NHTSA Complaint #10377141 — 2006 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

AS WITH WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED TO BE WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER EQUINOX OWNERS...WITH OUT WARNING OR PRIOR ISSUES, MY HEATER IS NO LONGER "HEATING" THE AIR. IT JUST BLOWS OUT COLD AIR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS THE ACTUATOR/BLEND DOOR (WHICH IS A PLASTIC PART) AND THAT TO CORRECT IT, REQUIRES THE ENTIRE DASH TO BE REMOVED, 8+ HOURS OF LABOR AND UPWARDS OF $1000 IN REPAIR COSTS. I ONLY HAVE 44,000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS ISSUE SO EARLY INTO THE LIFE/OWNERSHIP OF THIS CAR. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY ARE UNWILLING TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS A PROBLEM AND REFUSED TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE TO GET IT CORRECTED. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT ALSO PREVENTS THE DEFROSTER FROM WORKING AS WELL. TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN IN THE TEENS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW WHICH MAKES IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THE COLD AND SNOWY CONDITIONS. I HAVE DISCOVERED SEVERAL OWNER FORUMS ACROSS THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF THE SAME COMPLAINT ON THIS MAKE/MODEL. I HAVE ALSO SINCE LEARNED THAT GM RECALLED THE 2010 MODEL FOR THE EXACT SAME REASON BUT IS IGNORING THE SAME ISSUE ON THE EARLIER MODELS. GM NEEDS TO BE MADE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR FAULTY COST CUTTING WAYS AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM VIA A RECALL. *TR