Problems with 2006 Chevrolet HHR STEERING

The electronic power steering motor failed and continues to fail after starting the vehicle and driving for about 100 meters. *tr

The car sudden loss of power steering assist is lost, the vehicle can still be steered, however, with greater effort (manual steering). the slower the vehicle is moving, the higher the steering effort. unless a driver compensates for this additional steering effort, loss of power steering assist may increase the risk of a crash. the power steering assist is lost, a chime will be heard and the message centre will display a power steering warning message. typically the next time the vehicle is started, the power steering assist will return and the message would no longer be displayed. *tr

After abiding by the recall to change the ignition switch, the car starts freaking out randomly. the dash lights start going on and off. loose power steering, power brakes and the car just stops. you can be going 70 miles an hour down the highway and the car just gives out. the dealership refuses to fix it unless i am willing to pay all the fees. i had a second dealership replace some fuses but after 2 days it started doing it again. after the first episodes, i called and opened a ticket with chevrolet, but because the dealership i used didn't want to mess with the car any more they were not very helpful. now i am driving a death trap because i can't afford a new car and i won't let my children drive or be in the car.

The power steering chimes and then the dashboard displays power steering. the wheel is becoming harder to turn especially in curves and making turns. on the highway the whole steering wheel almost gets so tight you can't get into another lane. on the street i can start the car and it will reset if i let it sit but then it will just chime again and go right back out. this is so frustrating because i contacted gm customer service on several occasions and the hold time is crazy 3-4 hrs listening to music and then being told that there is no recall on my car at this time but there is a lifetime warranty which the local dealership won't honor or even look at the car until they see it on chevy website even though several reps have sent email notices to the gm local head mgr. they said we will look at this as a case by case. this is very very unsafe. it's not like gm is not aware of this issue, then being told that the parts are not available and the recall notices have not been sent out yet, and then being told after they fixed the ignition switch problem in my car and this was taking place at the same time that they could not look or do anything about this. gm is aware of this! i'm scared that i am going to be driving and lose complete control do i have to die before gm will take responsibility for this. not like they are not aware of this issue because they are and it should be fixed! getting the run around is so frustrating when they had my car fixing the ignition switch that was on recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated as the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the motor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 104,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the power steering warning lamp illuminated as the steering wheel seized. the contact had to merge to the side of the road to turn off and restart the vehicle in order for it to resume normal function. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the technician diagnosed that the electronic power steering module was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 84,112.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph , the power steering warning lamp illuminated and the steering wheel became very stiff. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 65,000. *tr

The power steering goes out while driving, multiple..i had to turn it off then back on...one time i was driving in the middle of a turn the power steering went out and the vehicle hit a curb. i paid out off pocket to get the steering fixed. *tr

Was driving vehicle (chevy hhr) at highway speed when a warning wassage displayed asyin power steering, a bell started dinging and stering the vehicle became difficult. i was in a curve on a hill. i wasw able to safely get off the highway and turned the car off, checked fuses, found no problem. restarted the car and it started working again. had now done this about 15 times after the car warms up or travelded about 20 miles. has happened to my wife a few times and causes her didiculty in stering the car with her recovery from shoulder surgery. in researching on line and i see this car has been recalled in canada, and the same parts are used in the chevy covalt and has recalls for the problem in the us. why not the chevy hhr been recalled? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while reversing from a residential driveway, the power steering assist failed as the power steering warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnosis or repairs. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the failure mileage was 56,000. *tr

Steering fails when driving. the car is not steerable. very dangerous to drive. chevy cobalt has a recall for this problem. hhr is the same platform,same steering components,same manufacture of steering components. gm is suing the manufacture of the power steering units but doesn't recognize a very serious safety issue with the chevy hhr. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Vehicle will stall and we will crash or be hit by some one. when the vehicle stalls you loose all power that is power steering,brakes,the ability to maintain control of my vehicle .it began with my key getting stuck in the ignition,would have to try to place in park multiple times to release the key. found the panel in the steering column and the release button to remove key. now the gear shift button is stuck in the pressed position, making the car vulnerable to coming out of gear. this is extremely unsafe and costly to fix. additional personal research has indicated this is a common & known issue with the manufacturer. *tr

Power steering went out. goes out every time i drive it. *tr

I was traveling down the highway when the dash panel warning lights all started flashing on and off. when it did this the power steering went out and when i tried to stop the engine revved up and the power brakes didn't feel right. it felt like the vehicle had the old style manual brakes. it has done this several times and when i researched it online i noticed there were several other hhr owners experiencing the same problem. the problem originally started with the traction control light to come on randomly and i would have to disconnect the battery to reset the computer. *tr

The vehicle lost power steering control. a chime sounded and a message appeared on the instrument panel. the power steering cuts out regularly since, every time the vehicle is driven. i have contacted gm numerous times, they insist that my vehicle is not included in the recent power steering recalls even though it uses the same exact power steering motor as the vehicles that are included (my local chevrolet dealer has verified this and has contacted gm on my behalf too). i am frustrated and angry that gm is still neglecting to address this safety issue. *tr

My 2006 hhr has had to have the front and rear end struts replaced and now, the power steering motor and drive shaft. the vehicle only has 80k miles on it. i don't drive it that much so it shouldn't be having all of these issues. why hasn't gm issued a recall on this vehicle for all the problems it has? i've read countless similar stories on the internet. this vehicle needs to be recalled to address these issues. *tr

I was on the interstate traveling at approx 60 mph when i heard a ding-ding sound and i looked at my display panel below the speedometer and it said power steering and i realized that i had lost my power steering on my hhr...drove home thinking it was low on power steering fluid, i unloaded groceries and went up to my local advance auto..only to find the car had reset its power steering and all seemed fine. purchased the ps fluid only to find it did not use ps fluid it is all electrical. it continued on and off intermittently until yesterday (april 7) when the ps alert came on and now stays on...i have no power steering which has caused me to just about hit parked cars...turning a curve on my way to work this morning i just about lost control of the vehicle!! this is a very dangerous situation. chevrolet seemingly knows about this issue on the hhrs...a recall on the vehicles are needed immediately to correct this as the potential for a deadly crash is very high. i do not feel safe in my vehicle any more..why were the same parts recalled on other chevy models and not the hhr?? i simply do not have the necessary funds available to me to fix this issue..the responsibility i think lies with the manufacturer as it is their part that is failing on these vehicles.. *tr

I was driving on expressway in slow lane, power steering light came on the dash and i instantly lost power steering. i stopped at next exit, turned off car called husband he said to take it home. i started car, it was fine, no warning on dash, drove fine. i drove a few hundred feet, lost power steering. this went on six times, with me stopping turning off car and restarting before i could get home. i'm a small women and that little car turned into a tank without power steering. i called my dealer he said no recall and it would cost $109.00 to diagnose and $120.00- $653.00 just for parts not labor. i checked on line and there have been thousands of complaints about the same problem. the chevy cobalt and pontiac g5 have been recalled and they have the identical electric power steering assist motor. why haven,t you recalled the hhr? for the first time ever as driver have i felt unsafe in my vehicle. please address this issue before this turns into unnecessary, preventable tragedies. i pray it is not me!!!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated as the power steering assist failed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and they stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the failure mileage was 115,623.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated and the power steering malfunctioned. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 105,000. *tr

I was driving to pick my kids up from school when my power steering light came on, so i pulled into a gas station and purchased some power steering fluid but this car doesn't take power steering fluid because its electric power steering. when i turned the car back on the power steering was ok. i was driving back out to the school this morning and my car did the same thing and once i turned it off and back on it has been fine. i called my local dealership and they so no recall as been issued but i have seen a lot of complaints online about this problem. thank you *tr

While driving to work in the snow the steering wheel jerked out of my hands. this same problem has been recalled for other chevy models but not the hhr. does someone need to die in an accident first. i got a recall letter for the storage bin in the dash not staying closed and that is a minor inconvenience, for my wife who has always had power steering in a vehicle to have it suddenly go out scares you when you are at highway speeds. if you turn off the car and restart it within a minute or two its out again. consumers pay for safety and it doesn't seem like all of the this regulations are helping when it really matters. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated while driving approximately 20 mph the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the power steering warning light illuminated. the failure occurred intermittently. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 64,000. *tr

Power steering goes out intermittently while driving. have to pull over turn off car and restart. power steering motor replaced 3/13/13 by chevrolet dealer. as of september 2014 the power steering motor has not been included in the safety recall for 2006 hhr. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact was driving 20 mph when the power steering warning light "power steering displayed on information center, chimes audible as if door is ajar, illuminated as the power steering assist failed and the steering wheel became abnormally resistant. additionally, the contact mentioned that the keys would fail to eject from the ignition intermittently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer but the failure was unable to be replicated. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 83,594 and the current mileage was 91,000. updated 5/13/14*cn..!....updated 07/31/14 *bf the consumer stated the incident occurred again, while driving 45 mph. the vehicle shuddered and vibrated and he lost power steering. the consumer pulled over, shut the vehicle off, and re-started it again, and everything went back to normal, as if nothing happened. the dealer informed the consumer, a power steering was ordered and they would install under warranty. updated 08/05/14 *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the steering became difficult to turn and the power steering light illuminated. the manufacturer was notified. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 96,278. ..updated 05/01/13 *bf

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the power steering failure made it extremely rough to turn the steering wheel intermittently. the contact had to apply force to the steering wheel in order to make a complete right or left turn. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 10v073000 (steering). the vehicle was to be inspected, diagnosed and repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. ....updated 07/23/14 *bf

Power steering assist motor failed. reset after shutoff and restart of car. problem intermittent, occurring sometimes not at all, other times repeatedly (ie 5 times in a three mile drive). problem always occurred while moving during a variety of speeds (25-75mph) and while decelerating and accelerating. the only circumstance in which it did not occur was standing still or turning. dealer said short circuit in power steering assist motor was the problem and repaired it quickly. there are not a lot of miles on my vehicle, for a part like this to break and not be related to a defect seems less than realistic. i've read about the same part on chevy cobalts (the hhr platform) being recalled and many complaints by hhr owners regarding the same issue. note: when i told the service dept i was using my mechanical breakdown insurance (via geico), they asked what my deductible was ($250); interestingly, when i called to ask about replacing stated part, was told repair was "about $400" but actual repair billing ended up being $218. *tr

I experienced the same problems mentioned with my hhr, the power steering sound would ring and immediately the power steering went out. this happened over a period of 4-5 months along with numerous other problems such as the front end making a popping sound from the day i got it. knowing there was no use in contacting chevrolet, i traded it in last summer, holding my breath that the dealer wouldn't check it out too closely. i had to take about $2,000 less than the book but was thrilled with what i got for it anyway ($5,000). i'm happy "not" to own this car anymore, but feel there is a serious issue with the power steering aside from the ignition problem that's all over the news. someone/thing needs to address this before other drivers are harmed. like we all know the hhr is merely a cobalt with a different body. the hhr has been kicked aside somewhat in relation to the cobalt problems. all owners of hhr's, beware. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated while driving various speeds, there was a loss of power steering and the steering warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the engine was turned off. upon restarting, the vehicle was able to operate normally. the malfunction recurred whenever the vehicle was in motion. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

Power steering cut out, and manual or difficult steering was required. based on several online forums, this is a known problem, and recalls have been issued for the chevy cobalt which has the same power steering as the hhr. recalls have been issued in canada for the hhr as well. please issue a recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the power steering assist failed with the illumination of the power steering warning light. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed, which located the failure at the electronic steering pump. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 65,750 and the current mileage was 65,795. ...updated 04/25/13 *bf updated 06/03/2013 *js

Driving at any speed and the power steering light comes on and there is no power steering, hard to steer. happens numerous times. turn car off and then back on and it's fine again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the power steering warning lamp illuminated and the power steering malfunctioned. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was included on any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 38,400 and the current mileage was 38,500.

The power steering light comes on frequently. i have no power steering and have to do it manually which makes is very difficult to steer. this has been happening more and more. sometimes i can only back out of the driveway when this happens. as there are numerous complaints on this issue, i am wondering way chevy doesn't do a recall. *tr

The same as with the cobalt that had been recalled for repair service. only with the hhr, there has been no recall for the same exact problem!! i had to take my car to dealership garage and pay for scan diagnostics and also for power steering motor...due to this exact same problem that was recalled for the cobalt! i feel that gm needs to level the playing field and have the same recall for all their makes that have this issue. could be result of fatalities due to sudden loss of power steering which could depend on location this decides to happen. not happy with being treated differently just because i don't have a cobalt instead i drive a hhr with the same part and problem that they will cover for cobalt owners!!! *tr

As i began to pull out from the parking lot after work one evening, i began to hear a chime like tone, at the same time a message appeared on the dashboard that read "power steering..." i turned off the engine, checked under the hood for a possible broken power steering belt, but could not find the power steering pump .re started the engine and the power steering worked fine for about a week. i later discovered the power system assist consist of an electric power steering motor and not a hydraulic. as time passed, the problem became more frequent. now, once the car begins to move, it takes only a couple of minutes, if not seconds, before i hear the chime, the message shows up, and here i go again, struggling to steer with one hand and shifting with the other, at times through very heavy traffic. my car is a standard shift. it has become very difficult to cross lanes wile steering with one hand at the same time you are attempting to shift gears during heavy and slow traffic. i am beginning to suffer shoulder and neck pain which compounds the problem. i called gm on this issue but the gm rep. said my vehicle was not included on the power steering recall, only recalled for ignition switch problem. i believe that if the ignition switch and power steering are recalls for other models, my 2006 hhr should also be recalled for ignition switch and the power steering issues. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while parked, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 11,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that when he started the vehicle, the power steering warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the steering column would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 98,600.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the power steering failed and caused the steering to become very difficult. the dealer was called and advised the contact that there were no problems with the steering in the hhr model vehicle. the failure recurred numerous times. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 57,000.

determine if a safety-related defect trend exists...have you seen how many people are complaining about there power steering cutting out? why is nothing being done? i've been dealing with mine going out randomly for at least a year. it may cut out 6 - 10 times a day, it may go a week or a month before it does it again. it may not do it for me, but will do it for my son...heat, rain, cold, snow it's just so random and dangerous. and yes the electric power steering will reset if you turn the key off and back on. this is just crazy that this failure is happening to so many hhr drivers. i cant believe that the problem hasn't been determined and that the dealership doesn't already know what to replace and has to charge you to do diagnostics to figure it out. there have been other car recalls (cobalt) for power steering why not the hhr now? *tr

Received letter from chevrolet dated 1-2015 stating that "some 2006 hhr's" may have a defect which causes power steering (ps) to fail at any time. called local dealer to have it repaired but my car (vin) is not on the recall list. the exact sequence of ps failure described in letter has occurred with my car multiple times but they, chevrolet dealer, does not guarantee that this will be fixed without my paying the bill as it (vin) is not on their list. my car should be entered into the recall list as this is a manufacturers mechanical defect and needs to be recalled and repaired at gm's cost. this is the 3rd letter (recall) on this car; ignition cylinder, transmission lock and now power steering! *tr

As i was driving down the interstate at about 65 mph the power steering went out and i got a notification on my dash panel. i had to turn the vehicle off to reset it, and now its been going out at least once a day everyday since then. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated as the steering wheel became extremely difficult. the vehicle was later towed to the contact's residence and was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was contacted and advised him to take the vehicle to the dealer. the failure and current mileages were approximately 44,000. the vin was unavailable.

While driving, the "power steering" warning light came on across the dashboard impeding steering maneuvers. after a complete stop and disengaging the engine, the warning light a power steering seems to resume normal performance. however, the warning light and impeded steering returns within 20-25 miles of travel. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. while driving approximately 20 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and shut the engine off. after restarting the vehicle it regained power steering capabilities. the failure recurred intermittently. additionally, the contact stated that when driving over any uneven road surface, there was a loud pop heard from the front end of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the power steering pump and sway bar would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 73,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph up a mountain, the power steering assist failed without warning. the contact shut off and restarted the vehicle, as the power steering assist performed normally. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 72,000. the vin was unavailable.

The power steering warning comes on and the power steering motor quits. it has happened several times, the last time i stopped at a red light and shut the motor off and restarted it and the problem went away. the car is very hard to steer without the power steering motor. *tr

Power steering stopped working while making a left hand turn. *tr

Electric power steering will turn off while driving. after a few minutes it will turn on. on warmer days it stays of and on cold days it will cycle on and off. chevy recalled two other models with the same frame style. cobalt and pontiac g6. my hhr is not on the list. ignition will not turn to run position on cold days. have to wiggle and play with key for minutes to turn. *tr