There are 9 owner-reported suspension complaints for the 2008 Chevrolet HHRin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ROUGH RIDE, HITS BUMPS HARD, MAKES NOISE
WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO TEST ON HWY CONDITION BUT IT CAME WITH EXTENDED BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY THE FIRST TIME GOT ON FREEWAY SHAKE HORRIBLE WHILE BRAKING. TWO MONTHS PAST HAD ROTORS TURNED NEW BRAKES PUT ON BY GOOD YEAR SHOP FIRST TIME ON FREEWAY STILL SHAKES HORRIBLE. WITH NE ROTORS AND PADS WILL STILL SHAKE THIS HAS BEEN FULLY INSPECTED TWICE AND NO PROBLEMS. IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT ARE TO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE NOT TO HAVE A TSB OR RECALL ITS NOT FAIR TO THE CONSUMER AND ITS SEEMS DANGEROUS TO HAVE A SHAKING CAR WHILE SLOWING DOWN AT 50 MPH 40 MPH. CURRENT MILES 50K. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR AN OIL CHANGE WHEN THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WERE TWO FRACTURED COIL SPRINGS IN THE REAR SUSPENSION OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,600. UPDATED 02/11/2014 *BF
IT MAKE A LOT OF NOISE, IT STILL GO WORKS JUST MAKES CLUNKING NOISE. *TR
OUR 2008 CHEVY HHR JUST STARTS TO SHAKE ON THE HIGHWAY ONCE IT HITS 60 MPH TO ABOUT 64 MPH, THEN IT GOES AWAY. THE SHAKING IS REALLY BAD IT MAKES THE WHOLE CAR SHAKE AND MY HANDS BEGAN TO SHAKE PRETTY HARD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. WE'VE REPLACED ALL THE TIRES WITH BRAND NEW GOODYEAR EAGLE GT AND THEM BALANCED AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS DONE. BUT THE CAR STILL SHAKES AT THAT SPEED. *TR
KEPT HEARING A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHEN GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS OR HITTING REGULAR BUMPS IN THE ROAD. HAVE TAKEN IT TO CHEVY MECHANICS SEVERAL TIMES, AND NO ISSUE WAS FOUND. TOOK IT IN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A TUNE UP AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT BUSHINGS WERE COMPLETELY SHOT AND IT WAS HAVING AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON MY ALIGNMENT. MECHANIC STATED THAT FOR THE BUSHINGS TO BE IN THE CONDITION THEY WERE IN, THIS HAD TO HAVE BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. CHEVY NEVER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND NEVER MADE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR REPAIRS OF THIS NATURE. VERY UPSET THAT I AM NOW OUT OF WARRANTY (MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I FIRST STARTED HEARING THE NOISE) AND I AM NOW LOOKING AT A $1200 REPAIR THAT CHEVY SHOULD HAVE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED 4 YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM. THIS ON TOP OF ALL OF THE RECALLS AND OTHER ISSUES GM SEEMS TO BE HAVING, I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER GM VEHICLE. *TR
I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN DECEMBER OF 2010, AS A CERTIFIED USED CAR. IT HAD 13435 MILES AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. AFTER SIX MONTHS, 17000 MILES, SERVICE LIGHTS BEGAN TO LIGHT UP---I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. AFTER TAKING IT HOME ALL SEEMED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY WHEN IN AUGUST, 17100 MILES, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A SHUTTERING WHEN BRAKING AND A CLUNKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER REPAIRED, HARNESS AND HUB BEARING AND I PURCHASE TWO NEW FRONT TIRES. WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR CAR BEGAN TO SHIMMY AGAIN WHEN BRAKING. AT 25000 MILE , DEALER STATED NOW BRAKES ARE BAD, WARPED AND ROTORS NEED WORK. WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF TAKING CAR HOME, SHIMMYING BEGAN TO START AGAIN. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON LINE WITH REGARD TO THE BRAKES, BUT GM DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEMS. HMMMMMMMM! *TR
WE OWN A 2008 HHR AND IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE . FIRST WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN DEC 2008 IT HAD 23,000 MILES ON IT. TWO MONTHS AFTER WE GOT THE CAR WE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT ROTORS ON IT AND AFTER FIGHTING WITH GM THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR THE ROTORS. AT THIS TIME THEY TOLD US THAT THE CAR NEEDED NEW TIRES AND A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AT 26,000 MILES . THEN JUST TWO MONTHS AGO AT 61,000 MILES IT HAD A RUMBLING NOISE IN THE FRONT END ,THE DRIVETRAIN WAS STILL UNDER WARRENTY.THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE RIGHT SIDE AXLE BEARING WAS BAD AND THEY REPLACED IT,AND ALSO AT THIS TIME THEY TOLD US THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST TO US OF OVER $400.00 . JUST LAST WEEK THE RUMBLING NOISE RETURNED , I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY TOLD US THAT THIS THE LEFT AXLE BEARING WAS BAD, WARRANTY ALSO COVERED THIS REPAIR. ALSO THEY SAID THAT THE CAR NEEDED THE FRONT ROTORS TURNED AND NEW BRAKE PADS ON IT .MY WIFE HIT A POTHOLE ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO AND BENT THE WHEEL . COST TO REPLACE THE WHEEL WAS $150.00 . WHEN I ROTATED THE TIRES AS PER GMS ADVICE I NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT WAS LEAKING ,AND AS WELL AS THE LEFT REAR SHOCK ABSORBER. THE ONLY THING I LIKE ABOUT THIS CAR WAS ITS LOOKS. SO NEXT WEEK WE ARE GOING TO BUY A FORD FOCUS.. ITS NO WONDER GM HAD TO HAVE THE GOVERNMENT BAIL THEM OUT... *TR
CAR WAS APPROX 4 MONTHS OLD AND BRAKES STARTED SQUEAKING-TOOK INTO DEALER-THEY TURNED THE ROTORS-FIXED FOR ABOUT 2 WKS - ITS BACK AGAIN AND NOW WHEN I APPLY BRAKES THE FRONT END OF THE CAR SHAKES VIOLENTLY. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. I'VE TRIED TO ENTER SEVERAL TIMES - IT WILL NOT TAKE IT. *TR
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