It just burns me to know that GM knew about this problem since 2006 and they are still making the vehicles without running boards. I paid almost 18,000 for my vehicle and to have to pay 600+ more after 6 months bothers me. If I had known about the problem I wouldn't have purchased it or I would have tried getting them on cheaper. With the way things are going and prices going up we shouldn't have to pay more to fix something that should be right the first time around, especially now after they know about the issue.

 

Virus cancelled, tons of junk mail to buy more GM products on the way though. Sorry.

 

The last 3 HHR's that came in this week without running boards no longer have the molding in front of the rear wheels. They have replaced it with the clear plasti-shield strips. The strips are also located on the rocker molding right below it. So it looks like this is GM's answer to HHRs without running boards.

 

Now that you say that I saw one parked next to me yesterday he was from N.H. and it had the plastic strips. I like those better that the molding cleaner looking. I wonder how well those will hold up. I bet cheaper to replace...I'll have to ask them when they install my running boards and mudflaps.

 

The TSBs came out on the repair in early 2006. Canada was adding the runningboards as part of their TSB for Canada customers only. I was lucky enough to get mine the week as as the USA TSB was being done. After the TSB came out Chevys outlook was to repair the damage one time only.The rest you can get from the TSB. The overall outlook was the runningboards and mud flaps do a good job, not super but good at helping with keeping the damage down.

Sorry but I am not a GM employee, but I did stay at a Holiday inn Express a couple times.

 

The strips help but are not "super" Check into some additional protection as in you can get 3M precut strips also from some places like invisableshield. I still have the plastic guards on my fenders.

Look at some of the old cars and truck that have rubber or metal shields on the rear fenders. This sounds like a issue with the HHR but it has been around for 40 years or more.

 

Can anyone do a cheap markup of their HHR on what precise areas need to be "protected"? I just bought a beautiful 08 and it has running boards but it sounds like even this is not great protection.