2006 Chevrolet Hhr

COULD NOT REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION WITH GEAR SELECTOR IN PARK. THIS CONDITION WAS REMEDIED BY PUSHING THE GEAR SELECTOR HARD INTO PARK FOR A WHILE. THEN TOTAL FAILURE CAME WHEN NO AMOUNT OF PUSHING THE GEAR SELECTOR HARD INTO PARK WOULD ALLOW THE KEY TO BE REMOVED. I REMOVED THE GEAR SHIFT COVER AND REACHED IN AND FOUND A MICRO SWITCH THAT WHEN TRIPPED ALLOWED ME TO REMOVE KEY. I CALLED LOCAL DEALER AND CHEVROLET FACTORY TOLL FREE LINE AND THEY DID NOT SAY THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT. I PURCHASED REPLACEMENT PART # 25864102. I PERSONALLY INSTALLED THIS AND IT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A STEEL PIN IN THE GEAR SELECTOR PLASTIC SHIFT ROD. THE PLASTIC IS WEEK AND ALLOWED THE PIN TO DRIFT APPROX 1/2" TO LEFT WHICH WOULD NOT ALLOW THE KEY REMOVAL MICRO SWITCH TO BE TRIPPED AS IT SHOULD BE TO ALLOW THE KEY TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER. I CALLED CHEVROLET BACK (TEL # 1-866-790-5600) AND THEY SET UP CASE # 71-781779261. THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE DEFECTIVE PART TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALER TO ANALYZE THE PART FOR REASON OF FAILURE. I TOOK THE PART TO THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER12/4/09. I CALLED CHEVROLET SEVERAL WEEKS LATER AND THEY SAID THE DEALER THREW THE PART AWAY SINCE CHEVROLET DID NOT CONTACT THEM PROMPTLY. I HAD ASK FOR CHEVROLET TO REFUND THE COST OF THE PART ONLY (NO LABOR) BUT CHEVROLET SAYS THEY CAN'T HELP SINCE THE PART IS NOW GONE. I LATER SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET HTTP://WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM/ AND FOUND MANY CASES LIKE MINE (APPARENTLY CHEVY COBALT SHARES GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM BASIC INTERNAL DESIGN STYLE). I CALLED CHEVROLET BACK, THEY STILL DENY THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR CAR WITH THE KEY IN IT WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. APPARENTLY THIS MAY ALSO DRAIN THE BATTERY BECAUSE ALL CIRCUITS ARE NOT SHUTOFF WHEN YOU CANNOT ROTATE THE KEY FAR ENOUGH TO REMOVE THE KEY. I FEAR THAT MY REPLACEMENT PART MAY NOT LAST EITHER. THE CAR WAS ~ 48 MO OLD AND ~ 47,000 MILES WHEN TOTAL FAILURE OCCURRED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, HIS VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND HE HAD HAVE NO POWER IN THE VEHICLE. HE SHUT THE ENGINE OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR OR MORE AND THE FAILURE WOULD CORRECT ITSELF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. HE ALSO STATED THAT AT TIMES WHEN HE TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE, HE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,000. UPDATED 3/4/2010 *CN UPDATED 05/20/10.*JB

THE KEY TO MY 2006 HHR WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. AS A RESULT THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OUT AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE LOCKED. THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS TRAVELING, WHICH PUT MY PERSONAL SAFETY AT RISK AND IF I LEFT MY VEHICLE FOR ANY REASON IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN STOLEN. I HAVE BEEN ONLINE AND FOUND THAT SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2006 NEW VEHICLE PURCHASE SERVICED 8 TIMES FOR MULTIPLE FAILURES RELATED TO EITHER ELECTRICAL/BRAKING/ABS/ WHEELS/EMISSIONS/ TRACTION CONTROL/COMPUTER/POWER STEERING AND OR COMPUTER ISSUES/ALL REPAIRED/AND RESOLVED AT GM DEALER/VEHICLE CAN NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY WHEN ISSUE OCCURS THE FAILED SYSTEM IN QUESTION OVERRIDES DRIVER LAST INCIDENT FAILURE OCCURRED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC RESULTING IN REMOVAL FROM SERVICE WHICH TOOK 3 WEEKS TO REPAIR/HAD THE CONDITIONS BEEN DIFFERENT THIS MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. *TR

PARKED 2005 CHEVY HHR AND KEY WOULD NOT DISENGAGE FROM IGNITION. THIS IS PERMANENT UNTIL AN NEW SHIFT ASSEMBLY IS INSTALLED AS THE SOLENOID HOLDING THE KEY IS LOCKED. THIS HAPPENED IN THE PARKING LOT AT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE. HAVING THE KEY LOCKED IN THE IGNITION MAKES THE VEHICLE THEFT PRONE. THIS MALFUNCTION IS NOT A DRIVING HAZARD BUT CREATES A THEFT HAZARD IF IT HAPPENS WHERE THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE SECURED, LIKE MY HOME GARAGE. *TR

I COULDN'T REMOVE THE IGNITION KEYS FROM MY 2006 CHEVY HHR. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH HHR'S AND COBALT'S AND THAT THE ENTIRE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT MY COST SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE ON ON-LINE FORUMS AND FOUND THE ISSUE WAS AS FOLLOWS: " A SMALL ACTUATOR ROD THAT GOES THROUGH THE SHIFTER STALK FALLS OUT DUE TO THE STALK CRACKING WHERE THE ROD GOES THROUGH IT. THE KEY RELEASE THEN NEVER GETS ACTIVATED SO YOU HAVE TO USE THE MANUAL RELEASE BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS SHIFTER UNIT IS COMPLETELY UNSERVICEABLE AND THE ENTIRE SHIFTER BLOCK HAS TO BE REPLACED.NOTE THAT WITH NO ACTUATOR ROD 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. ... CHEVY IS WRONG FOR PUTTING SUCH A CHEAP AND FLIMSY DEVICE ON THE CAR." THIS IS POINT THAT I MADE TO THE GM CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT BUT THEY STUCK TO THEIR GUNS THAT WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. TO MY WAY OF THINKING EVEN THE REPLACEMENT SHIFTER IS AT RISK IN THE FUTURE WITH HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. READING OTHER ON-LINE COMPLAINT LOGS, I NOTE THAT BECAUSE OF THE COST OF REPLACEMENT, IT WAS BEING ADVOCATED THAT SIMPLY USING THE MANUAL RELEASE BUTTON ON THE STEERING COLUMN WAS AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THIS LEAVES DRIVER'S IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS POSITION IF THE SHIFTER IS ACCIDENTALLY MOVED WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. AS SUCH I FEEL THAT THERE IS REASON TO HAVE GM RECALL THESE VEHICLES TO REPLACE THESE "CHEAP" SHIFTERS AND TO REIMBURSE OWNERS SUCH AS MYSELF THAT HAVE INCURRED STEEP REPLACEMENT COSTS. *TR

HEAT/A/C SWITCH ONLY WORKS ON HIGH. BROUGHT TO DEALER IN JULY OR AUG OF 2008. IT WAS MAKING A SCREECHING NOISE ON SETTINGS 3 &4, THEN IT GOT VERY QUIET AND ONLY WORKED ON THE HIGHEST SETTING. WAS TOLD IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE RESISTOR FOR THE FAN SWITCH. WAS TOLD THEY HAD THE PART AND IT WOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008 IT HAPPENED AGAIN. AS THE WEATHER IN SC HAS BEEN TOLERABLE, I DID NOT IMMEDIATELY TAKE IT BACK IN FOR RE-SERVICE, BUT DID MENTION IT THE 2 TIMES I HAS STOPPED INTO DEALER FOR OIL CHANGES AND 6000 MILE SERVICE. FINALLY GOT A DAY OFF DURING THE WEEK, AND DID GO TO SEE ABOUT THIS AGAIN ABOUT THE FIRST WEEK IN MAY. WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST ME 300.00. I STATED IT WAS RECURRING AND THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME WHEN THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE RESISTOR. WAS TOLD THEY ONLY TOOK IT APART AND BLEW OUT THE SYSTEM, WHAT EVER THAT MEANS. MY PARENTS BOUGHT THE SAME CAR, BUT A 2007 - SAME THING, THEY HAVE NOT BOTHERED TO BRING IT IN YET BUT I AM SURE THEY WILL GET WAILED WITH REPLACEMENT COST AS WELL. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE? I AM SORT OF THINKING THIS IS MORE THAN JUST A COINCIDENCE. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT TURN TO FULL OFF POSITION AND KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED. FIRST OCCURRENCE, AFTER SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND BACK AND RESTARTING CAR THE SWITCH TURNED TO FULL OFF POSITION AND KEY COULD BE REMOVED. SECOND OCCURRENCE -SWITCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, COULD NOT REMOVE KEYS. I REMOVED THE SMALL COVER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE INTERNAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY. I USED MY FINGER TO PUSH THE MECHANISM INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL SO THE KEY COULD BE TURNED OFF AND REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. *TR

PURCHASED 2006 HHR NEW IN 07/06. IN 06/07 STARTED THE CAR AND THE ELECTRONIC ODOMETER, THE SPEEDOMETER, THE TACHOMETER, TEMPERATURE GAUGE, OIL PRESSURE ALL WERE NOT REGISTERING. NOTHING. PULLED OVER TURNED OFF THE CAR. STARTED AND NOTHING. TURNED OFF THE CAR AN ADDITIONAL TIME AND ALL LIGHTS AND GAUGES STARTED WORKING. TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP/SERVICE. COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. I HAVE HAD IN THE SHOP ON 7 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS FOR THE SAME REASON. IT ADDITIONALLY WILL CAUSE THE DIGITAL CLOCK ON THE RADIO TO GO OUT/FLASH, THE AIR BAG SENSOR TO FLASH. THEY HAVE REPLACED TWO ELECTRONIC PARTS, ONE OF THEM BEING THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. AROUND THANKSGIVING OF 2008 I HAD STARTED MY CAR AND ALL THE LIGHTS AND GAUGES AGAIN WOULD NOT WORK. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE GENERAL MANAGER WAS ABLE TO VERIFY THAT THIS WAS OCCURRING. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR 10 DAYS AND REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC PART. THE CAR STILL DOES THE SAME THING. NO RHYME NO REASON. AT NIGHT YOU CAN OPEN A DOOR, CLOSE IT AND SEE LIGHTS IN THE RADIO RANDOMLY FLASHING. I AM CONCERNED AND AWAITING THE DAY THAT THE CAR JUST DIES WHILE DRIVING IT. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THE ISSUE AND TOLD ME THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE WITH ANY PROBLEMS OF THIS TYPE. *TR