New guy here...
 

...and to be honest, I don't own a Chevrolet HHR. I'm here because I know of two people who do, and one of them is family, so she looks at me as a mechanic for her HHR.

I DO, however, own two Subaru Foresters.

The first reason I'm here is to get some help for my more distant buddy who was at the receiving end of a hit and run collision with her HHR. the driver's side quarter panel and bumper were dented, the driver side tail light was broken, and she needs to know where to get those parts in Southern California where they won't cost an arm, a leg, and her firstborn child.

The second reason I'm here is to listen to opinions, learn a few things, and pick your brain regarding my sisters' HHR, and perhaps get it to pass smog here in Northern (Sonoma County) California.

Helpful advice, tips, tricks (other than Sea-Foam) are welcome. I've already done the Sea-Foam treatment.

-Gregory

Welcome to the site :smile:

I have had good luck shopping for parts on ebay.

As far as the other one if it won't pass emission inspection there should be a code in the system. If there is one post it up and we will try to help.

Welcome to the site. :thumb:

:welcome8: to the forum!

As you know from your experience with Subaru's, these days we live and die by OBD II diagnostic codes. And sometimes the codes that can cause an emissions test failure can be fairly benign.

Take, or have your sister take her HHR to her local NAPA, Autozone, O'Reilly's, etc. Then have them "pull the codes", once you have them, post them up for us to read.

There aren't too many things we haven't seen go wrong at one time or another, her problem could be expensive, or it could be a bad gas cap.

As far a HHR sheet metal goes, these trucklets get picked clean in salvage yards almost before they are unhooked from the wrecker.

Lucky was correct on e-Bay being a good source of parts, depending on the severity of the quarter panel damage, it will probably require the services of a good body shop. The side of an HHR is one continuous stamping from the A-Pillar to the taillights, so sectioning it requires a fair amount of work.

might have luck at car-parts.com, pulls up junkyards across the US you can call and check

Codes can not be read at Auto Parts stores in California - it’s the LAW.

:congrats: and :welcome3: aboard

Greetings from Texas