2008 Chevrolet HHR Complaint Log

CHEVY 2008 HHR SS INADEQUATE BRAKE POWER ASSIST. EXTREMELY HARD PEDAL DURING FIRST 3-5 MINUTES FAILS TO STOP CAR DURING THIS PERIOD. *TR

2008 HHR SS FAULTY BRAKES FROM COLD START. EXCESSIVE FRONTAL BRAKE DUST. SERVICED AT 2000 MILES. SERVICED AGAIN AT 17,000 MILES NEEDING NEW BRAKES.DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS NORMAL CONDITION. MY SS MODEL HAS 2 DIFFERENT FRONT SEATS WHICH DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS NORMAL .SPEED CONTROL FLOATS,SLOW TO RESPOND..ORIGINALLY FROZE AT 70MPH. I DID RECEIVE A CITATION FOR SPEEDING CUZ OF MALFUNCTIONED. L/F /F AND R/F TIRE PRESSURE READINGS ARE REVERSED ACCORDING TO THE IP. VERY IRATE 30 YEAR GM EMPLOYEE WHO PAID CASH FOR THIS MESS. *TR

BRAKES LOSE VACUUM WHEN CAR SITS FOR A WHILE. ON A COLD START THERE IS LITTLE BRAKING POWER UNTIL THE VACUUM BUILDS UP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE FACT GM DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR IT. I HAVE HAD THE CAR 6 MONTHS WITH NO FIX. IT'S UNSAFE AND I HAVE A MAJOR CONCERN DUE TO HAVING TEENAGE DRIVERS. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 HHR SS, THAT HAS A BRAKING PROBLEM WHEN FIRST STARTED OR HAS SET FOR APPROX. 8 HOURS. I HAVE ALMOST RAN OUT OF OUR PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE DEALERSHIP TWICE. FIRST TIME THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ECM. PROBLEM CONTINUES AND THE SECOND TIME, I WAS TOLD THAT THE FACTORY SAYS THIS IS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE 2.0 ENGINE AND TURBO. THE DEALERSHIP GAVE ME A COPY OF SERVICE BULLETIN AND AT THE END ,IT STATES (DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR OR REPLACE ANY PARTS FOR WHAT IS CONSIDERED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE OHB). BULLETIN NUMBER IS 07-05-22-002. THE SECOND BULLETIN NUMBER GIVE TO ME BY THE DEALERSHIP IS 08-05-22-001. THE FOLLOWING OPTIMIZED HYDRAULIC BRAKE (OHB) #1-RATCHET SOUND COMING FROM THE BRAKE SYSTEM DURING OHB ACTIVATION. #2-BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT OR PULSATION WHEN OHB IS ACTIVE. #3-INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT UNDER LOW BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM. #4-CHANGE IN BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT WHEN OHB IS ACTIVE. #5-FREQUENT BRAKE STOPS MAY RESULT IN OHB ACTIVATION. #6-HIGH ALTITUDE DRIVING MAY RESULT IN OHB ACTIVATION. THE WAY I READ ALL THIS IS WHEN OHB ACTIVATES, YOU MAY HAVE BRAKING PROBLEMS. I HAVE TALKED TO TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ALL I COULD GET OUT OF THEM WAS (THIS IS NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HHR WITH TURBO). THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED GM AND THEY SAY THE SAME THING AND THERE IS NOT A CURE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS NORMAL FOR THE TURBO MODELS. I GUESS WHEN A FEW PEOPLE GETS KILLED THEY MAY TRY TO FIND A FIX. MY VEHICLE NOW HAS LESS THAN 3000 MILES AND I NOTICED THE PROBLEM AROUND 100 OR SO MILES. I HAVE OWNED 25 GM VEHICLES IN MY DAYS AND THIS IS THE FIRST HAVING NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR NOT STOPPING. IF YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLY KILL SOMEONE, HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS TO THE POLICE, WHEN THE POLICE GETS IN THE CAR AND THE OHB IS NOT ACTIVATED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS NORMAL, YOU ARE IN TROUBLE AND MAY NEVER PROVE AT THAT TIME THE BRAKES HONESTLY DID FAIL. IF GM CAN,T FIX THE PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BUY THE CARS BACK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR SUPER SPORT. EACH MORNING WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES DO NOT STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THIS FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED WITH TSB NUMBER 0805220001. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,685 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7. UPDATED 09/16/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM ONLY HAPPENED WITH THE FIRST APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. WHEN GOING DOWNHILL, THE FAILED DID NOT WANT TO STOP WHEN COMING TO A STOP SIGN. UPDATED 09/18/08. *JB

CAR STALLS WHILE TURNING, IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES THEY CAN'T FIND DUPLICATE OR FIX THE PROBLEM AND HAVE NOT GIVEN ME A LOANER CAR. *TR

HHR SS HAS A HARD PEDAL AND DOES NOT STOP EASILY ON IN A NORMAL DISTANCE. THIS HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES AFTER SITTING IN COLD WEATHER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. IT TAKES ABOUT A MINUTE OF WARM-UP TO HAVE THE HARD PEDAL-NON BRAKING TO CORRECT TO NORMAL. *TR

I ALSO OWN A 2008 CHEVY HHR LT THAT IS LOADED. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW AND CURRENTLY HAVE 39,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD ALL OF THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS AND GM REPLACED SOME OF THEM. GM INSTALLED A NEW INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN, DRAG LINKS,TURNED ROTORS 4 TIMES AND RIGHT SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT. AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, THE BRAKES ONCE AGAIN WENT TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET. I ORDERED A SET OF RACING ROTORS AND CERAMIC BRAKES, THIS CURED THE BRAKE PROBLEM. AT 37,000 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND IT WAS THE CAM SENSOR. I REPLACED THE SENSOR AND RESET THE LIGHT AND IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I REALLY LIKE THE VEHICLE, BUT GM NEEDS TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK AND DO MORE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 CHEVY HHR SS WITH 13000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES FOR BRAKES NOT WORKING. THE PROBLEMS ARE THAT THE PADS COMING DELAMINATED AND THE TURBO PULLING THE VACUUM FROM THE BRAKES. AFTER CHECKING ON VARIOUS WEB SITES LIKE EDMONDS, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT MOVING. THE BRAKE PEDAL STIFFENED. APPROXIMATELY TEN SECONDS LATER, THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWELVE TIMES. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE ECM; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL OCCURS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 2,500.

MY BRAND NEW CHEVY HHR WILL ALLOW ROCKS AND ROAD DEBRIS TO RUIN THE RADIATOR AND THE A/C CONDENSER THEN THEY WILL NOT FIX UNDER WARRANTY. THIS CAR WILL KEEP HAVING THIS PROBLEM, I CANT KEEP BUYING 600 DOLLAR RADIATORS EVERY 3 MONTHS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED AT HIS RESIDENCE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT, LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE FUEL SYSTEM. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT IS WAITING FOR AN INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. HE HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 3,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS LOCKED INSIDE HIS VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE TO THREE AND A HALF HOURS WITH NO WAY OUT. ONSTAR ATTEMPTED TO GET THE CONTACT OUT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. ONLY THE REAR LATCH WOULD OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. AAA WAS ABLE TO OPEN ONE OF THE DOORS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CONTACT HAD TO HAVE A FRIEND LET HIM OUT OF THE BACK DOOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 3,638. UPDATED 03-04-08 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR SS. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED IN COLD WEATHER, THE BRAKING SYSTEM TAKES APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE TO FUNCTION. THE BRAKES USE AN OPTIMIZED ASSIST AND THE BRAKES WOULD RESPOND SLOWLY. IT CAUSES THE BRAKES TO RESPOND SLOWLY. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE UNABLE TO STOP IMMEDIATELY IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT ARE NOT MAKING CONSUMERS AWARE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON JANUARY 24, 2008 FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE ANY COMPONENTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE DEALER COULD REFERENCE THE TSB FOR THAT PARTICULAR FAILURE. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER THAT A TSB REPAIR WAS UNACCEPTABLE. THE MANUFACTURER SENT OUT AN INVESTIGATOR, BUT HE COULD NOT RECOMMEND A REPAIR FOR THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8. UPDATED 04-03-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE FIRST GETS INTO THE VEHICLE, AND PLACES TE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE, THE POWER BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD TO PRESS TO MIDWAY POINT, AND THEN THE BRAKES PULSATE. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS RAN FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE, THE POWER BRAKES BRAKES BEGAN TO WORK FINE. IT IS ONLY WHEN THE VEHICLE SEETS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOED OF TIME DOES THE PROBLEM ARISE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT INDICATE WHEN THE DOORS ARE AJAR. THE DOORS LOCK; HOWEVER, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT WARN THAT THE DOORS ARE NOT CLOSED COMPLETELY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 206 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 3,100. UPDATED 01/29/08 *BF