NHTSA Complaint #10341909 — 2006 CHEVROLET HHR

MY INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE ON MY 2006 CHEVY HHR BROKE OFF IN MY HAND WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR. I LOOKED UP ONLINE TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND SURE ENOUGH..PAGES AND PAGES OF THE SAME STORY. I CALLED TO GET A REPLACEMENT HANDLE AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ME $300 FOR THE ENTIRE DOOR KIT. I DON'T WANT AN ENTIRE DOOR, BUT EVIDENTLY GM DESIGNED THE HANDLE TO BE AN INTEGRATED PART OF THE DOOR TRIM. THEN I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE NEVER HAD A SINGLE COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS HAPPENING EVER BEFORE. I FIND THIS TO BE A TOTAL LIE SINCE I JUST READ OF A WOMAN WHO CALLED GM TO COMPLAIN AND THEY TOLD HER THE EXACT SAME THING "WE'VE NEVER HAD A SINGLE COMPLAINT". I CANNOT OPEN MY CAR DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME. IF I WERE IN A WRECK OR IF THE BATTERY DIED I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF MY CAR, AS I HAVE TO ROLL DOWN MY WINDOW, REACH OUT AND OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. I'M VERY UPSET BY THIS ENTIRE SITUATION. I LOVE MY CAR, BUT WHOEVER DECIDED A PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE WAS A GOOD IDEA AND THEN TO INTEGRATE IT SO YOU HAD TO BUY AN ENTIRE DOOR PACKAGE TO REPLACE IT...NEEDS A SWIFT KICK IN THE BEHIND. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AND IT IS VERY UNSAFE. *TR