Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Chevrolet Equinox owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have no heat, yesterday, I did . This morning my heat will not work recirculation works fan controls work A/C works, after all of my hours of research, I know what the problem is, along with thousands of other Equinox owners . Its the vent door and actuator, I narrowed all down at first coolant thermostat etc. I found my result for a cheap piece of plastic on the vent door that breaks so often sure its a 70$ part but as a single father , I cannot afford a 1500.00$ shop fee for that, this is something Chevy knows is wrong , and can be a very liable hazard to accidents ! I live in north dakota where it gets pretty darn cold , you lose your heat on a way to a kids hockey game 100 miles away on a Friday night when snowing and 30 below zero yes could cause fatalities !! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system were not operating properly. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician stated that the failure was known by the manufacturer who diagnosed that the blower motor speed and mode selection continued to function; however, the heater would not be available. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer stated that the mileage surpassed the accepted mileage for customer satisfaction campaign number: 10044379-4513(equipment/visibility); therefore, the contact could not be assisted. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the defroster was activated, but failed to defrost the windshield. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the temperature control door fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,500.
2006 Chevy Equinox. No events LED up to failure I went to turn on my defrost one morning before gong to work and the heat did not work. The cost to correct the problem is b/w $1,000 and $1,500. Problem has not been corrected yet as I do not have the funds at this time to fix car. Will try to replace part myself. The blower works but it only puts out cold air. Researched online and it seems alot of Equinox owners have the same problem and says GM has redesigned part (temperature blend door actuator). GM had to realize a problem with the part design that caused it to fail, so why has no recall been issued. This is a major safety issue if you are unable to defrost your windows. Poor visibility can and will result in an accident. GM needs to step up and correct the issue for their current owners. …
2006 Chevrolet Equinox "air blend door" not functioning properly and causing safety hazard. We purchased a 2006 Chevrolet Equinox from terry labonte Chevrolet in 2006. Now after approximately 4 years, there is a problem with the 'air blend door" malfunctioning in the heating/cooling system causing the safety hazard of the windows remaining iced/fogged up in certain weather conditions. Failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 103, "windshield defrosting and defogging systems and with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 101, controls and displays. I understand they have a recall on 2010 Equinox models but this problem is concurrent with several year models of the GM product line including our 2006 Equinox. All I can get from anyone is that we have to come in and pay $85 to get the problem "diagnosed". …
My 2006 Equinox was diagnosed on Monday with a broken blend door, damaged actuator (due to blend door being broken and leaking), and damaged heating core (due to blend door being broken and leaking). The reason I needed to get a diagnosis is because in mid April the fan was blowing but no heat was coming out. At this stage there was about 55,000 miles on the vehicle and we were just driving normal city driving limits. Needless to say I had the vehicle diagnosed and the total repair cost me $1500. The service guy I spoke to told me he sees about 1 in 25 equinoxs with this same problem. Living in new england is it not a safety issue if we do not have heat? In the middle of winter we cannot defrost our windows!! …
While leaving a parking lot during a rain storm on the night of June 18th, 2011, I turned on the heater and heard a clicking sound from the dash area, and the heater wouldn't blow hot air. There was/is still cool air blowing from the vent(s). Because of this, the defroster on the vehicle would not/doesn't work either, it too only blows cold air. I had to crack the windows open in order for the windows not to fog up during my drive home. Believing this was just a simple matter of replacing a heater core or thermostat, and because I wouldn't need the heater during the summer months I didn't start looking into the matter until a few weeks ago. In having the problem checked, it seems that it is a faulty heater blend door/actuator. The cost to fix it is very expensive, due to the labor involved. …
I have a 2006 Chevy Equinox that all of a sudden started blowing cold air when the heat should be on. I replaced the thermostat thinking that was the problem. It's not. It is the temp actuator door. According to a diagnostic test done by a Chevy dealer this is a very common problem with the 2006 Equinox. I emailed general motors who offered to pay 10% of the $1000.00 charge it will take to fix this problem. I do not have this money. And after reading several websites there are a ton of people who have this same issue with their vehicles. This should be a recall. I live in colorado where it is 20 degrees outside. My windows will not defrost without heat. Please help all of us that are having this problem. It is a safety hazard when you May be driving in dry weather...and then it starts snowing or raining. How are we to see when the windows fog or freeze up. …
I was driving my child to school one morning and the heater started blowing out cold air. Some time later, I took my Chevy Equinox to my mechanic. He said it would cost around $1,000 to repair. This was a shock because my mechanic is very reputable; I have used him for years. He never tries to cheat me or any of his other customers. When he quoted me that price, that's when I knew something was seriously wrong with my car. I don't have that kind of money - I'm a single mother of 2 kids and I was laid off from my job a few months ago. I called Chevrolet 3 times and nobody would help me. In the meantime, I did some research to see if any other consumers have experienced this same problem. I found over 600 complaints from other drivers about this exact same issue. …
A little over a month ago, I began experiencing an issue with my 2006 Chevy Equinox. The heat stopped working. The fan would work and blow air - but no heat. I took my vehicle to a GM dealership to have them look at the issue. Immediately upon telling them the symptoms, they diagnosed my vehicle without even looking at it. The service rep told me that it was "known issue" with the Equinox, that almost 4 out of 5 vehicles of that make/model/year have the same problem. He told me the good news was that the part to fix it was only $65, but the bad news was that the labor was $1000. I was told that the hinge on the temperature blend door" was broken at the actuator and that the entire dash assembly would have to be removed to get to the broken part. …
AC & Heater complaints in other Equinox years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Equinox?
NHTSA has 161 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 2006 Chevrolet Equinox, 23% of the model year's 695 complaints. The component named most often is defroster/defogger/hvac system (150 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Chevrolet Equinox ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 2006 Chevrolet Equinox. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Chevrolet Equinox ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.