2006 PONTIAC TORRENT Complaints

2006 PONTIAC TORRENT; LOSS OF HEATING SYSTEM; NO DE-ICE OR DEFROST CAPABILITY; $1200 REPAIR COST...FAILURE OF AIR TEMP BLEND DOOR ASSEMBLY. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

2006 PONTIAC TORRENT DRIVER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING REAR COLLISION. WIRES IN DRIVERS DOOR WERE BROKEN WHICH SEEMS TO BE COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. NOT SURE IF THESE WIRES CONTROL AIRBAG OR NOT BUT POWER WINDOWS AND DOORS STOPPED WORKING, VARIOUS DASH LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF AT VARIOUS TIMES. THE WIRING HARNESS APPEARS TO BE INSTALLED TOO TIGHTLY CAUSING THE WIRES TO STRETCH WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED AND CLOSED. GOOGLE "2006 PONTIAC TORRENT WIRING HARNESS" TO FIND THAT THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON. *TR

I OWN A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. OVERNIGHT THE HEATER STOPPED WORKING IN MY VEHICLE. THE BLOWER FAN AND ALL THE SWITCHES ARE FINE. AIRFLOW DOES CHANGE FROM VENT TO FLOOR TO DEFROSTERS. WHEN I TURN THE TEMPERATURE KNOB TO HOT AIR, ONLY COLD AIR COMES OUT NO MATER WHAT THE SETTING IS ON THE MODE DOOR. I BROUGHT IT TO MY MECHANIC AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC. MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS FINE AS WAS MY COOLANT LEVEL. THEY ADVISED THAT THE TEMPERATURE SHAFT IS BROKEN INSIDE THE HEATER BOX AND WOULD NEED TO BE FIXED BY REMOVING THE ENTIRE DASH LABOR COST ALONE IS ABOVE 1000K. I CALLED GM TO ASK WHAT THEY WILL DO TO ASSIST WITH THE COST BUT SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL OR CLASS ACTION THEY WILL NOT HELP TO REPAIR THE DAMAGED HEATER DOOR. ONLINE THERE WERE OVER 325 COMPLAINTS OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WHEN I JUST PUT IN 2006 PONTIAC HEATER AS A SEARCH. NOTE THAT THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND GARAGED AT ALL TIMES THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY SINCE I NO LONGER HAVE HEAT IN THE CAR AND TRANSPORT CHILDREN DAILY. *TR

HEATER BLEND DOOR BROKE, SO THERE IS NO HEAT. THIS IS CAUSED BY THE ACTUATOR OVER EXTENDING ITS CYCLE AND IT BREAKS THE VALVE DOOR. GM HASNT REDESIGNED THIS NOR DO THEY WANT TO TAKE ANY ACTION FOR IT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN TO DRIVE WITH NO HEAT. AVE COST IS AROUND $1200 TO FIX AND THE PART IS $40.00. IT REQUIRES YOUR ENTIRE DASH TO BE REMOVED AND THE BLOWER PULLED OUT TO FIX THE DOOR. PEOPLE NEED TO GET ON GM'S CASE AND THIS WEBSITES CASE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO FIX THIS. THERE IS ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE WEATHER ITS A EQUINOX OR A TORRENT.THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT NOT THE CUSTOMER. IT IS BAD ENOUGH IT COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLAR STO FIX ONTOP OF YOUR CAR NOTE. *TR

MY 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT WILL NOT CRANK ON THE FIRST TIME MOST TIMES. IT TAKES SEVERAL TRIES BEFORE IT WILL CRANK. I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED AND NOBODY CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG. SOMETIMES IT WILL CRANK FINE. A FEW PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED A RELAY ISSUE. ALSO, BRAKES HAVE STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE OFF AND ON. BRAKES ARE NOT READY TO BE REPLACED AND NO ISSUE CAN BE FOUND. THE ODOMETER LIGHT HAS GONE OUT AND COMES OFF AND ON. I WAS TOLD THIS COULD BE A CLUSTER ISSUE. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN 2007 FROM A DEALERSHIP AND HAVE HAD ALOT OF PROBLEMS OVER THE LAST YEAR. OVER THE LAST MONTH, I HAVE BEEN HEARING A SLOSHING SOUND COMING FROM THE BACK. IT SOUNDS LIKE MY GAS IS SLOSHING AROUND AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE. IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS FALLING APART AND IT DOES NOT EVEN HAVE 86,000 MILES ON IT. I TAKE CARE OF IT AND KEEP THE MAINTENANCE UP ON IT. I SEE THAT ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME SORT OF ISSUES WITH THE CRANKING BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN FILED BECAUSE PONTIAC HAS NOT RECEIVED ENOUGH COMPLAINTS! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I AM JUST WAITING FOR MY CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE FROM ONE OF THE ISSUES OR ANOTHER! I HAVE TRIED TO ENTER MY VIN NUMBER BUT IT WILL NOT TAKE IT AND IT MEETS ALL OF YOUR CRITERIA. I CALLED THE HELPLINE AND THEY SAID TO JUST SKIP IT. I WILL ENTER IT HERE. THE VIN IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY I SET MY CRUISE CONTROL AND AFTER DRIVING A LITTLE WHILE IT RESET CAUSING ME TO SLOW DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE SECOND IS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START MY VEHICLE IT WOULDN'T CRANK CAUSING ME TO ATTEMPT TWO OR THREE MORE TIMES BEFORE IT WAS SUCCESSFUL. I TOOK IT TOO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. THIRD I WOKE UP SUNDAY MORNING AND I HAD NO HEAT IN MY TRUCK THE HEATER IS BLOWING COOL AIR I WAS TOLD THAT WAS THE BLEND BOX. AND WHEN I WENT TO FILL UP MY GAS TANK THIS MORNING THE FUEL METER STOPPED AT 3/4 OF A TANK WHEN I KNOW IT IS ON A FULL TANK. I HAVE NOT REPLACED ANY PARTS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I AM AWARE IT WILL COST SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO FIX THE BLEND BOX. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BRAKES; HOWEVER, APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES AS WELL AS THE ROTORS. ALSO THE HEATING SYSTEM WAS BLOWING OUT COLD AIR. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.