NHTSA Complaint #10278351 — 2007 CHEVROLET HHR

DRIVER WAS LEAVING PARKING LOT WHEN PASSENGER SIDE (RIGHT FRONT) CV SHAFT BROKE COMPLETELY IN HALF AT 35,440 MILES WITHOUT WARNING. CV SHAFT COULD BE HEARD SLAPPING AROUND UNDER CAR WHILE MOTOR RUNNING IN GEAR, PROBABLY TEARING UP OTHER COMPONENTS UNDER THE HOOD AND SUSPENSION. THE CV SHAFT BREAKAGE LEFT THE VEHICLE UNDER NO POWER BECAUSE PASSENGER WHEEL IS THE DRIVE WHEEL....VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS INTO TRAFFIC. ALSO, THE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL ALSO HAD NO ABILITY TO BE TURNED TO THE LEFT DUE TO THE BROKEN CV SHAFT BLOCKING IT BY SHAFT HITTING THE WHEEL/HEAT SHIELD/ROTOR ASSY. OWNER HAD TO PUSH CAR BACKWARDS OUT OF TRAFFIC AND INTO PARKING LOT. VEHICLE WOULD STILL ROLLED WHILE IN PARK, HAD TO USE PARKING BRAKE TO MAKE VEHICLE STATIONARY. I WAITED 2.5HRS FOR GM ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE TO GET TOW TRUCK TO MY VEHICLE. 1ST TOW TRUCK DIDN'T COME DUE TO GM NOT CHECKING TO SEE HOW FAR THEY WERE FROM VEHICLE LOCATION. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO JBA CHEVROLET (GLEN BURNIE, MD) ON JUNE 25TH, 09 (NEXT DAY). I WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO CHECK ON CAR AND GET LOANER. JBA OFFERED NO LOANER STATING THAT SERVICE DEPT NOT OPEN AND THEY MUST DIAGNOSE FIRST AND WAIT UNTIL MONDAY AND THEN MAYBE I GET A LOANER. ALSO GM CUST ASST 1-800 NUMBER STATED I COULD RENT AND GET REIMBURSE BUT I DON'T TRUST GM AND MONEY AT ALL AFTER SEEING HOW OTHERS TREATED ABOUT AND HOW POORLY THEY MANAGE THEIR OWN MONEY. THIS CV SHAFT INCIDENT HAPPENED 1 WEEK AFTER GETTING CAR BACK FROM DEALERSHIP FOR BRAKE OVERHEATING/WARPING AND HEAT SHIELD GRINDING PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC THEN STATED HE KNEW BRAKES WERE CHEAPLY MADE AND PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL AND IF OVER 36,000 MILES...THEY WON'T BE FREE ANYMORE.... CV SHAFT LOOKED TO BE MADE OF CHEAP ALUMINUM CAST AND I BELIEVE SAME HEAT PROBLEM THAT MADE CAUSED ROTOR TO WARP, CAUSED CV SHAFT TO BECOME BRITTLE. EITHER THIS OR COMPONENTS WERE REINSTALLED INCORRECTLY BY JBA CHEVROLET WHEN THEY REPAIRED BRAKE PROBLEM. *TR