NHTSA Complaint #10244169 — 2006 CHEVROLET HHR

MY COOLANT GAUGE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD NOT WORK OCCASIONALLY BUT WOULD START WORKING AGAIN WITHIN MILES AND BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO THE DEALER. THEY LOOKED AT IT THE FIRST TIME AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO UNLESS IT STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY, THAT THEY HAD NO WAY OF FINDING OUT WHY IT WOULD STOP WORKING AND THEN JUST START WORKING AGAIN. IT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME AT ABOUT 15,00 MILES AND THEN AGAIN ABOUT EVERY 5,000 MILES FURTHER. IT STOPPED WORKING THE OTHER DAY AGAIN (EVERYTHING ELSE WORKED FINE ON THE PANEL AND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAT/AIR, RADIATOR OR ANY OTHER COOLANT ISSUE) BUT THIS TIME IT MADE THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COME ON ALSO. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS BEST NOT TO DRIVE IT IN CASE THE ENGINE WOULD OVERHEAT SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP. THEY FINALLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE THERMOSTAT STICKING AND CHARGED ME THE FULL COST OF REPAIRS AND TOWING SINCE THE MILEAGE WAS NOW AT 43,800. I HAD BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR 30,000 MILES BUT THEY COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WHY. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, MY AC WOULDN'T WORK. THEY SAID THAT THE AC COMPRESSOR WHICH COSTS $1300 TO REPLACE IS BROKEN BUT THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT GAUGE/THERMOSTAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. IT JUST SEEMS VERY COINCIDENTAL THAT BOTH GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME. MY CAR HAS HAD OTHER PROBLEMS THAT I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYONE HAVING WITH A BRAND NEW CAR THAT IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND ANYONE BY THIS YEAR/MODEL CAR. IT'S DANGEROUS DUE TO THE PROBLEMS THAT EVERYONE IS EXPERIENCING AND IN CONSTANT NEED OF REPAIR. MY NEXT ISSUE WITH MY CAR IS A NOISE THAT COMES AND GOES IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AGAIN, THIS PROBLEM COMES AND GOES AND THEY CAN NEVER FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WORKS GREAT WHEN THE DEALER HAS IT. I WOULD GET RID OF THIS CAR IF I COULD AFFORD TO. *TR