Problems with 2006 Chevrolet HHR SUSPENSION

Car started smelling gas inside when driving and have to open the window to get some fresh air. a clicking noise, too much noise from the front suspension when turning or driving..l took the car for oil change and the dealer tech did not want to drive the car stating that it's safety issues. they said the lower control arms has been wear out and that the "sway bar"is shorter wearing my tires. in just this year l have change the 4 tires twice. discount tires said they have not seen such a thing before the wearing occures in the inside part of the tires... the entire front suspension is collapsing. gm need to issues a recall for these issues.... the dealer gave me a repair quote of almost $3000 ...gm need to take responsibility of all these issues and offer a credit or repurchased the car back... l have children that l transporter back and forth to school and to hospital...and need a safer car...

While driving this vehicle, the power steering light flashes on dash board and i lose all the function of the power steering. it has now happened 4 separate times in two weeks, the last when i was turning a corner and nearly hit a car on the side of the road because i could not steer the vehicle. i have a safety recall letter from general motors stating that i had to pay out of pocket to fix and then they would determine if it fell under there recall. when the letter states to bring it to the dealership should the power steering light ever comes on the dash panel, which it has done know 4 times when the power steering failed. i could been killed if i had been going faster or killed some one. this is an issue with the gm faulty mechanics. first it was the ignition having to give my vehicle up for nearly 6 weeks to have it fixed. this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by general motors and paid for by general motors, not the consumer. what is it going to take, another death because of the mistakes. even after they notified me that is a safety issue via letter, but i first pay out of pocket and then determine if they will reimburse me for it. the first time i was in downtown la going to work and once again when i turned left while driving, the second on the 405 in rush hour traffic, just as i was accelerating and changing lanes, the light flashed on the dash board (power steering) and i lost all power steering capability. the third was the week of february 15, 2016. turning left again and the fourth time just yesterday again when i turned left.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle shook excessively. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the mechanic stated that the front passenger wheel hub assembly needed to be repaired. the vehicle was repaired however, six months after the repair was performed the failure recurred. the failure mileage was 118,000.

At a red light and was rear ended which cause me to it the rear end of the car in front of me. *tr

A "clunking" noise from the front suspension when turning into a driveway or dip in street at 3 or 4 miles per hour. this problem has been taken to the chevrolet dealership and to an independent auto repair shop where i was told the "lower control arms rear bushing was torn (rubber) and therefore allowing the arm to move to where it contacts the frame of the vehicle. this is dangerous, and could very well cause the steering to malfunction at a most inappropriate time resulting in a collapse of the front end suspension. i would like gm to correct this defect in engineering, and if they cannot to repurchase my vehicle so i can purchase a safe and more reliable vehicle. *tr

2006 chevrolet hhr. consumer writes in regards to ignition switch recall and power steering and other vehicle problems. *smd the consumer stated two days after getting the vehicle back from the dealer, the vehicle had to be flat-bedded back to the dealer, because it wouldn't start. it was determined the ignition switch needed to be replaced. also, the right passenger outside mirror fell off, the right passenger wiper arm broke, the rotors were replaced twice in two years, and the rear shocks were replaced.*jb

I was driving in the right lane going westbound approaching a stop light when i applied my brakes it did not slow down,i pressed the brake hard an car kept going into the rear of a truck that was stopping at the light. my car was not stopping. like it had no control. the airbags did not deploy. im concerned that the ignition turned off when i went over some pot holes in the road. my car is one of the vehicles on the recall list for the ignition switch, i had replaced ignition switch months ago due to same problem. what are my options to get this problem resolved? *tr

Fuel leak in front of drivers side rear wheel. this is completely unacceptable in an 8 year old vehicle. the fuel line corroded and leaked heavily, cost me $254.22 to replace this faulty gas line. i am obviously not the only person this has happened to. i have also had all the other typical problems such as the key will not release from ignition, bad rotors, loose front end bushings and excessive front end vibration over typical street cracks. broken drivers side interior door handle, cracked windshield...... *tr updated 10/22/2014 *js

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

This is an ongoing safety problem that chevy/gm doesn't care to worry about. my cars steering wheel shakes when i am driving. sometimes to the point of the car to be uncontrollable in addition to this the traction control light goes on along with the engine light. i have brought this in to the dealer every two months and have been told a combination of what the dealers mechanics feel the problem is. i have had steering columns replaced, cam shaft solenoids, bushings, rotors. the list goes on. nothing has fixed the issue. today bringing back to the dealer i am now told that i am lucky to be alive as both control arms in the front are seconds from breaking along with the links that keep the car stable.. the mechanic shared that had i hit a pothole i would have died as the car would have spun out of control and impossible to recover as i would have no way to control the steering wheel. now having two kids, and this being an ongoing problem one would think that chevy/gm would pay for the replacement of their faulty part. i cant afford a new car, and i can no longer afford to pay for gm's mistakes. my car is paid off and now i don't feel safe driving it. to "fix it" and i say this loosely it will cost 1,800 out of my pocket. *tr

I am a 35 year old mother of 3 and i recently had a dangerous close call while driving my 2006 chevy hhr. i was driving with my children on board and i suddenly lost power steering. i quickly managed to control my vehicle but it was a close call. i took my vehicle to my nearest chevy dealer for inspection. i was told what was the exact problem with the steering column and the estimated cost of repair would be $1600.00. i went home and quickly researched into the problem. i found out that i was not the only owner of a chevy hhr to have this similiar problem. i found out also that the chevy cobalt (which also has the same steering column) has a recall on it but not the chevy hhr. it is only logical that the chevy hhr should have a recall also because the steering column is identical. public safety should be the number one concern. *tr

I have owned this car from day one they have replaced my shock or strut on the front passenger side at least 4 times and it needs to be done again. can you tell me why? *tr

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. from listening to service representative at a former dealer, this is a common problem with hhr and cobalts. additional personal research has indicated this is a common and known issue with the manufacturer. this defect is unsafe and should be recalled and fixed by the manufacturer on their dime, not mine. in addition, the rotors knock and have had to be replaced. i had one replaced under warranty, they would not replace both front rotors. now the opposite is knocking and is no longer under warranty. this is also a very common problem with the cars and not something that should have to be replaced on any car with less than 50,000 miles. gm needs to own up to their mistakes and make the necessary recalls.

When i come to a stop, there is a rattling sound and makes the stop increasingly bumpy. it is coming from the driver's side quarter panel. sounds like a steering column issue just as a mechanic told me. *tr

i am scared, for my family's safety fear that this vehicle will stall and we will crash or be hit by some one...when a vehicle stalls you loose all power...that is power steering, brakes.....the ability to maintain control of your vehicle i am attaching a link that gm should review.....danger this vehicle is an accident waiting to happen !!!!!!!!!!!!! copy this link to your web browser http-//abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/abc11_investigates&id=6811236 if you would prefer i can send a typed transcript ...

2006 chevrolet hhr. consumer states several problems with vehicle *tgw the consumer stated his sons vehicle had a severe shimmy in the steering wheel and became progressively worse when the brake was applied. the pads and rotors were replaced twice and the third time the rotors were machined, but the problem continued. there was also a strange noise coming from the front suspension, but the dealer was unable to pinpoint the problem. at 42,000 miles the air condition made a loud screeching noise for 2 minutes, then stopped working. at 68,000 miles, a metal skid plate had fallen from underneath the vehicle. soon after, the exhaust was very loud. the vehicle was taken to the repair shop and the consumer was informed the catalytic converter had cracked. the vehicle lost power and a cylinder had to be replaced, the check engine light would come on and then go off, the temperature gauge did not work, so the air condition only worked if the check engine light was off. the door locks did not work, the radio worked intermittently, the sun visor would fall down at random times. there were times when the vehicle would not start. the consumer stated even with an alignment, new struts, shocks and good tires, the vehicle continually pulled to the right. *jb

2006 chevrolet hhr ls. consumer states that vehicle has worn struts which needed to replaced after only 33,000 miles and dealer has been unable and unwilling to assist with defect *tgw

I have a 2006 chevy hhr lt with just 30k. drove it off the lot with 3 miles and at 200 miles it had the rotors turned for the first of about 30 times. the steering wheel shudders when breaking or at speeds above 45 mph so much so that at times the car is hard to control. the answer to this very dangerous problem is..turn the rotors. "normal wear and tear" this is not acceptable to me anymore. my car has had issues with the shocks,the struts, the continued rotor problem, the steering wheel that shudders, and as of today, the power steering is going as well as the steering rack. the potential of me killing myself,my children, or the person next to me has become a reality. i have complained since practically driving it off the lot. gm just refuses to pay, or do anything about this. i have been in touch with the ceo of gm as well as the north america president mark reuss i have expressed my concerns with the safety of the hhr. and i have said that the answer is not to "just turn the rotors for the 35th time". there is something very wrong with this car, and it seems as though everyone that drives one has the same power steering,rotor,at the shudder of the steering wheel. i have plunked nearly 2k into a car that gm needs to be responsible for. an urgent recall needs to be issued or i see the potential of a toyota problem on the horizon for gm and their chevy hhr. i really believe it is going to take someone or maybe many to be injured or worse yet dead before gm will look into this further. the world headquarters told me yesterday that there are no other complaints like mine and i shouldn't believe what i read. they have closed my case and refuse to listen any longer. i know this is not my driving, i am not hard on the brakes, nor have i caused the rotors needing to be turned so many times on the lathe that they are like putting bicycle brakes on a freight train. car is a bit too heavy to stop when you have rotors that are dangerously thin. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. while driving approximately 65 mph the vehicle began to shake. the failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. the contact experienced the identical failure on forty separate occasions. the vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated that both front struts required replacement. the vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 55,000. the current mileage was 87,000.

I own a 2006 chevy hhr lt2, it has approx. 52k miles, and a rattle, vibration in the steering column has been occurring at speeds below 45mph. also, the driver side floor is continuing to flood with water, and the heater/ac blower has failed or shorted out. lastly, i have had the brake rotors worked on 4 times by chevy, and they are now once again in need of repair. i recently took my vehicle back to the dealer for the rattle in the steering and the water leak. i found numerous tsb articles for the issues, but the dealer and gm are claiming the tsbs do not exist. the repairs will total more than $1100. i was told the bushings, and tension rods are the problem with my steering, and they would need to be replaced. at 52k miles i find it hard to believe these items would fail.. my major concern is my safety related to the steering as well as any possible electrical issue stemming from the water leak.. i do not understand why gm has not issued a recall for the steering issue as well as for the brake rotors. if you go to any vehicle complaint web site for the hhr you will see 100's of postings related to bad brakes. there are also similar complaints pertaining to the steering. the dealership refused to honor or compromise with regards to performing the repairs for free or for a reduced fee. i contacted gm corporate and filed a complaint. i was told the gm district manager would contact me. i am still waiting. *tr

2006 chevy hhr lt 2.4 liter - rattle when going over bumps and vibration when braking. just past 36000 mile warranty. contacted chevy customer service-requested taking vehicle to dealer. dealer states problems with lower control arm, strut stabilizers, brake rotors. dealer waiting on authorization from chevy customer service. chevy customer service says contact them if dealer won't complete repairs under warranty. at present vehicle is still at dealer and no one has contacted me with any type of resolution. note - vehicle rides well and tires show no unusual or uneven wear. *tr

There appears to be a large amount of cobalt and hhr owners with complaints about suspension clunking noises. research shows there is an issue with the stabilizer bar parts and also the intermediate steering shaft. these problems occur at many intervals of mileage ranging from 10,000 miles and up. gm has since sued the manufacturer of the intermediate steering shaft for those replaced under warranty equaling $30mil. i am unlucky as my vehicle was out of warranty (3yr/36000 miles) and could not get any of my suspension and steering problems fixed by a known issue from gm. they have stated that the intermediate steering shaft is not a safety concern. now, if a part that is vital in connecting the steering column to the rack and pinion system is not a safety concern, then i believe gm executives are more concerned with cost of doing the right thing than safety of their customers. these are parts that keep a vehicle from flipping over during sharp turns at highway speeds and that keep the car traveling in the direction the operator determines using the steering wheel. after replacing the parts to correct my issues, the problem has re-occurred. the parts were not changed so even after "fixing" it, it would eventually return. *tr

My coolant gauge on the instrument panel would not work occasionally but would start working again within miles and before i could get it to the dealer. they looked at it the first time and said there was nothing they could do unless it stopped working completely, that they had no way of finding out why it would stop working and then just start working again. it happened the first time at about 15,00 miles and then again about every 5,000 miles further. it stopped working the other day again (everything else worked fine on the panel and no problems with the heat/air, radiator or any other coolant issue) but this time it made the "check engine" light come on also. i called the dealer and they said it was best not to drive it in case the engine would overheat so i had it towed to the shop. they finally diagnosed the problem as the thermostat sticking and charged me the full cost of repairs and towing since the mileage was now at 43,800. i had been having this problem for 30,000 miles but they could never figure out why. the last time it happened, my ac wouldn't work. they said that the ac compressor which costs $1300 to replace is broken but that the problem with the coolant gauge/thermostat had nothing to do with it. it just seems very coincidental that both go out at the same time. my car has had other problems that i've never heard anyone having with a brand new car that is less than 3 years old. i will never recommend anyone by this year/model car. it's dangerous due to the problems that everyone is experiencing and in constant need of repair. my next issue with my car is a noise that comes and goes in the front suspension. again, this problem comes and goes and they can never figure out the problem because it works great when the dealer has it. i would get rid of this car if i could afford to. *tr

To whom it may concern: on january 17, 2008 i had an accident that was due to a manufacturing defect on my 2006 hhr. i was on my way to drop off my children to daycare. as i was exiting the highway ramp, i hit a guard rail. this situation was very scary and frightful for my kids and me because of the impact. it could've been a lot worse if there was a driver behind me. i called the dealership, mccluskey chevy., and they came to pick up the car while i had to find another way home. later on i discovered the left side ball joint broke. this issue is a manufacturing problem. i have not had transportation for almost a month now. this situation has been so stressful. the minor damages have been repaired and i don't have extra money to get it repaired on top of making a monthly payment. the cost of the repairs is over $2,000. i don't agree that i should be the one to pay for the damages that were made from a part failing. i have argued this situation over and over with the shop workers who disagree. i haven't had the car for a year. i don't feel that this should be on the customer. thanks, *tr

we have had several problems with our hhr since we bought it in august of 2007. the first problem occurred just after purchasing it, when we were driving it out on a highway for a first time outing with it, when i noticed the front wheels seemed to be floating back and forth. i slowed down and immediately took it home. we contacted our local dealer, and had the car brought in to be checked out. we were told the front bushings were bad & needed replacing. the dealer replaced the bushings. (under warranty) in september of 2007, we had to replace our cars remote control, even though it was only 1 years old. our dealer replaced it but we had to pay $81.82 out of our pocket. october 2007, i brought our car into our dealer because it had a rough ride and groaning sounds. the dealer looked at it and said the sound was coming from the steering column. they replaced our steering column under warranty. december of 2007 my wife, mother & i went to a christmas light parade in our town; when we got home i turned off the ignition & when i attempted to remove the key, it would not come out. that monday i called our local dealer & they had us bring in the car on 12/3/07. they reported that there was no power to the inter lock2 and a fuse had brown. they found that a wire harness was pinched under the column cover & repaired the harness (under warranty) january 29,2008 i brought our 2006 hhr into our dealer again complaining about squeaking and popping noise with clunking in left front. they said they heard noise from stabilizer links pivot joint at link tires miss-matched. they replaced both stabilizers links under warranty. continued on next report *js

I bought a 2006 chevrolet hhr i have had several issues some that were fixed under the warranty some that happened right after the warranty expired and now the dealer i bought it from wont even talk to me about the issues cause its out of warranty most of my problems i've noticed and paid for to be fixed out of my pocket have service bulletins on but yet the dealer just keeps telling me im out of warranty and there's nothing they can do i understand being out of warranty but if there are other vehicles the same make an model having the same problems why cant mine be fixed by gm seeing as which im not the only one. my company just bought an hhr that has just a little over 6,000 miles on it and its having alot of the same problems mine is. i've been having these problems for some time now and am just getting aggravated putting so much money into repairs on a car that is not that old and only has 60,000 miles on it and then seeing that there are service bulletins on majority of the problems. im looking for some guidance on this issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the gear shifter could not be engaged into any gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the gear shifter. additionally, the contact stated that the front tires were wearing prematurely. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the front end was rebuilt. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. while driving 20 mph over a hole or dip in the road, the entire vehicle stalled and shut off. the weather was not a factor. the stalling occurred at least three times within one week. the vehicle cannot be restarted once it shut off. there were no warning indicators prior to the failure. the dealer does not know the cause of the failure or the remedy. the failure mileage was 53,000. the consumer stated the vehicle was having several issues with the cam sensor, wheels, a broken hub bearing, bent rotors and an issue with removing the key from the ignition, due to the shift cable not staying secured. the check engine light illuminated, the inside driver door handle would not open the door, the passenger side back would not stay secured. updated 06/25/08

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to exit a freeway at 55 mph the vehicle went out of control and veered off the road before it was stopped. the contact noticed the front passenger tire was lying on its side. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the front lower control arm needed to be replaced. updated 09/11/06. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph over railroad tracks, a noise emitted outside of the vehicle. the failure also recurred when encountering a bump or pothole. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on three separate occasions where the stabilizer link, sway bar and bushings, and front struts were replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 12,000. updated 8/19/14*cn updated 08/23/2017*ct

Bought 2006 hhr lt in november 2005, and have had nothing but problems with the front brake rotors and front suspension. had the car back to the dealer when i first noticed problems within 5 months...front brake shimmy/shake...rotors were cut 2 times under warranty, which fixed the problem initially. i thought it odd that rotors would need to be cut with approx. 2000 and 6000 miles on the car...was told it must be our 'driving habits'. i paid for high-end drilled/slotted rotors a year ago (approx. 36000 miles), had them installed by an independent mechanic, who said the rear brakes were so far out of adjustment, he wondered how we stopped the car. problem was ok for about a year, but has since returned...this seems to be a serious design flaw that needs to be addressed. the other problem is with the front suspension, which the dealer never could find anything wrong with since 'day one'. clunking/chuckling noises...they finally found a bad right lower ball joint, which was replaced at no charge...noises continue to this day...48,000 miles. one more strange happening...a/c just quit...temp gauge quit...dealer finally found a defective thermostat gasket...replaced gasket and t-stat...all has been fine since. i am seriously considering unloading this car, as much as i would hate to. the problems never quit, or, for that matter, seem to be able to be fixed. *tr

Within the first 2,000 miles of delivery this car developed a shimmy in the front end of the car. this occurred when decelerating and coasting and when one applied the brake as well. there was also a hesitation in the car at the same time and this may have been related, but that problem eventually disappeared. i did have the tires rebalanced but this did not change the vibration problem and i took the car back to the dealer many times to try to determine the cause of this problem. every time the service area concentrated on brakes. they re-ground the rotors, replaced brake pads, calipers and sometimes this did improve the situation for perhaps 30 days but within a short period of time the same problem would redevelop. they complained that the tires should be rebalanced again...i did that at the dealership so the service people could not off-load the responsibility of the work. no help. at the most recent service replaced the brakes again, not out of concern for the repetitive problem, but just charged me the normal servicing as a wear item. when i got the car back, again, the shimmy problem was gone...almost. there is still evidence of a minor shimmy in the front end and this is how it always develops. i went back to the dealer and noted that we were taking the car on vacation but that i wanted to document the problem again in the event we had to have service in a remote location. the dealer again serviced the brakes and i left on vacation to san diego. the problem again appeared and we decided to not drive this car back cross-country and it remains in san diego and no use to me whatever. my spouse will not enter the car because she fears the front-end will collapse. i agree with her. *tr

**vehicle has a vibration at speeds over 35 mph, has been into four different chevy dealers numerous times they can not find the problem(they have rotated tires many times,balanced tires many times,changed tires and replaced all four tires)..problem still not solved. ** brakes pulsate sometimes and smell like they are burning (they have cleaned and adjusted brakes at least 6 times,plus they have cut rotors twice (they said they are warped, they also cut the rear drums)..problem still not solved. ** vehicle has a klunking noise when you hit a bump (they have replaced steering column, the next time they replaced stablizer pins)..problem still not solved. ** other problems that most have been solved include :* : *: *: *clothes hanger replaced twice**rear wiper replaced never worked properly**leak in the fire wall puddles in car**weather stripping was defective puddles" inside" doors causing severe wet seatbelts**key stuck in ignition replaced ignition**transmision jumping, gear shift replaced**locks not working had to update computer codes** *tr