aeroned

Last night the ignition key in our 2010 HHR would turn to the off position. I pulled the fuel pump relay to stop the engine. Then I disconnected the battery to kill the electric. I could find the plunger in the steering column to manually release the key.

At the dealer today, the tumbler was replaced. The service manager said it was a common problem with the HHR and Colbalt. The repair took about 30 minutes and was covered under the warranty.

843de

Well I hate to say it aeroned, but there are two kinds of HHR owner. Those who've had their key get stuck, and those yet to get their key stuck.

So far just the '06 that we have has suffered from this irritating malady, but its always in the back of my mind with the other two.

But I figure it this way, if owning an HHR were easy....everybody would have one and life would be boring.

aeroned

I know the key can get stuck with a low voltage battery, happened to our Impala. I've also read about the shifter interlock problem, mostly with earlier HHRs. I just never heard about the tumbler problem before.

HipHotRod

There's an access dealio under the column like an access cover that you remove and press something to release the key, no?

843de

Yeah there is, check out page 2-24 in the manual for your 2008 HipHotRod.

TAK07

Problem is, I can't let my wife drive the car to work anymore. She gets off after dark, I can't have her stuck in a parking lot fumbling with a key. Please call Chevy at 800-222-1020 and record your issue. My car is out of warranty and the key sticks intermittantly and I don't want to pay $250 - $500 to get it repaired. I don't trust that if I do get it repaired it will stay that way. Chevy needs to revise the solution, not just change out the same parts.

db/sb

I really doubt that would do any good. GM isn't going to come up with a recall for that issue if they haven't yet. From what I understand, the key getting stuck because of the shifter is a problem that occured on 06-07s and has been corrected on the later models. We had that problem early on, had it fixed under warranty and have had no further issues for the last five years. The tumbler issue is different and seems to be on the later models. In either case, don't look for GM to issue a recall. We can't even get a straight answer from their resident 'rep' as to why they've not addressed the power steering motor issue.

RBodeman

Well I had a unique problem today. So I thought until I came here.

Got home today and could not turn off my HHR. I felt like an idiot because its something you do without thinking and I sat there for 5 minutes trying to figure out what the trick is. "Am I having a mind-lapse and Im just not doing the thing I usually do to get this out".

Ended up driving over to the dealership and leaving my RUNNING car with them.

It seems the people who have had the problem are earlier models with an automatic. I have a 2010 HHR SS with a 5spd.

What kind of repair should I be seeing the dealership do here other than just turning the car off and releasing the key for me?

collinjones

I just got my HHR on 2-17-2012. It is a 2010 LS automatic with 32000 miles on it.
I was reading this and it worries me. I wanted to install a remote start car alarm soon, but instead I might install a push button start which involves removing the cylinder lock altogether and installing a transponder bypass module instead. The car alarm installed will be about $700. A high end push-button kit is $500 without labor so they are about the same price. What are your thoughts?

843de

Well having the stuck key fixed runs right around $300 at a dealer, and once its fixed, its fixed for good. Whether I'd spend an extra $200 over that just to remove the possibility of it ever happening, not so sure, but that's just my opinion.