NHTSA Complaint #11114299 — 2007 CHEVROLET HHR

THIS COMPLAINT CONCERNS A 2007 CHEVROLET HHR LT WHICH WAS PURCHASED AS A NEW VEHICLE. IT IS 'ALWAYS GARAGED'. IT HAS 36,1XX ORIGINAL MILES. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO WE BEGAN TO NOTICE 'CHUNKS' OF RUST GATHERING UNDER THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AN INSPECTION MADE BY SELF REVEALED EXTENSIVE RUST-OUT TO THE "REAR REINFORCEMENT BAR" (PART #10 IN THE ENCLOSED DIAGRAM). I CONTACTED "GM" VIA THEIR 'SOCIAL MEDIA CUSTOMER CARE CENTER', THOROUGHLY EXPLAINED THE ISSUE, AND WAS DIRECTED TO A LOCAL BUICK/GMC DEALERSHIP FOR AN EVALUATION, WITHIN HOURS I HEARD A NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS BY SELF HAVE NOT GIVEN ME A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION AS TO THE "WHY" OF THIS RUSTED PART. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED TO A HIGH DEGREE. THE EXAMINER TOLD ME HE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY OTHER RUST ISSUES ON OR UNDER THIS VEHICLE. KEEP IN MIND THAT I AM NOT AN 'AUTOMOTIVE' ENGINEER; BUT- TO MY 'UNTRAINED EYE' PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PART IS DEEPLY HIDDEN WITHIN THE REAR BUMPER COVER; AND THE DESIGN OF THE REAR BUMPER COVER IS SUCH THAT IT FOSTERS THE COLLECTION OF DEBRIS FROM THE ROAD ON IT'S HORIZONTAL SURFACES. THIS DEBRIS THEN IS IN SITU WITH THE METAL PARTS OF THE ACTUAL 'REAR BUMPER'. GIVEN TIME THE DEBRIS RETAINS MOISTURE WHICH 'APPARENTLY' THEN COVERS THE METAL PARTS. ...AND ONE GETS THE RESULTS SHOWN IN THE PHOTOS. NONE OF THIS WOULD BE VISIBLE UNLESS A PERIODIC, CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE HIDDEN PARTS WERE TO BE MADE BY THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE. A "POSSIBLE" MEASURE TO BE TAKEN WOULD BE FOR GENERAL MOTORS TO EDUCATE/INFORM OWNER/OPERATORS AS TO THE POTENTIAL FOR A PROBLEM. ANOTHER "POSSIBLE" SOLUTION, WERE THIS A VEHICLE STILL IN PRODUCTION (AND NOT YET ANOTHER GM 'ORPHAN' CAR) WOULD BE, OF COURSE, TO CORRECT THE APPARENT, ORIGINAL 'DESIGN DEFICIENCY'.