2008 CHEVROLET HHR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE MALFUNCTION PERSISTED WHICH CAUSED DIFFICULTY IN THE CONTACT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,500.

AS I WAS ROLLING UP TO A STOP SIGN, THE "POWER STEERING" ALERT APPEARED ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL. HAVING NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS WARNING BEFORE, I DIDN'T KNOW QUITE WHAT IT MEANT. AS I MADE MY LEFT TURN INTO THE INTERSECTION, I FOUND OUT! IT TOOK ALL MY PHYSICAL STRENGTH TO STAY WITHIN THE PAVEMENT. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. THE STEERING FAILED TWICE MORE IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS. FORTUNATELY, I AVOIDED COLLISIONS BOTH TIMES AND HAD REPAIRS MADE AT THE DEALERSHIP AS SOON AS IT OPENED FOR BUSINESS AFTER THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY. AS THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD, THE COST TO ME WAS $302.66. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS POWER STEERING MOTOR IS USED ON OTHER GM CARS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED. THE HHR SHOULD BE INCLUDED! *TR

THE IGNITION IS LOCKED IN THE ON POSITION. IT WILL NOT SHUT OFF, THE ONLY WAY TO TURN IT OFF S TO REMOVED THE FUEL PUMP FUSE AND THEN DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY IS LOCATED UNDER THE SPARE TIRE IN THE TRUNK AREA. *TR

2008 CHEVROLET HHR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. *SMD THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING MOTOR.

THE DOOR LOCKS STICK AND STILL DO. I HAVE EVEN BEEN LOCKED IN MY VEHICLE. HHR HAS BEEN IN DEALER 9 TIMES FOR DOOR LOCKS STICKING (HAVE WORK ORDERS). DON'T TRUST DEALER OR GM TO FIX PROBLEM. YOU PUT VEHICLE IN PARK AND THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK STICKS. THE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH AUTOMATIC DOOR UN LOCK. WE WORKED HARD TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE TO HAVE IT NOT LIVE UP TO THE QUALITY WE WERE LEAD IT TO BE. VEHICLES NO COUNT WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK. WE HAD A WASHING MACHINE IT WAS WORKED ON 4 TIMES THE FIFTH TIME IT ACTED UP THEY REPLACED IT WITH A NEW ONE. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE LOCKED IN YOUR VEHICLE . I HAVE VIDEO OF IT ON CELL PHONE. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM DEALER. *TR UPDATED 02/06/14. *JB UPDATED 02/19/15. *JB

POWER STEERING CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHILE APPROACHING INTERSECTION. AFTER STOPPING AT THE INTERSECTION, I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE THEN THE POWER STEERING RETURNED. THE POWER STEERING CONTINUED TO CUT OUT REPEATEDLY AT INTERVALS OF 3 TO 5 MINUTES, AND RETURNED AFTER RESTARTING. INQUIRY OF HHR FORUMS REVEALED THAT PROBLEM IS THE OVERHEATING OF A FAULTY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR (PART NUMBERS OLD: 20995579 AND NEW: 19257875). THESE ARE THE SAME PART NUMBERS FOR THE POWER STEERING MOTORS USED IN OTHER GM MODELS (COBALT & G5) WHICH HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY GM AS A RESULT OF THE NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS. ONE HAS TO WONDER WHY RECALLS WEREN'T ISSUED FOR ALL VEHICLE MODELS USING THE SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR

IN MORNING AFTER WAITING FOR COOLANT TO GET TO 85 DEGREES I BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND PULL FORWARD POWER STEERING MESSAGE ON DASH LIGHTS UP AND SO I PULL OVER TURN OFF ENGINE COUNT TO FIVE RESTART ENGINE NO PROBLEM NEXT STOP SIGN POWER STEERING LIGHTS UP AGAIN . TURN OFF ENGINE COUNT TO 5 AND RESTART ENGINE WORKS FINE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND REPEATS PROBLEM. *TR

"POWER STEERING" WARNING DISPLAYS ON DASH ALONG WITH AUDIBLE TONE FOLLOWED BY POWER STEERING CUTTING OUT LEAVING VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. SHUTTING VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTING CORRECTS THE PROBLEM BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. *TR

THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE INCIDENT THAT I COULD DOCUMENT THE MILEAGE AND MPH.THE PROBLEM WAS MOST NOTICEABLE AND FRIGHTENING WHEN GOING DOWN AN EXTENDED STRETCH OF RELATIVELY STEEP GRADE IN THE MOUNTAINS AT A SPEED OF 45 - 50 MPH. THE PROBLEM IS VIBRATION WITH THE BRAKES. THE CAR BEGAN SHAKING WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN THE SUMMER 2011. WE HAD THE ROTORS (I THINK THIS IS THE PART) TURNED SOMETIME SHORTLY BEFORE SEPT 25, 2011 AND THE PROBLEM RETURNED AT A LOW LEVEL VERY SOON AFTER AND GRADUALLY INCREASED. WE HAD THE SAME PROCEDURE DONE IN AUGUST 2012 AT A MILEAGE OF 52,000. THE PROBLEM RETURNED IN FEBRUARY 2013 WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS PROBABLY AROUND 60,000. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. I BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY SON. MY CHILD. I AM UPSET BECAUSE NOW THIS HAS HAPPENED, I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND I SEE THE HHR HAD A RECALL FOR STEERING ISSUES BUT FOR SOME REASON, THE 2008 IS NOT INCLUDED. NOW I HAVE TO PAY AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FIX THIS CAR AS IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. IT WILL THEN RETURN AND AT ANY MOMENT, IT GOES OUT AGAIN. NOT HAPPY.UNSAFE. WHY IS THE 2008 NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? WHAT IF MY CHILD IS DRIVING, THE STEERING GOES OUT AND HE ENDS UP HAVING NO CONTROL? THE VEHICLE ESTIMATED SPEED IS ONLY THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED ON THE EXPRESSWAY. IT HAS WENT OUT AT ALL SPEEDS. WE TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, WE LEFT AND IT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN. NOW IT'S COSTING EVEN MORE MONEY TO TAKE IT BACK, GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT, AND REPAIR IT. *TR