2006 Chevrolet Equinox

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.

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

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

1) FAIRLY NEW CHEVY EQUINOX (2006) WITH $65,000 MILES OVERHEATED IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING - WITHIN A DAY, DIFFICULTY STARTING VEHICLE AND WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE WHEN STARTING THE CAR IN THE MORNING - CAR SHOWED NO SYMPTOMS UNTIL PROBLEM OCCURRED 2) CAR OVERHEATS AND STALLS OUT AS A RESULT - PER THE MECHANIC, IT HAS BLOWN HEAD GASKETS 3) HEAD GASKETS REPLACED AT $2,800 - THE CAR ISN'T EVEN FOUR YEARS OLD AFTER RESEARCHING MORE ABOUT THE PROBLEM TO SEE IF MY COST OF REPAIR WAS WITHIN THE AVERAGE FOR SUCH REPAIRS, I SAW THAT MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY EQUINOX, AND THAT IT IS LIKELY A FAULTY DESIGN ISSUE. *TR