12 of the 362 complaints about the 2006 Pontiac Torrent are about the seats — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 78,880 miles.
12
Complaints
0
Crashes
5
Fires
4
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
SEATS
MY HEATED SEAT BURNED A HOLE THROUGH MY SEAT AND THROUGH MY SWEAT SHIRT AND ONTO MY SKIN BURNING ME. MY CAR WAS PARKED AND I WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT WAITING FOR IT TO WARM UP
NHTSA complaint #11072841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT A BURNING SENSATION EMERGING FROM THE SEAT. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE HEATED SEAT AND CONTINUED DRIVING HOME. THE CONTACT GOT HOME AND NOTICED A HOLE IN THE SEAT AND IN HER JACKET. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000.
NHTSA complaint #10955319 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
I HAD JUST TURNED MY CAR ON TO GO TO WORK, AND IT WAS COLD OUT, SO I TURNED ON MY SEAT WARMERS. WITHIN SECONDS I FELT HEAT ON MY LOWER BACK. I REACHED BEHIND ME TO SEE WHAT IT WAS AND MY FINGER FOUND THE WHOLE AND WAS SLIGHTLY BURNED..I BOUGHT THIS CAR 3 MONTHS AGO, AND THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE SEAT WHEN I PURCHASED IT. I FIGURED IT WAS A CIGARETTE BURN, AND THE DEALER HAD NO INFORMATION ON IT. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME USING THE SEAT WARMERS, AND THE HOLE IS NOW ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER. THE SEAT STOPPED BURNING AFTER I TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMERS.
NHTSA complaint #10779586 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
THE SEAT HEATER STOPPED WORKING. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL AUTO SHOP TO HAVE HEATER REPLACED. MECHANIC REMOVED OLD HEATER PAD; THE HEATER PAD HAD A HOLE BURNED INTO IT ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER. SOME VERY MINOR SCORCHING ON AREAS THAT WERE IN CONTACT WITH THE HEATING PAD. I HAVE THE PART STILL FOR REFERENCE.
NHTSA complaint #10679648 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
THE SEAT HEATER ON THE DRIVER SIDE MELTED THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE SEAT BACK. IT MELTED ABOUT A NICKEL SIZE HOLE IN THE SEAT AND MELTED SEVERAL SPOTS IN THE CLOTHING I WAS WEARING. THE WIRE FOR THE HEATED SEATS IS STILL STICKING THROUGH THE HOLE. THE HEAT IN THAT ONE SPOT STILL GETS HOT WHEN THE SEAT HEATER BUTTON IS PRESSED, SO IT IS A CONTINUING SAFETY CONCERN TO ANYONE WHO DRIVES THE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #10661931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 45 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE DEFECT. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER A MIST WAS COMING FROM THE VENTS LEAVING A RESIDUE INSIDE THE CABIN. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE HEATED SEAT WAS EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH AND A ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT. THE DEFROST MALFUNCTIONED WHICH CREATED A VISIBILITY HAZARD. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85000.
NHTSA complaint #10593766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I HAD MY HEATED SEAT TURNED ON AND I NOTICED MY BACK GETTING HOT. I PULLED OVER AND MY SEAT HAD A HOLE BURNED IN IT AND HAD BURNED MY SHIRT AS WELL AS MY BACK. I HAVE NOTIFIED GMC ALREADY AND THEY CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE ASKING ME TO PAY $500.00 TO HAVE MY SEAT FIX. I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURES PROBLEM AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE AND NOTICED I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE STATED THEY WERE BURNED AS WELL. I NEED SOMETHING TO BE DONE BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE 500.00 TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I AM ASKING FOR SOME HELP.
NHTSA complaint #10577104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAD MY HEATED SEATS ON AND I NOTICED IT WAS GETTING REALLY HOT, SO WHEN I GOT TO MY DESTINATION I STOPPED AND GOT OUT AND I NOTICED A HOLE IN MY SEAT WHERE IT HAD BURNED RIGHT THROUGH IT. SO IF I HAD NOT HAD A COAT ON IT WOULD HAVE BURNED ME.
NHTSA complaint #10563027 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAD THE HEATED SEATS ON. ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE I FELT MY BACK GET HOT AND FELT BEHIND ME AND MY COAT HAD A HOLE BURNT THROUGH IT MY BACK WAS HOT AND A HOLE IN THE SEAT ALSO.
NHTSA complaint #10560560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
THE HEATED SEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BURNT A HOLE THROUGH THE UPHOLSTERY AND BURNT A HOLE IN MY WIFE'S COAT. THE HEATED SEAT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BURNT A HOLE THROUGH THE UPHOLSTERY AND BURNT A HOLE IN MY COAT. BOTH HEATED SEATS BURNT HOLES THROUGH THE UPHOLSTERY AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY EXPOSED WIRES. IT RUINED OUR COATS AS WELL.
NHTSA complaint #10552629 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE DRIVER SEAT WIRES MELTED THROUGH THE SEAT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A THIRD DEGREE BURN ON HER LOWER BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.
NHTSA complaint #10505930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT, MY DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE SEAT WAS TURNED ON AND BEGAN GETTING HOTTER THAN USUAL. I BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING. I WAS ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND COULD NOT PULL OVER, SO I STUCK MY HAT BEHIND MY BACK DUE TO THE HIGH TEMPERATURE. ALTHOUGH I TURNED OFF THE SEAT I STILL SMELLED BURNING AND THE SEAT WAS STILL HOT. WHEN I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY, I SAW THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE BURNED INTO THE SEAT AND MY HAT WAS SMOKING AND HAD A WOULD AS WELL. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MY BACK.
NHTSA complaint #10396086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.