I just noticed I have 2 dents (one a little more prominent than the other) just above my plate area on the corners the the bowtie handle (the piece thats about a foot long). Know I assumed right away that someone backed into me but theres no paint or scuffs anywhere on my gate to show of an impact of some kind.

On my home today I ended up behind another Black HHR LS and I noticed the same 2 dents on his Tailgate (not as prominent as mine but very similar).

Has anyone else ever find anything like this on the back of there car cause now I'm wondering if its a common thing?

 

Some people have mentioned this. How do you close your hatch? Could be your problem.

Try this thread: It's broken in now...

 

with the inside handle mostly

 

The metal is thin and that area doesn't seem to have very much support. I have a small dent on one side of that bar. If you push on the bar with a certain amount of force it seems to dent in the two top corners. Sometimes my rear gate doesn't close when I pull it shut using the grab handle and so I have to open it slightly and push it shut again, I try not to push on the bar when I do this after I noticed it dented.

 

Because of this web site, I've kept up to date on the issues and as result I've been able to avoid the dreaded beauty bar dings. Now if chevy could put a warning about this in the manual........

 

i always use the grab handle and just give it a good swing. However my wife loves to use the beauty bar, and every time i tell her not to, but that doesn't always go over too well...

 

i close my hatch at least 6 times a day on my route. once to load , 5 to unload. i have never noticed any dents , but i most always use the inside handle /hole thingy. it is kind of awkward to use. i though about getting that chrome strip thingy that attaches to the outside bottom of the hatch. that may be a more comfortable place to grab. i am just not sure if i want chrome. i can see how using the inside handle/hole thingy could be difficult for alot of people. i consider myself very coordinated , but using that handle feels kind of strange to me. and , thanks , i didn't realiize i could damage my hatch by pushing on the chrome bar. my black paint shows everything , so i try to touch it as little as possible. i always make sure my keys are in my other hand , no matter what. i will throw down whatever is in my hands before i will let a key touch my paint or chrome. good thing i don't have small children.

 

I used to use the license plate itself to push on, but I didnt get the rubber bumpers under it from the factory so it started to etch the paint. Got the bumpers, but now I use my fingers to push the hatch closed using the ridge just below the license plate. Easy to do and it seems like a fairly strong area, just gotta watch for scratches.

 

We close ours using the Bow-Tie at the center of the Beauty Bar! Seems to dissperse the presure evenly across the center of the rear hatch!

We have also used the rear hole thingy but agree it can be awkward in using it by itself for closing purposses! Kind of have to be an athletic contorshenist to pull it off !

 

If I'm not closing using the inside handle I close it this way too and I'm pretty sure thats whats causing it to buckle the way it is.