If your not comfortable painting them yourself, check your local Paint & Body Shops. You might find they are quite reasonable.

 

There are 3 different sets of running boards available according to the service department at the dealership where my HHR is services.

Set #1 - Came from the factory with the car direct for the dealer to install prior to purchase.

Set #2 - Came from GM parts division for aftermarket install. They have a different pad than the factory boards and this is the set that I originally had on my HHR. Pads according to the dealer are not interchangeable with Set #1.

Set #3 - According to the dealership, a 3rd set of boards was made and had yet a different set of pads from Set #1 & 2. These are the ones that are available at the present time and pads for Set #1 & 2 are not available. This is what my dealership ordered to replace my original set which was Set #2. They came unpainted and they sent them out to have them done by the paint shop that does their work. Since I already had the boards and the pads rippled, they covered all costs for the boards, paint & install under warranty.

I asked the dealership about gluing down the pads. They indicated to me that none of the 3 sets were glued down. They said that the boards had little tabs that were inserted into the running board itself to attach them. They also indicated that by not gluing them down, it allowed them to breath, which in my opinion is not a good thing.

Three days after I had the new set, they began to ripple again. I took it back to the dealership and they said they would look into it. Called me back and said nothing could be done as it was natural for this to happen when they sit outside in the hot sun all day. I have since gone back up to the dealership on a Sunday and taken pictures of all the HHR's "sitting in the sun" on their lot and not one of them has the rippling problem. I have called the service department and put them on notice that as soon as my schedule allows, I will be bringing in the pictures of their HHR's that have been sitting in the sameplace for longer than my HHR ever has and asking them to reconsider their stance before I call GM to intervene on my behalf. I paid $445 for my boards about a month or two after I got my HHR and also paid $100 to have them installed. Therefore, I feel that I am entitled to have this problem repaired to my satisfaction or they can pay for or split the cost of me purchasing the billett running board pads offered by truckshop.com. I do understand that the rippling can happen over time, but having it start after only 3 days on the new set is totally ridiculous. Would they feel differently had I not had them replaced under warranty and just had paid to have them installed this late in my HHR ownership? You bet they would and I fell like I should be treated no differently than any other HHR owner who has an issue with a warranty part being defective. Because of the current situation with the boards (they are rippled much worse than the original set), I am unable to enter my HHR in any shows or cruises, as it would have points taken off for the ugly pads on the running boards.

I will try and go by the dealership next week and plead my case once again and let you guys know what happens.

 

Wow Deb, didn't know that the new set was having the same issues. Make sme glad I have the #1's. Heat should have no bearing. With the heat and humidity here I have had no issues with mine. Granted mine is in a garage at night, but sitting in the hot sun on a military base all day.


Go get em...

 

My dealer ordered mine painted... they said they get them painted in pairs, but if you buy the singles they only come primed.

 

Once again I may be wrong on this, but I could swear mine are glued, taped or something. I just assumemed they were glued, because there is just a bit of what looks like a type of adhesive on the very edge of the pads. My car sits in the sun all day at work, and to date I've had no problems with them bowing up at all. And with Missouri heat and humidity, if they don't do it here because of heat, it won't happen anywhere outside of the desert (which is a dry heat ).

 

I just painted my mirrors with the spray paint I got from GM, I wet sanded with 800 grit sandpaper, 2 wiped it down with pre prep and 2 coats of adhesive promoter, 3 coats of sport Red metallic and 2 coats of clear and the paint looks as good as the original paint. It was easy just put thin coats on and then one wet coat.

 

Thats Sweet. Awesome job oldscout