Product Liability - Written by Beasley Allen on Thursday, October 6, 2011 11:27 - 8 Comments

The Chevy HHR Is A Subject Of Safety Concern

The Chevy HHR has become a subject of concern in safety circles. NHTSA has received complaints about a potential design defect in the Chevy HHR (Heritage High Roof). The Chevrolet HHR problems reportedly include difficulty turning the vehicle off. Chevy HHR complaints have been filed with the NHTSA by vehicle owners, who say they incurred high costs repairing their vehicle. The complaints typically have involved HHR owners having trouble turning the vehicle off or the key becoming stuck in the ignition, which can potentially lead to highway crashes. The vehicle has not been recalled despite these reported safety issues. In order to rectify the problem when the HHR would not shut off, some HHR owners reported:

• disconnecting the vehicle battery to shut the engine;

• remaining in their parked Chevy HHRs until their vehicle runs out of gas, which can take several hours if not a day; and

• removing a fuse from the engine.

So far, model years affected by the ignition problem include the 2009 Chevy HHR and 2009 Chevy Cobalt. Various reports from Chevy HHR owners indicate that this is a known problem among car dealers and garages. So far, Chevrolet/General Motors has not addressed the problem. Reportedly, some customers, who have had to have their vehicles towed to a dealership while still running, have been informed that the repair is not covered under their warranty. It was reported that those customers paid up to $600 to repair the HHR ignition.

Some 2009 Chevy HHR vehicles have been recalled, but for completely different reasons. General Motors Corporation recalled 2009 model year versions of the HHR along with a number of others—including the Cobalt and Buick Enclave—due to a potential defect in the shift lever that could cause the vehicle to roll away. That recall took place in March of 2009. At the time, a GM spokeswoman said that no injuries or crashes had been reported as a result of the shift lever defect and that dealers had been tasked with inspecting the vehicles and replacing shift cables when necessary.

Source: Associated Press

8 Comments

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Lee Kuchenbrod
Oct 27, 2011 12:47

I have a 2011 HHR and the only problem I have with this car is when I am making a sharp left turn at 15mph or less the transmission slips and the RMPs race. A few moments of the engine rpms running high the transmission will engage to the lower gear. This only happens on slow sharp left turns and has never happened while taking a sharp right hand turn at 15mph or less. The dealership I bought the car from said there is nothing wrong with the transmission, it is just down shifting. Well I told them that when I pressed on the gas to pick up speed, the transmission was not engaged as though I was in nuetral. They said that if there was a problem with the car the computer would log the problem. This i think is a bunch of crap. I have been in the electronics and automotive field for about thirty years and I know this is not the way a transmission is supposed to work. Any help would be appreciated.

Ron Baxley
Nov 11, 2011 17:57

The problem you have described is characteristic of not having enough transmission fluid. As you make the turn, the fluid in the pan sloshes to one side and the transmission fluid pump draws air instead of transmission fluid. This effectively takes the transmission out of gear due to inadequate fluid pressure on the actuator for the appropriate clutch. I am not familiar with the HHR’s transmission, in specific, but if it is one of those that doesn’t have a transmission dipstick and fill tube under the hood, it has to be filled through a hole in the side of the transmission pan, which is a royal pain to do correctly. I don’t know for sure, but I doubt that this problem would appear as a diagnostic in the engine computer.

Jennifer
Dec 27, 2011 10:33

Just happened to my 2009 HHR Christmas Eve. Ironically I had the 2006 Cobalt which power steering kept going out trying to kill me on the interstate so I am well prepared to handle GM’s B.S. I recorded the entire fiasco and will post the video on youtube on the next day or so. I’ll return to share the link with all the frustrated GM owners out there. Shame on GM for not recalling cars with issues- this is quite the habit they’ve developed so on blast they shall go….

Shari
Feb 20, 2012 16:12

I have a 2009 HHR and have had the ignition issues you have talked about here (car would not shut off and dealership was closed) I was able to pull the fuse that in return also ran the battery down. I have also had the shift issue (would not shift into gear had to be worked on twice). Door locks have been an issue and would not unlock ( worked on twice). Other issues have been dash gauges going out while driving down the road ( dealership found no reason for this. Battery goes dead. All this was under warranty and fixed.

Each time causing issues of a loner car from the dealership. During this time I was taking my mother for cancer treatments I could not leave my drive way to take her and had to beg to get a car to take her for her treatments.

My car has less than 26,000 miles on it and it is a shame to have to worry about breaking down or being locked out of my car or it getting a ticket because I don’t know how fast I am going.

The car as a whole should be recalled. What qualifies these cars to be a lemon??

Richard
Mar 6, 2012 22:35

They should have implemented some additional graphics in order to make it look better; there is nothing new to watch in this car.

Bonnie
Mar 16, 2012 21:23

Just dealt with this SAME issue on 2009 Chevy/GM HHR with less than 17k miles. Key was stuck in ignition w/car running. Tried Fixes as per Onstar (Overall NO HELP! –they can apparently turn your ignition “on” remotely, yet can not turn it “off” remotely):

OPTION A:
1) While pressing down Brake pedal
2) Shift vehicle into reverse
3) Shift vehicle into park
4) Attempt to remove key – NO HELP
—
OPTION B:
1) While pressing down Brake pedal
2) Disengage Steering Column Adjustment Lever
3) “Move Steering Wheel Up AND Down AND Side to Side (Good Luck doing this if you are alone in the car, because you need AT LEAST 3-4 hands: 1-for turning/jiggling the key in the ignition, 1-for lifting the Steering Wheel, 1-for moving the Steering wheel side-to-side)
** Eventually “we” were able to jiggle the key to release, but it was only after we removed the steering column cover for apparently no reason as there IS NOT “Button” to depress as we were instructed in Option C, and after we disconnected the battery cables, even with the key removed and the battery cables disconnected, the vehicle motor is still running!!–THIS IS MORONIC!!)
—–
Option C:
Per Onstar–
1) While vehicle is in park
2) Locate Button under the Ignition Key on bottom right side of Steering Column (Good Luck as there IS NO BUTTON! –The Imbeciles! The Owner’s Manual shows a diagram on page 5-25; However for this model vehicle there IS NOT A BUTTON!!)
2) Locate the correct size “METRIC” wrench nut thing
3) Remove multiple Steering column screws to gain access to under the Steering Column Cover (learn that there are screws all around the Steering Column so you are out of luck as you can not access those screws at their existing “odd angles”)
4) Remove small hole cover that comes off with removal of screw directly between your thighs and on the underside of the Steering Column
5) Search with a flashlight into small 2 inch hole looking for a stupid button that does not exist!!
6) Stick fingers into exposed small 2″ hole under Steering Column (desperately “feeling” with fingers for a “Button” that does NOT exist on this model vehicle, but which is shown on page 5-25 in the Owner’s manual..so Onstar Rep keeps insisting for 5 minutes exists, with the tone that you are just too stupid to find it)
—
OPTION D:
1) While vehicle is in park
2) Locate your vehicle battery –( which is located in the vehicle trunk, under the floorboard)
3) Disconnect the positive battery cable (which you need a ratchet in order to accomplish)
4) When vehicle engine does NOT turn off, disconnect the negative battery cable
5) Wait in fear of your vehicle getting broken into and stolen, and experiences lots of frustration while your vehicle engine continues to run and eat up your very expensive 3/8th’s full tank of gas!!

david mccord
Mar 30, 2012 6:09

i have a 2010 hhr bought in june of 10 with 6633 miles on it.i have had the ignition switch fixed,and this has been the only problem i have evey had with this car,today it has 40104 very happy miles on it.i love this car and would buy another if i could!

Sherrill
Apr 25, 2012 9:21

I have a 2010 HHR. Overall I find the car enjoyable and affordable to drive. I have been reading about what to do to make your car “turn off”. Which mine would not do last night. I finally, in looking for the D&*& battery, found the fuse box where I looked for the first abreviation that involved “ignition”, removed that fuse, wa la. Could have saved myself some time on the net. Anyway, I have also had the stuck in “Park” issue that cost. I am hoping not a sign of things to come (just over 50,000 miles), as overall I find it okay (by the way my first Chevy)…..