Remford

I finally added the GM accessory roof frack cross-rails for my '07 2LT Wagon, and was very surprised with them.

The first thing that struck me was how poorly the threads on the 8 knobs/mounting brackets were milled/bored. Even after carefully ensuring I hadn't cross-threaded any of them, they were SO stiff at certain points as to make me wonder if these weren't a set of factory "seconds". It was truly ridiculous, and at some points, so bad that I couldn't advance the knob by hand. Though all but one would easily free themselves after forcing them through the 1/8 or 1/4 turn where they were flawed, one absolutely refused to budge and still sits there, bound half-way tightened, until a replacement arrives.

The second surprising thing (to me) is that knob-fasteners are all that secure them to the factory rails. While rooftop carriers almost always lock to prevent opportunistic thieves from a quick "sneak and steal", a determined ne'er do well would need only loosen 8 knobs and the entire assembly could be easily removed from the vehicle, carrier and all. Now, I realize we're not talking Fort Knox here, and the one "stuck" knob is a sort of temporary "lock" I suppose ; and maybe this is the standard design of such things, but I was genuinely surprised by the inherent insecurity of the design.

Finally, the overall fit and finish seemed to be VERY lacking. The "chromed" plastic end-caps are flat, though the factory roof rails are curved, leaving an uneven gap between them at the front and back that (to me anyway) just looks shoddy. I know we're not talking Maybach here, but a little aesthetic attention in design and manufacture beyond stamping out bulbous fenders and hoods would be much appeciated, I'm sure.

I'm wondering if anyone else shared my experience, or if anyone's opinion differs vastly from mine. Perhaps all I need is to buy another set. Or, has anyone used an aftermarket set of rails and, if so, were there any distinct rewards (or regrets)? Having shared my experience(s), I'd greatly appreciate some insight into what others' have been who care to share.

Many thanks.

Remmie

Overall Rating for GM Roof Rack Utility (Cross) Rails: 3.5/10

SIRESMERPH

were they to be added when you got the car or did you just add them seperatly? how much did it cost? 3.5 / 10.......boooooo!!!!!!!!

Remford

The vehicle had the factory option roof rack (front to back) rails installed during construction. These are the accessory cross rails (Genuine GM HHR Accessory Part) that run laterally between, and connecting, the two factory roof rails, and are intended to support carriers or loads running front to back. I bought them a couple weeks ago through a dealer parts department for about $210.00 or so.

Maybe my experience was unique, and I just got a "bad" pair, which is why I'm hoping to hear from others about their experiences.

karen1953

You got yours from a Dealer for $210.00, wow. The list cost is more like $299.00, or at least it was all the way thru last year. I lucked out, someone sold their HHR and sold them tho me for $125.xx.

As to the screws and such not going on straight, no problem here.
No stuck knobs on mine either.

As far as the End Caps not meeting the roof rack thought it was just so it could be slid forward and back wards with hitting the roof rack. Never thought of it any other way.

Remford

Yep. $210 direct from a dealership that's willing to negotiate. The smart ones figure "50% of SOMETHING is better than 100% of NOTHING". $125 is a great deal, especially if you didn't have to go through the whole nuisance of assembling the ends etc. :)

I'm glad your experience was better than mine. Maybe mine were made during a bad production run when the tooling needed to be refreshed. I too gave consideration that the factory rails are varible curves, but it just seems to my inexperienced eye that they could have been done better, somehow. At the end of the day, it would probably have not even registered had everything else gone well.

So, for now, I'm moving on to finding a nice Thule hard shell that will maximize the available roof area with a smooth finish that I can have painted to match. Deciding whether to trade-off the additional carriage space for sunroof clearance is a bigger decision point than I first imagined; though I tend to be a "function over form" kind of guy.

After that's settled, there's a Hidden Hitch to be mounted, and I'll finally have it all ready for summer and subsequent years.

Glad to know you had a positive experience, and thanks for sharing.

an08HHR

Interesting. I was thinking of getting some but now have second thoughts on the ones from GM. Thought I heard that Thule have some that fit the factory side rails (and are lockable) and would be interesting to know if anyone have tried those.

Remford

Amen, brudder. Let's home someone can lens some insight on those. Once my set of replacement knobs and brackets arrive, someone may find a set of week-old GM rails avaialble for cheap purchase.

Remford

Actually, given that I'm adding a hitch, the more I've been looking at them, the more a rear enclosed carrier becomes increasingly attractive. Thule has some nice options, as does Rola, who has a 2-in-1 carrier/pan combination, and both come in swing-away versions for liftgate clearance; and both makers' models have integral lights to boot. It may be the ideal solution, especially given the extent to which it does away with the awkwardness of rooftop solutions.

My challenge is that I have some very long items (almost 8") that HAVE to run longitudinally on the rooftop. Hell. I'll probably just end up with both, and an HHR that with about 80 cu ft. of storage. :)

mchuntley

Do you have any pictures? I would love to see what you are talkilng about.

I am also curious if anyone has had a rack installed after you get the HHR?

Thanks,
Matt

JIM B

I noticed the same thing with the thumb screws so i bought some metric bolts, painted them black now no easy removal. Ipaid more then you from GM Parts Direct but alot less han the dealer wanted. Mine sit nice on the rails though.no gaps at all but i got the black ends not chrome.