NHTSA Complaint #11019535 — 2007 CHEVROLET HHR

STEERING COLUMN RATTLE AND SEVERE SHAKE AT 18,000 MILES. MACHINED ROTORS AND REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS. REPLACED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT, LOWER CONTROL ARMS, SWAY BAR BUSHINGS, STABILIZER LINKS AND OUTER TIE ROD ENDS PER RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM DEALERSHIPS AND INDEPENDENT GM-TRAINED MECHANICS. RATTLE STILL NOT CLEARED, LATEST DEALER VISIT SAYS ONLY POSSIBLE FIX IS TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN, ANOTHER $1000 REPAIR. CAR STILL RATTLES AT LOW SPEED OVER UNEVEN SURFACES - PROBLEM IS DOCUMENTED ONLINE EXTENSIVELY. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS THE DEALER SAID WERE WORN OUT AND DEFECTIVE THAT CAME OFF THE CAR WERE KEPT FOR INSPECTION AND FOUND TO NOT BE DEFECTIVE. GM HAS REDESIGNED ALL THESE PARTS KNOWING THEY ARE OFTEN DEFECTIVE AND SUED THE STEERING COLUMN SUPPLIER IN 2009, BUT STILL NO RECALL OTHER THAN THE STEERING COLUMN MOTOR. CALLED CHEVROLET TO OPEN A CASE AND THEIR ONLY RESPONSE WAS TO TAKE IT BACK TO A DEALER. LUDICROUS.