Power steering went out while I was driving and it put me in danger and other drivers because it was hard to control the vehicle, the steering wheel was really tough to turn. The vehicle wasn't inspected by a professional because the problem just occurred.
2007 Chevrolet Hhr
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2007 Chevrolet Hhr do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 565.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Hhr years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
598 reports with mileage · 128 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 424 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 111 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Steering complaints
424 reportsPower steering lights up and I am unable to turn the steering wheel. When I shut the motor down and start back up, the steering starts working again. This has been doing this for about 4 years now. I took it to White Allen Chevrolet when it first started happening and they told me that they drove it around and that it did not…
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Power steering lights up and I am unable to turn the steering wheel. When I shut the motor down and start back up, the steering starts working again. This has been doing this for about 4 years now. I took it to White Allen Chevrolet when it first started happening and they told me that they drove it around and that it did not happen while they test drove the car. It happens intermittingly. I never know when it is going to happen. When it first started, it only happened about once every six months or so. Now it is happening every time I am in the car. Sometimes when I pull out onto a street and into traffic the power steering light comes on and I have to find a spot to get off the street so that I can turn the motor off and restart the engine. Today 09/18/2025, it cut off 3 times. I am checking to see if there is a recall on this model for the power steering. I have found out that it does not use power steering fluid but that it has a motor under the steering wheel that controls the power steering.
My power steering keeps going out. It randomly makes it hard to turn which could cause a crash. It's common in other hhr models, mine has not been inspected personally yet. It has a chime and then the console says "power steering". There were no signs before it started. It goes away when you restart the car but will come back ra…
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My power steering keeps going out. It randomly makes it hard to turn which could cause a crash. It's common in other hhr models, mine has not been inspected personally yet. It has a chime and then the console says "power steering". There were no signs before it started. It goes away when you restart the car but will come back randomly. I was advised by an auto repair place to replace the battery, but it didn't help.
Power steering motor went out. Went to the dealer to get special coverage 14119 ( I was aware of the issue ). Dealership refused to do work for free as stated in service bulletin. Called GM Corporate and they also said work would would not be done for free. 14119 specifically stated that power steering motor would be changed and…
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Power steering motor went out. Went to the dealer to get special coverage 14119 ( I was aware of the issue ). Dealership refused to do work for free as stated in service bulletin. Called GM Corporate and they also said work would would not be done for free. 14119 specifically stated that power steering motor would be changed and I quote " at no cost to the customer " unquote. They want $175 just to look at my vehicle. When does the " at no cost to the customer " come in, apparently we seem to have forgotten that. I would like some legal clarification to this from the nhtsa.
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated while exiting the driveway of a restaurant, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. T…
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The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated while exiting the driveway of a restaurant, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the alternator and battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to a second independent mechanic who informed the contact that the key was stuck in the ignition switch and the electrical system was burned. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
While driving, more specific while turning the powersteering goes out at any given time. It has also done this while switching lanes on the freeway.
The power steering keeps going out. This caused my 15 year old daughter to nearly run into a concrete barrier wall on her way to school. It sent her into a panic and scared the life out of her.
The power steering intermittently (but quite regularly) goes out. The "power steering" warning also comes up on the display panel on the dash. If vehicle is restarted, the power steering seems to resolve itself again but only temporarily. This problem is becoming much more frequent. This is a safety issue because without the pow…
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The power steering intermittently (but quite regularly) goes out. The "power steering" warning also comes up on the display panel on the dash. If vehicle is restarted, the power steering seems to resolve itself again but only temporarily. This problem is becoming much more frequent. This is a safety issue because without the power steering in working order, the steering wheel becomes difficult to turn and this happens not only on the road but also on the highway as well when the vehicle is going 70 miles per hour. We have not had the vehicle serviced or looked at for this issue. It has been ongoing for several months but seems to be getting worse/more frequent.
While driving the vehicle approximately 45mph, the power steering light came on the dash. While driving straight was not an issue, attempting to pull off the road was difficult. I checked owners manual which told me to take it to a dealer. This in itself was bothersome. I opened the hood and called my mechanic, who told me to c…
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While driving the vehicle approximately 45mph, the power steering light came on the dash. While driving straight was not an issue, attempting to pull off the road was difficult. I checked owners manual which told me to take it to a dealer. This in itself was bothersome. I opened the hood and called my mechanic, who told me to check fuses. I replaced the fuse and the vehicle was fine for about 4 weeks, but once again driving 30-35 mph, the light came on the dashboard. I have saved both replaced fuses, I’m wondering after reading other reports whether the fuses are even blown? Either way, this is not a safe situation to be driving any speed without power steering. Mine is a 2007 Chevrolet HHR with approximately 163 k miles
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated while reversing out of the driveway, the power steering warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the power steering functionality did not return. They pulled the vehicle back into the driveway…
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The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated while reversing out of the driveway, the power steering warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the power steering functionality did not return. They pulled the vehicle back into the driveway using manual steering and excessive force. The contact reached out to the local dealer to schedule an inspection however, the inspection was not performed due to a scheduling issue. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Official recalls
414V171000 · Electrical System:ignition
Apr 10, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.
14V047000 · Air Bags; Electrical System:ignition:switch
Feb 10, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Electrical System:ignition:switch
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
08V444000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Sep 3, 2008
GM IS RECALLING 296,422 MY 2006-2008 CHEVROLET HHR VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, 'OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." THE DOOR ON THE STORAGE BIN IN THE TOP CENTER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO REMAIN CLOSED AS REQUIRED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS STANDARD SPECIFIES PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS TO PROVIDE HEAD IMPACT PROTECTION FOR OCCUPANTS.
Remedy: A REDESIGNED LATCH WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 23, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .
08V046000 · Air Bags
Jan 30, 2008
GM IS RECALLING 181,516 MY 2006-2008 CHEVROLET HHR VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL ROOF RAIL AIR BAGS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, 'OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT.' IN TESTS, ONE OF THE UPPER INTERIOR OCCUPANT PROTECTION TEST POINTS EXCEEDED THE STANDARD'S REQUIREMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS STANDARD SPECIFIES PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS TO PROVIDE HEAD IMPACT PROTECTION FOR OCCUPANTS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ENERGY-ABSORBING PLASTIC PIECE TO THE HEADLINER TRIM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 2, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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