orng 8

My 2008 HHR has an erratic ESC system. At times the Service ESC system appears, it will disappear as soon as the key is turned off. It has also activated the ESC system three separate times while being driven. All three times were in good, clear weather with no traction problems. One time was on a 2 lane highway at 55 mph. I was only a few miles from dealer so drove it straight there. The found no problems. Contacted GM, they sent me to the dealer who found nothing wrong. GM says talk to the dealer, dealer says GM must tell them what to do. Asked the dealer if I could use my code reader to capture a code when service message appears. Was told it had to be failing when I brought it to them before anything would be done. It will soon be out of warranty so problem will be mine. Right now I use the button to turn the system off each time I start the car. Any other ideas or suggestions?

orng 8

Dealer stalled long enough that car is out of warranty. Does anyone know where I can find info on the ESC feature ? Would like to know what sensors,chips, etc. are involved. Maybe I can replace those involved or disable the system so it won't activate on the toll roads or expressways around Chicago. TIA

sleeper

Your 2008 is out of warranty ? If your problem was noted, that would be pre-existing, imo.

orng 8

Just rolled 36k, so warranty is gone. GM says they will let me know if they find anything, meantime never know when it is going to activate. No good choice.

an08HHR

I agree with sleeper. If the dealer noted it into the system you better have a talk with them and then find another dealer if they won't follow up. I've had vehicles with problems that didn't show up at the dealer but they would enter it into their computer and then when the problem surfaced again after the 36k, they took care of it at no cost.

orng 8

Went to another dealer for 2nd opinion. They drove it with test gear on to take a "snapshot" of various sensors. These were sent to hdqtrs to be analyzed along with info from other vehicles. They told me they will let me know if they come up with anything. I have no idea IF they will come up with anything. meanwhile, I don't think it safe to drive on freeways or interstates. It has become the 2nd car, drive only if have to. My 10 year old Jeep with 129k is the better choice. Best choice may be to trade it, certainly wouldn't be another GM vehicle.

mrsilent13

vehicle is safe to drive....see vehicles have safety features....in this case...this system starts out at ABS...then moves up to Traction Control....and then the Electronic Stability Control...and in this case im pretty sure that the ESC or stabilitrak is integrated into the ABS module which is part of the Hydraulic Pump and motor assembly. If ESC is off you still have ABS and TC...vehicles back in the day didnt even have ABS....its probably a bad valve or sensor somewhere. hope this information is helpful. it sucks that your having this issue...hope you get it fixed soon

but like i said u cant have ESC without TC and you cant have TC without ABS

if you drive the vehicle hard everyday and drive thru canyons like i do...at high speed...i would definitely worry about getting this fixed...but even then i turn everything off when im driving thru the canyon...the only thing that is left on is ABS

but if your just driving this thing like a grocery go getter this vehicle is still safe

goetylsd

Heck, some vehicles today don't even have ABS. I have a 2007 Chevy HHR 1LT. I don't have ABS, Traction Control, or Electronic Stability Control. Anyone with an 06-08 LS/1LT wouldn't have any of these systems either. I don't feel unsafe driving my car. It's not like being without one of these systems makes your car dangerous. After all, they're meant to be safety systems that are there in case you get into a situation where you need them. It's not like you're using them on a daily basis (or at least I hope not). I'm sure they're probably nice to have, but they're not required for operation of your vehicle. Now, if I did have an HHR with ESC, and the light did come on, I would want it fixed too. I don't blame you for that. But you can continue to use your HHR; you don't need to drive your Jeep because your ESC light is on. It isn't really an urgent fix, you can worry about fixing it whenever you want.

orng 8

I don't know if the ABS is still on or not. You first turn off the TC before turning off the ESC. Biggest worry is if this does turn off the ESC, or is still able to activate. It's very scary to have the steering wheel start jerking to the side when driving down the road. The 2nd dealer had a 2008 with similar problems, but a code was stored. The service manager said the replace several items including a steering wheel position sensor. hard to say how many systemsare involved.

orng 8

Sorry, the other HHR was a 2010 that was repaired. I do want to use on highways, not just around town. Might just be a perception of being unsafe, but would like to be sure. The first dealers comment of "just drive it until it dies' was not very reassuring.