Why I hate the HHR.
 

When I first bought it, it was fun and funky. Well it has been funkier than anything.
First the exhaust rusted off in the fourth year. 45,000 miles.
The shifter has broken, twice. 29,000 miles and 60,000
The driver’s side door handle broke. 50,000 miles.
The wind shield wiper arms broke off, both sides.
Heater blower motor has been replaced.
The driver’s side heated seat has never worked.
The remote start doesn’t work. (Yea, new batteries, tried it)
Various lights in the tail end, they seem to always go on a regular basis.
It rips tires to shreds, even with a 4 wheel. It chews up brakes and rotors in the front, as well.
I have had to replace both front wheel bearings, both struts as well. The passenger lower control arm and the driver’s side axle.
I just recently had to replace the flex pipe from the exhaust manifold to the cat.
I have 132,000 miles on it now. The engine and transmission seem strong but the rest of the car seems to be falling apart.
Now, Last night I hit a deer on the way home from work and I will need a hood, grill and a passenger side fender and headlight, not to mention anything else.
I was going to give this car to my Daughter when she turns 16 in March, but I like my daughter to much to do that to her….
I used to be a diehard Chevy guy, I’ve owned a couple of 67 Camaro’s and trucks in the past, but if this is Chevy quality….RUN people!!
Nate

Welcome to the site. Sorry to here about your hhr problems. I have two hhr 07 and a 08. I have had good luck with mine so far. I see that you have an 06 the first year for the hhr. I believe that any first year car gets the bugs worked out over the next few years. You have replaced a lot of parts but at 132,000 miles most car out there would have a big list of replacement parts as well.

Got my 08 new & love it... Best car I've ever had. I would be bummed too, to have the problems that you have incountered. Sorry to hear of the problems you have had, but I would amagine that there are a bunch of people on the site that have had good luck with the car. I know we don't have all the rust problems that you have. (And would not want it)

sorry to hear about all the problems

Well welcome to the forum Nate, although your first post may not give many of our members here a case of the "Warm Fuzzies", just so you know.

Many of the issues you're having, or have had in the past, are addressed in this excellent thread by our Moderator whopper. Click the link below to give it a read......

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/problems-service-repairs-42/list-common-problems-questions-related-links-38985/

Maybe the insurance will total the car for you. Then your agony will end.

Yea, I know. I've had to develop all these little fixes for this thing over the years. Like pinning the wind sheild wiper arms to making a support bracket for the inner door handle to remaking the exhaust down tube flex pipe. At least the shifter handle was covered once under warranty. I just ffel like I have been nickeled and dimed lately. I like that the car has good cargo space and I like the sitting position of the car. I'll get it fixed cause I think it still owes me. The sun roof is a cool feature. It goes nearly the full length of the roof.

Sounds like a lemon.

Sorry to here about all the problems with your HHR. I bought mine new in 2007 and have had no problems, although I only have just over 31000 miles on it. Did you buy yours new? I see that your remote start doesn't work. Could it be turned off? It can be turned off or on.

Welcome! FWIW you can't come on to a HHR forum full of fanatics, complain about every issue in your first post, and expect a ton of feedback....

I am sorry you have had the problems, most of us are willing to help if you a trying to do any of these repairs yourself

Anyhow good luck the rest of the way:thumb:

I think as with any car, there are good ones, and some that are not so good, even of the same year, and off the same assembly line. My own experience with my 2007, has been pretty positive. Its not perfect, but for a low cost economy car, which it is, It has for me, been a good value. The only major problems, a failing instrument cluster, changed under warrantee, and the catalytic converter and flex pipe failed, also replaced under the 8/80 emissions warrantee. Mine is a five speed, and gets towed behind our motorhome, has been ideal for us. Perfect, no, but IMO a good value. Sorry you have had such a poor experience with yours.

Hmmmm...

Sun roof goes the full length of the car. I'll need to check mine. It stops about the rear of the front seat:D.

Here's my repair list:
2 water pumps
3 batteries
1 wiper motor
1 stereo head unit
2 blown heater hoses
2 thermostats
1 rear end speed sensor
3 sets front brake pads
1 set of rotors
2 valve cover gaskets
1 pittman arm
4 stereo speakers died
2 transmission solenoids
1 cataylitic convertor
2 lower ball joints
2 upper ball joints(pending)
and a few other thing I can't recall
OH WAIT. Those are on my Dodge truck with 160K miles.
The point is, all cars eventually need repairs. Some will have more repairs than others.
Fwiw. My Dodge , owned since new, has been a good truck for the last 15 years even with the repairs I've done.

Ha Ha Ha. Believe me you dont want to see the list of repairs for my Ultimate Driving Machine read(BMW) its enough to make you cry.:censored:

I have had to fix a few things on my SS, and a few things on my Panel, but if he would have accepted my offer monday, I would own 3 now....on purpose..:lol:

You should have joined a long time ago, you will find some insight for some of the problems you listed here...:twothumbs:

Welcome to the site, I have 145,000 mlies on my 2007 band had some issues, mostly wear and tear items and I will keep it in good running condition as I love the little HHR best car and Chevy I have owned over the last 43 years and 85 personal cars and 14 fun rides and 10 drag cars, well a lot of cars and trucks in the period

I've owned 50+ cars in my life but I wouldn't make the same claim. The HHR is what it is or in my case, was what it was. It served it's purpose for us and gave us relatively little problem in the almost 7 years we owned it. But, as far as best car overall or best Chevy I've ever owned?? The HHR wouldn't even crack the top 10.....

They're not all perfect by any means, and even though Rule #267 about making "Blanket Statements" usually bites me in the butt.

I think it's safe to say we've all had something break/fail/wear out on our HHR's at least once, and that holds true of any make or model.

Even a Rolls or a Bentley will occasionally leave their owner stranded by the side of the road. I've heard it's especially galling if they're out of Grey Poupon too.:wink:

No car ever built that didn't have a lemon.

Boydie




[QUOTE=nate'sHHR;725780]When I first bought it, it was fun and funky. [QUOTE]

My 09, LT is 5 years old. I just replaced the battery this week. I have always replaced batteries at 5 years. That is all I have needed to do.

That Dodge is a piece of junk!

You really had me going with the pittman arm, no idler arm also that's odd.

http://imageshack.com/a/img163/8088/1001396o.jpgUploaded with ImageShack.com

My 06 has been trouble free. When I lived in upstate NY, I had issues in the cars I drove with similiar corrosion issues.

I just rolled over to 126,000 mile last week, and still can get 30+ mpg. :twothumbs:

nate, you didn't say if you bought it new or used. If used, sounds to me like it's been in an accident with all the suspension parts that had to be replaced. I have an 08 that I bought "new". It was a rental return but I got lucky must have been well maintained and not trashed. Haven't had any problems except for the little annoying things like door latches sticking, visor falling down, left side speakers going out, etc. Nothing that has prevented us from driving it everyday (except when the tanker truck mistakenly put diesel into the "regular" gas storage tank). I will never have any other vehicle than a Chevy. My old 1965 Chevy Van is still runnin strong and has over 300,000 miles on it (engine is a replacement 292 for towing).

Noting the mileage and time breakdowns in his initial post, I'd say he bought it new.

Why is it people with no post like to seek out web sites and vent real and or trolled accounts of issues in numbers few ever see and expect us to welcome them with open arms? It is not just here.

I just wish if they were people truly looking for help to come in introduce them selves and ask for help vs. Folks that say I hate the car you all own it sucks.

Bud if you are real just let them total the thing and then buy something else that you can vent on to someone else.

Sorry if I am skeptical but I have seen this too many times. Real or not this is no way to seek help or sympathy.

Note many of the issues here are things that just don't add up with out abuse.

x3...although I remember expressing a similar sentiment as hyper6 did in post #24 when, sometime earlier this year, a young lady posted proclaiming her HHR to be the "WORSE car I've EVER had" and stating "I HATE THIS CAR". Some members began to polarize and even act as if I had done something wrong when I stated my opinion. I suggested that she sell it if she really felt that way than come here just to vent/rant. She responded with some smart-assed remarks.

Now that the OP has done his venting, and the thread has run its course, we are closing it.

:smile: