2006 Chevrolet HHR

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Rear drums perform well, are reliable easy and inexpensive to work on, and last last MUCH longer than rear discs for 99% of the passenger cars and trucks on the road today. The fit and finish of the HHR looks really good. Same goes for the colorado and most of GM's cars. Wish I could say the same for my '05 trailblazer. Awesome ride and powertrain, absolute horrible fit and finish.

Joel
 
quote:

Originally posted by JTK:
Wish I could say the same for my '05 trailblazer. Awesome ride and powertrain, absolute horrible fit and finish.
Joel


Yeah, I know what you mean. My buddy has an '02 TB and while the powertrain is great, the interior could use a heavy makeover. The exterior gaps are pretty bad too. I believe they've fixed some of the exterior gaps on the TB refresh and the Envoy Denali.
 
I would think the authoritative source for TSBs would be GM's service.gm.com site. That lists 15 for the HHR describing technical issues, the most recent being issued April 3, 2006. This includes things like removing rail dust embedded in the paint (which can happen if the car is stored near a rail yard or ore processing plant), clicking hub caps and freezing door latches, which are rare and/or minor issues. As others have said, though, you can't go by that for a measure of reliability.

I think the drum brake thing mostly comes down to looks. I think a vehicle like that should have disks for that reason, but in terms of stopping power, pedal feel and longevity, drums are perfectly acceptable. Most people don't do their own brakes, so ease of service isn't a big factor. Even for those who do their own, like me, once you learn how, they're all the same, so it's no big deal.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Matt_S:
I think a vehicle like that should have disks for that reason, but in terms of stopping power, pedal feel and longevity, drums are perfectly acceptable.

Yes, acceptable.
This is exactly a kind of thinking that got GM into the present junk bond status/looming bankruptcy situation.
"Acceptatble" doesn't cut anymore.
In its current state the GM's product must be perfect, best and leading the way, not just "acceptable".
Ah, Forget it, they'll never learn.
 
quote:

Originally posted by vad:
Ah, Forget it, they'll never learn.

Yeah, that's why the vehicles they are putting out these days are so much better than what they were putting out even 5 years ago.

rolleyes.gif


Like I've already said, you can't turn around a corporation that large overnight after 20-30 years of neglect.
 
quote:

Originally posted by mshu7:

quote:

Originally posted by vad:
Ah, Forget it, they'll never learn.

Yeah, that's why the vehicles they are putting out these days are so much better than what they were putting out even 5 years ago.


The same can be said about the Japanese, and especially the Koreans.
While GM was making good progress during the last 5 years, the rest of the industry was doing the exact same thing.
Even though GM has managed to narrow the quality gap, its product priorities are still screwed up, its production efficiency is marginal at best.
GM continues to lose money and there is no end to it.
 
quote:

Originally posted by mshu7:
Like I've already said, you can't turn around a corporation that large overnight after 20-30 years of neglect.

The current management doesn't and won't take the necessary steps to reform the company.
 
quote:

Originally posted by vad:
The current management doesn't and won't take the necessary steps to reform the company.

There's no doubt they are in trouble right now. But you obviously haven't looked beyond the biased media outlets to give them credit where credit is due. I can assure you, they are trying to turn things around. ie - the most fuel efficient full-size SUV's in the industry, E85 capable vehicles at no extra charge over standard gasoline only vehicles, hybrid systems that are cheaper to purchase vs. Honda & Toyota yet still yeild effeciency close to Honda & Toyota hybrid systems, products w/higher quality materials and fewer panel gaps inside & outside, better powertrains, etc.

Regardless of what you or I believe, we'll see what happens and I would bet that something positive will happen for them over the long haul.

I'm done w/this subject now.
 
quote:

Originally posted by vad:

quote:

Originally posted by Matt_S:
I think a vehicle like that should have disks for that reason, but in terms of stopping power, pedal feel and longevity, drums are perfectly acceptable.

Yes, acceptable.
This is exactly a kind of thinking that got GM into the present junk bond status/looming bankruptcy situation.
"Acceptatble" doesn't cut anymore.
In its current state the GM's product must be perfect, best and leading the way, not just "acceptable".
Ah, Forget it, they'll never learn.


Let's take a look at a list of who else thinks rear drums are "acceptable":

Honda Accord Sedan VP and LX
Honda Civic Coupe DX and LX
Toyota Corolla CE, S and LE
Toyota Matrix base and XR
Ford Focus - all except ZX4 ST
Chrysler PT Cruiser - most models (click Specifications link)
Dodge Caliber SXT and SE

GM seems to be in good company, don't you think? These are all similarly sized vehicles from the largest car companies and, guess what? They all come with rear drum brakes! Given this, IMO the disk/drum argument is not valid. If it's good enough for Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler and Dodge, WHY should GM be any different?
 
The only time I even noticed a difference in rear disc brakes is when towing. The discs stop better. But for every day driving, I can't notice a difference. They (drums) still stop well enough to lock up the wheels and set off the ABS w/o fading and personally I don't think they are hard to work on at all (but I've been doing mechanical work for over 25 years).
 
Disk brakes look better.
They also give the impression of higher tech/quality.
In the perception game, it does matter.
A vehicle like the HHR is one i'd guess is a candidate for after-market rims - and we all know that drums look kinda crappy compared to disks.

Even my "cheap" SCION tC has 4-wheel disks.

It is but one factor. Not anything to get in a huff over.
I'm not sure though how much money is saved - disk brake kits are readily available for not much money.

Oh well, as I said, it's not a big deal.

Scott
 
I like the look of the HHR as well and I like the price! Also, I prefer rear brake shoes.

On the subject of GM's problems versus Japanese reliability, I have no doubt that in most cases Japanese autos are more reliable. However, people hear so much about it that it tends to get exaggerated because it does not always hold true. For example, I've been responsible for a small fleet of 10 cars - Japanese, GM and Chryslers. All these vehicles are on the same maintenance plan. With respect to our last group of vehicles, my records prove that one of our GM cars and one of the Chryslers have been more reliable and less costly to maintain over a five year period than one of our Toyota Corollas and either of our two Nissans. And that's not ** but simple reality!
 
Toyota pickups, IMHO, are not the competition for HHRs.
The HHR to me is more of a "salon" vehicle - meant to attract people with it's looks (and utility)
Just as the PTs brakes looked out of place (again, IMHO) I think the HHR would benefit from the 4-wheel discs.

I'm not baggin' on GM or anyone else for using drums in a performance sense, but reality is that they don't look as good, and on that vehicle, I'd want 4-wheel discs.

Scott
 
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