This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the vehicle would not shut off due to the key being stuck in the ignition. In order to shut the vehicle off, the contact had to engage the clutch and manual shifter until it stalled. The key still would not remove from the ignition. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The battery died as a result. The failure mileage was 57,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The electric power steering turned itself off mid turn causing a drastic understeering leading the vehicle into oncoming traffic, upon research I found that GM recalled the exact same steering components that failed in the HHR in other GM vehicles but not the HHR. If this does not warrant serious investigation what does. The second time this happened everything was fine as we were driving straight, the problem occurred when the electric power steering turned back on mid-turn causing my wife to over turn into someone's front lawn, had anyone been in the way this would have been tragic. We've been lucky this far but as we are a low income household we don't have the means to pay some dealer to fix this as they all say it's on us the owners to take care of even though it's the same defective equipment that was in vehicles like the cobalt and Pontiac lines, why hasn't there been a recall issued, this is a sever driving impairment that can cause accidents and GM doesn't seem to care due to it's an acceptable loss! no life is an acceptable loss, please address this issue as there are many complaints into this same issue in the research I preformed, by the way, why is it GM Canada issued a recall on this part for the HHR and not the us branch? our HHR is a 2008 with 66000 miles on it and the electric power steering is the issue.
I live in deltona, fl and drove to palm bay, fl from home and got out of my car, returned to it a few minutes later and started it with the key fob and got in and the key would not turn in the ignition. Had to let the car turn itself off and tried several times to turn the key. The steering wheel was not locked, I walked to a nearby Firestone dealer who kindly agreed to let a technician come over to my car and try to turn the key, he was unsuccessful as well after several attempts. He was able to pull the steering wheel into the locked position however was still unable to turn the key in the ignition. I had to call a tow truck to tow me to the nearest Chevy dealership, in melbourne, fl. This dealership wouldn't even tell me if they had the part in stock to replace it so that I could drive home they told me to pay to be towed and let them look at it and see what the issue really was. I went online and saw that many other HHR owners have experienced this issue and they had suggestions on how to correct it, due to the fact that the tumbler was frozen. I walked to a gas station to by wad-40 and sprayed it in the ignition hole and unlocked my steering wheel adjustment to allow me to pull it up and down as quickly and as hard as I could to get the tumbler to free itself up, to no avail. 1.5 hours after the issue began the tow truck driver showed up and asked me what was wrong and I told him he could try and he was able to get the key to turn. I drove back home the 1.5 hours and my husband is ordering a replacement piece to install. Why should we pay to replace this piece when this has been happening to so many owners of this vehicle make and model?
I took car into dealership because it's stalling in traffic repeatedly when I am trying to come to a stop and even once when just driving. I took it in and they said they didn't know what it was and diagnostics weren't reporting any problems. They released vehicle that next day and it stalled on me in lot. They stated they could not get the vehicle to stall yet it happened within five min of me picking it up. I then took it back they kept it for the weekend. Released it back to me after I was told it had stalled once but they didn't know what it was. I contacted G.M customer service and then the dealership when I got the report stated it hesitated and when I asked why they put that down and not that it had stalled like the kathy had told me on 3 different occasions it had done, they refused to answer me. The car still stalls in traffic and they refuse to fix it. I will no longer take it here. I just want my car to be safe where I won't get hit doing uturns into traffic like I almost have been with my baby the day I picked up vehicle. I have to put it in park to start it over again. I can't do that on this busy hwy I live on with traffic coming at me as fast as it does in this city.
So far it has happened twice my wife leaving work the car stalled. First time her speed was aprox. 40 mph, 10 minutes into her drive. The next day we took the 2008 Chevy HHR to the dealer in chino California on Feb,26,2009.they kept the car for a couple of days, and could not find a problem. Second time her speed was aprox, 35 mph, 5 minutes into her drive. Date June 30,2009. Both times see was able to coast over to the side of the road. And both times the car started right away with no indication of trouble.
Just bought an 2008 HHR 18000 miles on it drove it home then went to go out and now the ignition key won't turn. Key just goes in and out. The 800 service people no help just said jiggle keys and keep turning the steering wheel to get the key to turn... any answers out there"?" think they need a recall after reading so many problems the HHR ignition switch has... some even say they can't get it to shutoff and they keys are stuck.
After purchase of a new 2008 HHR on 22 September 2008, I drove the vehicle home and upon getting into it the next morning I backed out of my garage and notice a very soft brake pedal. I then started down the drive way and when attempting to stop at the street the vehicle's brakes would not comply with my brake pressure and the vehicle proceeded into the street. This became a routine situation upon "cold startup's" and when reported to the dealer, (john donoghue Chevrolet, whiteville, nc) after several poor stops, my salesman advised "yeah we know about it as we've had the same problem on 2008 solstices". when confronted with a possible fix he advised that " a part on the turbo fixes the problem." I made arrangements to have the car serviced upon my return from vacation on or about 26 Oct 08. I dropped the car off with the service writer/manager and no mention was made as to poten tial problems fixing the car. Upon my return several hours later I was advised by the service manager that the problem is systemic to 2008 turbo engines and General Motors doesn't want to recall the cars. The dealership service manager provided me with a service bulletin that GM put out as a potential "fix" but he refused to service the car. I took the vehicle to another Chevrolet dealership and they readjusted the computer, per the bulletin; however, the vehicle still does not stop properly on cold startup. GM customer service personnel and the bulletin advised that "they are working on the issue."
Chevy HHR 2008 - complete electrical failure while attempting to enter traffic from home depot parking lot. Couldn't unlock doors or window to escape vehicle. Called 911 fairfield ct, fire dept responded to open vehicle. Trapped inside for 15 minutes. Problem with car's fuse box, cutting off all electrical power just 10 minutes earlier traveling at 60 mph on I-95.
2008 Chevy HHR with a burning hair odor intermittently. Consumer states that the vehicle also stopped running. She states that when it shut off he had no brakes or steering. The consumer also stated there was a problem with the speakers.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Grand Rapids, MI, USA