2006 Chevrolet Hhr

OWNER OF A 2006 CHEVY HHR. FIRST TIME WAS DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY APPROX. 35-40 MPH HIT A POTHOLE IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITION ON NORMAL ROAD WAY. CAR STALLED LOST ENGINE, BRAKES AND STEERING. STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WENT BACK TO DEALER. SECOND TIME SAME SCENARIO THIS TIME HAD CAR TOWED INTO DEALER. THEY HAD CAR ONE WEEK SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM THEREFORE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. CONTACTED GM LODGED COMPLAINT NO ACTION ON THEIR PART TO FIX PROBLEM. TWICE TO ORIGINAL DEALER. AFTER SECOND TIME TOLD NOT TO BRING IT BACK THEY WERE NO LONGER DOING WARRANTY REPAIRS THIRD INCIDENT I WAS JUST DRIVING OFF AN APRON LEAVING A PARKING LOT WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE ENTERING TRAFFIC. CALLED AROUND CAN'T FIND ANOTHER DEALER WILLING TO LOOK AT PROBLEM. I CALLED AND AS SOON AS THEY HEARD THE PROBLEM THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE A TECH CALL ME. STILL WAITING. NO PHYSICAL HARM DONE YET. BUT I HAVE TO USE THE CAR AND AM FRIGHTENED THAT MY CHILD, OR MYSELF OR A CAR IN MY PATH IS GOING TO GET HURT. LISTING DATE OF FIRST ASSURANCE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND THE TEMPERATURE INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON, THE ALARM SOUNDED AND SUDDENLY THE TEMPERATURE IS AT OVER 250. I TURNED ON THE FAN AND HEAT AND MANAGED TO SLOWLY MAKE IT 1/2 MILES HOME. NEXT DAY I DROVE 2 BLOCKS INTO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THERE WAS NOT ONE DROP OF COOLANT IN THE CAR. APPARENTLY THE RADIATOR IS COMPLETELY EXPOSED TO ROCKS AND OTHER DEBRIS IN THE ROADWAY. I DON'T RECALL HITTING ANYTHING BUT THERE IS ROAD CONSTRUCTION EVERYWHERE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE DESIGN FLAW. I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE ULTIMATE "DAMAGE" REPORT BUT INTEND TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT, COMPLAIN TO CHEVROLET AND ALSO LET MY INSURANCE COMPANY KNOW AND SEE IF I CAN RECOVER THE COSTS IF THIS MEANS A NEW RADIATOR AND CONDENSER. I HAVE SEEN THIS SAME COMPLAINT ON ALL HHR 2006 AND NEWER MODELS AS WELL. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL AND REPAIR ISSUE. *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

I PULLED MY CAR INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT HOME AND SHIFTED INTO PARK AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE KEY IT WOULD NOT TURN ALL THE WAY TO THE REMOVAL POSITION. SO I MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER AGAIN AND NOTED THAT THE SHIFT BUTTON DIDN'T POP OUT WHEN I PUT IT INTO PARK. I KNEW THEN THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO PARK WHICH THE SHIFT LEVER WAS NOT ALLOWING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT TO MY GM DEALER SERVICE MANAGER WHO STATED THAT I WAS THE SIXTH OR SEVENTH CUSTOMER WHO HAD HAD THIS PROBLEM IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. THE MANAGER CALLED ME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE COST WOULD BE $215.04. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THIS WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM SINCE HE HAD DONE SO MANY IN A TOWN OF 4500 PEOPLE AND THAT IN MY OPINION IT WOULD PUT SOMEONE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AT RISK OF HAVING THEIR CAR STOLEN IF THE COULDN'T TAKE THEIR KEYS OUT IN A LARGE CITY. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT GM BUT WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME, EVEN THOUGHT A SERVICE BULLETIN ON HOW TO DO THE REPAIR HAD BEEN SENT TO ALL GM SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. TO ME, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED. YES, I PAID TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED, BUT I STILL THANK IT IS THE MANUFACTURES FAULT AND NOT MINE. THE RECALL WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE BEFORE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED. ALSO THE SERVICE MANAGER REPORTED THAT THE CHEVROLET COBALT ALSO HAS THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF. HE HAD TO ROLL THE WINDOW TO OPEN THE DOOR. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,210.

I OWN A 2006 CHEVY HHR LT2, IT HAS APPROX. 52K MILES, AND A RATTLE, VIBRATION IN THE STEERING COLUMN HAS BEEN OCCURRING AT SPEEDS BELOW 45MPH. ALSO, THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR IS CONTINUING TO FLOOD WITH WATER, AND THE HEATER/AC BLOWER HAS FAILED OR SHORTED OUT. LASTLY, I HAVE HAD THE BRAKE ROTORS WORKED ON 4 TIMES BY CHEVY, AND THEY ARE NOW ONCE AGAIN IN NEED OF REPAIR. I RECENTLY TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE RATTLE IN THE STEERING AND THE WATER LEAK. I FOUND NUMEROUS TSB ARTICLES FOR THE ISSUES, BUT THE DEALER AND GM ARE CLAIMING THE TSBS DO NOT EXIST. THE REPAIRS WILL TOTAL MORE THAN $1100. I WAS TOLD THE BUSHINGS, AND TENSION RODS ARE THE PROBLEM WITH MY STEERING, AND THEY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. AT 52K MILES I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THESE ITEMS WOULD FAIL.. MY MAJOR CONCERN IS MY SAFETY RELATED TO THE STEERING AS WELL AS ANY POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL ISSUE STEMMING FROM THE WATER LEAK.. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE STEERING ISSUE AS WELL AS FOR THE BRAKE ROTORS. IF YOU GO TO ANY VEHICLE COMPLAINT WEB SITE FOR THE HHR YOU WILL SEE 100'S OF POSTINGS RELATED TO BAD BRAKES. THERE ARE ALSO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS PERTAINING TO THE STEERING. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO HONOR OR COMPROMISE WITH REGARDS TO PERFORMING THE REPAIRS FOR FREE OR FOR A REDUCED FEE. I CONTACTED GM CORPORATE AND FILED A COMPLAINT. I WAS TOLD THE GM DISTRICT MANAGER WOULD CONTACT ME. I AM STILL WAITING. *TR

PURCHASED THE CAR JULY 13 OF THIS YEAR. A CLUNKING SOUND COMES FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE WHEN HITTING HOLES OR ON SLIGHTLY ROUGH ROAD. TENDS TO OCCUR MORE WHEN THE CAR OR THE WEATHER IS COLD. TOOK IT TO CHEVROLET AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A SWAY BAR LINK ISSUE. I REPLACED THE ROTORS, SWAY BAR LINKS (PAIR), DRIVERS SIDE STRUT MOUNT AND BALANCED & ROTATED TIRES. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. APPEARS THAT THE STEERING COLUMN (INTERMEDIARY?) HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR OTHER HHR OWNERS ACCORDING TO ONLINE FORUMS AND RESEARCH ALSO POINTS TO THE SAME ISSUE IN OLDER OLDSMOBILES. *TR

THE EXHAUST CONE INSIDE THE FRONT FLANGE OF THE CONVERTER ASSEMBLY BROKE OFF CAUSING THE STAINLESS STEEL BELLOWS/VIBRATION DAMPER TO CRACK AND LEAK. THE LEAK AND CRACK CONTINUED TO GROW UNTIL I HAD CAUSE FOR CONCERN THAT THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY WOULD FAIL AND FALL DOWN TO THE ROAD BELOW AND CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE OR LOSS OF CONTROL. I REPLACED THE UNIT MYSELF AT 82K MILES AFTER FIRST NOTICING THE PROBLEM AT THE 78K MILE MARK. *TR

MY 2006 HHR VIBRATES VIOLENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM CHECKED NUMEROUS TIMES FROM APPROXIMATELY 12000 MILES ON. I AM CURRENTLY AT 55000. AFTER INSPECTIONS I WAS ADVISED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY BRAKES. I WAS TOLD THE MATERIALS USED FOR THE BRAKES HEATS SO RAPIDLY THAT IT COULD CAUSE IT. I QUESTIONED ABOUT THE MATERIALS USED AND IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS TO KEEP THE WEIGHT LOW ON THE VEHICLE FOR GAS MILEAGE. YESTERDAY I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM WORK WHICH I HAVE TO TRAVEL A LONG GRADE. I SHIFTED TO A LOWER GEAR TO REDUCE SPEED GOING DOWN THE GRADE, I PRESSED ON THE BREAKS AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK SO VIOLENTLY I ENDED UP TRYING TO USE THE EMERGENCY HAND BREAK IN ORDER TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. MY SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 52 MILES PER HOUR. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE AN EXTENSIVE WARRANTY REPAIR RECORD ON IT INCLUDING A FIRE. I FIND THIS VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE ESPECIALLY WITH THE BRAKING PROBLEMS. *TR