3.8

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
33,000 miles

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problem #1

Feb 092007

Envoy XL 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 33,000 miles
I purchased a 2004 Envoy with 18,000 miles in the summer of 2006. Beginning in January 2007, my 3 year old son let me know that he was cold while riding in the back seat and begged that I turn off the air. Turns out that the vent in the back of the car was blowing ice cold air on my son. The temperature outside was approximately 10 degrees. I called and scheduled a time to take my car into the dealership, as it was still under warranty. I found out that the vehicle had a "bulletin" stating that GMC was familiar that there was heat failure in the back of the cars, but the company was choosing not to do a full recall. Instead, they were waiting for customers to discover the problem and bring it in for repair. They had to install a special pump, however, this still did not fix the problem. Instead, it just modified the temperature of the air from approximately 20 degrees to maybe 50 degrees. Not a lot of comfort in a Minnesota winter. I was informed that bottom line, it was a design flaw with the vehicle, and that I could just try to force the air from the front of the car to the back seat. What is the point of having vents in the back of the car, and having a separate heating element specifically for the back of the car? I purchased this car because I thought that with the vents in the back, it would help heat the car faster in the winter, helping to keep my son warm. I do not believe that heat should be a luxury, and am disappointed that GMC would not do more to correct the problem. I want it to be known to the general public that this is a problem in the Envoy and trailblazer, especially for families with small children who do not have a voice to let their parents know the icy air blowing on them.

- Mound, MN, USA