Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Pontiac Torrent owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have a problem with the heat and defroster in my car. It does not work, and thus causes major visibility problems because the windows cannot defrost. This is a safety hazard, which, if left unrepaired, could cause a wreck. I took the car to a GM dealer, and they diagnosed it as a broken temperature blend door. I've done some research on this issue, since it is quite costly (about $1100) to repair. I found that GM has previously repaired this free of charge to the owners because this is a manufacturer defect (special coverage/policy adjustment 11135). The actuator had been designed poorly, using plastic instead of metal. This causes the plastic to break when the actuator over-rotates. This problem violates the federal motor vehicle safety standard number 103, which states the standards of having a working heater and defogging/defrosting system. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Pontiac Torrent. When the heater was activated, cold air blew from the vents. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the kemp blend door needed to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (walser Buick GMC of bloomington, 4601 American blvd west, bloomington, mn 55437) where it was determined that the vehicle was not included in a recall or extended warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and opened case number: 8-3687100903. The contact was referred to NHTSA. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
My 2006 Torrent has no heat. I have read about this problem and do have the broken temperature blend door. I did receive a letter about this from GM, but since then my car has been fine till the other day when I needed to defrost my windshield. The letter stated that if my heat works to do nothing. But my car is 11000 miles past what they state in the letter to have it fixed for free. They know there was a problem with these doors, it should be covered anyway because a lot of them seem to break. The $1000 dollar labor charge is crazy.
Heating system does not work properly, sometimes heat only blows cool air, manufacturer acknowledges this is a defect but only issued a limited special coverage. The special coverage expired in feb 2016, my vehicle heating unit broke in oct 2016! The manufacturer should be responsible to fix this defect! Lisa of heating unit causes unsafe driving conditions when windows can not defrost as a result of defect, also occupants freeze their asses off in the winter! Unconscionable that GM will not issue a recall for this defect!
The heat blend door on my 2006 Pontiac Torrent with 79,953. Miles on it failed on October 7, 2010. I found out that this is the problem by researching the internet. I found thousands of other people with the exact same problem with both the Chevy equinox & Pontiac Torrent, which is what I own. I spoke with the dealer I purchased the car from and at first he was hesitant about talking about the problem and what it May cost and then after being put on hold for short while he suddenly came up with an approximate cost of $ 1,000 for labor, parts would be extra which means the real cost with tax & parts is more like $ 1,300.00. Now it seems to me that GM should own up to the problem and at the very least offer a partial settlement based on each case because just one lawsuit will certainly cost much more than that. …
Purchased vehicle used on 12/06/2006 with 9,968 miles. Replaced entire engine ($5,000) on 03/27/2009 due to issues with the cylinder head gasket (was told the vehicle was no longer under warranty). Mileage at that time was 84,625. In approximately 2009 the passenger side window started going up and down spontaneously. My dog had her head out of the window and it spontaneously closed on her head, restricting her airway. The passenger side door was ripped apart and wiring was replaced. The window worked correctly for about 2 years and then in 2011, the window stopped working entirely. Have had 3 wheel bearings replaced (one twice). In January/February of 2013, the ignition switch and fuse center had to be replaced. Mechanics advised that the fuse center/panel was on "national back order" with no known available date. They repaired it. Total cost paid for that repair was over $335.87. …
Where to start as it wouldn't let me select more than 3 options. I bought my Torrent in 06 with 65K miles on it and figured that a 40K/ 4 year warranty was a good idea. It was!! It all started when I took it to a car wash a week after buying it, well I exited the car wash and had no throttle with gas peddle, I was stuck. Brought it to the dealer and was told the tubes that allow the sun roof to drain were clogged and water backed up and traveled down the left front pillar and fried the throttle sensor. Replaced it and on I went. These tubes blocked up 3 more times in a few years only frying it one other time. Within the first 3 years with less than 80K miles every hub had to be replaced. The front passenger twice, and front drivers 3 times. 2 months after I bought it around 67K miles the drive shaft bearing needed replacing. Around 76K miles the entire drive shaft needed to be replaced. …
The actuator that operates the heater blend door - overextends and breaks the heater blend door. This causes the heater to not work at all. The actuators are defective and the heater doors are defective because they break due to a manufacturers defect. If the heat doesn't work the windows won't defrost so this is a visibility hazard. I also listed it as an electrical and unknown hazard. There are thousands of complaints out on the internet for the 2006 Pontiac torrents & Chevy equinox's and all of them have the same problem and most of them are around the 50,000 mile mark. GM will not pay for it if it is past the warranty because they say there isn't a recall for this. These 2 parts should be recalled because it is a hazard to drive your vehicle if you can't defrost your windows. …
My blend door actuator has failed and fell off inside of my cab causing my heat to fail inside my cab for both defrost and heat. I live in a cold climate and it's impossible to drive without heat in the winter. The repair technician quoted me 9+ hours of labor to remove my dash, install the new actuator and re-install my dash. It will take three days to repair and cost me $1800 to fix. Apparently, after speaking with the service technician and my local auto shop, this is a common problem with Pontiac torrents as I've also read dozens of complaints from people on this site. He said there might be a recall on the part, and I should check. However, after searching my VIN, it does not appear to be a recalled part at this time. I cannot believe this has not been recalled as this is such a costly repair to be made for a faulty part from GM. …
Dt*: the contact stated while at a stop, the vehicle lunged forward without warning. This was an intermittent problem and the dealership was unable to duplicate the problem. Also, there was a ticking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The dealership determined there were metal shavings in the rear suspension. The rear axle, tie rod, and other components were replaced. In addition, the brake pedal went to the floor when depressed. The dealership readjusted the parking brake and the problem ceased. Also, while traveling 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted and the dealership determined the lifters in the engine needed to be replaced. In addition, the front driver side window did not also close completely. This has not been inspected by the dealership. Updated 10/31/2006 - the consumer has met with a GM rep. …
Window & Wiper complaints in other Torrent years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2006 Pontiac Torrent?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2006 Pontiac Torrent, 19% of the model year's 240 complaints. The component named most often is power window devices and controls (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Pontiac Torrent window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2006 Pontiac Torrent. 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 Pontiac Torrent window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 8% 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.