i just walked our parking lot here at work, 20 cars, none with paint chips in the rear. They even state in the TSB that is the fix.

 

You know, with some of the logic displayed here, I can only say GOOD LUCK, COLLECTING WHAT YOU THINK IS YOURS....hire a good attorney. You will need it.

But, I understand that some are terribly frustrated with this issue and feel better verbalizing fantasies. So lets see.....

I buy an off road 4 x 4 truck...then drive off road, cutting brush, rocking the frame, and blazing my own road. My truck is really scratched up, dirty, muddy and darn, I have a couple of "nicks" in it.....oh, and I just dented the oil pan. I'm sueing GM because they didn't tell me ????.....yeah, right.

Oh, and by the way, the TSB says 'MAY" and "CASE BY CASE"...it is not GOD GIVEN, GUYS...that is the legal loophole.


Step back and take a breath.

 

Maybe you should take your own advice and take a couple of breaths yourself. NOWHERE have I said who is finacially responsible for footing the bill for running boards. While I do think it is a design flaw, with Chevy admitting limited liablitity, I'm not jumping on the band wagon to try and get Chevy to refund me the money for my running boards. I think that Chevy should offer to SELL the boards for the same price that they are listed at on sticker and should install them at no cost.

 

You're comparing a 4X4, which is made for off-roading, to the HHR design flaw? Your statement is irrelevent.

 

On the site I use I can't see the options of what is standard and what is not, but I can see that a 2006 had a base MSRP price of $15,890 and a 2007 will have a base price of $16,390, so $500 for running boards seems reasonable. I believe they were a $445 option on '06 models.


I doubt GM will reimburse '06 owners for the cost of their running boards. You have to pay for them one way or another, either with the purchase or after the purchase. They're not going to "give" people who don't have them yet free running boards, but I'm sure they'll be happy to sell them to you.

I doubt GM will reimburse everyone for their homemade lower grill inserts either. Aren't people doing that because of a "design flaw"???

 

As much as I like getting something for nothing, I don't think GM owes anyone running boards. I am surprised they are even offering to repaint once for free. It is not a design flaw. A design flaw is a Pinto gas tank that blows up or an 84 Fiero that catches on fire. Yes, not having running boards can cause paint damage. The rear spoiler on my Fiero catches debris on the leading edge too. Not a design flaw... Just part of the cosmetics. Any vehicle that doesn't have totally flat sides will have something that can catch debris. If you want an ugly flat truck, they are available.


What next? I didn't order driving lights and I can't see well enough with just headlights... Free driving lights for everybody!

Yes, I want running boards too. I wanted them from the start but we had a hard time finding the truck we wanted and it just happened to not have them. I told Marie before I ever saw this forum that I bet that area would get stone chips. I bought an HHR with no running boards anyway with plans to add them. It is not rocket science, nor is it worth the forum splitting over. Of all the expensive mods I plan to make to our HHR, the cost of the running boards is nothing... I'm not going to worry about it.

 

Wow, jx3...

My statements weren't directed specically to you. They were meant to be more collective.

I AGREE with your assessment of allowing "on a case by case basis", the purchase of the "boards" for Invoice Price (by the way, that price is the price of the boards, which are shipped inside of each vehicle, and the cost of labor installation by the dealer). I believe that would be the prudent and wise business and consumer relation decision. unfortunately, I do not make those decisions....not does anyone else on this forum.

Tex...your statement about being irrelevent is exactly what I was attempting to display. Almost everything people have argued is irrelevent. But, believe me, I understand you frustration with shelling out the money for something that YOU believe should have been included.

As I understand it (and maybe not completely), most of the damage that owners are complaining about occurred driving on unpaved roads or "kick-up" from salt, ash or whatever in winter conditions.

What about people who are not exposed to those conditions, except on very limited circumstances? Are they having the same problem, to the same degree? I have a neighbor who has 29000 miles on his HHR (last I talked with him). He is a landlord of many properties in many states...which obviously accounts for his mileage. He has a base....and I mean base, HHR (no "boards") and has very minimal damage. No more than what would be recognized on the lower quarters of a rear wheel drive car.

I think the best advise was from CH... the boards are not even a sure thing yet....relax.

And, EZ4U2C in regard to the lower grill insert analogy.

But, let me draw another analogy...

A number of years ago, auto manufacturers were required to install safety glass in their vehicles. As a result of this, a number of "legal minds" (is that an oxymoron), decided to require the manufacturers to go back and replace all the required areas on older vehicles with that safety glass....in otherwords, grandfather the requirement. The courts dismissed that attempt, as well as many others, with a statement similar to, "the natural progression or development of a product". That's what this is, development of a product....unless of course, you can ABSOLUTELY show willful knowledge on GM's part. And then, the quantity issue becomes an argument..how many did and how many didn't during the vehicles development stage.

That's why I said, "step back and take a breath".

 

Well, to each their own as is the rule around here, but I didn't want the running boards, I just prefer the look of it without them. I don't have them, I drive a ton and live in Podunk USA and travel lots of gravel roads, heck the street I live on has a ton of loose rocks. When I keep them clean you cannot see the damage, but if you run your hand across them you can feel it. From a cosmetic standpoint it just hasn't been that big of an issue for me. I DO drive slowly on the gravel and loose rock though. If Chevy offered me a pair for free, I'd probably ebay them... my 2 cents...

CBL

 

I ran a search for all 2007's in America. Looks like they started coming in 9 days ago and most are in Texas. The majority of the rest were around Illinois and Missouri. Still none in Colorado

 

Do they have standard running boards or is there no way to tell that from your computer?