CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2006 Equinox is plagued by a heating problem, as in the heater only blows cold air.
The reported cause of this problem is a small door, known as the air temperature blend door, which allows air to flow past the heater core. This door has a plastic connecting shaft to an electric motor and the shaft is prone to breaking after a few years. The problem has a typical repair cost of over $800.
The 2006 Equinox also has a number of reported problems ranging from the key getting stuck in the ignition, to failing speed sensors, and trouble starting the engine. All in all, this car sounds like one worth avoiding.
File A Safety Defect Investigation Claim As I Did - I filed an official defect investigation claim today. If more of us file on here and request a complaint, then they HAVE to do something about it!
File A Safety Defect In Canada - We all need to ban together and GM to recall this faulty part! I'm sure a lot of you have been told that you were the only one with the problem.... lets prove them wrong! Please file complaints with the Safety boards of the USA and Canada! ALSO PLEASE contact me so that I can get a large group complaint started!
amie_beaton1001@hotmail.com
GM told me to take it to a dealer for them to charge me $99.00 to tell me what two other mechanics already told me is wrong with it. I'm not paying again and then paying $1200.00 for the part to be replaced. GM needs to do a recall on this problem because this is a very widespread problem with the 2006 Equinox. I'm calling my local channel 6 news for help on this one!
it looks like alot of people are having this problem with this car why want the dealer do a call back this has not been a good car and i will try my best to get rid of it i have owned alot of Chevy but this one is the worst one i have had its been a problem from day one i think i know why the people that had it before me got rid of it
paid GM $74 to tell me what I already knew, the heat door is broken. GM refuses to pay for repair, they say no one else is complaining, I guess they don't have access to the internet.
I'm considering filing a class action suit. I've already filed a complaint with NHSA, no feedback so far. Does anyone have any suggestion?
When it's cold outside, I don't expect my truck to be colder inside than it is outside, but it has been lately. At first I thought it was just me, but my son who hardly ever gets cold, mentioned that the truck wasn't warm enough. The more I turned the heat up, the colder the air got. This is such an inconvenience. If it's snowing outside, I should be warm while I'm driving to work, but instead I'm cold until I get there.
AFTER READING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THAT SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD, I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS PART OR ATLEAST SOME HELP FROM THE CHEVROLET COMPANY. THEY WANT YOU TO BUY THERE CARS BUT DON'T WANT TO STAND BEHIND THEM AND FIX THEM. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED AND ONLY HAVE HAD IT FOR 1 YEAR. WHAT A RIP OFF. LAST CHEVY CAR FOR ME. IT IS COLD HERE IN PA AND THIS NO TIME FOR A HEATER TO GO OUT.
- lesliea,
St. Michael, PA, US
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
Just like all the other "NO HEAT" complaints my 06 Equinox only blows cold air. I replaced the thermostat, assuming that was the problem, before consulting the internet and finding that this was a much bigger issue. The dealership told my wife it would be $700 to start, obviously the labor for tearing the dash out. With the help of the manlyness website I will be fixing the air temp blen door myself since that would seem to be the reason for no heat. Thanks a lot GM, for wasting a lot of money by giving it to your excellent leadership, taking millions from our government in the bailout, wasting that, and still screwing me, the consumer, over who purchased the vehicle that you won't stand behind and fix.
I have no heat in my 2006 equinox. I see I'm not the only one with this problem.Just like everybody else WHY hasn't GM recalled the part that everybody is having the problem with? It is really driving me crazy that I can't drive my vehicle like I want to. It cost entirely too much to have it fixed......GM YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT OUR CHEVY EQUINOX!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been looking up recalls on this problem with the "heater". It only has been addressed in the 2010 model. This is ridiculous. I wish I had never bought the car. I will never buy another GM or Chevrolet. They do not know how to take care of their customers. I AM COLD!
Update from Feb 26, 2011: My hisband had to take out the whole dash board and controls to get to this valve and actuator to fix the heater. You may look this up at handymanlyness.com. He explains step by step on how to do this. I will NEVER buy another chevy again.
Me and my husband bought a Chevrolet equinox on Nov. 2, 2010 and right when our damn warranty expires the damn heater starts blowing out cold air. So I call the dealership and they tell me it is going to cost around a grand to fix!!! the sh*t pisses me off cause I know they knew the sh*t was going to go out on us around the same time our warranty expires!! People can be so damn ass cruel!
hey.... what the hell is going on it's january-in buffalo ny and i don't have any heat what da fu@# is goin on.I looked it up on line and i'm not alone.a lot of you have the same problem,the heater blows out cold air not heat.and the problem is a arm that opens a door thats in the dash to let the heat in is broken.you must tear the dash apart to fix it will take alot of time to do and will cost around 900-1300$ to fix.But get this it's a big problem and GM won't recall the 06 Equinox WOW what A@#holes.IT'S JANUARY IN BUFFALO NY NEED I SAY MORE....And i don't have the money to pay for it,i'm disabled out of work and they won't recall this problem.GM is peeing on me and telling me it's raining,GM is saying it's not are fault that the plastic arm keep braking on the heater door.If you are having this problem too please sign up and let everyone know please!!!!!!
The heat in the car went out on the coldest day of the year so far. -26 windchill in Chicago while I had to take my son to the doctors. We took it to our local mechanic who thought it was just a flap that wouldn't stay open. He ended up calling a certified Chevy dealer who stated that it was also a bar that the flap attaches too and a little plastic part ($.50) that now flew off and is somewhere inside my dashboard. The dealer wanted $1,400 to fix and repair the problem that they said is being reported more and more frequent in my make/model of car. My mechanic said he should be able to fix for about $700 and informed me that there's not a recall on the car yet because there have not been enough reports about the DEFECT that CHEVY made on apparently ALL 2006 Chevy Equinox! If this is a common problem, I should not be the one that has to pay $700-$1,400 to fix it. It is a problem with the car and how it was manufactured!
Diagnosed as failed temp blend door. Estimated repair around $1000. Crap! Submitted report to NTSB as I found dozens, if not hundreds of identical complaints. Contacted Chevrolet and worked with a regional specialist. Also contacted local dealer. After some delays and unanswered calls, I got the repair goodwilled with NO expense out of my pocket. Aside from inconvenience, that is.
Doesn't change that GM needs to issue recall as this is a MAJOR safety issue in my climate (N. IL). At least Chevy stood behind its work.
I have had no problems with this car until now. I bought it new, loved it, still do. But! I can't understand how such a small problem, with an inexpensive part, can cost so very much to fix!! The research that I've done on the internet all says the same thing, a $35 part, $800 to replace it!!! Crazy!! If it breaks as often as it seems to, in a fairly young car, it should be recalled! How can the average American afford a $1000 repair? For a part that should last the life of the vehicle, and should have been metal to begin with--not plastic! Come on Chevy--back your product!
I can see from others on this site, that many have the same problem as I do. MY HEATER PUMPS OUT COLD AIR!!! I've had numerous mechanics tell me that the heater works fine, it's just the arm that wont open. Also, that the arm is plastic!!! The mechanics I talked to, including the dealership mechanic said it's a default part! I put a claim in with GM and the lady on the phone has been very nice, however, nothing is getting done! The dealership admitted the part was a default, yet they wont pay for it to get fixed. This all started in October 2010! It's been two months! Finally today I demanded to speak to the manger and all he said was that he'd give me 20% off! Thats it!! If It costs a little under $2000 to fix, that's not very much off. Also, the part costs $35!! Besides the fact that it is freezing cold in my car (-10), it's also dangerous! I can't defog my windshield or defrost it! Along with this problem, I also have a water leak coming in through the brake and gas pedal area of the driver seat! Again, they admitted it was a default part, and of course...... they wont pay for it!! AND when I picked up my car from the dealership there was a crack in my windshield! They actually cracked my windshield and said it was already there! To add to this, they said it was cracked from inside the car, so it was probably me. They also said that it was likely a 2X4 that cracked it....... I DONT DRIVE AROUND WITH 2X4'S IN MY CAR!!!!!!
Update from Jan 20, 2011: Hello everyone!!
I've started a group complaint with GM Canada and GM USA please CONTACT ME at amie_beaton1001@hotmail.com to help me and everyone else get a recall! Or Directly contact Deniese at 1-800-263-7854 Ext. 2339 to file a complaint. This woman said I was the only one with this problem, please help me prove her wrong!
the temp here is 14 degrees, as i was going to work yesterday my heat was blowing out cold air...i called several chevrolet places and i was told it would be $885.00 to repair, not to mention the $105.00 to tell me what problem was..I was told by two dealers that they had not heard of any problems with heat blowing cold air on the 2006 equinox...now as i have researched this on my own i called them back and they could not say a thing but still acted as though i was the only person having this kind of problem..this is a safety hazard due to not being able to defrost windshield as well as freezing ..i cannot drive this car now as cold as it is...they need to recall these vehicles and fix the problem..as i understand it a plastic part was used on this heat unit and they are replacing them with a steel part....i am going to call chevrolet headquarters and file a complaint...
Update from Jan 15, 2011: I contacted Chevrolet and they act very unconcerned..they also are saying that my complaint is the only one they have heard about...if everyone that is having this problem would contact Chevrolet maybe they would recall these cars..I will never ever buy another Chevrolet...by far a FORD is the better of the two makes...and you know I have had older cars and drove them till the wheels fall off and I have never had to spend out money on them like I have this 2006 Equinox....
GRRRRRRRR.......the coldest week in the history of Tucson AZ and my heater blows out COLD AIR!! What are the odds. I've had my car since 2004 and loved it..... till now!! If the problem comes from the manufacturer...why don't they fix it?????? I've made sure to maintain my car in good conditions, it's just not fair that because of THEIR mistake I have to pay out of pocket about $1000!!!!!!!! Now I'm not one to complain....but WTH????? seriously!
I can not believe this! Just like everyone else, my heat only blows cold air. Ofcourse the mechanic changed the thermastat and that was not the issue. Now they are working on REMOVING the dashboard. Labor so far totals 9 hours and they are not done. I bought it 15 months ago as a certified used and the warranty is over. Lucky me, I've been reduced to part time at work and now it will cost me close to $1000 just to have heat. Working nights in Pennsylvania, I definitely need heat that works! Pissed off beyond belief. I will update when I get the final bill.
I will never buy a GM vehicle again. In the past it was all I would buy. I refuse to buy them because the US government owns most of it, also because at 60000 miles things constantly go wrong with them. The problem with my 2006 Equinox began at 35900 miles with the cruise control working intermittently. Then shortly after that the turn signal malfunctioned. Now at 60000 miles the heater doesn't heat. Never again
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
GM told me to take it to a dealer for them to charge me $99.00 to tell me what two other mechanics already told me is wrong with it. I'm not paying again and then paying $1200.00 for the part to be replaced. GM needs to do a recall on this problem because this is a very widespread problem with the 2006 Equinox. I'm calling my local channel 6 news for help on this one!
- Melissa G., Greenfield, IN, US