Selling a damaged or non-running Chevrolet SSR

The SSR has a short record with NHTSA: 74 complaints and one recall. Structure, latches and electrical lead those complaints, 18, 18 and 17. In the owner texts, two parts you touch every day keep coming up: the hood prop and the inside door handles.

What the SSR is

The Super Sport Roadster is a retro-styled pickup with a steel roof that retracts. Chevrolet built it from June 2003 to March 2006, as 2003 through 2006 models, all at the Lansing Craft Center in Michigan. Its frame is a version of GM's GMT360 platform made only for the SSR, called GMT368. Karmann designed the retractable hardtop and ASC built it.

The 2003-2004 trucks use a 300 hp 5.3-liter LM4 V8 with a 4L60-E four-speed automatic. For 2005 GM switched to the 6.0-liter LS2 V8, paired with a 4L65-E automatic or a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual.

What owners reported to NHTSA

Each row below is a model year's tally of NHTSA complaints through October 10, 2026. None of the 74 reports a crash or a fire, and two report injuries.

The hood prop. On 2003-2004 trucks, 12 of 38 complaints mention the prop rod. Owners say it bends under the heavy hood and the hood comes down. One wrote that the prop "does not safely hold the hood up."

The inside door handles. On 2004-2005 trucks, 16 of 59 complaints describe a door handle that broke or would not open the door, and some owners got out through the window. In one report the driver's inside handle "fractured making it impossible to exit the vehicle from inside."

NHTSA lists no recall for either part, and no GM service bulletin or special coverage for them turned up.

The single recall

Recall 05V552, filed in December 2005, covers 2006 trucks whose tire and loading labels list the wrong vehicle capacity weight, so they fail federal standard FMVSS 110 on tire selection. A wrong label could lead to overloading or bad tire pressures. Owners were sent corrected labels starting March 31, 2006, and a dealer would fit them on request. The 32,068-vehicle count covers several GM trucks and SUVs, not just the SSR.

Fix it first, or sell it?

Weigh the repair estimate against what a running SSR with the same engine and miles sells for. The frame and the retracting roof were made for this truck alone. If a crash bent either one, ask the shop where it will find the parts before you approve the job.

1. Check the VIN on NHTSA's recall site, mainly for the 2006 label campaign.
2. Crash damage? Our wrecked car guide covers insurance totals and selling as is.
3. Thinking of selling it in pieces? Read part out or sell whole first.

Selling the SSR whole

Jot down the VIN, the odometer reading and every fault you know of, then ask for an offer online or by phone at (877) 421-6008. Tell us where it's parked, whether it rolls and whether the roof is open or shut, then leave it complete, since a stripped truck is priced differently. Bring out the title and some ID when the truck shows up. After you sell covers plates and release-of-liability rules state by state.

For other Chevy pickups, see the Silverado 1500, Avalanche and El Camino, or every Chevrolet we cover.