NHTSA Complaint #10437305 — 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT

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