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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.

2.4

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,694 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Chevrolet Equinox windows / windshield problems

windows / windshield problem

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2006 Chevrolet Equinox Owner Comments (Page 2 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #130

Feb 042013

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 140,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I live in Alaska where it does get cold during the winter time. My wife was driving from anchorage to our home about 45 miles away when she had no heat inside her car. I replaced the thermostat and sensor check the heater core all were fine. I could not figured out why no heat. No heat also meant I could not defrost the windshield ( safety hazard). I did some research on the internet and ask other Equinox owners if they had the problem. I found out the blend door breaks. The reason it breaks is the blend door motor rotates to far, breaking the tabs on the door. I would like to know why there has not been a recall on this safety hazard" look on the internet and you will find many owners who have the same problem and still the NHTSA does nothing about the problem, why"

- Wasilla, AK, USA

problem #129

Jul 112013

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 98,000 miles
We had a cold front come through today causing my window to fog. I changed my air to heat but just got cold air. I took it to the dealership and found out its my blend door. He said it would cost about $45 for the part but $1200 in labor!!!!! he also said that this has happened to thousands of Equinox's! this issue needs to be corrected and a recall issued! I could not see anything and came so close to wreaking I sat in the shoulder of the road and cried!

- Hampton, VA, USA

problem #128

Mar 102013

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 138,001 miles
I have no heat or defrosters. Is there a recall because it is unsafe to drive when cold weather is present. Should I file a law suit" I understand this is something that is under investigation in other vehicles of same make and model. I can't afford to fix. My garage states $1100 to fix. What should I do and how can I get Chevrolet to pay for this"

- Hanover, PA, USA

problem #127

May 012013

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 134,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Heat just stopped blowing out, was told it could be temperature control door, $25 part and $800 in labor, this is a problem that should have a recall on it.

- Huntington Station , NY, USA

problem #126

Jan 012013

Equinox

  • miles
The vehicle has no heat and only blows cold air....does not allow the windows to defrost and is a safety hazard.

- Dunnellon, FL, USA

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problem #125

Feb 012012

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
No hot air blows through vents, only cold air. Also, the car cranks, but doesn't turn over most of the time, you have to push on the gas pedal in order for it to turn over. Very frustrating for a mom.

- Thornton, CO, USA

problem #124

Nov 262012

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving my child to school one morning and the heater started blowing out cold air. Some time later, I took my Chevy Equinox to my mechanic. He said it would cost around $1,000 to repair. This was a shock because my mechanic is very reputable; I have used him for years. He never tries to cheat me or any of his other customers. When he quoted me that price, that's when I knew something was seriously wrong with my car. I don't have that kind of money - I'm a single mother of 2 kids and I was laid off from my job a few months ago. I called Chevrolet 3 times and nobody would help me. In the meantime, I did some research to see if any other consumers have experienced this same problem. I found over 600 complaints from other drivers about this exact same issue. I took my car to a mechanic again and was advised that Chevy/GM hasn't issued a recall for this problem (car heater blowing cold air) because it would not be cost-effective for Chevy to fix it. This is a problem that Chevy/GM has known about and, from what I've seen, the problem exists in Chevy Equinox's from all different model years. Not only will I never buy a Chevy again, I am filing a class-action lawsuit against Chevy/GM for failing to issue a recall to fix a known problem. Even if I did have the money, I should not have to pay out of pocket for something that this company knows is a problem.

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #123

Aug 012011

Equinox

  • 97,000 miles
The heater stopped producing warm air. Diagnosed it as a heater blend door problem. GM sent us a letter asking to fix and then denied the claim.

- Orland Hills, IL, USA

problem #122

Jun 012012

Equinox

  • 73,000 miles
My heater stopped working it blows out cold air. As I have researched this problem it seems to common with all 2006 Equinox.

- Yakima, WA, USA

problem #121

May 012012

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
Heat stopped working. Not able to turn on the heat in the car because the plastic part that works the heater blend door is broken and would take 24 hours and about $1000 to replace.

- Springfield, VA, USA

problem #120

Apr 022012

Equinox

  • 115,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Bought used in Feb 2012 from local dealer the heater worked fine until early April. We had weird weather here in upstate NY very warm so did not need to use heater that much. Took daughter to work at 4 am and turned on heat and cold air is coming thru vents, the temp gauge is fine I am thinking maybe the thermostat is stuck open it might be original thermostat or from what I see on this site the mechanical door is stuck or broken. I spoke with dealer he said it was covered in the warranty to pay the $100 deductible and have it checked out, with so many other people complaining about this can the attorney general get involved on this it is definitely a safety issue if no heat and defrosting windows and GM sits on their hands and say it is within GM's criteria well GM obviously sucks and do not honor a major defect in their product. I like the Equinox but only had it 2 months and this is not good glad it is getting warm now.

- Watervliet, NY, USA

problem #119

Apr 082012

Equinox

  • 68,000 miles
The contacts owns a 2006 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that heat no longer blew through the vents. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the temperature blend door needed to be replaced. The dealer did not provide a reason for the failure. The failure and current mileages were 68,000.

- Sarver, PA, USA

problem #118

Jan 012012

Equinox 6-cyl

  • miles
2006 Chevrolet Equinox lt. Consumer writes in regards to a safety concern with defroster failure, blend door and actuator failure the consumer stated the blend door was removed from the dash of the vehicle due to a failed plastic end piece that was sheared off the door by the actuator that caused the door to rotate which made the heat and defroster inoperable. There was visible bubbles in the plastic portion that sheared off.

- Ocean City, MD, USA

problem #117

Mar 072012

Equinox

  • 86,000 miles
My car blows cold air. I had everything checked only to find out that it was the air flow blend door inside the heater system. The entire dashboard has to be removed. To repair it will cost $1291 and $96.86 for the dealer to tell me that this is the problem. I live in Chicago, my windows will not defrost, I have a hard time believing that this is not a recall. It is unsafe to drive a car when you can't get a clear windshield not mention driving in a freezing cold vehicle.

- Dolton , IL, USA

problem #116

Dec 172008

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
This vehicle blows out cold air when the heat is on. It does not defrost and take close to 30 minutes to come to a tolerable heat temperature. I spent $500 trying to repair this issue and it still does not work.

- Spanaway, WA, USA

problem #115

Jan 062012

Equinox

  • 69,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the defroster was inoperable and would not clear the windows whether using cold or hot temperatures. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised the contact that the shutter door needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Simsboro, LA, USA

problem #114

Dec 012010

Equinox

  • 60,000 miles
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"

- Portage, MI, USA

problem #113

Dec 022011

Equinox

  • miles
After a month of purchasing my Equinox the heat quit working. After doing research on the internet I have noticed that this is a common problem with this year and make vehicle. I took my Equinox to my local GM dealer and they confirmed that the problem I was having was with the air temperature door blend breaking due to improper installation of the actuator that opens and closes the door. The actuator will put too much pressure on the door causing it to break over time. This is a safety issue in cold weather states because you don't have heat to defrost your window properly. If this door breaks on a road trip you are likely unable to see until you get the problem fixed. I believe that GM is unwilling to recall this part due to the fact that it is so labor intensive to repair this problem. The cost should not be the issue as people's safety should be their main concern! I am asking the NHTSA to look into this matter and make GM fix this problem!

- Williston, ND, USA

problem #112

Dec 172011

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
I have a 2006 Chevy Equinox that all of a sudden started blowing cold air when the heat should be on. I replaced the thermostat thinking that was the problem. It's not. It is the temp actuator door. According to a diagnostic test done by a Chevy dealer this is a very common problem with the 2006 Equinox. I emailed General Motors who offered to pay 10% of the $1000 charge it will take to fix this problem. I do not have this money. And after reading several websites there are a ton of people who have this same issue with their vehicles. This should be a recall. I live in Colorado where it is 20 degrees outside. My windows will not defrost without heat. Please help all of us that are having this problem. It is a safety hazard when you may be driving in dry weather...and then it starts snowing or raining. How are we to see when the windows fog or freeze up. As we say in Colorado...wait five minutes and the weather will change. But it may be too late if my windows won't defrost and I'm out on the plains or in the mountains where there are no towns for 150 miles. This a very realistic danger. General Motors does not recognize this as a problem with the 2006 model, although apparently they do realize it on the 2010 model. I have been a life long Chevy owner, and my father retired after 32 years with GM. If something is not done...I will never own another General Motors product. Please do something before someone is seriously injured or killed because of this problem.

- Fort Lupton, CO, USA

problem #111

Dec 132011

Equinox 6-cyl

  • 38,920 miles
Heater blows cold air. Heater just stopped blowing hot air. After diagnosis the dealer found the temp (air blend )door broke and in the default cold position. Had to replace the temp door and the actuator. Parts $163 labor $930.60 plus misc. Total cost $1184.12.

- Farmington, NM, USA

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