The actuator that operates the heater blend door - overextends and breaks the heater blend door. This causes the heater to not work at all. The actuators are defective and the heater doors are defective because they break due to a manufacturers defect. If the heat doesn't work the windows won't defrost so this is a visibility hazard. I also listed it as an electrical and unknown hazard. There are thousands of complaints out on the internet for the 2006 Pontiac Torrents & Chevy equinox's and all of them have the same problem and most of them are around the 50,000 mile mark. GM will not pay for it if it is past the warranty because they say there isn't a recall for this. These 2 parts should be recalled because it is a hazard to drive your vehicle if you can't defrost your windows. It is approximately $900-$1200 to fix because they need to take apart the entire dash board to get at the actuator and the blend door. GM should stand behind this and fix this so that people can drive safely and be able to see out their windows.

- Juneau, WI, USA

I own a 2006 Pontiac Torrent driving along one day and the heat just went out. This caused a dangerous situation as the defrost stopped working as well. I have been unable to drive the car in the winter for going on three years now its just not safe. Due to the number of complaints filed for this same exact thing it is unbelievable to me that the government does not force GM to conduct a recall before someone gets killed.

- Rock Hill, SC, USA

The heater has stopped working. The mechanic says the door rod has either broken or the motor has gone bad. More than 200 complaints regarding this malfunction in this particular model vehicle have been reported. This needs to be addressed under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 103 - windshield defrosting and defogging systems - passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses (effective 1-1-88). This standard specifies requirements for windshield defrosting and defogging systems. This is not random in any way. I think we as consumers should band together and form a class action lawsuit again the maker of this vehicle. I will be in contact!!!

- Douglasville, GA, USA

April 15th, 2010 our ignition wouldn't kick over. It would take more than three times to kick over. I tried conditioning the spark plug and it didn't help. (we just lived with the problem) June 2011 we had our first electrical problem with the car. The radio was the first to go in May. Then in July our A/C stopped working, and all we had left was our heat. We were able to fix the A/C, but it didn't last very long. We then lost A/C again and our radio started working in August(2011). Shortly after the radio started working we lost heat. Now we have only the radio that works. We cannot see anything because of the heat not working. The visibility is completely horrible! I have researched this issue and found that it would cost us 1,500 dollars to fix it. I can't afford that! we haven't had the car two years yet and it's stating to break down! this is a serious issue!!!

- Mountain Home Afb, ID, USA

Defroster is inoperable. Temperature doesn't change to heat when air blend dial is turned. The heater doesn't work either. In freezing conditions, there is no way to keep the windshield clear due to cold air blowing.

- Leona Valley, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac Torrent. The contact stated that the heater blend door fractured, causing the heating system to blow out cold air when the heating function was activated. The failure also caused inadequate visibility of the roadway due to the defroster not properly clearing the windows. A private mechanic confirmed that the heater blend door needed to be replaced to correct the failure but did not perform the repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The current mileage was 35,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 34,800.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

Heater blend door is broken - confirmed by two mechanics. From reading online, this appears to be a very common (and expensive) problem in the 2006 Torrent and 2006 Chevy equinox due to a design flaw. The dealer quoted us $1100-$1200 to repair. Reading online, I am not confident that this problem will not reoccur. Living in NY, we cannot function without a working heater and defroster. We are very disappointed that GM has not issued a recall for this apparently common defect.

- Port Byron, NY, USA

Failure of the HVAC blend door (verified by GM dealership after paying $135) has made defrosting the forward windshield in cold temperatures impossible. This is a safety issue because of the limiting of visibility and in violation of standard 103 (www.NHTSA.gov/cars/rules/import/FMVSS/index.html#SN103) from the U.S. department of transportation. GM has admitted a design flaw in the HVAC blend door actuator in that a dealer replacement uses an updated HVAC blend door actuator which more accurately limits the rotational travel. The failure of the HVAC blend door occurs because the original faulty designed HVAC blend door actuator travels too far causing structural stress on the blend door which eventually leads to premature failure of the blend door. This results in vent air not passing over the heat core, therefore making defrosting of the windshield not possible in cold conditions.

- Saint Paul, MN, USA

The arm on the air temperature blend door on my 2006 Pontiac Torrent that connects to the actuator has broken. This allows nothing but cold air into the inside of the vehicle and very difficult to clear the window. There seems to be hundreds of similar complaints pertaining to this problem. This causes a extremely potential hazard due to faulty parts and workmanship. Due to the fact that this problem has occurred, this vehicle is inoperable until it is fixed due to colder weather. I have parked this vehicle and I am still making payments.

- Haysi, VA, USA

I own a 06 Pontiac Torrent and just recently the heater and defroster quit working. After having it diagnosed I was told that the heater blend door was broken and it would cost around $1000 to be fixed. After much research I have found that there are thousands of Torrent owners with the same problem, as well as Chevrolet equinox owners. This is a serious visibility issue, with no way to clear our windows of fog and frost in these colder months. Although I have not heard of any deaths or injuries resulting from this obvious design flaw, I believe it is just a matter of time. Please help!!!!

- Reading, MI, USA

No heat; temperature control does not change from cold to hot. Believe temperature blend door to be the problem, as this seems to be what the dealers (checked with 3 local GM dealers) all point to as a common problem on this model. This will affect visibility (no or poor defrosting) as well as comfort, both of which are safety hazards when facing the coming Wisconsin winter. Strongly believe this to be a manufacturing defect that should be recalled, as it involves a relatively low cost part but extensive labor to dismantle the dashboard and replace it. Estimates have ranged from $800 to $1200 for the job. Please take action on this, as it has been a safety and financial concern for me and my family, as well as numerous other Pontiac Torrent and Chevrolet equinox owners. Thank you.

- Racine, WI, USA

No heat in 2006 Pontiac Torrent. Broken valve door. Hundreds of other people are having this problem. However, since the actually maintenance is so costly, GM has chosen to not recall it. ( M.topix.com/forum/autos/Chevrolet-equinox/tnmhvcte76U9hgth4/P19 ).

- Knoxville, TN, USA

Experienced no heat; fan worked. No heat means you can't defrost or de-fog your windshield. Took to dealer for repair. From invoice -- "temp actuator out of parameter. Broken temp door...temp door does not move...defective temp actuator. Does not respond....R&R temp actuator. Found end of temp door broken off. Temp actuator out of parameter due to broken door. Need temp door....re-placed temp door and temp actuator as needed." Cost including labor & parts ~$1550. General Motors has not issued a recall to fix this safety issue GM has not even issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) about this problem to advise dealership service departments about the how's and why's of this malfunction.

- Minnetonka, MN, USA

2006 Pontiac Torrent. Consumer states problem with the functioning air temperature blend door the consumer stated when she turned the heat on one morning, only cold air came from the vents. The consumer learned the plastic door was attached to a motorized actuator which opened and closed to allow airflow past the heater core.

- Taylorsville, UT, USA

2006 Pontiac Torrent - heat stopped working without warning - only cold air blowing from heater and defroster/defogger. Brought car in for service to have thermostat checked - no issues with thermo. Told the problem is the "blend door" inside the dash and it will cost approximately $1254.32 in labor since the entire dashboard needs to be removed in order for the part to be replaced. This is a safety issue since without heat, the defroster does not clear the windshield or driver side and passenger side windows, affecting visibility. After reading numerous complaints about this same issue I really think a recall is in order here. This is not a normal "wear and tear" issue, and is obviously a design flaw and faulty parts, seems this issue is due to a faulty actuator that is over torx the blend door causing the door to break. Door and actuator needs replaced.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

2006 Pontiac Torrent - heat stopped working without warning - only cold air blowing from heater and defroster/defogger. Brought car in for service and had coolant, heater core, fuses and thermostat checked - all fine. Told the problem is the "blend door" inside the dash and it will cost approximately $1000 in labor since the entire dashboard needs to be removed in order for the part to be replaced. This is a safety issue since without heat, the defroster does not clear the windshield or driver side and passenger side windows, affecting visibility. After reading numerous complaints about this same issue I really think a recall is in order here. This is not a normal "wear and tear" issue, and is obviously a design flaw and faulty parts, please help.

- South Berwick, ME, USA

Heat went out with out warning. Upon researching online found it's a common problem and should be recalled. The actuator was the cause of the broken shaft on the blend door. The actuator had rotated too far, beyond its limits, and overpowered the plastic shaft on the door. This actuator isn't just a simple motor. As you know, an electric motor spins when power is applied. The actuator is a small electric motor connected to a gear-reduction unit, with a position-sensing device that is monitored by the body control module (BCM), which is a computer that controls a bunch of stuff not related to the engine or powertrain. When the position sensor indicates that the actuator is at the end of its range of travel, the BCM shuts off power to the motor. The output shaft on the actuator should never be able to reach the degree of rotation that is shown above. Why did that happen" did the BCM malfunction and apply power too long" I doubt it... because electronic circuits are less likely to malfunction than electro-mechanical devices. I'm going to have to assume that the actuator is faulty... that the position-sensing device (probably just a variable resistor) developed an open circuit, or an internal short circuit, or something. This kind of problem bugs me (and a lot of other people) because General Motors has not issued a recall to fix what can be a safety problem... no heat means you can't defrost or de-fog your windshield. What's worse... GM has not even issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) about this problem to advise dealership service departments about the how's and why's of this malfunction. So I'm a bit concerned that the new actuator might malfunction just like the first one. If GM had issued a tsb, I'd be assured that the engineers had solved the faulty actuator problem, and that all the replacement parts had been revised and improved, and the heat would work just fine for years to come. But I don't have that confidence. Recall needed. Dangerous.

- Warsaw, VA, USA

We own a 2006 Pontiac Torrent which has absolutely no defrost or defogging system that will kick in. Mileage is 63,000. No warning of this problem, just quit working. This is a safety hazard, especially in cold weather or damp and foggy weather. Nothing has been done as of right now to correct as I see others are affected.

- Stockton, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac Torrent. The contact was driving approximately 30-35 mph when she activated the heater and it would not engage. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was advised that the air blend door had fractured and possibly the motor. In order to repair the failure, the mechanic advised the contact that the entire dashboard would need TO0 be removed. In addition, the defroster was inoperable as a result of the failure. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer per the manufacturer's suggestion and the dealer confirmed the mechanic's findings. The contact was informed that the dealer was not authorized by the manufacturer and she would have to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 37,675. Updated 02/03/11 updated 02/14/11

- Pittsburg , PA, USA

The heat blend door on my 2006 Pontiac Torrent with 79,953. Miles on it failed on October 7, 2010. I found out that this is the problem by researching the internet. I found thousands of other people with the exact same problem with both the Chevy equinox & Pontiac Torrent, which is what I own. I spoke with the dealer I purchased the car from and at first he was hesitant about talking about the problem and what it may cost and then after being put on hold for short while he suddenly came up with an approximate cost of $ 1,000 for labor, parts would be extra which means the real cost with tax & parts is more like $ $1,300. Now it seems to me that GM should own up to the problem and at the very least offer a partial settlement based on each case because just one lawsuit will certainly cost much more than that. It appears that not only the blend door is a problem, but also the actuator motor which operates the door seems to be at fault by jumping a few gear teeth inside the sealed case. There is a website where this problem, repair is documented with descriptions and photos of the job/problem from start to finish. www.handymanlyness.com is the website. A class action lawsuit should not be out of the question.

- Strykersville, NY, USA