There are 41 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2008 Chevrolet HHRin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ISN'T PROPERLY FUNCTIONING EVERY TIME I HIT THE BRAKES HARD IT LOCKS THE TIRES UP AND THE CAR SLIDES.
WHEN I FIRST START THE CAR THE BRAKES GET HARD AND GO HALFWAY TO THE FLOOR BUT ONCE IT WARMS UP IT WORKS PERFECTLY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STIFF AND TOOK EXCESSIVE FORCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE NO FAILURES WERE FOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.
SINCE WE GOT THE HHR 3 YEARS AGO WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ROTORS 5 DIFFERENT TIMES BECAUSE THEY BECOME WARPED. THE NEW ONES ONLY LAST A MONTH, MAYBE A 1,000 MILES OF WEAR BEFORE THE BRAKES START TO BECOME WARPED AGAIN. TWO MONTHS AGO BEFORE I COULD GET IT INTO THE SHOP TO REPLACE THE ROTORS I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE DOING ABOUT 5 MPH WHEN I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT THE SHOP, 50 MILES AWAY, TO FIND OUT THAT A BRAKE PAD WAS COMPLETELY MISSING!!! APPARENTLY THE WARPED ROTOR UNEVEN SURFACE JERKED THE BRAKE PAD OUT OF ITS SETTING AND THAT IS WHY IT WAS MISSING. THE MECHANIC HAD TO DO A COMPLETE BRAKE (FRONT) JOB USING THE BEST ROTORS ON THE MARKET 2 MONTHS AGO AND IN LESS THAN 1 MONTH, WITH NO HEAVY BRAKING, THE BRAKES ARE ONCE AGAIN SHOWING SIGNS THAT THE ROTORS ARE WARPED---STEPPING ON THE BRAKES IT IS JERKING ONCE AGAIN, AND NOW THEY ARE ALMOST AS BAD AS THEY WERE WHEN I TOOK THEM IN TO GET REPAIRED. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY REALIZING THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER BRAKE PAD COMING OFF WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKE. I HAVE READ ONLINE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THESE CARS BEFORE SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAPPENS TO THE OCCUPANTS RIDING IN THESE CARS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES AT A SPEED OF 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FRONT ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR. THE RECENT FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,000.
WHEN BRAKING TO COME TO A STOP THE BRAKES/WHEELS SHUTTER AND SHAKE VIOLENTLY. *JS
THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE INCIDENT THAT I COULD DOCUMENT THE MILEAGE AND MPH.THE PROBLEM WAS MOST NOTICEABLE AND FRIGHTENING WHEN GOING DOWN AN EXTENDED STRETCH OF RELATIVELY STEEP GRADE IN THE MOUNTAINS AT A SPEED OF 45 - 50 MPH. THE PROBLEM IS VIBRATION WITH THE BRAKES. THE CAR BEGAN SHAKING WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN THE SUMMER 2011. WE HAD THE ROTORS (I THINK THIS IS THE PART) TURNED SOMETIME SHORTLY BEFORE SEPT 25, 2011 AND THE PROBLEM RETURNED AT A LOW LEVEL VERY SOON AFTER AND GRADUALLY INCREASED. WE HAD THE SAME PROCEDURE DONE IN AUGUST 2012 AT A MILEAGE OF 52,000. THE PROBLEM RETURNED IN FEBRUARY 2013 WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS PROBABLY AROUND 60,000. *TR
FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKE ROTORS TURNED DUE TO WARPING. HAD THE PADS REPLACED WITH LIFETIME PADS LAST YEAR. THE WOBBLE CAUSED BY THIS WARPING CAUSES DANGER TO DRIVER, PASSENGERS, AND OTHERS DUE TO DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE.
VERY ROUGH FRONT END VIBRATION AND DIFFICULTY STEERING WHILE BRAKING DOWNHILL. THIS IS THE "SECOND TIME" THIS HAS OCCURED AND I NOTIFIED MY DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP RE-CUT MY ROTORS "DUE TO RUST ON ROTORS". *TR
BRAKES SHUDDER IN FRONT WHEN MODERATE APPLICATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED 120KPH - DEALER FIX IS HAVING ROTORS MACHINED BUT EVERY TIME THEY DO THAT THEY GET THINNER AND HEAT UP QUICKER THEREFORE WARP QUICKER. THIS TIME THEY HAD TO REPLACE ROTORS AND MACHINED REAR DRUM BECAUSE I LITERALLY HAD TO YOU USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP ON THE HIGHWAY TO GET BACK HOME FROM OUR TRIP. I'M A LICENSED MECHANIC AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH POOR PERFORMANCE IN BRAKES, MY SOLUTION WOULD BE TO INSTALL DISC BRAKES ON THE REAR AXLE TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE IN BRAKING. THIS PROBLEM STARTED AT SINCE CAR WAS PURCHASED 2008 FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS AT 5K (KM) NEW ROTORS WERE PUT IN AT 45K (KM). PLEASE RECALL THESE BRAKES. *TR
I PURCHASED A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR IN 2009 WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT. I NOTICED BRAKING/SHAKING PROBLEM. DEALER FIXED IT THE DAY AFTER I BOUGHT IT. UNDER 500 MILES LATER, BRAKING/SHAKING STARTS AGAIN. DIFFERENT DEALER TURNS ROTORS TWO MORE TIMES. PADS ARE WEARING EVENLY, SO THE DEALER MECHANIC ADVISED ME TO PURCHASE AFTER-MARKET ROTORS AS THE OEM DO NOT APPEAR TO RESIST WARPING VERY WELL. WHEN THE DEALER'S MECHANIC RECOMMENDS PUTTING ON A NON-DEALER PART, THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THE CAR OR THE INTEGRITY OF THE METAL IN THE ROTORS. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON PEOPLE TURNING AND RE-TURNING THESE ROTORS ALL OVER THE WEB, ULTIMATELY LEADING THEM TO REPLACE WITH NON-GM PARTS. *KB
VERY ROUGH FRONT END VIBRATION AND DIFFICULTY STEERING WHILE BRAKING DOWNHILL. THIS FIRST NOTICED AND NOTIFIED MY DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP CUT MY ROTORS "DUE TO WARPING". *TR
TWICE IN THE FIRST 30000 MILES A PULSATING FEELING IN THE BRAKE PEDDLE HAD DEVELOPED. THE DEALER SAID THE FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED. THE FIX WAS TO TURN THE ROTORS. THE NEXT TIME THEY WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THIS NEED FOR BRAKE SERVICE EVERY 15,000 MILES IS NOT RIGHT. THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS THE CAR WILL NOT BE UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL CAUSE ME TO INCUR A CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. *TR
POPPING, CRACKING, GRINDING SOUND AND CAR VIBRATING UPON APPLYING BRAKES. VERY HARD TO GET CAR TO STOP TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID SOMETHING WAS LOOSE UNDER THE CAR AND THEY HAD TO CUT AND PIECE IT BACK TOGETHER. SOUND STOPPED FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND IS BACK WORSE THAN BEFORE HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 10 MONTHS 8,400 MILES ON IT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HURT MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE I AM ACTUALLY LOOKING AT BUYING AND OLDER CAR TO DRIVE AROUND IN. *TR
VERY ROUGH FRONT END VIBRATION AND DIFFICULTY STEERING WHILE BRAKING AT SPEEDS OVER 50MPH. DEALER TURN ROTORS BUT CAME BACK AFTER A FEW THOUSAND MILES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND STALLED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. HE HAS A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 8,000. UPDATED 03/23/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE FAILED RIGHT BEFORE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. UPDATED 03/24/09.*JB
BRAKES DO NOT WORK CORRECTLY AND BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR AFTER CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR ANY EXTENDED TIME (OVERNIGHT, ETC..) BRAKES FAIL TO STOP VEHICLE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN 3 BARELY AVOIDED ACCIDENTS. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP WHERE GM DISALLOWED ANY FURTHER ACTION TO BE TAKEN DUE TO THEIR TECHNICAL BULLETIN SAYING THAT THE DEFECT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR. *TR
AFTER PURCHASE OF A NEW 2008 HHR ON 22 SEPTEMBER 2008, I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND UPON GETTING INTO IT THE NEXT MORNING I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE AND NOTICE A VERY SOFT BRAKE PEDAL. I THEN STARTED DOWN THE DRIVE WAY AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT THE STREET THE VEHICLE'S BRAKES WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH MY BRAKE PRESSURE AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED INTO THE STREET. THIS BECAME A ROUTINE SITUATION UPON "COLD STARTUP'S" AND WHEN REPORTED TO THE DEALER,(JOHN DONOGHUE CHEVROLET, WHITEVILLE, NC) AFTER SEVERAL POOR STOPS, MY SALESMAN ADVISED "YEAH WE KNOW ABOUT IT AS WE'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON 2008 SOLSTICES". WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A POSSIBLE FIX HE ADVISED THAT " A PART ON THE TURBO FIXES THE PROBLEM." I MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THE CAR SERVICED UPON MY RETURN FROM VACATION ON OR ABOUT 26 OCT 08. I DROPPED THE CAR OFF WITH THE SERVICE WRITER/MANAGER AND NO MENTION WAS MADE AS TO POTEN TIAL PROBLEMS FIXING THE CAR. UPON MY RETURN SEVERAL HOURS LATER I WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE PROBLEM IS SYSTEMIC TO 2008 TURBO ENGINES AND GENERAL MOTORS DOESN'T WANT TO RECALL THE CARS. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER PROVIDED ME WITH A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT GM PUT OUT AS A POTENTIAL "FIX" BUT HE REFUSED TO SERVICE THE CAR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THEY READJUSTED THE COMPUTER, PER THE BULLETIN; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE STILL DOES NOT STOP PROPERLY ON COLD STARTUP. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL AND THE BULLETIN ADVISED THAT "THEY ARE WORKING ON THE ISSUE." *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER SHE STARTS THE VEHICLE AND DRIVES FORWARD OR BACKWARDS, THERE IS NO BRAKING POWER. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO MOVE. SHE MUST PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MUCH FORCE IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. ON ONE OCCASION, THE FAILURE CAUSED HER TO REAR-END ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AT LEAST FOUR TIMES, BUT THEY CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER PROVIDED HER WITH A BROCHURE TO KEEP IN HER VEHICLE IN CASE OF A CRASH, WHICH STATED THAT SHE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING BRAKE FAILURE AND WAS NOT AT FAULT FOR THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,350.
CAR HAS HARDLY ANY BRAKES IN THE MORNINGS OR AFTER IT HAS SIT FOR A WHILE. THEY WORK FINE AFTER DRIVING FOR A BIT. THIS IS UNSAFE. WE'VE ALMOST SLID OUT INTO THE STREET BACKING DOWN OUR STEEP DRIVEWAY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. HAVE BEEN TO DEALERSHIP TWICE, FIRST TIME THEY REPROGRAMMED BRAKE CONTROL MODULE, SECOND TIME THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL OPERATION, I ABOUT BLEW A GASKET, IS IT NORMAL FOR YOUR BRAKES NOT TO WORK PROPERLY? I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE CAR.*TR
Showing 1–20 of 41 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026