Loss of power while driving 35mph and service traction light along with airbags light keeps showing at random times
2010 Chevrolet Hhr
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2010 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
413 reports with mileage · 102 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 231 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 119 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
119 reportsNoticed that the cruise control would disengage randomly when activated. I checked the function of the brake lights at night and found that the brake lights would turn themselves on randomly with zero brake input, disengaging the cruise control. In this state, depressing the brake pedal more than around 30-40% would turn the bra…
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Noticed that the cruise control would disengage randomly when activated. I checked the function of the brake lights at night and found that the brake lights would turn themselves on randomly with zero brake input, disengaging the cruise control. In this state, depressing the brake pedal more than around 30-40% would turn the brake lights off, even with the brake pedal fully pressed. Furthermore, with the brake pedal pressed to a moderate level, the cruise control is able to be engaged, even with obvious brake pressure being applied. This defeats the cruise control disengagement feature and the cruise control system will fight against the braking system to maintain speed instead of turning itself off as it seems to rely solely on the brake lights for the automatic disengagement. This issue is quite dangerous as this seems to happen quite often with the brake lights, but I cannot find any sort of consistent scenario that causes these issues to occur.
Power steering goes out while driving
BRAKES MAKING LOUD NOISE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT 40-60 MPH. WAS DRIVING.
OUR CHEVY HHR 2010 HAS BEEN DYING AND STALLING OUT ON US WHILE WE ARE DRIVING IT, THE ONLY TIME IT HAD POWER GOING TO IT WAS WHEN IT WAS BEING JUMPED. EVEN THEN SOON AS THE CABLES WERE UNHOOKED IT WOULD JERK THEN DIE RIGHT AWAY. IT SEEMED AS IF MOST OF THE LIGHTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDED OF THE TRUCK ONLY WOULD FLASH WHILE JUMPING IT…
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OUR CHEVY HHR 2010 HAS BEEN DYING AND STALLING OUT ON US WHILE WE ARE DRIVING IT, THE ONLY TIME IT HAD POWER GOING TO IT WAS WHEN IT WAS BEING JUMPED. EVEN THEN SOON AS THE CABLES WERE UNHOOKED IT WOULD JERK THEN DIE RIGHT AWAY. IT SEEMED AS IF MOST OF THE LIGHTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDED OF THE TRUCK ONLY WOULD FLASH WHILE JUMPING IT, THEN NOTHING. IT WAS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, AND EVERYTHING BASICALLY SEEMS LIKE IT'S MALFUNCTIONING. THIS HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT, NOR CAN I EVEN START IT AT THIS POINT,BUT I DEFINITELY DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW BEING THAT IT POWERS COMPLETELY OFF WHENEVER IT WANTS TO. IT WAS IN MOTION A FEW TIMES ON CITY STREETS, AND IN MOTION TURNING WHEN IT DIED FOR THIS LAST TIME. ITS NOW PARKED ON A STREET UNABLE TO DRIVE IT. *TR
ON GOING ISSUE OF BRAKE LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY COMING ON WITHOUT TOUCHING BRAKE PEDAL. FIRST NOTICED SOMETHING WRONG BECAUSE CRUISE CONTROL WOULDN'T ACTIVATE. FOUND PROBLEM AT NIGHT WHEN I COULD SEE THE GLOW FROM MY BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE TOP INSIDE EDGE OF MY REAR HATCH. REPLACING BRAKE SWITCH ABOVE PEDAL DID NOT FIX PROBLEM. SOU…
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ON GOING ISSUE OF BRAKE LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY COMING ON WITHOUT TOUCHING BRAKE PEDAL. FIRST NOTICED SOMETHING WRONG BECAUSE CRUISE CONTROL WOULDN'T ACTIVATE. FOUND PROBLEM AT NIGHT WHEN I COULD SEE THE GLOW FROM MY BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE TOP INSIDE EDGE OF MY REAR HATCH. REPLACING BRAKE SWITCH ABOVE PEDAL DID NOT FIX PROBLEM. SOUNDS KIND OF FUNNY, BUT I GOT BRAKE LIGHTS TO GO OFF WHILE SETTING IN DRIVEWAY AND POUNDING MY CENTER CONSOLE OUT OF FRUSTRATION. INTERNET SEARCH FOUND OTHER GM VEHICLES WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND FRUSTRATED OWNERS THAT TOOK VEHICLES TO DEALERSHIPS THAT DIDN'T FIX THEIR PROBLEM. ISSUE APPEARS TO BE CIRCUIT BOARD RELATED WITH CIRCUIT BOARDS LOCATED ON PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CENTER CONSOLE. A SHARP RAP WITH THE PALM OF MY HAND IN THAT AREA WILL ALWAYS GET THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO GO OFF WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ON. DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN, BUT SEEMS CRAZY TO HAVE TO KEEP CHECKING TO SEE IF MY CRUISE WILL SET SO I KNOW IF MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THEY HAVEN'T SEEN THIS PROBLEM, THOUGH AS I STATED EARLIER, INTERNET SEARCH WILL FIND OTHER GM OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUE OF BRAKE LIGHTS ON WITHOUT TOUCHING BRAKE PEDAL. HAVE HAD ISSUE SETTING STILL OR MOVING. HAVE HAD CRUISE KICK OFF GOING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE SERVICE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE WINDOWS DID NOT ROLL DOWN AND THE SPEAKERS DID NOT WORK. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED, BUT DID NOT CALL BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE SERVICE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE WINDOWS DID NOT ROLL DOWN AND THE SPEAKERS DID NOT WORK. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED, BUT DID NOT CALL BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000.
WHILE DRIVING MY 2010 CHEVY HHR, I HAD JUST EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS ENTERING THE SPEEDWAY FUEL STATION, MY STEERING JUST SEEMED TO LOCKUP ON ME AND A DASH ALERT FLASHED "SERVICE ESC" THEN I SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER! IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY MAJOR TRAGEDY LIKE COLLIDING WITH A GAS PUMP OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, I WAS ABLE TO RUN IT INTO…
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WHILE DRIVING MY 2010 CHEVY HHR, I HAD JUST EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS ENTERING THE SPEEDWAY FUEL STATION, MY STEERING JUST SEEMED TO LOCKUP ON ME AND A DASH ALERT FLASHED "SERVICE ESC" THEN I SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER! IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY MAJOR TRAGEDY LIKE COLLIDING WITH A GAS PUMP OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, I WAS ABLE TO RUN IT INTO THE CURB I FELT LIKE MY ARMS WERE NEARLY RIPPED FROM THE SOCKETS. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO MY HOME AND THE FOLLOWING DAY TOWED TO A MECHANIC. DISCOVERED THAT THE EXPERIENCE WAS NOT EXCLUSIVELY MINE, APPARENTLY SOME 444 OTHERS HAD AS WELL. I CHECKED FOR RECALL NOTICES WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALLS WERE CLOSED AND REPAIRS WERE DONE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BY WHOM, WHEN AND WHERE EXACTLY! IT OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT DONE PERMANENTLY NOR SATISFACTORILY AS I'M VERY SORE NOW, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!
SERVICE AIR BAGS COMES ON SOMETIMES SAYING I NEED TO GET IT SERVICED ONLY COMES ON WHEN CAR HAS JUST BEEN STARTED . SOMETIMES GOS OUT SOMETIMES DON'T THEN SENDS SERVICE CODE ON MAIN DISPLAY. ALSO RADIO SHORTS OUT CAUSE DRIVER TO BE DISTRACTED TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPEN CHANGING FROM CD TO FM TO AUXILIARY ON ITS OWN.
ON APRIL 25,2018, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY RT PASSENGER BACK DOOR OPENED, NO INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON DASH BOARD TO SHOW RT BACK DOOR AJARED... ON APRIL 19,2018 WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET RT FRONT PASSENGER DOOR OPENED, NO INDICATOR LIGHT APPEARED ON DASH. BOTH RT FRONT AND BACK PASSENGER DOORS OPENED WITH IN FIVE DAYS APAR…
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ON APRIL 25,2018, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY RT PASSENGER BACK DOOR OPENED, NO INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON DASH BOARD TO SHOW RT BACK DOOR AJARED... ON APRIL 19,2018 WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET RT FRONT PASSENGER DOOR OPENED, NO INDICATOR LIGHT APPEARED ON DASH. BOTH RT FRONT AND BACK PASSENGER DOORS OPENED WITH IN FIVE DAYS APART WHILE DRIVING.I WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OLD. CAUSE: FAULTY LATCH SPRING LOADER A15 BODY & ELECTRICAL, 10470C LOCK, REPLACED RT FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY. I PURCHASED IT IN 2011AND THE PRESENT MILEAGE IS 17,000MI. I FEEL IF THE HATCH DOOR OPENS WHILE ON THE FREEWAY AND MY WHEEL CHAIR ROLLS OUT A FATAL ACCIDENT WOULD OCCUR. I FEEL THE MATERIAL USED IN THE LATCH SPRING LOADER AND DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY IS UNSAFE. PARTS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER, AS WELL AS NOTIFYING OWNER.THANK U FOR YOUR HELP.
Official recalls
314V171000 · 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.
14V153000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Mar 31, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
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.
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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