NHTSA Complaint #10285312 — 2006 CHEVROLET HHR

I COULDN'T REMOVE THE IGNITION KEYS FROM MY 2006 CHEVY HHR. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH HHR'S AND COBALT'S AND THAT THE ENTIRE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT MY COST SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE ON ON-LINE FORUMS AND FOUND THE ISSUE WAS AS FOLLOWS: " A SMALL ACTUATOR ROD THAT GOES THROUGH THE SHIFTER STALK FALLS OUT DUE TO THE STALK CRACKING WHERE THE ROD GOES THROUGH IT. THE KEY RELEASE THEN NEVER GETS ACTIVATED SO YOU HAVE TO USE THE MANUAL RELEASE BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS SHIFTER UNIT IS COMPLETELY UNSERVICEABLE AND THE ENTIRE SHIFTER BLOCK HAS TO BE REPLACED.NOTE THAT WITH NO ACTUATOR ROD THE SHIFT LEVER IS FREE TO MOVE WITHOUT PRESSING THE SHIFT BUTTON ON THE FRONT OF THE SHIFT LEVER, SO IT COULD ACCIDENTALLY BE MOVED TO ANOTHER GEAR WHILE DRIVING, EVEN REVERSE. ... CHEVY IS WRONG FOR PUTTING SUCH A CHEAP AND FLIMSY DEVICE ON THE CAR." THIS IS POINT THAT I MADE TO THE GM CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT BUT THEY STUCK TO THEIR GUNS THAT WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. TO MY WAY OF THINKING EVEN THE REPLACEMENT SHIFTER IS AT RISK IN THE FUTURE WITH HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. READING OTHER ON-LINE COMPLAINT LOGS, I NOTE THAT BECAUSE OF THE COST OF REPLACEMENT, IT WAS BEING ADVOCATED THAT SIMPLY USING THE MANUAL RELEASE BUTTON ON THE STEERING COLUMN WAS AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THIS LEAVES DRIVER'S IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS POSITION IF THE SHIFTER IS ACCIDENTALLY MOVED WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. AS SUCH I FEEL THAT THERE IS REASON TO HAVE GM RECALL THESE VEHICLES TO REPLACE THESE "CHEAP" SHIFTERS AND TO REIMBURSE OWNERS SUCH AS MYSELF THAT HAVE INCURRED STEEP REPLACEMENT COSTS. *TR