2006 Chevrolet Hhr

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK, THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD POSSIBLY ROLL AWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED BECAUSE THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT REGISTER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS ELECTRICAL, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE THE EXACT AREA WERE THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE ORIGINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THE GEAR SHIFT WOULD NOT MOVE FROM GEAR TO GEAR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WOULD COME OUT OF THE IGNITION WITHOUT THE VEHICLE BEING LOCKED IN THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 43,000. UPDATED 10/27/10. *LJ

KEY IS UNABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WHEN CAR IS IN PARK. DURING THE LAST TWO MONTHS I HAVE HAD TO USE THE RELEASE SWITCH UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL EVERY TIME I TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT BECAUSE I AM NOW OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULD NOT OFFER ANY REPAIR SOLUTIONS WITHOUT A COSTLY INSPECTION. *TR

2006 CHEVROLET HHR: CANNOT REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION IN PARK. HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 TIMES IN LAST WEEK. FINALLY YESTERDAY I HAD TO LEAVE KEY IN IGNITION AT WORK. CAME BACK LATER TO REMOVE - BATTERY WAS DEAD. JUMPING BATTERY STUMP UNDER HOOD WAS OF NO USE - COULD NOT OPEN REAR HATCH TO GET TO BATTERY. HAD IT TOWED FOR REPAIR. ANALYSIS, BATTERY AND LABOR COST ME $200 AS THE GM PROTECTION PLAN I PAY FOR EVERY MONTH WOULD NOT COVER THE PROBLEM. ALSO ASKED SERVICE REP TO LOOK INTO WHY SHIFTER MOVES WHILE DRIVING, THINKING THIS MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IGNITION AND BATTERY PROBLEMS. HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING. GM PROTECTION PLAN REP AND TOW TRUCK DRIVER BOTH SAID THIS HAPPENS A LOT ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. *TR

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I RECENTLY HAD REPAIR WORK DONE ON MY WIFE'S 2006 HHR LT2. THE PROBLEM WE WERE HAVING WAS THAT SHE WOULD RANDOMLY LOSE POWER STEERING WITH A WARNING CHIME AND A NOTIFICATION ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS WOULD BE TEMPORARILY RESOLVED BY RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. I WASTED LITTLE TIME AND HAD IT TESTED AT CLASSIC CHEVROLET IN SUGAR LAND,TX. THEY SOON DISCOVERED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS FAULTY. I HAD THEM REPLACE IT. NOW I'VE BEEN A LIFELONG GM CUSTOMER AND I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS EXPENSE, NOT ONLY WAS IT A FAILURE UNASSOCIATED TO NEGLECT BUT IT WAS ALSO A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO HIGHLY DOCUMENTED ON THE WEB BY MANY OTHER HHR OWNERS. AFTER GM ANNOUNCED THE RECALL OF 1.3MIL VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE HHR WAS NOT LISTED YET BUT THE CHEVY COBALT AND PONTIAC G5 WERE. THE HHR SHARES THE SAME POWER STEERING MOTOR AS THE COBALT AND G5. GM PART # 20763801. JTEKT NORTH AMERICA IS THE PRODUCER OF THIS MOTOR. FROM WHAT I DISCOVERED ON THE INTERNET, GM HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST JTEKT IN RESPONSE TO THIS ISSUE. IT IS STILL UNCLEAR TO ME HOW GM HAS NOT INCLUDED THIS MODEL IN THERE RECALL. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DENIED REIMBURSEMENT BY CHEVROLET FOR MY EXPENSES. *TR

KEY GETS STUCK / CAN NOT TURN TO OFF POSITION AND REMOVE THE KEY. IF YOU CAN NOT REMOVE THE KEY WITHIN AN HOUR, YOUR BATTERY WILL BE DEPLETED. THERE IS AN ACTUATING ROD IN THE SHIFTER THAT PUSHES A MICRO SWITCH THAT COMPLETES A CIRCUIT TO PULL A SOLENOID IN THE STEERING COLUMN TO ALLOW THE IGNITION SWITCH TO BE TUNED TO THE OFF POSITION (AND REMOVE THE KEY) WHEN IN PARK. THE PLASTIC PART IN THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY BREAKS AND ALLOWS THE ACTUATING ROD TO FALL OUT. THE FIX FOR THIS IS TO REPLACE THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY. $185 NOT INCLUDING LABOR. THE QUICK FIX FOR THIS IS THERE IS A PLASTIC PLUG ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN. INSIDE YOU HAVE TO FEEL FOR THE END OF THAT SOLENOID AND DEPRESS IT TO RELEASE THE KEY. GM TSB #06-07-30-004F ACKNOWLEDGES THE COMMON OCCURRENCE OF THIS FAILURE FROM 2006 TO 2010 HHR, COBALT, AND PONTIAC G5 . ALTHOUGH, IF YOU ARE OUT OF WARRANTY, YOUR DEALER MAY BE RELUCTANT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT COST. TIRES, BALL JOINTS, BRAKES, WHAT HAVE YOU, FAIL AND ARE, NO DOUBT, A COMMON OCCURRENCE. IF FACT THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED. BUT THE SHIFTER IN AN AUTOMATIC? I WOULD THINK THAT THE SHIFTER IN AN AUTOMATIC SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR. IMO, THEY INSTALLED A POORLY MADE PART. TO ME, THIS IS OBVIOUS SINCE THEY ARE STATING IN THAT TSB, 2006 - 2010 SHIFTER ARE EXPECTED TO FALL APART AS MINE DID. I HAVE A 1965 PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE, THE OLDEST CAR IN MY POSSESSION, THAT THE SHIFTER NEVER NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. IN FACT I'VE NEVER HAD AN AUTOMATIC SHIFTER PROBLEM WITH ANY CAR. IT WAS STATED IN A FORUM THAT GM SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED A METAL COLLAR OR RING AROUND THE PLASTIC BIT THAT HOLDS THAT PIN TO REINFORCE IT AND THIS PROBLEM WOULD HAVE NEVER BECOME A NUISANCE. ALSO, WHEN THAT PIN FALLS OUT, THE SHIFT LEVER IS FREE TO MOVE WITHOUT PRESSING THE SHIFT BUTTON ON THE FRONT OF THE SHIFT LEVER, SO IT COULD ACCIDENTALLY BE MOVED TO ANOTHER GEAR WHILE DRIVING, EVEN REVERSE!! I GUESS THAT IS NOT ENOUGH OF A SAFETY ISSUE FOR GM TO WORRY ABOUT. *TR

I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW AND SOMETIMES WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND YOU ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS TO PULL OVER BEFORE IT SHUTS DOWN. SOMETIMES THE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN I'M STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE WHOLE CAR STARTS SHAKING AS IF YOU POPPED THE CLUTCH TOO FAST, EXCEPT THIS CAR IS AN AUTOMATIC. I HAVE FOUND THROUGH TRAIL AND ERROR IF I START MESSING WITH THE COMPUTER BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL THAT CHANGES THE INFORMATION THAT IS DISPLAYED ON THE DASH BOARD IT WILL SOMETIMES RESET ITSELF AND ACT OKAY. OTHER TIMES I HAVE TO LET IT SIT FOR OVER 20 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL START UP AGAIN. THERE IS NO SET TIME THIS OCCURS, SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS A FEW TIMES A DAY AND OTHER TIMES IT WILL GO A MONTH WITHOUT HAPPENING. IT SHUTS DOWN AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. SOMETIMES I'M GOING 65 MILES AND HOUR AND OTHER TIMES I'M GOING 20 MPH. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER BUT THEY TOLD ME THEY CAN'T FIX IT UNTIL THEY REENACT THE PROBLEM. EACH TIME THEY HAVE HAD THE CAR THEY COULD NOT REENACT THE PROBLEM, YET THEY SAID THEY CAN SEE THERE IS A PROBLEM WHEN THEY READ THE COMPUTER. I PAID $20,000 FOR THIS CAR AND AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT. I CAN'T DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY FOR FEAR IT WILL SHUT DOWN AGAIN. I HAVE TO TAKE THE BACK ROADS TO GET AROUND. *TR