2006 Chevrolet Equinox VISIBILITY/WIPER
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WEAK PLASTIC IN THE BLEND DOOR OF THE HVAC SYSTEM CAUSES DOOR TO BREAK AND GET STUCK IN THE "COLD" POSITION. NO HEAT IN SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN MEANS YOUR WINDSHIELD WILL NOT DEFROST AND VISIBILITY DROPS BECOMING HAZARDOUS IN POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS.
MY HEATER ONLY BLOWS COLD AIR. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN MY WINDSHIELD HAS A LAYER OF FROST OR SNOW ON IT, I HAVE NO ABILITY TO CLEAR IT BY WAY OF UTILIZING MY DEFROST. I DRIVE WITH ALL OF MY WINDOWS DOWN AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS MOVING CONSTANTLY IN ATTEMPTS TO SEE. CHEVY IS AWARE THAT THEY MADE A PART THAT IS DEFECTIVE. THEY EXTENDED A WARRANTY ON A CHEAP PLASTIC PART THAT TENDS TO BREAK AT 60,000 THAT WAS COVERED UNTIL 2016 OR 120,000 MILES. I HOWEVER DID NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES UNTIL OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY. I DON'T SCAN RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE IF I'M NOT EXPERIENCING ISSUES AT THE TIME. MY CHEAP DEFECTIVE PART BROKE WHEN UNDER 58,000 MILES AND UNFORTUNATELY IN 2017. CHEVY HIDES BEHIND THIS AND IS NOT WILLING TO FIX A DEFECTIVE PART AND ULTIMATELY DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING ISSUE THAT CHEVY DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AND IS ULTIMATELY A SAFETY ISSUE. CHEVY NEEDS TO PAY FOR IT TO BE FIXED-PERIOD.
TEMP CONTROL DOOR FAILED CAUSING NO DEFOGGING/DEFROSTING IN CAR. CHEVY IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH COULD CAUSE DRIVER INABILITY TO SEE THRU WINDSHIELD AND HAS RECALLED SOME YEAR MODELS, BUT NOT 2006 MODELS. I REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE FOR $1162.49. THE PART IS NOT EXPENSIVE, REQUIRES MANY HOURS OF TAKING APART DASHBOARD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE HEATER BLOWER ONLY BLEW OUT COLD AIR AND WAS UNABLE TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (JIM BUTLER CHEVROLET IN FENTON, MO) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BLOWER ARM WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR IN WINTER IN CHICAGO CAN'T SEE WHILE DRIVING , VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
HEATER AND DEFROSTER ARE NOT WORKING. BLOWER WORKS GREAT BUT IN THE WINTER COLD AIR DOES NOT DEFROST WINDSHIELD. THERE IS NO WARM AIR AT ALL. THIS MAKES DRIVING CONDITIONS VERY DIFFICULT IN THE COLD WEATHER. MY WIFE DEPENDS ON THIS CAR TO GET TO WORK EVERY DAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ISSUE IS A PART THAT COSTS ABAUT $65 BUT THE LABOR COST IS ABAUT $1000 WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THAT. CHEVROLET SHOULD STEP UP AND PUT A RECALL ON FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR
HEATER / DEFROST SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING. ONLY BLOWING COLD AIR. LIVE IN IDAHO AND TEMPERATURES GET BELOW ZERO. NO WAY TO DEFROST WINDSHIELD CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD. CHEVY DEALERSHIP QUOTED REPAIR OF THE HEATER VENT DOOR ACTUATOR AT $1200.00, SINCE THE ENTIRE DASH BOARD NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. HISTORY SHOWS SEVERAL ISSUES WITH DOOR ACTUATOR MALFUNCTION. *TR
TRIED TO CLEAR WINDSHIELD OF FROST. ONLY COLD AIR CAME OUT OF VENT. SAME COLD AIR ON ALL HVAC SETTINGS. *TR
FAILURE OF THE HVAC BLEND DOOR [1] HAS MADE DEFROSTING THE FORWARD WINDSHIELD IN COLD TEMPERATURES IMPOSSIBLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE LIMITING OF VISIBILITY AND IN VIOLATION OF STANDARD 103 [2] FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. GM HAS ADMITTED A DESIGN FLAW IN THE HVAC BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR IN THAT A DEALER REPLACEMENT USES AN UPDATED HVAC BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR WHICH MORE ACCURATELY LIMITS THE ROTATIONAL TRAVEL. THE FAILURE OF THE HVAC BLEND DOOR OCCURS BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL FAULTY DESIGNED HVAC BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR TRAVELS TOO FAR CAUSING STRUCTURAL STRESS ON THE BLEND DOOR WHICH EVENTUALLY LEADS TO PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE BLEND DOOR. THIS RESULTS IN VENT AIR NOT PASSING OVER THE HEAT CORE, THEREFORE MAKING DEFROSTING OF THE WINDSHIELD NOT POSSIBLE IN COLD CONDITIONS. *TR
THE HEATER STARTED BLOWING COLD AIR WHILE DRIVING NOT ALLOWING THE WINDSHIELD TO DEFROST AND LIMITING VISIBILITY. I HAD TO PULL OVER MULTIPLE TIMES TO WIPE WINDSHIELD DOWN TO SEE SO I COULD GET HOME. NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR
TEMP DOOR ACTUATOR BROKE LEAVING ME WITHOUT HEAT TO DEFROST WINDOWS. REPAIR COST OF DOOR $50.00 COST OF LABOR $1200.00. THE DOOR IS MADE OF CHEAP PLASTIC BUT THE ENTIRE FIREWALL MUST BE REMOVE TO REPLACE PART. THEN MY ENGINE BLEW 1 YEAR LATER. COST $1700.00. NOW MY ENGINE BLEW AGAIN. *TR
THE HEATER VENT DOOR HAS BECOME INOPERABLE RESULTING IN NO HEAT ENTERING THE CABIN. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE BUT YET NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY GM (ONLY SERVICE BULLETINS). THIS IS A FLAWED DESIGN AND IS A HAZARDOUS SAFETY ISSUE DURING AN ICE/SNOW EVENT. THE VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN OVERHEATING FOR NO APPARENT REASON (EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT & FLUSHING THE SYSTEM). THESE SYMPTOMS ALL BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER THE HEATING PROBLEM MATURED. RELATED OR NOT, THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH SIMILAR (MAJOR) EXPENSE IN TRYING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE(S). THERE IS SOMETHING FLAWED IN THE DESIGN OF THIS COOLANT/HEATING SYSTEM AND GM SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!! *TR
THE BLEND DOOR BROKE AND WAS REPLACED FOR ONLY $50 DUE TO CARMAX DEALER WARRANTY. NOW MY CAR HAS 115K MILES ON IT AND THE HEATER IS BLOWING COLD AIR AGAIN. I BELIEVE IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM, A BROKEN BLEND DOOR. I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN! THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR
THERE IS 241 SAFETY COMPLAINTS ON THE HEATER BLEND DOOR! THE BLEND DOOR ON THE 2006 EQUINOX IS DEFECTIVE CREATING A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND ANY ONE ELSE ONE THE ROAD. THE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR ROTATES TO FAR CAUSING THE BLEND DOOR TO BREAK. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN OVER A SHORT PERIOD BUT OVER A LONGER TIME FRAME. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES ESPECIALLY WHEN IT GETS COLD. THE WINDSHIELD WILL FREEZE UP AND WITH NO HEAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS COULD GET FROST BITE. THE NHTSA NEEDS TO ISSUES A SAFETY RECALL NOW BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. WHAT IS THE NHTSA DOING ABOUT THIS IF ANYTHING? *TR
MY HEATER QUIT BLOWING HOT AIR AND THUS, THE WINDOWS FOG UP. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND IT IS THE BLEND DOOR. UPON FURTHER READING OF THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE FOUND THAT MANY 2006 EQUINOX HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS A 10 HOUR LABOR JOB AND SO 1000.00 TO REPLACE. SINCE THIS EFFECTS VISIBILITY, I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR AND DEFROST DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. *TR
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2006 CHEVY EQUINOX (130,000 MILES), WHEN I TRIED TO DEFROST MY WINDSHIELD ONLY COLD AIR BLEW CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD TO FOG UP. I COULD NOT SEE AND ALMOST WENT OFF THE ROAD. AFTER AN HOUR LONG WHITE-KNUCKLE RIDE THE DEFROST STILL ONLY BLEW COLD AIR. I LIVE IN THE EXTREME NORTH-EAST WHERE WE HAVE AN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG WINTER WHICH HASN'T EVEN STARTED. I AM AFRAID THAT THIS PROBLEM (AND I AM NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE ONLY ONE) WILL RESULT IN A SITUATION WHERE I AND THE DRIVERS AROUND ME COULD BE PUT IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR *JS
FAULTY TEMPERATURE BLEND DOOR. NO HEAT RESULTING IN NO DEFROST OR DEFOGGER. MAJOR PROBLEM WHEN LIVING IN THE MIDWEST IN THE COLD AND WET SEASON. YOU (GM) SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLASTIC PIECE BEING REPLACED, NOT THE CONSUMER. THIS SHOULD ALSO BE A RECALL ISSUE DUE TO THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT RESULT FROM THIS PROBLEM. *TR
THERE HAS BEEN NO ACTUAL INCIDENT. I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF THE SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE LACK OF HEAT AND DEFROSTING CAPABILITIES OF THE 2006 CHEVY EQUINOX MAY CAUSE. IF THE ISSUE OF THE PROBLEM IS NOT RESOLVED THERE IS A CHANCE THAT A WINDOW WILL NOT BE DEFROSTED AND THE DRIVERS VIEW WILL BE OBSTRUCTED. THERE IS ALSO THE HEALTH ISSUE FOR NOT ONLY THE DRIVER BUT ANY PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. NOT BEING WARM OR ABLE TO SEE AND CAUSE RISING COSTS OF BOTH CARE AND HEALTH CARE COSTS. HELP PUSH THE ISSUE TO GMC AND GET THE PROBLEMS FIXED AT THEIR COST. *TR
THE DEFROST AND HEATING SYSTEM WOULD NOT WORK. ONLY COLD AIR BLOWS FROM THE VENTS. THIS ALLOWS THE WINDOWS TO FOG AND CAUSES CONCERN. IT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE EQUINOX. THE FLAP TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF OUTSIDE AIR IS CONTROLLED BY A STEPPER MOTOR. THE MOTOR SHORT CIRCUITS, CAUSING THE FLAP TO BREAK. THUS THE FLAP IS INEFFECTIVE AND ALLOWS FOR FREEZING OR HOT TEMPERATURES TO FLOOD THE CAR. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON A COLD AND RAINY DAY, MY WINDOWS BEGAN TO GET FOGGY. I TURNED ON MY DEFROST AND MY WINDOWS CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. I THEN NOTICE IT WAS BLOWING COLD AIR I TURNED THE KNOBS TO SEE IF I HAD IT ON AIR CONDITIONING INSTEAD OF DEFROST BUT IT WAS ON THE CORRECT SETTING. I BECAME VERY AFRAID BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE OUT OF MY WINDSHIELD! I HAD TO KEEP WIPING OFF THE WINDSHIELD WITH A TOWEL JUST TO GET TO WORK. I THEN I HAD TO REPEAT THE SAME PROCESS RETURNING HOME. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THIS COMMON IN 2006 CHEVY EQUINOX THERE IS A PLASTIC PIECE THAT BREAKS AFTER CONSTANT USE(HEATER BLEND DOOR) AND IT WILL CAUSE THE DEFROST TO ONLY BLOW EITHER COLD OR HOT AIR. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST 800-1000 TO FIX OR MORE DEPENDING WHO FIXES IT. I AM SO AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR IN RAINY WEATHER AND SOON WINTER WILL ARRIVE. GM SHOULD REALLY REPLACE THIS PART BEFORE SOMEONE DIES FROM A FAULTY PIECE OF PLASTIC. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOON ROOF WAS LEAKING DOWN TO THE DASH BOARD AND THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM AN ADJUSTMENT BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
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Quick Summary
The 2006 Chevrolet Equinox has 22 VISIBILITY/WIPER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.