Well, the time has come to move to MI. What are the HHR 'hot spots' for rust I need to look out for? Any ideas on how to curb them? Of all the things on my plate right now, I cannot stop thinking about my car and how badly I do not want it to rust.

 

Keep her clean and drive her often! And make up a set of troughs to keep the water off you front door hinge area

 

You can use Fluid Film for winter salt protection.

 

My inside door lowers started rusting after the first winter-I'd start there.

 

It is supposed to get to 107 degrees today. Its hard to get my head around "winter care tips"

 

When I lived in Michigan, during the winter I would wash my truck every week, if it needed it or not. I'd got to the local car wash and get the undercarriage wash everytime. Short of the rust that was on it when I bought it, I didn't have a single problem with it.

 

I washed and waxxed almost every inch on my '08 SS when I first bought mine new. Door jams anything that could be exposed to the weather and then some. Every year it gets the tender loving care treatment. Lots of work detailing, but worth it.

 

"win·ter/ˈwin(t)ər/
noun
the coldest season of the year, in the northern hemisphere from December to February and in the southern hemisphere from June to August."

Umm, we don't really do that in Carolina, but the best advice is keep it clean, keep it waxed, and watch the door bottoms.

Pre-2009 HHR's are known for rust forming where the door skins fold over the inner door frames, so keep your drain holes clear, and have any rust atttended to A.S.A.P.

Plus, on "nice" days when the roads are free of salt and slush, head to a coin-op carwash and give the underside a good cleaning, especially where the fuel line bends around the front of the left rear wheel opening.

That's a mud and slush trap, and the mild steel fuel line will rot through right there.