I don't have an HHR, currently have a 2000 Sienna after 40+ years of driving RWD GM tanks (Caprices, Cadillacs etc) and doing my own repairs. In the last few years, it's been slim pickings for those cars thus the Sienna.
The Sienna is dependable, boring and horrible to work on. Why I'm here is to try and figure out if the HHR is a viable option for me. Appealing is the simplicity of a 4 cyl (no hard-to-access firewall bank a sideways V6 has), opening side windows for my dogs (the Sienna's are fixed), and I am familiar with GM if that means anything.

Is there anything that is near impossible to reach on the HHR? I watched a video on how to replace the water pump and it looked like access was pretty bad.

Do most of the HHR's have ABS brakes? I'd rather not have them, I've had more problems with them than they are worth to me.

Are the later year HHR's better or worse than the earlier ones?

Everybody's favorite YouTube mechanic Scotty Kilmer mentioned the HHR auto trans was a lemon and to only buy the standard, is that accurate?

I saw another video where at 2:50 the guy says that after replacing a fuel injector he had to take it to the dealer to get them to reset the ECM, is that accurate? Here's the vid:

 

We bought our 2006 with 7800k on it in 2008. It now has 153,000. The only real problems I've had were with the struts and other front end parts. Replaced the struts and control arms at 60k. Replaced the shifter at about 50k for an issue with a pin that broke inside. It was an easy fix and fairly inexpensive fix though. The only thing recently has been a replacement of the EVAP vent solenoid.

All HHRs have ABS. I've never had any issues with ABS or the trans. In fact few people on this forum have had issues. Not sure why the ECM would need to be reprogrammed for a fuel injector.

For the most part HHRs are pretty reliable.

And welcome!

 

Believe everything you see on the interwebs!

The waterpump is a bit of a pain, not like a cast iron bolt on the front. Not that bad, if you have the special tool.

Most have ABS, I think traction control became standard in 2008. The only problems I've ever heard of are "operator error".

Scotty is full of "it", the 4t45e trans and it's variants might be the most popular trans on the planet. I have read about 10 trans problems on this forum.

The 2006-2007 2.4L engines came with outdated injectors and firmware, There is a TSB about updating the injectors and the firmware.
If you change the part number you do have to change the programming; Changing injectors with the same part number does not require programming.

 

I have 3 2006 HHR 1LTs with the 2.4L engine.

One has ABS and the other two don't. ABS was optional in 2006 (at least on 1LTs maybe standard on 2LTs?).

Two have automatic transmissions and have 187K miles and 220K miles with no problems.

Generally, parts are cheap, available, and there are enough of these engines and trannies in scrapyards to get anything inexpensively.

Steve

 

Welcome to the forum. Please ,never listen to that guy. Anything but manual toyota is a garbage, according to him. Hhr is fairy reliable vehicle, and for the most part is easy to work on.

 

Thanks for your replies. Good info!

I have seen Scotty Kilmer spray car paint with no breathing protection and work on a car with only the floor jack holding it up... for me that heavily taints any advice he gives. Since GM invented automatic transmissions it was hard for me to believe his comments.

I've had four 1992 Caprices and I think that they were incredibly evolved cars, maybe the most thought out common cars ever. One of my friends gets pissed when I tell him that I think those Caprices are more refined than his new Tesla. They are. Cops claimed 27 mpg on the highway which for a 2 ton V8 is incredible. Yet if you read reviews of those cars you'd think they were antiquated garbage. To me, they are way more economical, safer and reliable than any Sienna (or Tesla).

The HHR seems to have had some sort of a bad rap. It probably stems from the thinking that it was a not-as-good-as-the-original copy of the PT. From everything I've read the PT Cruiser is a nightmare. There's always several perfect "looking" ones for $300 on Craigslist here and my neighbor who has one says that most mechanics flat out refuse to work on them.

I'm gathering that one of the main things (like with my Sienna) to look for when you buy an HHR is that it doesn't have the timing chain replacement due in say the next 10-15k mi or preferably that it was just done (with proof).
Also, there seems to be people on this forum who actually know and like these cars. That is not the case with the Sienna. When you search for anything about my 2000 Sienna (which was a common taxi they sold tons of) there's almost nothing, like the car has been discarded like Mac OS 10.1. Why would you want it when there's newer ones?

Is there no urethane bushing replacement for the HHR's lower control arm bushing? The original part looks like crappy old school black rubber. If it were made from the stuff they make skateboard wheels out of it probably would last, no?

 

 

Summit sells a urethane lower arm kit but know nothing about it.
For rear, not sure. Google might be your friend on this.

 

 

The Summit bushing would seem to be the way to get a permanent solution.

Q: for the people that have a 2.4 engine HHR, if you were buying another HHR, would you turn down any cars with the 2.2 engine?

Q: sunroof - problematic or nice?

I really appreciate the responses, thanks.