NHTSA Complaint #10605819 — 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT

THE WIRING HARNESS BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE DRIVER'S DOOR (AND FRONT PASSENGER DOOR) IS TOO SHORT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY STRETCHES AND FRAYS AND BREAKS THE WIRES, RESULTING IN FAILURE OF VARIOUS DOOR COMPONENTS INCLUDING POWER DOOR LOCK, POWER WINDOW, SIDE MIRROR CONTROL, RADIO OFF WHEN EXITING VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING, DOOR CHIME WHEN KEY IN IGNITION, DOOR AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING WHEN VEHICLE IN DRIVE POSITION (SAFETY HAZARD), DOOR UNLOCKING WHEN IN PARK POSITION (EXIT VEHICLE SAFETY HAZARD) AND DOOR STEREO SPEAKERS. SINCE THIS IS THE LEAST LIKELY CULPRIT WHEN TROUBLESHOOTING, IT SHOULD BECOME THE FIRST ITEM WHEN ANY DOOR COMPONENT FAILS ON THIS VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER DOOR HAS AN IDENTICAL ISSUE, HOWEVER, SINCE THE TYPICAL FREQUENCY OF USE OF THIS DOOR IS MUCH LESS, THE ISSUE OCCURS LESS FREQUENTLY. THERE ARE NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THIS FROM HUNDREDS OF PONTIAC TORRENT OWNERS, WITH PICTURES, ON THE INTERNET. THIS IS HOW THE PROBLEM SOLUTION IS COMMONLY FOUND, THE LAST THING ONE WOULD THINK IS BAD WIRING. MANY OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAD CHALLENGED GM TO REPAIR OR RECALL, TO NO AVAIL. GM SOCIAL MEDIA BLOGGERS OFTEN CHIMED IN TO CONTACT GM, BUT WHEN OWNERS DID SO, NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED REGARDING HELPING OUT OWNERS WITH THE ISSUE NOR THE COST OF REPAIR. MANY OWNERS ACTUALLY PAID FOR OR BOUGHT COMPLETELY NEW WIRING HARNESSES, WHICH ARE VERY EXPENSIVE FOR THE PART AS WELL AS EXPENSIVE THE IN-DOOR INSTALLATION. OTHERS SPLICED THEIR OWN WIRES TO EFFECT A SOLUTION. THIS ISSUE IS ON A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT, HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ALL YEARS OF THAT VEHICLE 2006-2009 AS WELL AS THE SIMILAR CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2005-2009 ARE ALL EFFECTED, SINCE THEY ALL SHARE MANY COMMON COMPONENTS. *TR