NHTSA Complaint #10196139 — 2007 CHEVROLET HHR

POOR DESIGN OF THE FRONT BUMPER. THE HOLE ON THE BOTTOM WAS TOO BIG, ALLOWING DEBRIS TO HIT THE AIR CONDITIONER (A/C) CONDENSER AND RADIATOR. THIS WAS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BUT THE FUNNY THING WA S THAT I WASN'T EVEN DRIVING THE CAR. I TURNED IT ON AND GOT THE AIR CONDITIONER GOING, WHICH WAS COLD AT FIRST. THE CAR SAT FOR A WEEK WHILE I WAS ON VACATION, SO I FOUND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THEY WON'T COVER IT AS A EQUIPMENT FAILURE. INSTEAD THEY CLAIMED SOMETHING FLEW THROUGH IT. CHEVROLET DIDN'T PUT A GRILL IN IT FROM THE FACTORY, WHICH WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. WARRANTY WON'T COVER IT BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED A ROAD HAZARD, AND WANTED ME TO CLAIM IT ON MY INSURANCE WHICH I THOUGHT WAS INSURANCE FRAUD. I THOUGHT THEY WANTED TO PASS THE BUCK TO SOMEONE ELSE RATHER THAN RECALL ALL THE VEHICLES TO PUT A GRILL ON IT TO PROTECT IT FROM THE ELEMENTS. I OWN A 2007 HHR WITH 6000 MILES ON IT. I DIDN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING BECAUSE THEY WON'T WARRANTY IT, AND I DIDN'T HAVE $800 TO FIX IT. THE GM REPRESENTATIVE CAME TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE WHILE MY WIFE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP SO SHE GOT TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT. HE SAID WELL IT WAS NO DIFFERENT THAN A ROCK HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE LAZY WAY OUT, SAYING THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PROTECT VITAL PARTS OF THE CAR, (RADIATOR,CONDENSER,ETC. BY PUTTING A SIMPLE PIECE OF MESH OR GRILL IN PLACE. THIS SHOULDN'T BE OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE IT WA S PROTECTED. ALSO, THE REPRESENTATIVE STATED WELL,IF WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT THEN MAYBE THE DESIGNER WILL RECALL IT AND FIX IT. I COULD NOT WAIT FOR THEM TO GET OFF THE LAZY BOY AND FIX A FLAW THEY OVERLOOKED IN THE FIRST PLACE. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CAR, BUT CHEVROLET HAD TO GET THEIR HEAD OUT OF THEIR OWN BUTTS AND REALIZE THESE WERE THE REASONS WHY THEY WERE LOSING JOBS, AND STOCKS WERE FALLING, CAR SALES WERE DOWN, AND COMPETITION WA S GETTING STRONGER. THEY SHOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEN I MIGHT GO BACK TO BUYING CHEVROLET CARS. *AK