2006 PONTIAC TORRENT Complaints

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!!! *TR

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. *TR

TL* 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.

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. *TR

DURING THE SUMMER, THE AIR CONDITIONING ON OUR 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT STARTED ACTING UP. WE COULD ONLY RUN THE CAR'S AIR CONDITIONER FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD START BLOWING OUT WARM AIR. WE FOUND THAT IF WE TURNED IT OFF FOR A WHILE, THEN TURNED IT BACK ON, IT WOULD WORK FOR A WHILE LONGER, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO REPEAT THE PROCESS. NOW THAT COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE HERE, WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE HEATER IS BLOWING OUT COLD AIR. WE TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE BLEND DOOR, WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE TORRENT. COST: $1200, AS IT WOULD BE A GOOD EIGHT HOUR JOB TO REPLACE THE NECESSARY PART. SINCE THE COST WAS SO HIGH, WE TOOK IT TO ANOTHER PLACE AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME VERDICT, BUT THE REPAIR COST WAS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS - $750, WHICH IS STILL A LOT FOR A PART THAT COSTS LESS THAN $100. WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE JUST DISHED OUT $551 TO HAVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED, SO WE ARE LOOKING INTO A PORTABLE HEATER UNTIL WE CAN AFFORD TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE. THE BLEND DOOR SHOULD BE RECALLED AND TAKEN CARE OF BY THE MANUFACTURER. OUR FAMILY OF FIVE (THE YOUNGEST BEING NINE YEARS OLD) HAS BEEN BUNDLING UP EVERY TIME WE GET INTO THE CAR, BUT ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GETS COLDER AND THE WINDOWS START FROSTING OVER. THIS PART, IN PARTICULAR, IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO BE WITHOUT DURING THE WINTER, DUE TO INADEQUATE VISIBILITY FROM WINDOWS THAT CANNOT BE DEFROSTED. DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER!!! *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS ON MY SON'S 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2006. 2 MONTHS AGO WE SPENT $1500 IN THE HEAT AND AIR ISSUE. OK NO BIG DEAL. HAD TO DO IT. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF MY CHILD, I HAVE TO SUBMIT A COMPLAINT. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP ON HIM AND HE CAN BE IN ANY SITUATION, MORNING TRAFFIC, QUIET ROAD, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN NO WAY TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. HE SLOWS DOWN, IN ANY KIND OF TRAFFIC WHICH LEADS TO GOD KNOWS WHAT KIND OF SITUATION. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE FIXED FOR HIM AT NO COST. STEERING WHEELS SHOULD NOT LOCK UP FOR NO REASON. I EXPECT TO HEAR BACK ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I CAN FIX THE WEAR AND TEAR OF ANY VEHICLE BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LIFE THREATENING ISSUES, THERE HAS TO HAVE BEEN A CASE STUDY AND A SOLUTION FOUND AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATER'S BLOWER MOTOR MALFUNCTIONED AND ONLY COLD AIR WOULD BLOW OUT OF THE VENTS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONT DEFROSTER WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BLEND DOOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE HEAT WENT OUT IN MY 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR. I WAS ALSO TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE PONTIAC TORRENT. THE LABOR ALONE ON THIS PROBLEM IS $1200.00. THE PART ITSELF IS ONLY COSTING ME $35.00. I FEEL THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT GETS VERY COLD IN INDIANA FOR WINTER, AND WHEN YOU HAVE NO HEAT, AND ONLY COLD AIR BLOWING OUT IT REDUCES VISIBILITY TO ALMOST ZERO. WHY ISN'T GM RECALLING THIS PART? HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T FEEL THIS IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO KEEP AN HONEST BUSINESS RUNNING. PLEASE MAKE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM AND REIMBURSE PEOPLE FOR THE COST. *TR

THE HEATER STOPPED WORKING ON MY 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT, COLD AIR COMES OUT OF THE VENTS REGARDLESS OF THE SETTING. I LIVE IN MICHIGAN WHERE IT IS ESSENTIAL TO BE ABLE TO USE THE DEFROST AND THE HEATER. WE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST A MINIMUM OF $1200 DOLLARS TO FIX AND 8-10 HOURS OF LABOR, THE ACTUAL PART IS UNDER $100. THE DELAERSHIP EVEN SAID THAT THIS IS A TYPICAL PROBLEM ON THE TORRENTS AND THAT THEY HAVE FIXED MANY OF THEM. THE WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER IT ONCE THE VEHICLE HAS GONE OVER THE MILEAGE ALLOTTED BY THE MANUFACTURER HOWEVER I DON'T FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE A FACTOR FOR THE HEATER AS THE NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN DOES NOT AFFECT THE HEATING/COOLING SYSTEM. I DON'T FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING A PLASTIC PART AND PAYING FOR LABOR ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON DEFECT IN THE TORRENT. ADDITIONALLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUES SINCE YOU NEED TO SEE OUT YOUR WINDSHIELD TO DRIVE. GM NEEDS TO MAKE THIS RIGHT BY HAVING A RECALL ON THIS PART! *TR

I HAD 2 WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED WITH 3 MONTHS OF ONE ANOTHER AND THEN THE HEATER DIED. JUST BLOWS COLD AIR - TOLD IT WAS THE BLEND DOOR AND WOULD COST $1200 TO FIX - WHICH I DO NOT HAVE. NO DEFROST EITHER - DEFINITE HAZARD. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE AND GM IS NOT WILLING TO FIX. MY CAR HAS 78,000 MILES CURRENTLY - *TR