My wife was on a trip to MI a couple of months ago and her friend backed into our '07 HHR in their driveway to the tune of $1500 in damage. Mind you I've only had the HHR now for 3 months or so. Their insurance had to pay for it all, and I got a new bumper with a new paint job on it (among other parts). I just picked it up about 2 weeks ago.

We got a bit of snow here in TN Sunday, and my wife slid into a curb. First time she's had an accident of any kind in over 15 years. Now my nice new aftermarket wheel is basically toast, the nice newly painted bumper has a 6" x 2" scrape down to the plastic right in front of the wheel, and something is bent as the wheel isn't tracking straight. Needless to say I'm not happy.

Is my HHR cursed?

 

Nope, just your wife! lol

 

Does it look something like this? She isn't alone...my wife curbed mine a little over a week ago.




Got it all fixed but had to buy a new (refurbed) wheel

 

oh...i'm going to be in for a new wheel hub assembly. Was the only damage that we could find (hear as it turns out), besides an alignment.

 

Ouch on the wheel hub assembly. Those aren't cheap.

Same area as mine, but mine is scratched over about 1/3 of the wheel, and the scrape on the fender is a lot wider and longer. I may take the car in tomorrow to an alignment shop and see what I'm in for. I hate to think. There's got to be a tie rod end or control arm or the like that is bent at a minimum.

 

These cars don't have the stoutest front suspension and steering in the business.... hope it's not to bad.

 

My simple solution. The wife doesn't drive it. The one time she did, she pulled up to a parking curb and proceeded to gouge the bumper on it. Really, did you have to try and test where the front of the car was against cement and steel rod?

The Honda has found a cement barrier while reversing as well.

JIm

 

some people went to the braille school of driving......

 

My mother parks by feel, never have been able to improve her skills. The body shop loves her since they see her Corvette about twice a year to fix the nose or rear bumper. But hey, having a mom who has driven nothing but 'Vettes since the late 60's meant I was considered cool when she picked me up from school.

 

Just got back from the alignment shop. I'm looking at a bent strut, steering knuckle, lower control arm, and possibly some other power steering related problem to the tune of $600+, on top of the wheel and body damage. Wonderful. Its times like this I'm glad I opted for a $250 deductible. Time for State Farm. The funny part is that apart from the scrape, the aftermarket wheel doesn't seem to be warped at all.