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General Motors Complaint - HHR Paint Chipping Problem - Chevrolet HHR
Chevrolet HHR - Complaint
HAMBURG, NEW YORK -- If anybody is interested in buying a Chevrolet HHR I will save you the trouble and say DON'T BUY IT! Go to your nearest Toyota or Honda dealer instead. Any HHR that is not equipped with running boards has a paint chipping problem do to a design flaw by General Motors. The retro design of the HHR makes the wheel wells wider than the car which gives the car a nice look. However because the wheels are wider than the car the front wheels throw road debris at the rear rocker panel, wheel well, and doors causing the paint to chip away. So that cool hip design really doesn't matter because the car looks like hell after about 10,000 miles. General Motors recognizes the problem and will paint the car, however the new paint justs chips away again because of the design flaw. Chevrolet also recognizes the solution which is to install running boards on the vehicle. The only problem is General Motors thinks the running boards should be purchased by the owner and the problem that was created by GM in the first place is the customer's problem. The running boards costs about $800.00 to $900.00 after installation. So if you don't want your HHR's paint to fall off and look like hell because of a manufacturer's defect by GM then it will cost you just under $1000.00.
So GM screws up and then sticks the customer with the bill as if it was the customers fault in the first place. What bothers me the most is that General Motors still continues to sell the HHR without running boards giving the customer an option to let their paint chip off. I don't know why the running boards aren't standard equipment to prevent the problem. So every HHR on the road without running boards will look like hell after about a year of use. The next time you see an HHR without running boards just take a look at it and you will see the paint missing if you don't see the paint chipping it either means it was just repainted or the car is just a couple of months old. I tried to get GM to budge on this, and fought them for over a month. They plead ignorance when it comes to giving a customer running boards. I was told by a GM representative that GM does not recognize a design flaw and because it is the road causing the paint to chip away it is considered a divine issue or an act of God. So she is telling me that the car is not designed to drive on roads.
So if you bought an HHR you might as well use it as a display piece in your garden because it is not designed to go on roads.
It is a real shame that this has happened to my car because overall the rest of the car is great it just chips it's own paint. I was so happy with the car I was definitely planning on purchasing another one in about 3 years. But because of the way GM has decided to handle this I am really thinking about buying a Toyota or a Honda the next time. I am even filing a complaint with the attorney general and see if they can do anything about the issue. The way I see it General Motors knows they are selling a defective product and is continuing to willingly sell the defective problem. They are giving the customer the decision to buy a car that chips it's own paint. Not making running boards standard equipment is fraudulent on GM's part and is similar to giving the customer an option to purchase a car without a fender or a bumper or even brakes. They can raise the sticker price to cover the cost of the running boards so what is the problem?
That is why I have no choice but to turn to the Attorney General not for just my own sake but for everyone's sake.
So GM screws up and then sticks the customer with the bill as if it was the customers fault in the first place. What bothers me the most is that General Motors still continues to sell the HHR without running boards giving the customer an option to let their paint chip off. I don't know why the running boards aren't standard equipment to prevent the problem. So every HHR on the road without running boards will look like hell after about a year of use. The next time you see an HHR without running boards just take a look at it and you will see the paint missing if you don't see the paint chipping it either means it was just repainted or the car is just a couple of months old. I tried to get GM to budge on this, and fought them for over a month. They plead ignorance when it comes to giving a customer running boards. I was told by a GM representative that GM does not recognize a design flaw and because it is the road causing the paint to chip away it is considered a divine issue or an act of God. So she is telling me that the car is not designed to drive on roads.
So if you bought an HHR you might as well use it as a display piece in your garden because it is not designed to go on roads.
It is a real shame that this has happened to my car because overall the rest of the car is great it just chips it's own paint. I was so happy with the car I was definitely planning on purchasing another one in about 3 years. But because of the way GM has decided to handle this I am really thinking about buying a Toyota or a Honda the next time. I am even filing a complaint with the attorney general and see if they can do anything about the issue. The way I see it General Motors knows they are selling a defective product and is continuing to willingly sell the defective problem. They are giving the customer the decision to buy a car that chips it's own paint. Not making running boards standard equipment is fraudulent on GM's part and is similar to giving the customer an option to purchase a car without a fender or a bumper or even brakes. They can raise the sticker price to cover the cost of the running boards so what is the problem?
That is why I have no choice but to turn to the Attorney General not for just my own sake but for everyone's sake.
Comments:
Posted by Pomona Guy on 2007-08-15:
In the old days we used to use mud flaps to prevent chipping. And what are you doing, driving around on gravel roads?
Posted by Sparticus on 2007-08-15:
It does seem like a poor design. Those flaring wheel wells should have had some sort of covering, or at least some super-durable coating. Appears they went for the cool factor over quality of design.
Posted by HHRSucks on 2007-08-15:
Update to HHR Paint chipping problem,
Pomona Guy brought up a good point, I thought mud flaps would be a solution and is the solution on cars with a normal design. I have researched the matter on many forums and many HHR owners have tried the mud flaps and splash guards and the road debris still gets under the flap still allowing the paint to chip. Most of the chipping is caused by normal highway travel the HHR picks up the fine sediment and sanblasts the paint away. Also the General Motors released a TSB bulletin suggesting that HHR owners purchase the running boards which means GM knows the real solution to the problem. The problem I have is paying $800.00 to $900.00 for GM's design mistake. Many HHR owners that have running boards have reported no problems because the fine sediment is redirected to the rear wheels. I drive on normal highways to work everyday and on no gravel roads. Sparticus is right you would think Chevy would put a special coating in the General area. Thankyou both for your feedback it is greatly apprectiated.
Pomona Guy brought up a good point, I thought mud flaps would be a solution and is the solution on cars with a normal design. I have researched the matter on many forums and many HHR owners have tried the mud flaps and splash guards and the road debris still gets under the flap still allowing the paint to chip. Most of the chipping is caused by normal highway travel the HHR picks up the fine sediment and sanblasts the paint away. Also the General Motors released a TSB bulletin suggesting that HHR owners purchase the running boards which means GM knows the real solution to the problem. The problem I have is paying $800.00 to $900.00 for GM's design mistake. Many HHR owners that have running boards have reported no problems because the fine sediment is redirected to the rear wheels. I drive on normal highways to work everyday and on no gravel roads. Sparticus is right you would think Chevy would put a special coating in the General area. Thankyou both for your feedback it is greatly apprectiated.
Posted by Hugh_Jorgen on 2007-08-15:
There is a product that RV dealers sell - it's some type of clear stick-on protective covering that is made to protect the front of motorhomes from chips and dings from the road. It's clear and once installed properly it's pretty much invisable. You might check with some dealers in your area and see what it would cost to protect your wheel wells with a couple of small pieces of this material.
Posted by Starlord on 2007-08-15:
General Motors for the past three or four years has been having a bad problem with their paint jobs. Maybe you haven't noticed it, but look around you, you will see many GM cars and light trucks with paint jobs that look like they are being removed by the spray wand at the local car wash. Big ugly patches of grey primer showing through the paint jobs that look like huge patches of paint have just peeled off. I woul dnot own a GM product for exactly this reason. Obviously, GM is not doing anything about this paint problem, because I see more and more of these ugly paint jobs instead of seeing any fixed.
Posted by HHRhater on 2007-10-26:
I wish I'd seen this before I bought my HHR. I've had a similar experience, and GM has refused to give me any financial assistance as far as installing running boards. I did find out something interesting when researching this-GM in Canada sells the HHR with running boards as standard equipment. Too bad Americans don't rate the same treatment, eh?
Posted by HHRSucks on 2007-11-01:
HHRSucks
Hey! HHR hater I noticed your having the same problem. GM wants me to spend $800.00 to $900.00 to fix their mistake by suggesting runningboards. I heard the same thing about Canada, yet there are still HHR's driving around in the states with paint falling off of them. My HHR has been repainted and guess what, the new paint is already chipping again as predicted! Everyone thinks mudflaps are the solution, however I have read other posts that the mudflaps don't do anything because the road debris still gets under them. Plus my dealer and GM's TSB bulletin suggests that the owner does purchase runningboards. So GM is completely aware of the problem. They are knownly and willingly selling a faulty product. The fact of the matter is that it was a design flaw! The wider wheels cause the problem, yet Chevy has the solution right at their finger tips without even having to redesign the car! All they have to do is what they are doing in Canada, and that is to make Running Boards standard equipment! And at least give current HHR owners the runningboards free or at cost. Why should GM profit from their mistake? Giving the consumer the choise to let the paint fall off their car because of an accessory they didn't even know they had to purchase is just bad business! It is like giving the customer the option to buy a car without a fender or brakes!(And not informing them that brakes stop the car!) I guess American auto manufacturers don't care about American consumers. Yet the Japanese seem to care, that is why Toyota continues to slowly eat away at the domestic car sales.
Hey! HHR hater I noticed your having the same problem. GM wants me to spend $800.00 to $900.00 to fix their mistake by suggesting runningboards. I heard the same thing about Canada, yet there are still HHR's driving around in the states with paint falling off of them. My HHR has been repainted and guess what, the new paint is already chipping again as predicted! Everyone thinks mudflaps are the solution, however I have read other posts that the mudflaps don't do anything because the road debris still gets under them. Plus my dealer and GM's TSB bulletin suggests that the owner does purchase runningboards. So GM is completely aware of the problem. They are knownly and willingly selling a faulty product. The fact of the matter is that it was a design flaw! The wider wheels cause the problem, yet Chevy has the solution right at their finger tips without even having to redesign the car! All they have to do is what they are doing in Canada, and that is to make Running Boards standard equipment! And at least give current HHR owners the runningboards free or at cost. Why should GM profit from their mistake? Giving the consumer the choise to let the paint fall off their car because of an accessory they didn't even know they had to purchase is just bad business! It is like giving the customer the option to buy a car without a fender or brakes!(And not informing them that brakes stop the car!) I guess American auto manufacturers don't care about American consumers. Yet the Japanese seem to care, that is why Toyota continues to slowly eat away at the domestic car sales.
Posted by Done with GM on 2010-07-07:
GM paint problems have been going on for years! My father had a 1990 van, I have a 2002 Tracker and I see even newer GM cars with the faded paint. Mine started fading 3-4 years ago. They won't do anything about it eventhough it's obviously a bad paint job. My father was a GM employee for many years and before he died, he was looking at a Dodge van because GM quality had disappeared. I am also done with GM. Was thinking about painting mine but I think instead I'll put a sign in the window instead that says, "Another 'QUALITY' paint job by GM!"
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