In-laws 2006 HHR LS CEL is throwing code P0420 after car lost power and stopped in the middle of the road. Car was taken to a dealer and they recommended replacing catalytic converter for a whopping $900.

According to this EPA Emissions warranty pdf file the 2006 hhr ls stock with 75000 miles should be covered for the calalytic convdrter. I`m not able to verify if Fl state is covered with this. I just printed this so that my in laws can show it to their service advisor on their next trip to dealer.

Anyone here had any experience claiming this epa emissions warranty. OP here missed it by few thousand miles, interested on what the dealer here in Fl has to say for a 2006 with 75k.

 

different fed and mfg different years. In some years the mfg warranty is greater than the fed.

Does the vehicle meet the requirements in section A? Was there a maintenance reason that the cat failed (there usually is)?

Cats do not melt for no reason.

Tell them to shop around, the dealership is the most expensive place to have it done. A new cat can be bought for under $200 labor should not exceed 1 hour. They should get both O2 sensors replaced at the same time. Probably more like $600.

You can get a Genuine GM cat for about $460 from an online store (list $640), gaskets cost about $20, O2 sensors about $150, 1 hour labor. An nice shop would only charge 30 minutes labor

Since you posted the link, I assume that you read it. Especially the parts about mandated emissions testing and the failure thereof.

I do not see a unlimited warranty.

Forgot that since it's a federal thing 8 years from date of mfg not purchase. And they will need to fix the underlying cause of failure or it will re occur.

 

Fast fingers, and voluminous knowledge as always Don.

In other words HHR1979...What he said X2.

 

The manufacturers emission warranty pursuant to the Federal Mandate states 80,000 miles or 8 years whichever occurs first. The car you speak of is under the mileage requirement, so that's good. But is it LESS than 8 years old from the FIRST DATE PLACED IN SERVICE? Which means it would have been titled and placed in service, at least 8 years after the date you take it into the dealer. Make sense??????

By the way, this is part of the Owners Manual AND I also posted this in the second thread you referenced in your opening post. Did you read it??

 

I just edited my first post, the FEDERAL emissions is based on manufacture date not service date. The feds can screw anything up.


Maybe I'm wrong about that, but an article I was researching the other day said it.

 

Thanks for the replies. Car was bought used and I'm not sure if they have owners manual..
Good call on trying to fix the underlying cause, can you list some possible cause of cat failure on top of your head that is common with hhr. Knowing how dealers work, if they end up covering it chances of them looking for a cause that might cost them more to fix is slim.

Only reason they might deny this claim is if they get technical about manufacturing date/service date or Florida state being lax with emission testing laws is not covered by this BS.

 

Biggest cause of failure is a misfire. You can find when your car went into service in the upper right corner of your door sticker.

 

Depending on what you are considering/meaning as, "service". The date on the door sticker is actually the date of build.....month and year. As GM warranty information indicates (and as I have mentioned), the determining date is the date the vehicle was placed into service by the first titled owner. At least that is how it is expressed in my owners book regarding warranty info.

And actually the owners service date is better for the owner who is requesting assistance for warranty coverage. The service date you expressed, would actually reduced the time requirement for the owner. Many vehicles may not be sold for several weeks to maybe a year after the date the car was built, which makes it favorable to the owner.

OP.....any dealer, who wishes to be accommodating, can check the in service date of the vehicle through their computer system.

 

Ah, but it does not say "first titled owner" it only says "placed into service". The FEDERAL warranty is different from the manufacturers warranty which does say "first titled owner" .

And we know what happens when the feds make thing "easier to understand", ever read the first 5 pages of a mortgage app?