06' Intel iMac: lines on screen

Howdy!
...I have a 2006 intel iMac (17" 2.0GHZ)...-it's been a trusty workhorse for years.
We recently started seeing vertical lines on the right side of the screen, just a few at first then a couple more down the center. Now there is a solid barrabout 1.5 inches wide down the left side of the screen. Im afraid that my mac is about to die
After researching the problem with various web forums i learned that this is a flaw in this particular model.
Does anybody know if Apple would be willing to fix this without charging me?...I've read in some cases they have done this for customers.
Any insight on this would be most appreciated!
Thanks!

Same problem with a 2006 iMac 17".  Apple used to have a maintenance program (EM80) that would fix it, but Apple expired it in spring 2011.  The support line said they were out of parts, unless you live in California, which apparently requires manufacturers to maintain parts for seven years!  The stupidity of telling me that should be obvious.  Also, the local Apple store quoted $600 to repair it.  How they can do that if Apple is "out of parts" is beyond me.
The support desk did offer me $100 toward the purchase of a new iMac; the local store offered a 15% discount.  From all the discussion and forums, it's obvious that this is a manufacturing or design issue and not a random event.  Several thousand users have been impacted.  I'm disappointed that Apple will not stand behind their products.  Certainly makes me less likely to purchase another one.

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