lives and the lives of everyone on the road in danger. i would say this is a big problem!

Heater quit working, now no defrost. *tr

2006 chevy equinox heater stopped working at 75k+ miles. i am told by dealer and numerous complaints online by same exact vehicle owners that this is a faulty and defective blender door arm. it was replaced with plastic versus metal for 2006 in effort to cut corners. they all consistently break at 3 years or more! very common complaint. it is a safety issue when you are driving in 20degree weather and constantly get sick! also unable to defrost ice and haze from wind shield since only cold air blows out! this diminishes the visibility significantly! if i can't see from my windshield and have to a) drive with window open and freeze, b) use hand to wipe off while driving or c) pull over constantly and clean off windshield or use the mini plug in heater i had to purchase to help defrost my iced wind shield in the morning! over $1000 to fix. it is a defect. please google this year and "heater" you will find many many websites with exact complaints. gm needs to acknowledge this and fix at no charge! *tr

The heating control on my vehicle has malfunctioned. the problem is permanent. there is no internal heat. as i live in a winter climate, the lack of heat with my blower has made defrosting my vehicle difficult to impossible. upon further research, this exact problem has been diagnosed with at least several hundred vehicles of my make and model. the problem is a heating door mechanism that controls hot and cold. a local mechanic stated that chevrolet would not provide a non-dealership the part to fix it. chevrolet fails to acknowledge this as any safety concern. the dealership is offering to repair it for $1000. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that heater was blowing warm air. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the contact was informed that the temperature door and temperature actuator were defective. the contact called the manufacturer who took a complaint and advised her to take the vehicle to the dealer. the vehicle had not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 67,000.

My heater only blows out cold air! i've read over 500 complaints on other sires how gm decided to replace a metal door arm to the heater component with a plastic one which almost certainly will break at one point. usually 3-4 years of owning the vehicle! apparently their is a huge amount of labor involved to replace a $60-200 part which is only available thru the dealer and a min. of $1000 labor to fix because it requires removing the entire dash and other vital components of the vehicle! it is common knowledge this is going to happen and chevy is now going to start using metal arms?! gm will not recall this item even though dealers all over the country agree this is a set up. *tr

I took my 2006 chevrolet equinox in for repair when my windshield defroster didn't work effectively and i discovered my heat was blowing cold air. my local chevrolet dealership charged over $1100 to replace the temperature valve actuator and the hvac door valve to correct the problem. my car had only 44,495 miles at the time of the malfunction, and when i went online, i found that many others complained of the identical problem with their 2006 equinox. i was dismayed at the cost, but was more dismayed to learn they replaced the broken plastic parts with identical plastic parts on which there is only a 12-month warranty. i learned that there has been a recall on the 2010 chevy equinox on which they replaced the plastic parts with metal parts. the 2006 equinox should also be recalled, since a defroster will not clear a windshield in winter with cold air, which is definitely a safety hazard! gm should acknowledge this problem as a safety issue on the 2006 chevy equinox and issue a recall to replace the breakable plastic parts with metal.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. when the contact turned the heat on, it only blew warm air. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the actuator blend door was the cause of the failure; the dealer also stated that the instrument panel would have to be removed to replace the door. the failure mileage was 77,352 and the current mileage was 77,600.

I have a 2006 chevy equinox and the heat doesn't work in it. i've had it about 4.5 month and it' going to cost me $1350.00 to have it fixed. the problem is heater valve door actuator motor. gm knows this is a problem and refuse to fix it. it's not a safety hazard to them. i think it's a safety hazard if your driving down the street with heat you can't defrost your window so you can see were your going and think alot people that is having this problem will agree with me.i feel if stand behind your product and vehicle you should stand up and do the right thing recall this vehicle and fix 2006 equinox! *tr

I own a 2006 chevrolet equinox. last week the heater stopped blowing any warm or hot air. i put it in for repair and almost $1000 later i was told that one of the plastic tabs of the heater blend door had been cracked off by the over torquing of the heater actuator motor. i live in a cold climate and must have warm/hot air to keep my windows clear. this is a significant safety issue. *tr

I have a 2006 chevrolet equinox lt 3.4l awd and everything worked fine, i did not use my heater allsummer long. i turned it on as of 10/10/2010 and there was no heat at all. it was only cold air. i heard this is a very common issue and in some areas can be considered a safety risk. i live in the midwest where during winter, there is always frost on windows. if i do not have heat to defrost windows or get ice and snow off, this causes a risk. and putting hot or warm water on the window risks cracking the window. thanks for hearing me and this safety risk, it would be very nice to have this recalled as it is a common issue and is over $1000 to fix. *tr

I own a 2006 chevy equinox. my problem began when i had approximately 55,000 miles on my car. this past october (2010), i noticed my heater was not working. no warm or hot air comes out of any vent or defroster at any fan speed. my car has no heat. it is impossible to defrost windows to de-ice or remove/prevent fogged windows when driving. also, i have two small children (ages 2 and 4 months) and i must have heat in the care for their care and safety. after doing research and reading 100's of complaints online about others with this same problem, i took my car to a mechanic at an authorized dealer, where they told me that the temperature door and temperature actuator were defected and would need to be replaced.. the estimated repair cost is approximately $1500. the inability to defrost and defog the windows of this 2006 equinox is a safety hazard for myself and other drivers, causing lack of visibility before and during vehicle operation. i recommend you look at the following links to forums where numerous equinox owners have complained about this same problem with their vehicles. http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2006/chevrolet/equinox/window+defroster please investigate this problem and require gm to recall this factory defect. *tr

I cannot unfog my windshield because a heater flap has broken. my car blows out only cold air because of this broken piece (as diagnosed by a gm repair station). bright sunlight shining on the fogged (and frosted because of the cold air blowing on a wet, cold windshield) windshield results in zero visibility. *tr

In may we purchased a certified 2006 chevy equinox. we are retired and do not put miles on the car. we also live in northeast ohio. the first cold day we put the heat and defroster on. neither worked. we found that the heater door was broken. neither the dealer nor gm would help. we have had it fixed. however, the heater door nor actuator have not been redesigned to elevated this problem. we found hundreds of complaints on the internet for the same problem- no heat or defroster. this is a major job since the entire dash board must be removed. however, it is a safety hazard. defrosters are necessary, especially in cold climates. it appears that gm and dealers are denying the problem exists because of the cost involved. these cars need to be recalled. *tr

In oct 2010 the heat stopped working on my 2006 chevy equinox. at first i thought the problem might have been caused by air getting into the cooling system lines, because the coolant level in the reservoir had gotten a bit low. but adding coolant and trying to "burp" the system didn't fix the problem. upon searching the web, i discovered that quite a few people had the same no-heat problem with the chevy equinox and pontiac torrent (which is the same vehicle platform). it turns out the problem is caused by a small "door" that allows air to flow past the heater core. apparently this "air temperature blend door" has a plastic connecting shaft to an electric motor, and the shaft is prone to breaking after a few years. the trouble is... replacing this little part is not easy. it involves removing much of the dashboard, which takes a long time. consequently, the cost to repair this problem at a gm dealer is around $1,000, give or take a few hundred bucks. *tr

The blend door for the heater system does not work they crack.$ 1200.00 to repair the item as they remove the entire dashboard. we called gm and they would not offer us a penny. this is a life safety issue and the cars should be recalled. the point being how do you drive in the northeast or any cold climate and see out the windshield this went out as we were driving in snow conditions and the windshield fogged up we had to pull over off the highway as we would have had a serious accident. *tr

I have a 2006 chevrolet equinox that is blowing ice cold air through the heater as well as the defrosters i think along with the other 329 people who i read about has the same problem.and they all estimate the cost of repairs is 1,000 dollars we need help i tried replacing the thermostat but no help still cold air. *tr

Heat does not work, heater temperature valve has broken. can not turn heat to hot or cold. the windshield fogs up and freezes when below 32, it was a 15 hour project that will happen again in 40,000 miles if the problem is not corrected by gm. *tr

2006 chevy equinox heater blows cold air. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the heating system in the vehicle stopped functioning. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the contact was informed that the actuator in the blend door was defective, causing the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the contact called the dealer who offered no assistance as there were no related recalls. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 53,000. the failure mileage was approximately 52,500.

I have a 2006 chevy equinox and the heater has stopped working. the defroster does not work and according to the dealer it will cost atleast $1000 to repair a blend door that seems to be defective in alot of these vehicles. seems to me that gmc should pay the price since so many are having this same problem. *tr

The heater/defroster on my 2006 chevrolet equinox failed to produce heat. as a result, i could not defrost my windshield while driving. i took the vehicle to a local gm dealership to diagnose the problem. the failure was due to a plastic air blend door (part# ch19130554) that is controlled by an electric actuator (part# ch15781467). the actuator is not calibrated appropriately and places excessive stress on the plastic air blend door connection. over time, the plastic breaks, disabling the door and not allowing heat to be directed into the cabin. the repair requires the removal of the dashboard, driving control consoles and steering column to access the blend door. it cost me $1,145.08 to replace and required my car to be in the repair shop for 2 days. i live in pennsylvania and needed the repair completed so i could safely drive the vehicle. i strongly believe this is a design flaw that needs to be corrected by gm before someone gets into an accident. i was lucky to discover the problem in the early fall months. i could only imagine what would have happened if it broke in the winter. since gm has yet to address the design issues, i am concerned that i will experience the same problem again. from my internet research, i have identified many others who experienced this same problem and have the same concern. some cannot afford to make the repair and are operating the vehicle without heat/defrost. i am writing in the hopes that the nhtsa can influence gm to improve the design, to extend vehicle warranties to cover the repair and to assist those whom already paid for this repair. *tr

The heat setting blows out only cold air. gm repair service said that the plastic air temperature blend door was broken and needs replacement. gm rep said that gm does not acknowledge that such a problem exists. the defective part is situated within the dashboard requiring the dash to be completely removed. gm repair was familiar with the problem and how to repair it yet gm rep from corporate says gm is unaware of such a problem. *tr

2006 chevy equinox broken blend door. nothing lead up to the failure it just quit working. i haven't had it repaired yet, can't justify $1500 to replace. *tr

Defroster/ heater inoperable car can't be driven in winter. updated ivoq 03/14/11 *tr

the problem with the temp. door not working is if you need to defog or defrost your windows and the heat won't work you cant see. and you don't know when this will happen. thank god i was just trying to take the chill out of my vehicle on a cool fall evening, no matter what i did no heat. stop to get gas, started the truck....... heat came on, now it won't go off. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. while driving approximately 35 mph the contact attempted to turn on the heater but only cold air would blow from the vents. the failure recurred whenever he attempted to turn on the heat. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where he was informed a part within the dashboard fractured and was causing the heating system to fail. various repairs were performed but the failure continued. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 65,000.

Heater blowing cold air for 1 week. took to repair shop and advised blend door stuck, it and activator need replaced. estimated approx. $1000.00. *tr

2006 chevrolet equinox. heater actuator door broke. this leads to unsafe driving conditions. windshield can't be defrosted due to lack of heat control. 3 cold seasons use should present a recall. completely failed construction of makeup parts. this presents unsafe lack of visibility while driving in cold weather. *tr

The chevy equinox 2006 has had numerous problems with the heating system valve door breaking. it was explained to me by my dealer that this has been an ongoing problem with the car yet it is costing consumers approximately $1,000. to fix. there needs to be a recall on the trap door that releases the heat. *tr

I own a 2006 chevy equinox. a couple of months ago the heater and air conditioning stopped working. i began looking online to possibly see what might be wrong with it only to find that this was something many 2006 chevy equinox owners were experiencing. apparently it is a problem with the plastic blend door part and actuator. the total cost of parts is around $150, however the total cost of repair is in excess of $1000! the reason being is they have to disassemble the entire dashboard in order to reach this particular area of the car. i realize when owning a vehicle that issues arise and must be dealt with, but the frustrating thing here is chevy will not issue a recall nor a technical service bulletin because they say it is not a safety related issue. i tend to disagree. without being able to properly defrost and de-ice your windshield you are putting yourself in very dangerous driving conditions. it is my feeling that gm should stand behind their products better than this. one quick online search will reveal that this is a common issue for 2006 chevy equinox owners. they have sinced replaced the plastic part with what they originally used which is a metal piece. the plastic piece was choosen as a cost savings measure that in my opinion only saved gm money and not the end consumer. thank you for allowing me to file this complaint. i hope something with be done to address this issue. *tr