Blend Door Actuator Repair Cost

Last Updated on December 29, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

The blend door actuator is that car part responsible for directing and controlling the air temperature which comes from the vents. The heater blower motor will blow air through the heater core and after that through the dash vents so this part works properly. The actuator will direct the airflow away from the heater core if the heat is not desired.

As with most of your car parts, in time this may fail and needs to be replaced.

How much does it cost to repair the blend door actuator?

The repairing cost of the blend door actuator will be influenced by a few factors such as the make and model of your car, the mechanic you hire, and your geographical location. However, you should expect to spend anywhere between $85 and $290 for both labor and parts.

You might also like our articles on the cost of thermostat replacement, coolant leak repair, or a radiator flush.

Like with the majority of car repairs, most of the expenses rely on the labor itself, while for the part you will only have to pay anywhere between $25 and more than $85, depending on the make and model of the car. For example, we found some blend actuators on Amazon at prices of anywhere between $20 and $60.

Most of the time this job takes less than an hour, so the dealerships and mechanics will charge you the shop minimum rate, which is around $110 but depends on the place where you are living.

Blend door actuator repair overview

The first thing a mechanic will do to determine if the blend door actuator is really broken is to examine each vent. In order to make sure that the vents which are examined are working properly the mechanic will make a temperature reading of the air leaving the vent. In case the vents do not display the right temperature readings, but the control unit is confirmed to be in working order then the actuator is considered to be the problem. To be sure that this is really the problem, the mechanic will inspect the electrical wires to see if the blend door actuator gets the proper amount of power. If the control unit is working properly and the blend door actuator gets the right amount of power, but the blend door actuator still does not work as it should then it can be confirmed faulty.

Once the blend door actuator is confirmed broken, the mechanic will start removing the glove box or the lower dash panel, depending on the setup of your car. By doing this he will expose the heater box with any other controls which are connected to this, including the wiring.

After removing the glovebox, the mechanic will locate the blend door actuator, that in most cases can be found to the right or below the glovebox, depending on the make and model of the vehicle. The screws in that area and the safety clip will be released and the actuator removed.

Following this, the mechanic will gently pull off the door actuator of the wiring connector, but without screwing the mounting screws which hold it in place. At this moment the part is loose enough to be removed completely from the mount.

Once the old piece is completely removed, the mechanic will install a new blend door actuator and install everything back.

Finally, when all the pieces are reinstalled, the mechanic will test the engine and turn on the climate control to be sure that the temperature and the vents are working properly.

Signs of a faulty blend door actuator

Heater blowing cold air – In case your heater blows just cold air, no matter what temperature you set, then your blend door actuator may have failed.

No air conditioning or heat – The airflow will not change to a separate vent if specified and/or your air conditioning and heat will not work properly if the parts of the actuator failed.

Noise – One of the main signs of a broken blend door actuator is the noise it makes because its parts are not able to “blend” the doors anymore. However, if the actuator motor is totally damaged there will be no noise at all.

The temperature changes without you turning the dial.

The airflow coming from your vents is not consistent.