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2011 Chevrolet Hhr

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Hhr are lower than the model-year median of 565.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

144 reports with mileage · 59 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.

  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

13 crash reports3 fire reports12 injury reports

Engine complaints

24 reports
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68,524 miles · Jun 3, 2014
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineSuspension

ON WEDNESDAY 3/19/2014 I WAS FORCED TO PURCHASE THIS HHR THAT I DIDN'T WANT. I DROVE OFF ORR LOT N IT WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT BAD, N WAS JUMPIN ALL OVER THE ROAD. I TOLD ORR BOUT IT NEXT DAY, N WAS TOLD IM STUCK WIT THE CAR. KEPT GETN PULLED OVER BY POLICE, ON MONDAY 4/30/14 SHERIFF PULLED ME OVER CAUSE CAR NEARLY WENT INTO DITC…

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ON WEDNESDAY 3/19/2014 I WAS FORCED TO PURCHASE THIS HHR THAT I DIDN'T WANT. I DROVE OFF ORR LOT N IT WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT BAD, N WAS JUMPIN ALL OVER THE ROAD. I TOLD ORR BOUT IT NEXT DAY, N WAS TOLD IM STUCK WIT THE CAR. KEPT GETN PULLED OVER BY POLICE, ON MONDAY 4/30/14 SHERIFF PULLED ME OVER CAUSE CAR NEARLY WENT INTO DITCH, HE TOLD ME N MY BF THAT THIS CAR IS A ROAD HAZARD N DANGEROUS, FOR THE MANUFACTURE TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR PUT ME N ANOTHER VEHICLE. TOOK IT BACK TO ORR N THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT IT!! I HA, SO HE GOT A TRUCK. I'VE A 3 YR OLD LIL GIRL N IF WE HAVE ACCIDENT, SOMEONE WILL PAY! THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE IS WORE ON SIDE ONLY, FRONT POPS, MOTOR SHAKES, AND U CAN SMELL FOUL FUMES COMIN N CAR. I WANTED A DODGE TRUCK, NOT THE HHR CAUSE I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WIT THE HHR, MY UNCLE DONE THE SAME THING N IT NEVER CLD B FIXED, SO HE GOT A TRUCK. THIS NEEDS TO B FIXED OR PUT ME N A TRUCK, IF HAVE ACCIDENT, THERE WILL B TROUBLE. THERE'S TOO MUCH WRONG WIT THIS CAR, IT NEEDS TO B TOTALLY RECALLED IN MY OPINION, OR LAWSUITS B PILING UP!! THANK U N PLEASE RESPOND ASAP, MY LIL GIRL LIFE CANT B REPLACED, OR N E ONE ELSE'S LIFE EITHER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10595722

40,000 miles · May 19, 2014
Engine

DRIVING ON I-25 ON THE WEST SIDE OF EISENHOWER PASS & THE ENGINE SHUT OFF LEAVING ME WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BREAKS. I WAS ABLE TO THREAD MY VEHICLE THROUGH SEMIS & SPRING BREAK SKI TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO A RUNAWAY SEMI LANE. THE CAR RESTARTED AFTER I STOPPED SHAKING & WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME TO BASALT. 2 MONTHS L…

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DRIVING ON I-25 ON THE WEST SIDE OF EISENHOWER PASS & THE ENGINE SHUT OFF LEAVING ME WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BREAKS. I WAS ABLE TO THREAD MY VEHICLE THROUGH SEMIS & SPRING BREAK SKI TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO A RUNAWAY SEMI LANE. THE CAR RESTARTED AFTER I STOPPED SHAKING & WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME TO BASALT. 2 MONTHS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON CO HWY 82 ON A STRAIGHT AWAY BETWEEN CARBONDALE & GLENWOOD SPRINGS. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. BOTH TIMES I CHECKED THE INTERNET FOR RECALL INFORMATION FINDING NOTHING. THE RECENT MEDIA ATTENTION ALERTED ME TO THE CURRENT RECALL & HAVE CALLED MY DEALERSHIP & MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH TO BE REPLACED. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10592376

39,756 miles · Mar 12, 2014
Engine

KEY BINDS IN IGNITION, ENGINE WILL SOMETIMES CONTINUE TO RUN AFTER KEY IS REMOVED FROM IGNITION, SOMETIMES KEY BINDS AND UNABLE TO START CAR, DEALER STATES UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THIS ISSUE AND WILL NOT REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10568767

23,658 miles · May 17, 2012
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ESC WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SUDDENLY THE SPEED DECREASED AND THE ABS BEGAN TO ACTIVATE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WITH EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ESC WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SUDDENLY THE SPEED DECREASED AND THE ABS BEGAN TO ACTIVATE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WITH EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETECT A TROUBLE CODE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SIX TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONSISTED OF RECALIBRATING THE STEERING SENSOR AND REPLACING THE YAW SENSOR. THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODEL WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE RECENT FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,658.

NHTSA ODI #10458806

Official recalls

2

14V171000 · 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. GM’s 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. GM’s 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. GM’s 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.