Up until today my dash lights (speedo, temp, fuel gauges) would light up when the light control stalk was in AUTO position. Now the dash lights only work when I have the parking lights, the fog lights or the headlights on, regardless of the dimmer position. Has anyone run into this problem?

 

The AUTO position is the default position for the lights on an HHR. During the daytime in bright conditions, only the daytime running lights are on externally, and internally the dashboard lights are not on, except for the DIC and the radio display. The gauge lights will come on in AUTO only when the light sensor determines that the headlights should be turned on.
I have a 2007 HHR LS and have experienced intermittent problems with the headlights coming on in bright daylight, which decreases the intensity of the gauge cluster lights and DIC and radio display to the point that they are hardly visiible, and invisible when sunlight floods the HHR's interior.
I realize that this is not the problem you describe - but I do not think that the gauge cluster lights are supposed to be on in the AUTO Lights position in the daytime.