2006 Chevrolet Equinox

DEFECTIVE MIDDLE SEAT BELT ON 2006 CHEVY EQUINOX. I FOLDED DOWN THE SEAT TO PUT SOMETHING LARGE IN THE BACK. WHEN I TRIED TO PUT THE SEAT BACK UP, THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. I TRIED EVERYTHING I COULD TO LOOSEN THE SEAT BELT BUT TO NO AVAIL IT WON'T BUDGE. I TOOK IT TO THE CHEVY DEALER THAT I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND HE SAID ALL HE COULD DO IS CUT THE SEAT BELT AND ORDER ME A NEW SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL ME WITH AN ESTIMATE TO REPLACE. 3 DAYS PASS AND NO CALLS FROM DEALER SO I CALLED HIM AND HE FINALLY LOOKED IT UP. HE SAID IT WOULD COST ME 375.00 TO REPAIR THIS SEAT BELT. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND I SEE NO REASON FOR THIS SEAT BELT TO MALFUNCTION. THE COST TO REPLACE SEEMS VERY EXCESSIVE AND I CAN'T SEEM TO GET ANY ANSWERS FROM THE DEALER OTHER THAN "IT HAPPENS". OH, AND OF COURSE MY CAR IS ABOUT 1000 MILES OUT OF THE 60 THOUSAND/ 5 YEAR WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATING SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ACTUATOR IN THE BLEND DOOR WAS DEFECTIVE, CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AS THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,500.

THE HEATER/DEFROSTER ON MY 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX FAILED TO PRODUCE HEAT. AS A RESULT, I COULD NOT DEFROST MY WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A PLASTIC AIR BLEND DOOR (PART# CH19130554) THAT IS CONTROLLED BY AN ELECTRIC ACTUATOR (PART# CH15781467). THE ACTUATOR IS NOT CALIBRATED APPROPRIATELY AND PLACES EXCESSIVE STRESS ON THE PLASTIC AIR BLEND DOOR CONNECTION. OVER TIME, THE PLASTIC BREAKS, DISABLING THE DOOR AND NOT ALLOWING HEAT TO BE DIRECTED INTO THE CABIN. THE REPAIR REQUIRES THE REMOVAL OF THE DASHBOARD, DRIVING CONTROL CONSOLES AND STEERING COLUMN TO ACCESS THE BLEND DOOR. IT COST ME $1,145.08 TO REPLACE AND REQUIRED MY CAR TO BE IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOR 2 DAYS. I LIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA AND NEEDED THE REPAIR COMPLETED SO I COULD SAFELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BY GM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INTO AN ACCIDENT. I WAS LUCKY TO DISCOVER THE PROBLEM IN THE EARLY FALL MONTHS. I COULD ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF IT BROKE IN THE WINTER. SINCE GM HAS YET TO ADDRESS THE DESIGN ISSUES, I AM CONCERNED THAT I WILL EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. FROM MY INTERNET RESEARCH, I HAVE IDENTIFIED MANY OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE THE SAME CONCERN. SOME CANNOT AFFORD TO MAKE THE REPAIR AND ARE OPERATING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT HEAT/DEFROST. I AM WRITING IN THE HOPES THAT THE NHTSA CAN INFLUENCE GM TO IMPROVE THE DESIGN, TO EXTEND VEHICLE WARRANTIES TO COVER THE REPAIR AND TO ASSIST THOSE WHOM ALREADY PAID FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR

ON MY 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL (TC) WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH ARE ON, AND THE BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY AND FREQUENTLY WILL NOT WORK, ESPECIALLY AT SLOW SPEEDS. THEY PULSE AND THE CAR DOES NOT SLOW, UNTIL THE BRAKES PEDAL IS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. THE GARAGE HAS REPLACED THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS TWICE, THE ABS CONTROL MODULE, THE STRUTS, AND ALSO ROTATED THE TIRES, AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTER INDICATES FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING. I SEE ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS S A WIDESPREAD AND PERSISTENT PROBLEM ON THE CHEVY EQUINOX. WE STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO FIX IT PERMANENTLY. *TR

THE HEAT SETTING BLOWS OUT ONLY COLD AIR. GM REPAIR SERVICE SAID THAT THE PLASTIC AIR TEMPERATURE BLEND DOOR WAS BROKEN AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. GM REP SAID THAT GM DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SUCH A PROBLEM EXISTS. THE DEFECTIVE PART IS SITUATED WITHIN THE DASHBOARD REQUIRING THE DASH TO BE COMPLETELY REMOVED. GM REPAIR WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM AND HOW TO REPAIR IT YET GM REP FROM CORPORATE SAYS GM IS UNAWARE OF SUCH A PROBLEM. *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