2007 Chevrolet HHR Complaint Log

THE SERVICE AIR BAG WARNING COMES ON IN MY 2007 CHEVROLET HHR. I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON OTHER LATE MODEL GM VEHICLES AND THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM AS WELL AS NHTSA #10020881. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A RECOGNIZED SAFETY PROBLEM THAT PUTS THE CONSUMER AT THE MERCY OF THE DEALER WHO MAY OR MAY NOT PROPERLY DIAGNOSE AND SERVICE VEHICLES WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL TO REPLACE THE AIR BAG (AT GREAT COST TO THE CONSUMER) FOR UNSUSPECTING CONSUMERS. ADDITIONALLY, IF THIS PROBLEM IS SO PREVALENT WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL OR AT LEAST SOME PROTECTION FOR THE CONSUMERS WHEN WE TRY TO GET THIS SAFETY PROBLEM REPAIRED? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS WARNING IS RELATED TO THE PASSENGER SEAT SO THERE IS THE SERIOUS MATTER OF CHILD PROTECTION. THANK YOU FOR ANY INFORMATION OR COURSE OF ACTION YOU HAVE FOR THE CONSUMER'S SAFETY REGARDING THIS MATTER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIOLENTLY SHAKE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY WOBBLES DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THIS FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE LIGHT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

BRAKE ROTOR PROBLEM. WARPED AT 25,113 MILES AND STARTED PROBLEM AGAIN AT 50,000. *TR

GOT THE CAR BACK FROM A REPAIR TO THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, AND DROVE IT ABOUT TWO DAYS AND THE AC WENT OUT AND STARTED BLOWING HOT AIR, ON A 108 DEGREE TEXAS DAY! THE NEXT MORNING STARTED THE CAR TO GO TO THE DEALER AND THE AIR WAS COLD, BUT ABOUT A HALF HOUR INTO THE TRIP THE AIR WENT OUT AGAIN. SO WE TOOK CAR TO DEALER WHO SAID THEY WOULD CHECK IT OUT MAYBE THEY KNOCKED SOMETHING OFF WHEN THEY FIXED THE SENSORS. THE AIR WAS NOT WORKING WHEN WE DROPPED IT OFF, TECH SAID HE DROVE THE CAR TO LUNCH, LET IT IDLE AND PUT 30 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE AIR WORKED FINE, COME GET IT. *JB

CAR STILL HAS PAPER TAGS, HAD 3K MILES AND IT JUST STOPPED WORKING THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON, ENGINE WOULD NOT IDLE AND RAN ROUGH. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID A CRANK SENSOR WENT OUT, IT TOOK FOUR DAYS TO GET THE PART IN AND THEY HAVE REPLACED IT. WE WILL SEE HO IT GOES! *JB

CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 70 MPH WENT UP A MEDIUM HILL THE SPEED WENT DOWN TO 65 MPH, TRANSMISSION DOWMSHIFTS ,CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATES FLAT OUT TO 75 MPH BEFORE IT RELEASES. UNSETTLING WHEN BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP SAYS ALL HOURS ACT THE SAME WAY AND IS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH DOWN A DIRT ROAD, THE PAINT CHIPS OFF OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS OFFERED TO REPAINT THE DAMAGED AREA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

MY 2007 HHR W/ 57K MILES HAS AN ISSUE WITH ITS STEERING. THE STEERING IS JERKY, HARD TO STEER AT LOW SPEEDS, AND LOW CLUNKING NOISES CAN SOMETIMES BE HEARD FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. THE NHTSA ISSUED A RECALL IN MARCH 2010 ON 2005 TO 2010 CHEVROLET COBALTS FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE COBALT'S STEERING COLUMN. THE HHR IS BASED ON THE COBALT AND WAS BUILT IN THE SAME FACTORY. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO COVER THE HHR MODEL. *TT

POOR DESIGN OF THE FRONT BUMPER. THE HOLE ON THE BOTTOM WAS TOO BIG, ALLOWING DEBRIS TO HIT THE AIR CONDITIONER (A/C) CONDENSER AND RADIATOR. THIS WAS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BUT THE FUNNY THING WA S THAT I WASN'T EVEN DRIVING THE CAR. I TURNED IT ON AND GOT THE AIR CONDITIONER GOING, WHICH WAS COLD AT FIRST. THE CAR SAT FOR A WEEK WHILE I WAS ON VACATION, SO I FOUND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THEY WON'T COVER IT AS A EQUIPMENT FAILURE. INSTEAD THEY CLAIMED SOMETHING FLEW THROUGH IT. CHEVROLET DIDN'T PUT A GRILL IN IT FROM THE FACTORY, WHICH WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. WARRANTY WON'T COVER IT BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED A ROAD HAZARD, AND WANTED ME TO CLAIM IT ON MY INSURANCE WHICH I THOUGHT WAS INSURANCE FRAUD. I THOUGHT THEY WANTED TO PASS THE BUCK TO SOMEONE ELSE RATHER THAN RECALL ALL THE VEHICLES TO PUT A GRILL ON IT TO PROTECT IT FROM THE ELEMENTS. I OWN A 2007 HHR WITH 6000 MILES ON IT. I DIDN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING BECAUSE THEY WON'T WARRANTY IT, AND I DIDN'T HAVE $800 TO FIX IT. THE GM REPRESENTATIVE CAME TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE WHILE MY WIFE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP SO SHE GOT TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT. HE SAID WELL IT WAS NO DIFFERENT THAN A ROCK HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE LAZY WAY OUT, SAYING THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PROTECT VITAL PARTS OF THE CAR, (RADIATOR,CONDENSER,ETC. BY PUTTING A SIMPLE PIECE OF MESH OR GRILL IN PLACE. THIS SHOULDN'T BE OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE IT WA S PROTECTED. ALSO, THE REPRESENTATIVE STATED WELL,IF WE GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT THEN MAYBE THE DESIGNER WILL RECALL IT AND FIX IT. I COULD NOT WAIT FOR THEM TO GET OFF THE LAZY BOY AND FIX A FLAW THEY OVERLOOKED IN THE FIRST PLACE. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CAR, BUT CHEVROLET HAD TO GET THEIR HEAD OUT OF THEIR OWN BUTTS AND REALIZE THESE WERE THE REASONS WHY THEY WERE LOSING JOBS, AND STOCKS WERE FALLING, CAR SALES WERE DOWN, AND COMPETITION WA S GETTING STRONGER. THEY SHOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEN I MIGHT GO BACK TO BUYING CHEVROLET CARS. *AK

WE WERE DRIVING WEST ON I-40 IN AZ. A 2 TON TRUCK WITH A LONG FLAT TRAILER BLEW IT'S FRONT DRIVERS TIRE. THE TIRE CAME INTO OUR LANE MY HUSBAND SWERVED TO MISS IT THEN THE TRUCK CAME INTO OUR LANE FORCING US OFF THE ROAD MY HUSBAND COULDN'T GAIN CONTROL OF THE CHEVY HHR AGAIN. IT SENT US INTO A ROLLOVER WE ROLLED 2-3 TIMES. THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR ALL COLLAPSED AROUND MY HUSBAND THE ROOF FORCED HIS NECK DOWN. THE ROOF ENDED UP DOWN TO THE STEERING WHEEL. MY HUSBAND SUFFERED A CRACK IN HIS 3RD C-SPINE & A BROKEN THUMB & LACERATED FINGERS WHEN THE CAR ENDED UP LANDING ON HIS HAND WHICH HAD GONE JUST ABOVE HIS HEAD. I HAD TO UNBUCKLE MY HUSBAND TO GET HIM INTO A POSITION SO HE COULD BREATH. 2-FAILURE OF THE ROOF TO PROTECT THE DRIVER THE ROOF ENCROACHED INTO THE DRIVERS SPACE CAUSING MAJOR BODILY HARM. 3-CAR WAS SCRAPPED. NO NEED AT THIS POINT TO REPLACE OR REPAIR. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT HAD TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND PULL IT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION IN ORDER TO GAIN CONTROL OF IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SIX TIMES FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT THE DEALER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS INVOLVED IN A LEGAL DISPUTE FOR EXCESSIVE GEAR BACKLASH WHICH CAUSED STEERING FAILURES UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,500. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,870. UPDATED 07/19/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT, THE DASH LIGHTS WERE OUT ON OCCASION, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD TRAVEL TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS APPLIED. UPDATED 10/08/10

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V047000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. AS A RESULT, THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE UNABLE TO BE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

MY 8 YEAR OLD SON BECAME TRAPPED IN THE REAR SEAT BELT. HE WAS TWISTED IN THE SEAT BELT AND IT WAS CUTTING INTO HIS WAIST. THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT COME BACK OUT TO RELEASE HIM BUT WOULD ONLY GET SHORTER AND TIGHTER ON HIS WAIST. I HAD TO CUT HIM OUT OF THE SEAT BELT. CHEVY REPLACED THE SEAT BELT AND MY SON HAD MINOR CUTS ON HIS WAIST. *TR

PAINT HAS CHIPPED VERY EASILY, 2007 HHR, GARAGE KEPT, HAS UNDER 12,000 MILES & SEVERAL CHIPS IN THE GOLDEN TEAL METALLIC PAINT. DEALER SAYS BECAUSE OF SAND ON HIGHWAY. MY OTHER CARS DON'T HAVE CHIPS IN THE PAINT & THEY HAVE BEEN DRIVEN THE SAME ROUTE FOR YEARS. ENGINE HAS KNOCKED, DEALERSHIP COULDN'T HEAR, HAD THE TECHNICIAN RIDE IN THE CAR WITH ME, THEN HE HEARD. DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT'S NORMAL. *TR

MY 2007 HHR CAME BRAND NEW, WITH FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA TIRES. THEY ARE TERRIBLE. THEY DON'T ADEQUATELY HANDLE RAINY ROADS, AND HYDROPLANE WAY TOO EASILY. I WAS 15-20 MPH BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT, IN BARELY MODERATE RAIN, AND HYDROPLAINING. I HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH A POORLY PERFORMING SET OF TIRES BEFORE. THEY ONLY HAVE 15K MILES ON THEM, WITH EVEN TREAD WEAR. POOR DESIGN. THESE ARE GTA 3 TIRES, BUT THERE WASN'T AN OPTION FOR THAT ON THIS WEBSITE, SO I ENTERED GTA 2. *TR

I AM THE ONE OWNER OF THIS CAR. SINCE DAY ONE NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. AIR BAG LIGHTS ON DASH ILLUMINATED, DRIVER AND PASSENGER, WARNING HAVE REMAINED ON NO MATTER IF YOUR BUCKLED IN OR NOT. IT IS SUPPOSED TO SIGNAL IF NOT BUCKLED IN, I HAVE ONLY HEARD IT DO THIS TWICE IN THE PAST SEVEN YEARS. I WEAR MY SEATBELT 99.99% OF THE TIME BUT HAVE TO TELL MY HUSBAND TO PUT HIS ON, I WISH IT WOULD BEEP OR DO WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO BEEP. WE TOOK TO DEALER AT ABOUT 1000 MILES AND WAS TOLD " NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT " WHEN SEATBELTS ARE ENGAGED THE AIRBAG WARNING SIGNALS ON DASH AND CENTER CONSOLE STILL WILL BE FLASHING. AIRBAG WARNINGS NEVER TURN OFF ! I FEEL GM SHOULD INCLUDE THIS IN THE AIRBAG RECALL, SAME PARTS- WE ALL KNOW. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN THE BALTIMORE HARBOR TUNNEL WHILE MY PARENTS WERE FOLLOWING ME AND WERE ABLE TO USE THERE HAZARD LIGHTS CAUSE A TWO TRUCKS WERE BEHIND US MY CALLED STALLED IN THE TUNNEL WHILE GOING 60 MILES AN HOUR. IF MY PARENTS WERE NOT BEHIND ME I WOULD OF GOT HIT AGAIN. GM JUST DON'T CARE AND IF YOU THE NHTSA SEE THAT THERE IS A REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR WHY DON'T YOU RECALL THIS CAR. MY CAR HAS STALLED OVER 100 TIMES. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE PROBLEM OR HAVE YOU CONTACT GM FOR THEM TO RECALL THIS CAR. OR JUST SOMEONE HAS TO DIE OR HAVE A SERIOUS INJURY BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING. YOU ALL JUST DON'T CARE OR WHAT YOU ARE GETTING PAID BY GM TO NOT RECALL IT. THERE ARE 63 COMPLAINTS BREAKS, STALLING, SHIFT PROBLEMS. WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR RECALL? JUST AN ACCIDENT, INJURY, DEATH, LOST OF LIMB? THE DIRECTOR OF NHTSA CONSUMER COMPLAINTS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM CAUSE I HAVE MADE YOU A WARE OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE OVER 5 MONTHS AND SO FAR YOU HAVE NOT RECALL THIS CAR. IF YOU JUST SEARCH THE INTERNET FOR COMPLAINTS OF 2007 CHEVY HHR AND YOU WILL FIND NOT JUST MY CAR NUMEROUS OF CARS WITH BRAKES, STALLING , SHIFT , SHIMMERING PROBLEMS. SO WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM GM AND WHITE CHEVROLET OF ROANOKE RAPIDS, THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU,THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS? NOTHING. YOU SUPPOSE TO PUT CAR ON THE ROADS THAT ARE SAFE NATIONALLY. THAT IS YOUR TITLE BUT YOU FAIL WITH FLYING COLOR, DUE TO THE FACT THIS CAR IS ON THE ROAD. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DID IT TAKE FOR THE VISOR AND THE DOOR LATCH TO BE RECALL? 1 OR 2. SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO OVERRIDE GM. MY SISTER JUST DIED AND I AM SCARED MY PARENTS MIGHT BE GOING TO ANOTHER FUNERAL CAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER CAR. *TR

THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AND THE CAR FLIPPED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY DIAPHRAGM WAS CRUSHED. MT BACK WAS BROKEN. I AM STILL UNABLE TO BREATHE CORRECTLY. I WILL TRY TO LOCATE RECORDS OF THE CRASH, BUT AM SENDING THIS INFORMATION NOW TO HAVE THE ACCIDENT RECORDED IN THE DATABASE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 50-70 MPH IN WINDY CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SELL THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FAILURE HAS CAUSED A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. AN ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED, BUT NO ERRORS WERE FOUND. THE MECHANIC SPECULATED THAT THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRONIC STEERING SYSTEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE IS 11,000. UPDATED 04-14-09 *BF UPDATED 04/16/09*JB

BRAKE FUILD LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING THE CAR. CALLED ONSTAR TO RUN A DIANOSIC , THEY SAID THAT IT HAD AN ABS PROBLEM. *JB

VIOLENT SHAKING WHILE BRAKING. I HAVE HAD NEW PAD AND ROTORS ON MY CAR AND I ONLY HAVE 16,000 MILES. MY HHR CONTINUES TO SHAKE EVEN AFTER REPAIRS. *TR

PURCHASED 2007 HHR NEW IN OCTOBER 2006. WITH ONLY 249 MILES ON THE CAR, I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND REPORTED A LOUD BANGING NOISE FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT END. THE COULD NOT VERIFY THE NOISE. SINCE THEN THEY REPLACED TWO SHIFT ASSEMBLIES, ONE STEERING COLUMN AND IN NOVEMBER 2007 THEY REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT STRUT. THE BANGING NOISE WAS STILL THERE. NOW THEY THINK IT MAY BE THE CHASSIS TWEAKING ,BUT STILL CANNOT FIND OR FIX THE THE RATTLING NOISE. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE AND THE CAR SURGES WHEN STARTING IT WHILE STILL IN PARK. THE SAY THIS IS NORMAL. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN COURTESY CHEVROLET'S SHOP FOR MOORE THAN 30 DAYS SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I DO NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE AS I BELIEVE IT IS UNSAFE, AND A LEMON. THE CAR NOW HAS LESS THAN 15,000 MILES. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THEIR SHOP ON 10/19/06, 1/08/07, 7/19/07, 10/27/07, 10/22/07 AND 11/13/07. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHEN THE CONTACT ADJUSTED THE STEERING COLUMN IN THE UPWARD POSITION. THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE PROPERLY DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,100.

2007 CHEVROLET HHR WITH TERRIBLE SHIMMY IN THE FRONT END. CONSUMER STATES THAT IT ALSO HAPPENED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. HE ALSO STATES HIS DAUGHTER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A RENTAL CAR WHICH WAS A CHEVY HHR. *KB

2007 CHEVROLET HHR HAD A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE PROBLEM. *DT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS NOT SUPPLYING COMBUSTION TO THE THIRD VALVE OF THE FOUR VALVE ENGINE. WHICH MEANT NO REMOTE CONTROL START, IT SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE AND THE GAS MILEAGE HAD DROPPED FROM 32 TO 24 MILES PER GALLON. *JB