Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Equinox VISIBILITY

I was lucky and found out when it was summer time and not cold out... my mechanics have replaced 2 different parts the temp switch and valve that they were told could be the problem and still no heat .. and i have done more research on the problem it turns out to be the heat door arm is broke and take 7-8 hours to remove the dash. many equinox have the same problem with out heat and defrost you cant see to use the car during cold weather this is a safety issue during the winter. *tr

My 2006 chevy equinox started blowing out cold air when i turned the heat on back in may of 2010. we decided to let it go since it was getting warmer out and now that it's getting colder here in mi, we decided to get the problem fixed because the defroster won't work. my husband is a mechanic and we started looking online to see what the problem might be and came across thousands of posts from people that have the same issue. the blend door is more than likely broken, the dash has to be taken apart to fix it and we can't afford to pay someone over $1000 to fix it. the car only has 48000 miles on it and i've never had any problems with gm cars in the past so we decided not to get the extended warranty. i will rethink this in the future because of the cheap way vehicles are being made now. makes me sick we have to do all this work for a cheap part that needs to be replaced. *tr

2006 chevy equinox - there is a defect in the heater actuator occurring on many vehicles. i didn't realize the problem until searching all the complaints on the web and talking with the dealership. the failure of the heater actuator caused only cold air to blow. this prevents warm air from being directed to the front windshield to prevent buildup of frost. depending on weather fronts passing through and time of day, this is becoming a serious safety issue for me. one would ask: why not get it fixed? i have taken this to the dealer and the relatively cheap replacement part requires $1200.00+ to have the entire dashboard removed. it is not practical in most cases to pay this amount for a simple part repair, and in most cased to complex for a do-it-yourself mechanic. hundreds of car part failures are occurring, as apparent from complaints on the web. a fatal accident is bound to happen if it hasn't already. there are some reports that gm as recognized the poorly designed part and the high potential for accidents so they are quietly trying to design a new part. this has got require a recall. *tr

2006 chevrolet equinox. no heat as the hvac temperature door is broken. part is 79.00 cad but dealer needs 8 - 10 hours to replace part. must remove dash board. car has 102,000 kms. part like this should not break and if it does, should be easier to replace. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the heater in the vehicle was no longer functioning. the dealer informed her that the failure was caused by a broken blend door that needed to be replaced. the contact called the manufacturer and was waiting for someone to return her call. the current and failure mileages were approximately 37,000.

2006 chevy equinox "no heat" - this vehicle has a problem with the blend door breaking. my opinion, it is a bad design. many equinox owners are experiencing the same failure. it is unsafe because the defrost will not work. my failure happened at 72,000 miles. this is a known problem with the equinox as well as the pontiac torrent. i think gm should be forced to recall this at once. it seems the parts are only available from the dealer at a cost of $65 - $200, however the labor is $600 - $1200, no customer should have to spend that on an obvious design flaw. *tr

My 2006 equinox was diagnosed on monday with a broken blend door, damaged actuator (due to blend door being broken and leaking), and damaged heating core (due to blend door being broken and leaking). the reason i needed to get a diagnosis is because in mid april the fan was blowing but no heat was coming out. at this stage there was about 55,000 miles on the vehicle and we were just driving normal city driving limits. needless to say i had the vehicle diagnosed and the total repair cost me $1500. the service guy i spoke to told me he sees about 1 in 25 equinoxs with this same problem. living in new england is it not a safety issue if we do not have heat? in the middle of winter we cannot defrost our windows!! this becomes a safety issue because there will be people out on the road driving with impaired vision due to foggy, snow covered, or ice covered windows who cannot afford to pay for these repairs. gm should definitely recall this vehicle for this reason alone which is clearly a safety issue!! what about people who have kids? you always hear about not leaving your kids in the car in extreme heat...i think that the same applies to extreme cold. without heat the same problems can occur as with heat. heat is a necessity in the winter! *tr

There is a failure in the heating blend door which causes the defrosting system to become inoperative. causing reduced visibility & obstructed view when condensation collects on the inside of the windshield also the illuminated light on the control knob have burnt out causing further inattentiveness while driving, if looking to change the setting. *tr

I have a chevy equinox 2006 in which the blend door actuator has broken. apparently this is a problem with many 2006 models. i think it should be a recall. a car in maine in winter without heat is a safety issue. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy equinox. earlier this week, the heater stopped working. i took it into a mechanic, and was told the heater door was not working properly. this car has 31,000 miles. then we were driving the car home and got caught in a snow storm. our visibility was extremely impaired and we almost hit 2 cars. we had to pull over every 10 blocks to manually defrost the windows and clear off the fog. after looking online, this seems to be a common problem with this make and model. no heater/defroster is a serious safety hazard in snowy conditions. repair is estimated at $1500.

I was driving on a cold morning and discovered that i could not obtain any heat or defroster action in my vehicle. from searching online i discovered this is a violation of your rule which motor vehicles must have the capability to defrost the windshield. i found that there is a recall on the 2010 chevy equinox at the present time. the module which controls the same part which failed in my vehicle has to be replaced. the end result from the module failure is the same thing which i experienced, that there is no way to defrost the windshield. i took the car to the dealer and they diagnosed the problem. the temperature control door had broken off where it is driven by the electric motor. the entire dash had to be removed to gain access to the temperature control door. i was quoted a price of $895 labor and $55 for the part. after calling gm and they investigated they offered me a discount which reduced the price to$458.40 which i paid to have the problem fixed. once the part breaks, there is no chance of defroster action. the consequences of no defrosting action in wisconsin in the winter means you cannot see where you are going and no way to rectify it temporarily. it can happen on the spur of the moment since once the control door fails you have no defrost action. i asked the dealer for the parts which were replaced and he told me that gm might ask for them. after 30 days if they don't want them i can have them. *tr

Blend door on 2006 chevrolet equinox has broken and does not allow heated air to be circulated through the vents -- only cold air. gm has known about this condition but refuses to fix the issue, regardless of it's countless documentations of the problem. without heat being circulated through the ventilation system it causes a serious safety hazard as fog and haze will cover the interior of the windshield and eliminate the driver's view of the road. to repair the door the entire dash of the vehicle must be removed to replace the door, totaling over $1,200 in labor. *tr

Heater does not work on 2006 chevy equinox due to an air temperature blend door behind the dash. this appears to be a large spread problem with chevy equinox. any google search with the keywords "chevy equinox heater problem" will prove this. this is a major safety issue in the winter months. the window will not defrost making it impossible to see out of the front window. my research shows that chevy will not make a recall on this because they feel it is not a safety issue. i would guess this is not the first complaint. *tr

Heater blend door in 2006 chevrolet equinox has broken. system only blows cold air and thus a safety hazard as defrost will not keep windshield clear of fog and possible ice. *tr

Blend door malfunction causing no heat in 2006 chevy equinox. heater blowing cold air. *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

2006 chevy equinox with 53k miles. heater door is broken. 8-9 hours of labor plus parts. i live in wyoming with -20 degree mornings during the winter. mine broke while driving 200 miles with no place to stop to get warm. if we had not had really warm cloths and blankets to bundle in we would have froze. from a safety stand point- all the covers made movement difficult. if there had been an emergency i would not have been able to move quick enough. *tr

Owned a 2006 chevy equinox with 34636 miles, heater gave up on us, and went to find out the extent of the problem. found out that the heater case door needs replaced at an estimate of $1500, with 9hrs of labor. no accidents leading to, or injuries, as of yet, however, the interior windows do fog up causing, my wife and i, to clear the interior fog, and then move on. *tr

2006 chevrolet equinox heater door assembly has gone out, hazards unable to defrost windows adequately and is a safety hazard for my family. thousands of complaints on this issue on this model. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy equinox. the heat is not functioning. the service department tells me that it is a heater blend door actuator failure. this vehicle only has 72k miles and this part shouldn't be failing already. imagine this scenario - a young couple in a remote area of north dakota in the winter. and, they have two young children in the backseat. the heater blend door actuator fails and they are 200 hundred miles from the nearest place they can stop for heat. they thought they would be alright when they left on their trip since the vehicle is only a few years old. instead, they are faced with a situation that could be fatal. gm should be forced to fix this situation on all chevy equinoxes and pontiac torrents. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. he stated that the defog and defrost system malfunctioned which has caused cold air to come out of the vents. the malfunction caused poor visibility while driving approximately 35 mph. the dealer stated that there were no recalls for his vehicle and that was not a safety hazard. the vehicle has not been repaired. the mechanic stated that they would need to take the dashboard apart to repair the vehicle. the failure mileage was 90000 and the current mileage was 91000.

2006 chevrolet equinox "air blend door" not functioning properly and causing safety hazard. we purchased a 2006 chevrolet equinox from terry labonte chevrolet in 2006. now after approximately 4 years, there is a problem with the 'air blend door" malfunctioning in the heating/cooling system causing the safety hazard of the windows remaining iced/fogged up in certain weather conditions. failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 103, "windshield defrosting and defogging systems and with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 101, controls and displays. i understand they have a recall on 2010 equinox models but this problem is concurrent with several year models of the gm product line including our 2006 equinox. all i can get from anyone is that we have to come in and pay $85 to get the problem "diagnosed". then if it is in face the air blend door, it will cost from $1,000 to $1,500 to fix the problem. i feel that the heating/cooling system and its components (except for the heater coil) should be functional for the lifetime of the car and any malfunctioning items within should be a safety violation and that the vehicle be fixed for free. they need to recall all gm models of vehicles that have this same problem. *tr

The "blend" door broke on my heater, causing no heat at all. during the winter months this causes ice and frost to build on my windshield, causing a serious safety hazard. after researching online, i found several hundred others in the same situation, this repair is ranging from $900 to $1200. with this cost i only wonder how many people are driving one of these vehicles franticly trying to wipe their window to prevent ice / frost while driving. *tr

No heat as of january 2010. cannot defrost windshield, very low visibility. dealership diagnosed broken mode door. $1211 to repair, plus parts and taxes. *tr

2006 equinox blend door prematurely malfunctions and renders defogger and heaters useless impairing the vision and safety of the driver, passengers and public safety. please review the 100's of complaints from the links i listed below. thank you so much for your time! http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-equinox/tnmhvcte76u9hgth4 http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2006/chevrolet/equinox/window+defroster http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/equinox/2006/ac_heater/heat_blows_out_cold_air.shtml http://www.web2carz.com/797/2006/chevrolet/equinox/reviews/overview#addreview. *tr

Hvac system went out on 2006 chevrolet equinox vehicle. vehicle has 38,000 miles and was just out of warranty which was 3 years or 36,000 miles. we live in colorado springs,colorado and had major snowstorm when heater went out while driving on interstate 25. safety of driver and others were put at jeopardy due to vehicle heater failure. front windshield and windows would not defrost putting driver at risk. after getting home safely looked at internet site (topix.com) and found approximately 230 other vehicle owners with same make and model that has had the same type failure of the 2006 equinox heater system failure. there has been no recall of this problem by chevrolet putting at risk the safety of drivers of this vehicle model when chevrolet knows of the failure of the heater system. took vehicle to dealer on january 8, 2009 and explained heater failure and concern to local service manager. service manager stated that there is no vehicle recall for this failure and that the number of heater failures for this model versus sales of this model is low. costs to replace heater on vehicle was $1100 but due to my complaint. there should be a recall notice issued by chevrolet due to number of heater failures on this model of vehicle putting drivers at risk by not being able to use defroster to provide clear visibility on windshield and could result in a crash without warning. there is presently a safety recall (#090298) dated december 18,2009 nhtsa campaign id number 09v489000 for the 2010 equinox dealing with the same issue on safety and visibility issue. due to the number of failures of the heater system in the 2006 chevrolet equinox a recall should be issued for vehicle owners. owners are having to pay from $800 to $1100 dollars to have the heater system repaired so that they can safely drive in this model of vehicle during inclement weather and safely see out of the vehicle with a working defroster. this is definitely a safety issue and should be reviewed by the nhtsa. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. while driving approximately 55 mph with the heating system activated, the heating system failed without warning. the vehicle was in the process of being inspected for the failure. the failure and current mileages were 69,986. the vin was unavailable.

2006 chevy equinox lack of heat. the heater door valve module actuator is defective. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated that the vehicle heater failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the blend door would close and the heat will not come through to the interior of the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted who advised the contact that the warranty had expired and they would not offer any further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 86,000.

My 2006 chevy equinox starting blowing cold air in 2009. i took the car to my mechanic and discovered a plastic piece known as the blend door assembly is stuck or broken and it will cost over $1000 to repair. without heat my windows will not defrost and it is a safety issue. i went to a site (http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-equinox/tnmhvcte76u9hgth4/p5) and found hundreds of gm owners are having the same problem. please forced gm to recall this item. *tr

I own a 2006 chevy equinox. this model also has a similar problem that the 2010 model has. the heat does not work for the car or defroster. it causes poor vision and creates unsafe driving conditions. there is a door that is defective that controls the heat. the whole dash has to be replaced at a cost of over 800 dollars. chevy knows this is a problem but fails to do a recall. there are numerous online complaints about this. *tr

No warm air as the blend door on my 2006 chevrolet equinox is broken. estimated repair bill is $1,200. cannot afford this so my family and i will freeze this winter as this is our only vehicle. this is but one of a number of complaints that have been filed by various owners concerning this gm safety issue. *tr

I own a 2006 chevrolet equinox my heater stopped blowing hot air in only blows out cold. it stopped working at 26,000 miles and my 3 year warranty expired. chevrolet says that there is no recall because it is not a safety issue. i live in new york. it is currently 30 degrees outside i have a 3 year old and a 4 year old i can not defrost my windows because i have no heat in my car. how is this not a safety issue.there are several complaints all over the internet with people owning a 2006 chevy equinox who have the same problem. it is going to cost anywhere between $1,500 to $1,800 dollars i have 2 small children i can not afford to spend that kind of money when chevy should fix the problem. thank you for your time. *tr

As i come to find out, may people are having the same issue with the 2006 chevrolet equinox as i am. the heater will not function due to, as i was told, a failure of a plastic vent door hinge deep behind the dash. apart from the inconvenience of no heat, last night on my home it was raining and the temperature went as about 40 degrees f. when my windshield would not defrost my visibility was diminished and a narrowly avoided a major accident. i found out that there are many people who are having the same issue. i was luck last night, but its just a matter of time before someone gets hurt or killed if gm does not recall this major flaw in their design. this issue has been brought up with gm and they have designed a metal replacement part. this tells me that they are aware that there is a problem and want to take the easy way out. please log my complaint regarding this issue and urge gm to recall this car. *tr

2006 chevrolet equinox not blowing warm air due to faulty blend door. *tr

I drive a 06 chevy equinox it has 70,000 miles now and a few months ago my heater went out i live in colorado and it's winter i have a 1 1/2 year old daughter my car will not defrost in the morning its extremely cold and it sucks to drive when you cannot see because it freezes on the inside and out of my windows and its so cold its ridiculous....this website i went to people are having the same problems its very common and a recall needs to be done the i don't have 1200 to fix this dumb blend door part they made so cheap. this is a safety hazard why wont they recall it??? go check out this website and see for yourself all the problems this dumb car is causing....http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-equinox/tnmhvcte76u9hgth4/p9. *tr

I have a 2006 chevy equinox and now that winter is here, my heater and defroster does not work. i get a popping sound when i turn on the heater and all i get is cold air. after doing some research i found out that this is a big problem for 2005, 2006 chevy equinox's. i can't defrost my windshield and that makes driving a hazard. chevy had told me its my problem and that its out of warranty. what i don't understand is that this is a huge problem for many americans and chevy gets the pass and doesn't have to do anything about it. *tr

No events leading up to failure. the heater/defrost worked fine one day, then the next day we turned it on and it only blows cold air. the engine is not running hot, so we determined it is not the water pump. we replaced the thermostat, but that didn't work. we replenished the anti-freeze, but still no warm air. the heater is one thing, but the defrost not working is a complete safety hazard. *tr

2006 equinox suddenly stopped blowing warm air in the cabin, inhibiting our ability to defrost the windshield in cold weather. gm diagnosed as failure of the "blend door" (as reported by many others). quote was over $900 for labor to replace a cheap plastic part. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. she stated that the heating element was inoperable and would only blow cold air. the dealer stated that the achd case temperature door failed to operate normally. the repairs were estimated at costs over $800 at the owner's expense. there were no related recalls. she also stated that the power windows did not operate. the current and failure mileages were under 41,457.

2006 chevy equinox many of them including mine have no heat the door breaks and the whole dash must come off to fix. i checked online and many many of this year has or had this problem. very costly to fix. should not be happening to this new of a car. why no recall of this with so many having the same problem? where to go? no heat no defrost. *tr

My chevrolet equinox 2006 heater stopped blowing hot air. did some research on line and found this is a common problem with this particular model. took it to dealer where it was diagnosed as a faulty heater door or temp valve. now i cannot defrost my windows. *tr

Tried to turn on the heat. will only blow cold air. after some research online, i'm finding there are a lot of owners with the same problem: blend door/actuator issue. it's obvious that this part is defective. *tr

My 2006 chevy. equinox heater is blowing cold air and i was told its the actuator and the blend door. there are over 150 complaints regarding this on the following website: http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/chevrolet-equinox/tnmhvcte76u9hgth4/p8#lastpost . it is the beginning of winter and i can not go all winter without a heater and if there are so many problems with them then us consumers should not have to pay and it should be recalled!!!!!! this is ridiculous! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet equinox. the contact stated the internal heat would only blow cold air. the dealer advised there were no recalls for the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 28,000 and the current mileage was 30,200.

I have a 2006 chevy equinox my heater just went out i searched on the web sight and found out this has been a problem with the actuator or blend door or even heater core i purchased this vehicle new what can we do our family does not have the money to fix something that should have been manufactures defect. *tr

My heat just stopped working with no warning at all. can not defrost windows. only air blows. i was told that my temperature blend door actuator is broken, and that this is a well known problem with this car model/make. it will be $1000.00 to repair, which i do not have! *tr

The heater on our 2006 chevy equinox went out in the middle of a road trip in the winter. we experienced visibility issues and endured cold temperatures for the balance of the trip. turn out the heater blend assembly door broke. this problem has been reported in thousands of 2006 chevy equinox and pontiac vibe models. the break happened a few months after our manufacturer's warranty had expired. gm has refused to goodwill the fix, in spite of the fact that the part is clearly defective and is a major safety issue when it breaks. *tr

My 06 chevy equinox blend door failed when leaving my work 2 nights ago. heat was not even on and i heard it the wall of chamber. i have 4 ase certifications. so when my heat did not work last night with my pregnant wife and 2 kids in the car. i new what the problem was. verified today that the blind door is non-responsive and yes the a/c is working fine. now since the heat does not blow and defrost does not work this is a safety and health concern. even more so one cold new jersey days/ nights. bundled up people in a vehicle causes heat buildup thus fogging the windows once you start driving. which can lead to a vary bad accident. i have also found a forum with about 140 people same issue for the known issue of temperature blend door actuator. and also just by googling the issue. like stated previously. this is a major safety and health concern. with a vehicle that only has 40,000 miles on it. *tr

Car heat stopped working for no reason. car only blows cold air and will not defrost the windows. in addition the windows fog with no source to defog . *tr updated 01/25/10 *bf updated 01/26/10.*jb