There are 14 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2008 Chevrolet HHR in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 14 of 14 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)THE FUEL LINE ON MY VEHICLE DEVELOPED A LEAK AT THE LEFT REAR TIRE. I HAD TO BUY AND INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET FUEL LINE KIT. I FOUND THAT THE METAL FUEL LINE HAS RUSTED THROUGH. WHEN REMOVING THE OLD FUEL LINE THE PURGE LINE BROKE OPEN AT A RUSTY AREA. THESE TWO LINES AND A BRAKE LINE RUN THROUGH A TUBULAR KNITTED HEAT SHIELD IN THIS AREA. THE HEAT SHIELD HAD COLLECTED DIRT AND SALT AND WAS DAMP ON A DRY DAY WHEN I WAS WORKING ON THE LINE REPLACEMENT. POOR DESIGN.
TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT WITH LESS THAN 100K MILES ON IT. THIS IS THE SAME TRANSMISSION THAT IS IN THE COLBALT, HHR, AND MALIBU. MY TRANSMISSION SHOP HAS A COLBALT AND MALIBU IN THE BAY WITH MY CAR, 10K LESS MILES THAN MINE, WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THE TRANSMISSION STARTS BY OVER REVING WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND 2ND TO 3RD. THERE IS NO CEL PRESENT. THEN THE CAR GETS A DRAG LIKE YOU ARE DRIVING A BRICK. TOOK CAR TO EAGLE TRANSMISSION (AFTER CHEVY HOUSE SAID FLUSH AND FILTER WOULD FIX THE ISSUE) AND NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. CHEVY REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, ANY REVIEW OF ANY BOARD WILL SHOW THIS IS A HUGE ONGOING PROBLEM. MY MILAGE IS 98778
I CAN NEVER GET MY GEAR SHIFT OUT OF PARK WHEN IT'S COLD. I HAD THE ISSUE FIXED BUT IT STILL DOES IT. BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM,SINCE 2010
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.
ABOUT 2WKS AGO ALL THE SOUND IN MY CAR WENT OUT FOR ABOUT 5MINS THEN CAME BACK ON! TONIGHT 1/4/15 ABOUT 8:50PM I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION TO GET GAS I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND WENT TO PUT IT IN PARK AND IT WOULDN'T SHIFT IT TOOK ME 5MINS TO FINALLY GET IT INTO PARK! ONCE IN PARK I TRIED TO TAKE THE KEY OUT AND IT WOULDN'T COME OUT IT WAS STUCK IN ACCESSORY MODE! I KEPT TRYING TO TAKE IT OUT FINALLY AFTER ABOUT 10/15MINS I GOT IT OUT! WENT TO LEAVE TO AND MY CAR WOULDN'T START! IT WILL TURN TO ACCESSORY MODE BUT WONT TURN OVER AND ACTUALLY START! I HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO TOW ME HOME! I HAD THE RECALL FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH FIXED BUT NOW ITS DOING THIS? I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT THIS IS CURRENTLY MY ONLY CAR! *TR
2008 CHEVY HHR REQUIRED A NEW TRANSMISSION. ONLY 104,124 MILES. *TR
TOP HALF OF MANUAL SHIFTER KNOB CAME OFF WHILE SHIFTING GEARS FROM 2ND TO 3RD. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE DECREASED IN SPEED DESPITE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE TRACTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER NINE TIMES. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE FUSE BOX THE WIRING HOUSING AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.
CLUTCH PEDAL STICKING TO FLOOR BOARD, CANNOT GET VEHICLE INTO REVERSE GEAR. CLUTCH PEDAL STARTS FEELING SQUISHY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN PEDAL WILL STICK TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE CLUTCH WILL BE FULLY ENGAGED. HAVE TO MANUALLY PULL PEDAL UP WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF TO USE CLUTCH AGAIN. REVERSE GEAR GRINDS AND WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR AROUND THE SAME TIME THE CLUTCH PEDAL STARTS ACTING UP. *TR
2008 HHR-CHEVROLET. MANUAL TRANSMISSION. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE TOP HALF OF THE GEAR SHIFT KNOB CAME OFF AND FELL INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR AND UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS JUST EXTREMELY LUCKY IT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING AND I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE WHERE I COULD DOWN SHIFT TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO REMOVE THE TOP OF THE KNOB. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER TO BRING IT IN HE SAID THERE WAS SOMEBODY STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
2008 CHEVY HHR, STALL 5 TIMES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED, NO HAZARD LIGHT TO WARNED OTHER DRIVERS OF VEHICLE PRESENT. *TR
TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR.THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, SHE STRUCK A SMALL PIECE OF DEBRIS FROM THE ROAD, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY PUNCTURED THE TRANSFER CASE. AS A CONSEQUENCE THE RISK OF VEHICLE CRASH WAS INCREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT BECAUSE THE SHIELD WAS MISSING, THE DEBRIS WAS ABLE TO PUNCTURE THE TRANSFER CASE. THE TRANSMISSION, GASKET, AND TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,031- UPDATED 10/09/09 *CN UPDATED 10/16/09
2008 HHR SS 5 SPEED, CLUTCH IS STICKING TO THE FLOOR BOARDS, TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO GEARS ALL THE TIME. SERIOUS DRIVELINE NOISES AND VEHICLE SOUNDS LIKE A CAN ROLLING DOWN A HILL IN THE WIND WHEN RUNNING. *TR
I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN JUNE OF 2008. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 17 TIMES WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THE BRAKES HAVE QUITE WORKING CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF SEVERAL TIMES GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND WHEN IT RAINS REALLY HARD THE CAR WILL NOT START IT DRAINS MY BRAND NEW BATTERY I GOT THE CAR FROM BOB STEEL CHEVROLET IN COCCA FL THEY KEPT TELLING ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO I CALLED A LAWYER AND GM MOTORS DECIDED TO GIVE ME 10% OF THE CAR AND THEY NEVER FIXED THE CAR THIS IT THE 4TH BATTERY BECAUSE IT IS DRAINING THEM SO MUCH THERE NO GOOD GM MOTORS TOLD ME THEY WERE GOING TO LABEL THE CAR AS A LEMON BUT BECAUSE I BOUGHT IT USED THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BUY IT BACK THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE 2007 HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BUT BECAUSE THIS WAS A 2008 AND NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL TO JUST DEAL WITH IT I DON'T KNOW WHAT LEST TO DO PLEASE HELP. *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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.