2006 PONTIAC TORRENT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER; WHO ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING MODULE AND CONTROL MODULE WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER, KEY AND RECODED THE LOCK CYLINDER. AFTER THE REPAIRS TO THE IGNITION, THE KEY WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY START THE VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE DEALER THEN ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN MODULAR ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

DRIVING APPROX. 45 MPH DOWN 4 LANE HIGHWAY IN THE LEFT LANE. ENGINE STOPPED AND LOST ALL STEERING & BRAKING CONTROL. ABLE TO COAST TO A DITCH ON SIDE OF THE ROAD. TURNED THE VEHICLE TO OFF POSITION IN IGNITION SWITCH THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE. AFTER 3-4 CRANKING ATTEMPTS, CAR STARTED. WENT STRAIGHT TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ON. SECOND OCCASION- DRIVING APPROX. 25 MPH DOWN 2 LANE ROAD. BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN TO TURN LEFT- ENGINE STOPPED AND LOST ALL STEERING & BRAKING CONTROL. ABLE TO COAST TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. TURNED THE VEHICLE TO OFF POSITION IN IGNITION SWITCH THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE. CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. WENT TO NEAREST SERVICE STORE AND ONCE AGAIN WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING APPEARED TO BE WRONG BECAUSE THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON. TAKES MULTIPLE CRANKING ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE ON A DAILY BASIS. NO PATTERN TO WHEN. COULD BE IN THE AM, PM, MIDDLE OF THE DAY, HOT, COLD, WARM, RAINING, SNOWING, SUNNY, CLOUDY. *TR

DRIVING, TURNED THE DEFROST ON, ONLY COLD AIR CAME OUT, UNABLE TO DEFOG OR DEFROST WINDSHIELD. NO HEAT WHATSOEVER. BLOWS COLD AIR AT ALL TIMES. APPARENTLY SOME OF THE OTHER GM VEHICLES BASED ON THE SAME PLATFORM HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAD MY HEATED SEATS ON AND I NOTICED IT WAS GETTING REALLY HOT, SO WHEN I GOT TO MY DESTINATION I STOPPED AND GOT OUT AND I NOTICED A HOLE IN MY SEAT WHERE IT HAD BURNED RIGHT THROUGH IT. SO IF I HAD NOT HAD A COAT ON IT WOULD HAVE BURNED ME. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAD THE HEATED SEATS ON. ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE I FELT MY BACK GET HOT AND FELT BEHIND ME AND MY COAT HAD A HOLE BURNT THROUGH IT MY BACK WAS HOT AND A HOLE IN THE SEAT ALSO. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 55MPH ON A TRIP THE HEAT JUST STOPPED BLOWING. AS SINCE, THIS WEATHER HAS BEEN -20 AND -25 BELOW AND I HAVE NO DEFROST, HEAT. I WENT TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC ONLY TO FIND OUT THE HEAT/AIR/DOOR IS BROKE. COST OF REPAIRS 1200.00 TO 1,500.00 IT IS AN ALL DAY JOB. THE DASH AND ALL COMPONENTS WILL HAVE TO BE REMOVED AND PUT BACK ON. NEEDLESS TO SAY WITH THIS WINTER BEING ONE OF THE COLDEST I UNDERSTAND AND CAN FEEL WHAT OTHERS ARE GOING THROUGH THAT HAS THIS SAME PROBLEM... AND I HAVE TO BUNDLE JUST TO GO TO WORK. I WORK AN HOUR AWAY AND AFTER FINDING THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM !!!! I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE MONEY GIVEN TO THE ONES THAT NEEDS THIS FIXED. *TR

THIS TORRENT STOPPED AT 65 MPH ON A TRIPLE LANE HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE. A GOOD SAMARITAN WITH A TRUCK CAME UP BEHIND ME WITH HIS FLASHERS ON AND PUSHED ME TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT CRANK. AFTER WAITING A WHILE THE ENGINE WOULD CRANK AND STARTED RIGHT UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES NOW WHERE IT JUST STOPS BUT RESTARTS AFTER A FEW MINUTES. I UNDERSTAND A VEHICLE CAN BREAK AND NOT RUN. BUT A VEHICLE THAT IS RUNNING SHOULD NEVER BE SHUT DOWN BY THE COMPUTER WHEN IT IS CAPABLE OF RUNNING AND BE PUTTING A DRIVER IN DANGER. IF THIS VEHICLE IS CAPABLE OF CORRECTING ITSELF IN A FEW MINUTES TO RUN AGAIN FOR ANOTHER WEEK BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN IT SHOULD RUN RIGHT THROUGH THE DANGEROUS SHUTDOWN. IT IS A DANGEROUS FLAW THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. RATHER THAN SHUT THE CAR DOWN IT COULD GO INTO A RUN MODE TO ALLOW THE DRIVE TO MAKE IT TO A SAFE LOCATION. PONTIAC KNOWS OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN ON IT. THIS VEHICLE IS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 15, 2013 I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UP UNDER THE HOOD. I PULLED OVER AND RAISED THE HOOD AND THE ELECTRICAL WIRES TO THE ELECTRICAL BOX WAS ON FIRE. I CUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND SAT FOR A MINUTE AND THE AUTOMATIC STARTER JUST KEPT STARTING THE CAR BY ITSELF. I GOT IN THE VEHICLE AND TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT TRIED TO START WITHOUT ME TURNING THE KEY OVER. I GOT BACK OUT THE VEHICLE AND IT CONTINUED TO AUTOMATICALLY START BY ITSELF UNTIL THE BATTERY RAN DEAD. ON NOVEMBER 18, 2013 I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND HE STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAD BURNED UP. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARING WENT OUT RESULTING IN EXTREME VIBRATION AND NOISE. *TR

THE HEATED SEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BURNT A HOLE THROUGH THE UPHOLSTERY AND BURNT A HOLE IN MY WIFE'S COAT. THE HEATED SEAT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BURNT A HOLE THROUGH THE UPHOLSTERY AND BURNT A HOLE IN MY COAT. BOTH HEATED SEATS BURNT HOLES THROUGH THE UPHOLSTERY AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY EXPOSED WIRES. IT RUINED OUR COATS AS WELL. *TR