Hello. So glad to have found this site. I have a 2010 HHR that I absolutely love, and bought new off the lot here in Yarmouth Nova Scotia. Sweet little car. However since March of 2012 I have noticed a ticking noise in the front end, and have been in to the dealership multiple times to try to get diagnosed and fixed. The other day when it was extremely loud, I took it in, the manager drove it, heard it, raised the hood and suddenly it stopped. Seems he had moved the pipes that run along the drivers side under the hood, down to the centre for the air conditioner. We celebrated, but it was short lived as the noise returned later in the day. I hope it just means that the problem was farther down the line of the pipes than where the manager taped hoping to quiet them. Been extremely frustrating. Now, while hoping to get that permanently fixed, there is another issue that maybe you folks can answer for me. While the engine is running but the car is in park, if I touch the brake pedal the gear shift makes a clanking noise. They tell me this is typical, do you other owners experience this? Whatever this is, it hasnt affected the little car's performance at all, fantastic mileage, and while not the most comfortable of cars, still a neat car to own.

 

Yes the clicking noise you hear when pressing the brake pedal, is the safety solenoid built into the shifter, which allows the shifter to change position. You can't change out of Park without pressing on the brake. Get used to it - they all do it. :-)

And WELCOME to the site - lots of info here, and some great people. Hope you continue to enjoy the car - it is a lot of fun.

 

Gearshift click is the interlock relay, NO problem, relax. You may also notice a click from under the dash when you step on the brake.

The A/C tubing sounds kinda like one of the fasteners or grommets has come loose/broken/fallen off.

 

Thanks so much! I havent been able to find another HHR owner in our small town to ask! I feel much better! I'm not suprised to find this site and so many who love their cars, I wasnt going to the dealership to buy this car, and wasnt sure at first but came to love it very early on, and wouldnt part with it.

 

By the way early on I nicknamed the little car "Bugsy" because it looks so much like the gangster cars of the 40s and Bugsy Seigle's name came to mind! I've had it over 3 yrs now and it's affectionally known as Bugsy to all my friends. Last year we made a trip from Nova Scotia to Kentucky, and incredibly (and we kept records to prove it) it cost us $160 down, and $167 to come back! Can't beat that!