While I was home for Easter my dad told me the brakes were starting to pulse. So we went for a ride and sure enough they were. It seems to be at lower speeds, but it is quite noticeable. Our HHR has about 16,600 miles on it. From what I have heard this seems to be the HHR's weak point. So share some experiences/ advice with me! Is there any true cure for this problem? I have heard of people having to have multiple replacement rotors on. I really hope this isn't the case for us!:roll:

My experience at the dealer I work at, is this. Also GM did a study on this. What you are probably experiencing is a type of corrosion, but not of the rotor. Here is what happens according to GM. Brake pad material (dust) from the semi-metalic pads adheres to the hot rotor as it cools down. Causing a coating on the rotor. This coating then corrodes itself to the rotor surface causing pulsation in the brakes. The dealer should resurface your rotors at no cost to you, and replace if they go below minimum safety specs. Draw back is that when they do this you lose life on your rotors.
The only cure that I have found is to put full ceramic pads on, no dust and no metalic dust to adhere to the rotor. Hope this helps.
17k on my HHR and have had to have my rotors resurfaced already.

Only one other person has something to offer? Thank you night31 by the way.

Check out this thread: Warped Rotors (http://chevyhhr.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1177&highlight=brake+pulse)

Resurfaced my rotors at 7500 miles. Steering wheel shimmied when brakes were applied at highway speed. For what it's worth

I had ceramic brake pads on my Malibu and hated them.

They were very noisy and produced so much dust they turned my hubcaps black. These were not top of the line brake pads though, so that may have been part of the problem.

Only one other person has something to offer? Thank you night31 by the way.

Your welcome.....:cool:

Black Rose, if you got brake dust from ceramic pads, then they were not full ceramic. Full Ceramic pads will leave no dust and are extremely quiet. When I had my Blazer I think the full Ceramic pads cost me about $110 a set, front and rear. Have not put them on the HHR yet, but have noticed they do squeak.(brakes on the HHR that is)

Advise. Let Off The Gas Before Getting On The Brake. My Hhr Has 26000 And Just Had The Tires Rotated By My Chevy Dealer And The Brakes Front And Rear Looked New Still And Measures Very Little Wear. On All My Other Vehicles I Have Never Needed To Replace Brake Pads Or Shoes Before 100000 Miles.

Black Rose, if you got brake dust from ceramic pads, then they were not full ceramic. Full Ceramic pads will leave no dust and are extremely quiet. When I had my Blazer I think the full Ceramic pads cost me about $110 a set, front and rear. Have not put them on the HHR yet, but have noticed they do squeak.(brakes on the HHR that is)

Not quite accurate on the properties of ceramic brakes. Ceramics do produce dust, but it is lighter in color (semi-mets spray heavy black dust, ceramics light colored dust) and because there are no metallic particles they are safer for custom wheels, because it's not coating them in white-hot metallic particles when it sheds its dust.

all I know is that BMW brakes sure do create brake dust! my dad has a mini cooper, and his rims are always dirty from the brake dust. I have hardly noticed any brake dust on my HHR.;)

My 2006 HHR had brake pulse (front to back) and steering wheel shimmy at all brakng speeds at 20877 miles due to warped front rotors. They were resurfaced - as GM policy prevents dealiers from replacing rotors that have enough depth to resurface. If the dealer replaces "good" rotors under warranty, GM bills the dealer for the parts! Guess what, I now have 41,000 miles - and need new rotors.... because there is not enough metal to resurface again. But, I am out of warranty - and even under my "covers it all" extended warranty - wear items are excluded and brakes are wear items. In contrast, I have a 1993 ford escort wagon with the ORIGINAL rotors/drums - so it's NOT my driving. HHR brakes stink.

Just before first rotor resurface, the left front wheel hub assembly failed causing an ABS failure. This was replaced under warranty. Just before the second rotor problem, the right front wheel hub assembly failed causing an ABS failure and resulting in a single-car accident with side of road (almost 9k in damages). This time GM said it was operator error - so no warranty coverage.

NOTE TO SELF - buy a toyota hybrid next time.

boy, you sure are trolling here...joined today 4-19 all five posts in three different threads all about your brakes failing and how you should buy a toyota next time.

Sorry to hear about the brake issue dude...but my goodness, I think you made your point.

HHR owner is just venting steam...A lot of steam. Pulsing brake are a real pain in the butt

boy, you sure are trolling here...joined today 4-19 all five posts in three different threads all about your brakes failing and how you should buy a toyota next time.

Sorry to hear about the brake issue dude...but my goodness, I think you made your point.

NOTE TO SELF - buy a toyota hybrid next time.

Then the scenario changes only slightly:

You will find yourself having to purchase very expensive battery packs and motors when they wear out! :eek:

Hang in there - and get your problem fixed. You'll be much happier. :D

My experience in the past few years with brakes is telling me that OEM rotors generally warp easily, for most car companies. The only exception was my Cherokee, because of the size of the rotors. I've stopped trying to get them fixed under warranty, because I refuse to have rotors turned; it's a waste of time and money. On my former Elantra, after 2 years I had bought 4 aftermarket cross-drilled rotors & pads for under 250 $CDN shipped, and I installed everything myself. The difference was phenomenal, to the point where I had to get used to wet braking again with the HHR.
If and when my HHR rotors warp, I'll do exactly the same thing. At that price, I don't mind having to change them every couple of years.

My warped rotor on the Elantra was due to a "brake inspection" performed by the dealership: a wrench monkey had tightened & stripped one of the bolts to the point where I had to break the stud to get the wheel off. Since then, nobody else touches my wheels or brakes - ever.

Yves

Advise. Let Off The Gas Before Getting On The Brake. My Hhr Has 26000 And Just Had The Tires Rotated By My Chevy Dealer And The Brakes Front And Rear Looked New Still And Measures Very Little Wear. On All My Other Vehicles I Have Never Needed To Replace Brake Pads Or Shoes Before 100000 Miles.

I'm not trying to say I'm right and you're wrong, but you shouldn't have the issue of getting off the gas before getting on the brake in the first place. You should only be driving with one foot unless you have a manual....or if you're road racing like Boris Said does!;)

all I know is that BMW brakes sure do create brake dust! my dad has a mini cooper, and his rims are always dirty from the brake dust. I have hardly noticed any brake dust on my HHR.;)


I agree!

At just shy of 11000 km I just had to have my rotors machined. I have to say of the 12 or so domestic cars I have had, without exception, Chrysler, Ford and GM, within the first year I have had to have rotors done. Only the Mazda that I turned in for the HHR never had to have rotor work.

It's not my driving. I do not brake exceptionally hard, I do not ride the brake. I always buy manual shifts so I gear down from higher speeds and I avoid pooled water and such especially after braking.

I am in the camp that OEM rotors just suck generally speaking.

My dealer said they will repair/replace as often as needed at no charge as long as I keep haveing my GM Goodwrench barke maintenance performed. At $60 bucks a year I suppose that's not too bad of a deal.

There's been a lot of threads about brake problems. Do all of you have ABS? I just passed 10,000 miles on a 1LT w/o ABS but haven't seen any kind of problem with the brakes.

Almost 13,000 kms on mine and no brake issues so far.

I do not have ABS. Every GM vehicle I have had that was ABS equipped had early front brake issues, so I made sure this one did not have ABS.

Same here, no ABS and I am over 15000 miles and have had no problems with the brakes. Knock on Wood..:smile:

There's been a lot of threads about brake problems. Do all of you have ABS? I just passed 10,000 miles on a 1LT w/o ABS but haven't seen any kind of problem with the brakes.

Mine does not have ABS.

so much for the ABS being the underlying problem....

There's been a lot of threads about brake problems. Do all of you have ABS? I just passed 10,000 miles on a 1LT w/o ABS but haven't seen any kind of problem with the brakes.
Same here. 1LT. Over 8000 Mi. No ABS = No problems
I suspect alot of the problem stems from improper lug nut torque when rotating tires etc.

"I Gear" works good for driving down grades, It saves on brakes by letting the engine slow you rather than standing on the brakes. We have a grade here in Duluth where I work i go down once a day, speed limit 30. I gear works great on it and you only need to briefly brake 2 times, at 42 mph the trans shifts up so between 30 and 40 is the ticket for the other grades in Duluth and driving the hills there.

Yep the brakes suck! They turnd my rotors around 4000miles back and they are getting bad again.

I have a 2LT with ABS, have over 33,000 miles, and no problems with my brakes. No vibration, no pulsing, nothing. I guess I'm just lucky? As tom stated earlier I use I gear on downgrades and don't ride my brakes. In fact I've never had to hit the brakes hard, so you could say my car has been "babied". Perhaps that is the difference.

13,000 miles no issues..
Due to at 1000 miles, I change to all disc, and disc calipers setup...

I highly doubt that the ABS system would be related to a rotor warping problem. Things that can cause rotor warping are:

1) Improper / unequal lug nut torquing
2) Overheating / overuse
3) Flash cooling (as in: hit a cold water puddle when the brakes are hot)
4) With hot brakes, keeping intense brake pressure in one spot during a stop.

Do you see a pattern here? Other than the torquing issue, cooling and heat dissipation are key factors. For the sake of saving weight and money, rotors are made thinner and smaller(not just for the HHR, it's across the board), which limits their heat dissipation properties. Resurfacing them amplifies the problem.

Yves

FYI:
Had the rotors turned under warranty at 6K miles after horrible headshake when stopping.
We drive 90% highway and rarely use the brakes at all. No hills of any kind.
We have a 2LT with ABS and traction control.

We are now at 11,6XX miles and they are starting to go again.

Dealers (two) state that all they will do is resurface until they are too thin.
If you are in the initial 36,000 mi. warranty when the rotors get too thin, you get a new set free. If you are beyond that point, even if you have had multiple resurfacing under warranty and have a GM extended warranty, you are screwed and will have to pay for the new rotors yourself.

Combine that with the patently atrocious service at all my local Austin/Bastrop Texas Chevrolet dealers and i'm better off waiting until the warranty runs out and getting a set of aftermarket rotors.

At the rate i'm going, i'll have the rotors turned about 5 times before the warranty runs out and then have to buy them myself.

This is so stupid.
They resurface rotors which prematurely wear - which makes them thinner and therefore more likely to heat up and wear faster.
Seems it would be cheaper for everyone involved to just replace what are clearly bad/cheap parts.

I'll mention this one more time......

The TSB, regarding rotor resurfacing, explicitely states...to only resurface the rotors 2 times. After that they MUST be replaced.

Now, if your dealer did not perform the original brake/rotor warranty repairs as prescribed, then they may have a problem with GM on the replacement.

The Service Manager or GM Technician members can problem enlighten you on the "technicals" of this.

I highly doubt that the ABS system would be related to a rotor warping problem. Things that can cause rotor warping are:

1) Improper / unequal lug nut torquing
2) Overheating / overuse
3) Flash cooling (as in: hit a cold water puddle when the brakes are hot)
4) With hot brakes, keeping intense brake pressure in one spot during a stop.

Do you see a pattern here? Other than the torquing issue, cooling and heat dissipation are key factors. For the sake of saving weight and money, rotors are made thinner and smaller(not just for the HHR, it's across the board), which limits their heat dissipation properties. Resurfacing them amplifies the problem.

Yves

This is the best post I have seen on this issue. You can go a long way towards helping yourself by observing what DreamHHR has posted. Here's a tip...when you come off an expressway ramp and have to stop, DON'T just come to a stop and hold your foot firmly on the brake pedal. You are heat soaking a spot on the rotor and contributing to warping (number 4 on the list). Brake gently and leave enough room to roll forward while you wait. A few feet is plenty. ;)

I've got 21,800 miles on my 06 HHR. At 10,000 dealer turned rotors, again at 17,000 and just a week ago at 21,500. took a short trip to Ohio last Saturday, can feel the pulse already.
I have called GM every time I get home so I'm on record. Other than sandblasting of paint before running boards were installed I have had no warranty problems. GM did cover the paint & gave me free running boards.
I to got the same story about the break dust sticking to the rotors, I was even told the rotors had impressions in them from the pads ? I don't understand how a pad would leave a foot print in the steel rotor?
I have a '96 GMC Jimmy, 138,000 miles. I have put 5 sets of pads on the front and NEVER turned the rotors. Just last fall I put new shoes on the rear for the very first time. I know the front breaks are applied before the rear. Like a 80% to 20% on the rear.

i never had any problems till just a few weeks ago when i hit about 15,500 miles..started to notice the vibration when i hit the brakes...took it in to the dealer last week...they turned the rotors...now every since i got it back the rotors make a grinding noise.....so it goes back tomorrow...

Almost 14,000 kms on my HHR and I am now getting the brake vibration. I'll take it in this week to get it taken care of.

When it comes time for me to buy rotors I'll be getting drilled and slotted rotors and beefier pads.

For what it's worth, I have a 2 LT with 8,600 miles on it and noticed the shaking in the steering wheel at highway speeds when braking. The dealer resurfaced the rotors.

I'll mention this one more time......

The TSB, regarding rotor resurfacing, explicitely states...to only resurface the rotors 2 times. After that they MUST be replaced.

Now, if your dealer did not perform the original brake/rotor warranty repairs as prescribed, then they may have a problem with GM on the replacement.

The Service Manager or GM Technician members can problem enlighten you on the "technicals" of this.
Snoppy, can you provide me with the TSB number about not turning the rotors more than twice, Please.

Snoppy, can you provide me with the TSB number about not turning the rotors more than twice, Please.

The TSB I was referring to is 00-05-22-002G, I believe. But, after looking through it, I can't find anything to support my statement. I'm reasonably sure I saw that someplace. I feel stupid about this and I'll keep looking.

In the meantime, the above referenced TSB seems to be the most current...perhaps with a newer amended "H" suffix. This provides a detailed 11 page description to the dealers technicians in how the rotor and brake complaints are to be addressed....mechanically and verbally, also stating that to comply with warranty requirements and reimbursement, the dealer must perform "steps" exactly as stated. It is detailed and time consuming for the tech.'s and I am told many are not complying. That may be where some of the continuing complaints are coming from.....and also prevent GM from acknowledging a dealers warranty replacement claim.

If you can get a copy of the TSB, it would be worthy of reading. It explains, among other "things", what GM has determined causes the brake pulsations, and why they occur. I mentioned some in previous posts. A lot is human error...by Chev. technicians, aftermarket tire, brake, wheel installers and the vehicle owners.

GM has always had a warp problem with their rotors and probably always will. I have had many GM vehicles and have worked in a garage and this is one of the biggest complaints on GM vehicles. I have had most of my problems start on my 86 Monte SS, and have had brake shake on about every vehicle I've owned since then. My Astro went 95,000 miles before I replaced the pads, the rotors were shaking real bad, and when I checked them, the inside of the rotor was all but corroded up and looked as if they had not been used in years. I had a 99 and it had 95,000 miles when I sold it last year. My wifes 96 Monte Carlo, and now her 03 Impala has warped rotors. My Daughters 03 Gran am and even my HHR has the brake shake now. I have to say that GM is very Cheap in the rotors they put on, as most foreign cars don't have this issue much, unless they are abused. I have turned many of these, and it does get them down to a thin rotor after about 2 times. The only cure is to buy after market high performance rotors. I haven't yet, but I don't use my brakes hard soo I really don't feel it soo bad, unless I have to make a hard/fast stop. I can feel mine now as I roll to a stop if I use the brakes to really slow down, as long as it is a slow stop, I'm alright.

"cvroger...", thanks for your post.

While everyone can give examples to support their personal assumptions, I'll disagree with the, "GM always had a problem with warped rotors", comment.

Not trying to argue or to directly support GM in this issue, but I can give examples to support my premise that could override yours.

I have had, counting close relatives, somewhere close to 50-60 GM vehicles in the past 30 years. Myself and family have NEVER had a warped rotor problem. Several vehicles had very, very high mileage (3 sets of pads...no rotors...in almost 200,000 miles).

Because of this, I still believe MOST of the problems encountered with the rotors are human error and "lot rot". I'm just saying, that most of the people here (including dealer tech's)say they are performing the necessary r/r's correctly....but in fact, are not. For example, notice how many tires are installed on rims and the rims then installed directly to the hubs, without cleaning both of the mating surfaces. You would not believe how meticulous I am when doing wheel work....so, that may be part of the reason I never experienced problems others are expressing.

The other may be the weather. Which is hot and dry most of the time. Only moisture my vehicle experiences, is the occassional rainfall and the weekly car wash. So lot rust and such, which are critical issues to consider according to GM's TSB, may be minimized or obsolete.

Your comment supporting mine regarding only resurfacing rotors twice, is appreciated. But, now my logic is questioning the validity of that. For example, what if only minimal "cutting" was required on each of the two repairs and the thickness of the rotor is still above (maybe way above)the minimal established standard. Why should the rotor be replaced if metal material is still above the minimum requirement??? Yes, ideally....but not realistically or financially.

GM's TSB ideal maintenance, is to have pads replaced BEFORE rotor resurfacing is necessary....but try to find a Chev. dealer or brake shop that will install without resurfacing.

But, who knows, I may have rotor problems in the future and will need to post here for suggestions.:smile:

Snoppy, can you provide me with the TSB number about not turning the rotors more than twice, Please.

There is no real limit on the number of times rotors can be machined. However, there is a minimum thickness. Once that minimum is reached, either through wear, machining or a combination of both, the rotors should be replaced. Generally speaking, at least from my experience, after being machined once or twice at the most, the minimum thickness is reached.

I just passed 20,000 miles on my HHR and just finished rotating my tires. I checked my brakes and rotors while I was at it (all original). Rotors are clean with zero warp and brakes have plenty of shoe pad to go. They almost look brand new. Overall the brakes look great and unless something comes up, I'll check them again at 30,000 miles.

Kind of dissapointed since once my rotors and pads need replacement I want to buy those cool slotted rotors from truckshop :one:

Ng

Hello to all,

I have just joined this forum in search of others who may have experienced problems with the brakes of the HHR. I have had my "baby" since last July and I love it. Hubby wanted me to get an Equinox, but had my mind set on the HHR and got one with most of the the options available. Especially had to have the 2LT for the engine. Previous car was a 10 year old manual shift Eagle Talon that sold me on 4 cylinder engines even in our area with mountains to climb. Hubby had a fit as he is a Chevy man (2 Corvettes and a Siverado SS in the garage) with the Talon until the gas prices started to climb.... He really likes the HHR now!!!! Anyways, back to the brakes.... I bought a 3 year service plan at the time I bought this HHR and am glad I did as I have dealer back up with the problems with the brakes. At the first 3,000 miles the rotors had to be turned due to the pulsation, and again at 6,000 miles (it was even worse), at 9,000 miles they replaced the rotors and I haven't reached 12,000 and I am having the pulsation again. It can get so bad that it rattles everything!!!! Including my teeth, so it will be interesting as to what happens. Don't get me wrong I love this car, but brakes are a major issue and it is embarrassing to be driving a brand new car that shimmies and squeals when you apply the brakes. Our vehicles are extremely well maintained by my husband (motorhead). The only other problem I have encountered is that occasionally when I turn on the left turn signal the radio comes on!!! No kidding, perhaps it is possessed.
I plan on doing some graphics this summer to dress up my little "baby" but am going to wait to see what happens with the brakes before I do.

Thanks for listening and any input would be greatly appreciated,
Shorts
Proud owner of a Silverstone 2LT

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o132/pats50fan/smilies/welcome4.gif to the site shorts!!!

Hello to all,

I have just joined this forum in search of others who may have experienced problems with the brakes of the HHR. At the first 3,000 miles the rotors had to be turned due to the pulsation, and again at 6,000 miles (it was even worse), at 9,000 miles they replaced the rotors and I haven't reached 12,000 and I am having the pulsation again.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m66/trip_j/welcomes/welcome-3.gifI've heard of being old school and changing the oil every 3,000 miles, but the brakes??:eek:

My 2007 2LT had to have the rotors turned a couple days after taking it home. It had about 20 miles on it or so. I didn't hit water with the brakes hot, panic stopped, or was hard on the brakes. Actually I babied the car for a long time when it was new. Brakes have been fine since. Got about 5500 miles on it now.

Shorts, cant help with the brakes, mine have had no problems with over 16K on it. As far as the radio, the turn signal and warning comes thru the radio but it should not turn on. There is a TSB on this along with sometimes getting a popping sound from the radio. Mine did that and even would play sometimes without being turned on or using the turn signal. Dealer reprogramed the BCM and it fixed the problem.. Hope this helps.

Shorts, cant help with the brakes, mine have had no problems with over 16K on it. As far as the radio, the turn signal and warning comes thru the radio but it should not turn on. There is a TSB on this along with sometimes getting a popping sound from the radio. Mine did that and even would play sometimes without being turned on or using the turn signal. Dealer reprogramed the BCM and it fixed the problem.. Hope this helps.
Julian and all who have replied, Thank you so much!! As hubby is a motorhead, the oil in our vehicles IS changed every 3000 miles, but working on the brakes is going way too far. LOL. I will inform our dealer of the information regarding the TSB and the BCM even tho I have no clue what they are. I am sure I will soon find out. As hubby is watching a fight in Vegas on the TV, he is currently "unavailable."
Thanks a bunch guys
I love this forum as anyone who loves an HHR has got to be great!!!

The TSB I was referring to is 00-05-22-002G, I believe. But, after looking through it, I can't find anything to support my statement. I'm reasonably sure I saw that someplace. I feel stupid about this and I'll keep looking.

In the meantime, the above referenced TSB seems to be the most current...perhaps with a newer amended "H" suffix. This provides a detailed 11 page description to the dealers technicians in how the rotor and brake complaints are to be addressed....mechanically and verbally, also stating that to comply with warranty requirements and reimbursement, the dealer must perform "steps" exactly as stated. It is detailed and time consuming for the tech.'s and I am told many are not complying. That may be where some of the continuing complaints are coming from.....and also prevent GM from acknowledging a dealers warranty replacement claim.

If you can get a copy of the TSB, it would be worthy of reading. It explains, among other "things", what GM has determined causes the brake pulsations, and why they occur. I mentioned some in previous posts. A lot is human error...by Chev. technicians, aftermarket tire, brake, wheel installers and the vehicle owners.

Does anyone have the full text of this TSB. I want to make sure that when I go to my dealer that they don't try and tell me that the brake problem is not covered under warranty.

Does anyone have the full text of this TSB. I want to make sure that when I go to my dealer that they don't try and tell me that the brake problem is not covered under warranty.


I have it access to it, but is to large to post.....13 pages. Filters, blocks, etc. prohibit coping it (easily) from the site that I use. I did find a way around it (as indicated in another post), but it is a long process.

You probably don't need the complete TSB, unless you are technically inclined. It provides, in detail, how and what the technician is to perform to each of a specific symptom. Also, speaks of how to calibrate, correctly, the equipment to make the repair.

Hi all.
Have not been on in awhile, but had to tell you about my recent brake problems (ongoing). Quick refresher, I have a 2LT that is serviced every 3000 miles by the dealership. Every 3000 miles I have either had the rotors turned down (twice) then they were replaced, and my last service call (12,000 miles) they resurfaced the new rotors. The day they were resurfaced i drove my "baby" home and put her in the garage - 10 miles. The next day I drove 11 miles to go to my sisters and as I tapped the brakes on the curve of an exit ramp I felt a little "burp" or something. Well, when I went to stop the car at the end of the ramp during rush hour, I was jolted forward as my car was laying a little patch of rubber. I thought the brakes had locked up as it would not go forward. I called my husband to get ahold of the dealer who told him to call the chevy help line to get it towed. In the mean time I am sitting as the first car on an off ramp during rush hour traffic. Needless to say hubby told them that they had just worked on my car the day before in which the flatbed was sent. It was very sad and tramatic to see my silverstone on the back of a flatbed!!!! But I have to say I also told the guys I wanted my Eagle Talon back!!!!! I went on my way and called the dealer an hour later to see what the h____ happened. Well, they said that it may have been their fault this time as the caliper (hope I spelled it right-I really do know what it is as I painted them on my hubby's Corvette) had come loose and was sticking out my shiney right front 17"alloy wheel!!!!!!!! No wonder lightly touching the brakes almost gave me whiplash!!!!! I really did not look on that side as I was busy directing traffic around my locked up car. Well, I told them I did not want the car back until it was fixed RIGHT. I got a little nervous after the fact as I drive down a high Pennsylvania hill to get to town. Thank God I was only going 20-30 miles an hour instead of the 60 on the hill. Well, it is back in the garage with a new wheel, bolt (that was either tightened too much or not enough when they resurfaced the rotor), and so far it is running fine. But have to say I am still very paranoid. With this last regular servicing (when they did the routine maintenance) I mentioned the lemon law and asked if writing to GM would help the brake problems but was told that GM would just drop it back in their laps. I did take all the information that I got from all of you and told them that I wanted the brakes fixed according to the way GM states they are supposed to be done. The manager was on vacation that week but has told me that he is going to contact GM about my car. I will keep you posted on what happens. In the mean time I am thinking about trading it in for a newer one, but don't think I should have to take the beating for something that I have no control over.

Thanks for listening. I love my baby, but it is not the chrome we are talking about...

Thanks for all your input as it does help me.

Yeah Brake problems have finally caught up to me.LOL I Went in for the 3000 mile oil change, (yeah I don't follow the recommended) The car has 33,000 miles on it. Had the dealer rotate the tires and check the brakes. At 33,000 miles I have half pads left. I had a SLIGHT rotor pulsating and they turned the rotors under warranty .002 on the right and .004 on the left (inside). Yeah crap brakes ! LOL At this point I get 70,000 miles out of my crap pads.LOL All kidding aside . The rotors looked like good heavy rotors and the pads have lasted good. GM did a great job on this. One question to the ones who have had problems. Did you bed your brakes in when your car was new? I did and always have.

For anyone keeping track of these brake problems, add my HHR to the list :( Just after 10k miles, a violent shudder started occurring in the steering wheel when coming to a stop. This began during a recent trip to Atlanta (where I did alot more stop & go driving than usual).

Does anyone have a link for good aftermarket performance rotors?

Does anyone think GM will step up and replace these bad rotors or are we just
S.O.L. ?

Would it do any good for all of us to make some noise with the NHTSA all at the same time?

tomdent1

um, what is 'bed your brakes' mean???

New brakes have to be "broken in" or bedded. Resurfaced rotors (which if you are running the old pads need to be sanded) need to be bedded in. The easiest way to illustrate it is to describe how we do it at the race track. Going into the corners (1 and 3) at around 40 mph brake pretty hard for about 5 laps ( 10 times) then run about 10-15 laps off the brakes (letting them cool). Repeat process except let the brakes cool completely. This can be done on the street, It's just easier to describe this way. Some people say it doesn't help, but I got half pad left and over 30,000 miles. Yeah the rotors were turned but only needed .004 took off on the worst side. The rotors looked plenty heavy to me. JMO.

I have developed a slight brake pulse, nothing major, but I talked to my dealer and he tells me that with 51,000 I should just have them resurface my rotors with a brake job...only $169.00 with lifetime brake pads...what a guy...not ! I will handle this myself and go to full ceramic and aftermarket rotors...Still I ain't whining, the HHR has given over 51,000 nearly trouble free miles, and from a 1st year vehicle...

Believe me I am not whining about my HHR as am very happy with the vehicle itself, but the brake issue is driving me NUTS!!!!! I was told on the last resurfacing of the brakes by the service assistant manager that they have at least 5 complaints a day about this issue on GM vehicles. He stated that they make the rotors out of a softer metal now due to two things;
1. the government makes them use so much recycled metal and the rotors are one place, and
2. people complained that the older brakes were "noisy" when a harder metal was used.

AS for me, give me the noise- at least I know they are working!!!!!!!

:cussing: My HHR brakes are crap once more. This is getting to the point of being unsafe. Not only does the car shake but now they are trying to lock up.

Got a call yesterday from the service manager regarding his contact with GM etc. over my brakes. He states that GM says that it is an isolated incident (not their quote just easier to write) and that they have no more problems than normal. Sure does not sound like it here though. Perhaps we should get a group together that is having the same problem and address it in numbers that they cannot "blow off." I would be happy to sign my name to something.

The service manager has even gone so far as to offer to do aftermarket rotors to see what is the problem. He knows us well and knows that our cars are well cared for. I am going to ride it out as it is starting to pulsate AGAIN after 1000 miles. Will keep you informed.

Linda

Think about how many HHR's have been sold. Think about how many owners are here. Although it sounds high because you generally don't talk about the good things you talk about the bad ones it's probably not all that high of a percentage. I would venture to say most of the brake problems are caused by incorrect torque sequences when installing or rotating tires.

BINGO !

The only few instances where I had rotor vibrations were all caused by someone (usually a dealer) tightening the lugs too much or by myself when I neglected to clean the hub surface when changing from winter to summer wheels.

I now "micromanage" my rotors. I use a torque wrench everytime I put a wheel on, and nobody but myself touches my wheels or brakes - ever. If I do get service where I think they may have taken the wheels off, I'll retorque ASAP no matter what. When I need new tires, I drop the extra set of wheels off. So far I've made it past 10K without a hint of vibration.

Yves

had the rotors turned at 12000, now bad again at 30000 (actually started pulsating several thousand miles earlier.) I went and replaced the rotors and installed ceramic pads..also torqued the lugnuts. Ill see if that makes a difference...