HVAC unit housing assembly

The present invention provides a vehicle ventilation system, and, in particular, a heating and air-conditioning assembly and method of making such an assembly, wherein the assembly comprises a multi-portion HVAC housing and an alignment feature. The alignment feature preferably follows the contours of the housing portions of the HVAC. Preferably, the alignment feature is a baffle, or, in particular, a cross flow baffle, that serves an air directing as well as bridge function between housing portions of the HVAC, reducing packaging space for the HVAC unit while providing ease of assembly and reduced tool complexity for multi-piece HVAC housings.