2008 CHEVROLET HHR Complaints

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? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE EITHER A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE ALL POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I HAVE A 2008 CHEVY HHR, AND HAVE HAD TO DO QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH TO FIND OUT WHAT THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON OTHER WEB SITES ABOUT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT GOING OUT EVERY FEW THOUSAND MILES. THE PROBLEM IS, THAT NO DEALERSHIP CAN SEEM TO DIAGNOSE THE "CLUNKING" NOISE COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL AND STEERING COLUMN. HOWEVER THE FEW SHOPS THAT HAVE FIGURED IT OUT ARE HAVING TO RE-REPLACE THE PART CONSTANTLY. GM HAS RE-DESIGNED THE PART FOR OTHER VEHICLES BUT NOT THE HHR. MINE HAS BEEN REPLACED EVERY 10,000 MILES, 4 TIMES NOW AND IT WEARS OUT AFTER ABOUT 10K. GM SHOULD CREATE A BETTER ONE FOR THE HHR AND OFFER A RECALL SINCE THEIR PART IS DEFECTIVE. *TR

2008 CHEVY HHR WITH INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. CHEVY COBALT HAD A RECALL ON THE SAME POWER STEERING MOTOR HHR USES, WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ON HHR???!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING POWER FAILED CAUSING LIMITED STEERING CAPABILITIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT THE PART WAS PART OF A RECALL FOR ANOTHER MODEL BUT NOT FOR HER PARTICULAR YEAR VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,849 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

VERY ROUGH FRONT END VIBRATION AND DIFFICULTY STEERING WHILE BRAKING AT SPEEDS OVER 50MPH. DEALER TURN ROTORS BUT CAME BACK AFTER A FEW THOUSAND MILES. *TR

MY 2008 HHR LOOSES POWER STEERING WHILE TURNING, THEN SUDDENLY RETURNS POWER CAUSING TO OVERSTEER. THIS IS A SEVER SAFETY ISSUE AS IT IS A COME AND GO TYPE PROBLEM,I DO NOT DRIVE DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER FEARING BODY DAMAGE TO PERSONS AND VEHICLES OTHER THAN MYSELF. I HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER ONLY TO BE TOLD WE CAN NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AS IT IS INTERMITTENT. ALSO THE TIRE PRESSURE DISPLAY IS ON EVEN THO ALL TIRE PRESSURE IS CORRECT, NOT SURE IF THEY ARE RELATED TO "ELECTRIC" POWER STEERING. WOULD LIKE THIS AS A RECORD IF ANY PERSONS ARE INJURED OR WORSE KILLED DUE TO THE POSSIBLE SHORT CIRCUIT IN POWERSTEERING. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO LEAVE THE VEHICLES AT HOME AFTER SPENDING ALL THEIR MONEY ON THEM FOR THIS TO BE A RECALL? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, SHE NOTICED THE POWER STEERING WARNING ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL AND THE STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 87,800. UPDATED 02/03/11*LJ THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL BY HER MECHANIC. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, SHE WAS INFORMED THE RECALL WAS NOT FOR HER VEHICLE, BUT FOR OTHER MODELS. UPDATED 04/21/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DOOR PANEL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 72,400.

BRAKES SHUDDER IN FRONT WHEN MODERATE APPLICATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED 120KPH - DEALER FIX IS HAVING ROTORS MACHINED BUT EVERY TIME THEY DO THAT THEY GET THINNER AND HEAT UP QUICKER THEREFORE WARP QUICKER. THIS TIME THEY HAD TO REPLACE ROTORS AND MACHINED REAR DRUM BECAUSE I LITERALLY HAD TO YOU USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP ON THE HIGHWAY TO GET BACK HOME FROM OUR TRIP. I'M A LICENSED MECHANIC AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH POOR PERFORMANCE IN BRAKES, MY SOLUTION WOULD BE TO INSTALL DISC BRAKES ON THE REAR AXLE TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE IN BRAKING. THIS PROBLEM STARTED AT SINCE CAR WAS PURCHASED 2008 FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS AT 5K (KM) NEW ROTORS WERE PUT IN AT 45K (KM). PLEASE RECALL THESE BRAKES. *TR