Problems with 2009 Chevrolet HHR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Chevrolet hhr 2009, doors mechanism. door latches stop working and can open at a turn or while driving. or latch can lock you in unable to get out of vehicle in an accident and or emergency. i was driving home and back door flew wide open i had not opened it at all but when doors lock and open they all do so the back latch opened never closing unaware of this the door flew open almost causing an accident at an intersection.

For the last month my electrical system has been going haywire, all of a sudden all my gauges start fluctuating and all service indicator lights will come on and after the car is off for a while all warning lights will go off. this morning on my way to work my security lock and esc warning lights came on and when i stop and start to go again the car feels like it is getting hit from behind. my two rear windows no longer work, front passenger door will not unlock automatically and driver door handle is broken. i have seen a lot of electrical issues on this site, yet there have been no recalls. what is going on??

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. while driving at an unspecified rate of speed, the curtain air bags deployed with force on the driver's and front passenger sides. the driver's hearing was impacted for days after the air bag deployment. a head injury was sustained and the air bags had to be maneuvered for the driver to exit the vehicle. medical treatment was not received. the vehicle was not diagnosed; however, ourisman chevrolet of bowie (16610 governor bridge rd, bowie, md 20716, (301) 262-7600) was contacted. the vehicle was parked at the contact's residence. the manufacturer was to investigate the failure to determine what caused the air bags to deploy. a police report was not filed. the contact and the driver were waiting for a response from the manufacturer pertaining to the failure and to address nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system) and 14v171000 (electrical system). the failure mileage was not available. parts distribution disconnect.

One night after work i got into my car and had no headlights after having bulb changed three times!!! this car has cost me more money then any car i have ever owned and there's not even 100000 miles on it the whole car should be recalled

The var jerks when it reaches gear changes and makes it harder to steer and the check engin light stays on. shows error code u0101

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the key fob would inadvertently function when she attempted to open the vehicle doors. also, the hydraulic for the hatchback would cause it to independently open. the contact had to use a stick to keep the hatchback from closing. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 46,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled and the esc warning indicator illuminated. the contact mentioned that the security lock warning indicator also illuminated. the contact had to make multiple attempts of turning the ignition key back and forth before the vehicle restarted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the vehicle experienced a complete loss of power. after attempting to manually restart the vehicle, the contact stated that the key could not be turned to start the vehicle. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system); however, the recall could not be performed because the technician could not remove the ignition cylinder. the contact was informed that, in order to remedy the failure, they would have to fracture and detach the housing at the contact's expense. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the failure mileage was 138,000. parts distribution disconnect. the vin was not provided.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. while driving 45 mph, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light became illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not repaired. the failure mileage was 119,000.

The esc has gone out and the turn signals work, but now i have to turn them off manually. the ignition has been replaced twice. once when it was new because the ignition would not turn off. the second time was a recall. the digital display which includes the radio, and information system turns on and off intermittently.

Car would not crank, replaced battery,had alternator and starter tested all good. had to have vehicle towed to vehicle repair shop. now the part that is needed is not available new so now my mechanic has went through three parts that have not worked. it has to do with the fuse box. why hasn't this vehicle not been recalled if chevrolet no longer makes this part? i see a lot of hhrs on the road and sooner or later these cars will have the same problem. this same vehicle had stalled on me before and the chevrolet dealership could not find the problem .i still owe for a vehicle that cannot be fixed. somebody please help get this car recalled.

Tl* the contact owned a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the front driver side electronic control panel failed to work and the front and rear windows failed to go up and down when used electronically. the contact indicated that the failure was worse during rainy weather. as the failure progressed, the vent controls failed to work for heating and air conditioning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was not able to remedy the failure. the parts were not available to schedule the recall repair for nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system), 14v153000 (steering), and 14v171000 (electrical system). while entering the road from a parking complex, the air conditioning control was turned on and smoke emitted into the interior of the vehicle near the dashboard. extensive smoke was coming through the vents. the contact was able to coast the vehicle over to the side of the road. the vehicle erupted into flames and the front windshield melted downward. the fire department extinguished the flames. the vehicle was destroyed due to the failure and towed to a yard. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. the approximate failure mileage was 196,000.

While driving the car there are power/electrical surges. i have document this several times. the left rear tail lights repeatedly burns out, it doesn't just blow, it cracks and melts. to the point it literally melts the holder of the bulb. the surges are more frequent. i have to change burnt/ literally exploded bulbs ever 3-4 days. and i have called the chevy dealer and they have told me this is electrical. the power surges can happen anytime with out notice. i called the dealership and i was informed that there was a recall on electrical system for a chevy hhr but that my vin number was not listed in this batch of recalls for electrical system malfunctions. i also called the chevy headquarters and they informed me its my issue, there is no recall for my car for this and its not covered under warrenty. so i asked im just to keep driving a car that has electrical surges, what if it surges to the gas tank or something. she said its not covered. so, i want it formally documented that a report was issued; since it is happening all the time. i have gotten pulled over twice in 2 months for this light. and there is nothing i can do about it. . these surges have been happening over the past year, i was told that may be the reason that my passenger seat belt locked up ( causing me to have to cut my daughter out of it) and the reason the windows will sometime stop operating. but will eventually start back.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that all the lighting on the instrument panel dimmed. the vehicle was taken dealer where it was unable to determine the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 113,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. on several occasions, the vehicle would not start and a burning odor was present inside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failures. no further information was available. the manufacturer was notified. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 26,000.

I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden the service airbag warning light came on as well as the warning chime. i purchased the car used in august 2013, and soon after getting it the very same warning came on. i went back to the dealer and they had it sent to a local gm dealer to be fixed. i purchased the car from a dodge and subaru dealer and they were not able to do the repair. i was shown the repair paperwork stating that a faulty airbag sensor was replaced. well just last week the very same thing happened again. the service airbag light comes on then goes off sometimes after only a few seconds. then another warning light went on stating faulty air pressure sensor. the check engine light is on as well so i'm wondering if there is some type of electrical gremlin in the car. this is extremely frustrating because i like the car but all of these stupid little issues make me want to trade it in, and never buy anything made by gm ever again. *tr

Letter from senator feinstein on behalf of constituent re complaint about general motors. *smd the consumer stated his 2009 chevrolet hhr was not repaired adequately and was not repaired in a timely manner.

Went to back hhr out of my garage and the brake pedal was rock hard with no give. power steering has no power and the exc light is on. not safe to drive at all. i have had numerous problems with this car. the ignition, air bags, brakes, door lock actuators...the list goes on. this one takes the cake due to safety concerns. *tr

Today i made the mistake of leaving a dome light on while in church for a few hrs. came out it started up with no problem. got on the ferry parked and turned the car off. when i attempted to start up to get off the car was dead. now this is the terror of that , the door locks didn't work, the horn was dead, the window locks didn't work and the steering was locked. i got the attention of a person passing and they opened the door from the outside. my daughter is totally disabled and she was asleep and the passenger seat. what if this had been some life or death matter and we needed to get out. is this normal or is it something i didn't know to do. there have been so many recalls on this car, it should have been a total recall. i am so afraid for our lives and i don't know what to do. terrified to get in it with her and go any where. is there anything i can do to stay alive until it's paid off? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the dealer was contacted in reference to nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v047000 (electrical system), 14v171000 (electrical system), and 14v153000 (steering). the contact indicated that the warning lamp illuminated for the air bag and remained lit. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and was unable to provide a reasonable date to perform the recall repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 84,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that after the vehicle being serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 14e021000 (electrical system), the engine failed to start after several attempts and that the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the ignition failed to start the vehicle and the steering column failed to lock when the engine was turned off. the failures occurred multiple times. the contact stated that the failures began after the vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign number: 14e021000 (electrical system). the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

2009 hhr. we have had so much trouble with is car, i don't have the space to tell you all the complaints. this is the latest happening; wife calls me from town, cant get out of the car, door wont open. finally had to crawl over the console and exit on the passenger side. quiet a feat for a 260 lb 72 year old lady. now i read on the internet this is a ongoing problem for hhr going all the way back to 2007. one person said the dealer charged $450.00, because the whole door panel had to be replaced. gm is certainly aware of the defective door locks and latches on the hhr. when some gets burned alive because they cant get out of the car gm cannot say the were not aware of the failures of the door latches because there are hundreds of complaints about the doors failing to open. this is just the latest problem we have with this car.,but right now this is the most important thing for me to register this complaint in case my wife is trapped in this car again and sustains injury. *tr

Service air bag- this message comes up a lot when car is started. it is coming up more often now though. this vehicle has not been in an accident. i have seen on line that other gm vehicles are being recalled for this problem. talked to my chevy dealer about this and he said that there is no recall and it is our issue. our hhr has been recalled for ignition switch and a power steering issue so far. i feel that the service air bag light is just another gm problem. with this warning light on, i do not know if our air bags will deploy. are our lives in jeopardy? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14e021000 (electrical system). the contact stated that he had contacted the dealer and the manufacturer numerous times and were uncertain of when the parts would be available for the recall repairs. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. the contact had not experienced a failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue.

turned the key and started my car and then i couldn't turn it off. i could take the key out but the vehicle would not shut off as the ignition switch appears to be stuck in the on position. took it to gm dealer in salinas to ask about it but said could not assist me till wednesday, granted it was saturday so okay, but could not help me shut off the vehicle. said it most likely would not be associated with the recall though it seems related. *tr

I have been trying t o get my sons ignition switch recalled fixed on his hhr since june 4, 2014. the dealership and chevrolet customer assistance center both keep telling me the part will be coming. i was told six weeks. it has been longer than six weeks and they have no idea when i will get the part! *tr

Tl * the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v047000 (air bag, electrical system) and 14v171000 (electrical system). the dealer stated that the parts for the repair were unavailable and would not arrive for several months. the manufacturer was not notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

After pulling the vehicle into a parking space, i attempted to switch the ignition to the off position. the switch would not move from the run position to the off position. however; it would move from the run position to the start position. this failure to rotate to the off position left the engine running. key could not be removed from the ignition. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact received a notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system). the contact stated that parts were not available for the recall and that he was concerned for his safety. the contact had not experienced a failure.

I have a 2009 chevy hhr was has 2 recalls on it. i called to make an appointment to get the recalls repaired on my car as soon as i received the first which was 06/09/2014. i was told the parts would have to be ordered and i would get a call when they came in. on tues 08/26/2014 i received a car in the mail that the parts were in and that i should call to make an appointment. i called [xxx] that same day, and got an appointment that thurs. 08/28/2014. we dropped the car off that weds. night. i was never told how long the service would take . so i called on 08/28/2014 in the afternoon and was told it would not be ready until friday. trying to get through to talk with a person at [xxx] takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to talk with someone. i was never asked if i needed a loner car or anything. friday 08/29/2014 we pick the car up around 7pm because that's when it was finished. on saturday 08/30/2014 we had to have the car towed back to [xxx] because the key was stuck in the brand new ignition and the car would not start. i did not receive a phone call once the car got there, and of course it was a holiday weekend so they were not going to be open that following monday 09/01/2014. i drove by [xxx] on sunday just to make sure it was there, and it was with the keys still stuck in the ignition. i called on tuesday 09/02/2014 to find out what the status was, i was told they were working on it. i happendto be in the neighborhood so i stopped by to check, it was still in the same spot never even looked at, i was told by mike the manager( who was very rude) that other people had appointment for today and that i would have to wait, i told him i should be a priority because my appointment was last week and the car should have been fixed right that time. he had the nerve to ask me did it work when you left here., im just getting my car back today 09/03/2014. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the key was became stuck in the ignition and the vehicle failed to power off. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 104,000, and the current mileage was 105,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the key would become stuck in the ignition and the vehicle could not be shut off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition module and the ignition switch needed to be replaced .the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id numbers: 14v171000 (electrical system) or 14v047000 (electrical system). the vin was not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 54000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number 14v047000 (air bags , electrical system) and stated that the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified of the delay. the contact had not experienced a failure. rk

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system); however, the part needed for the repair was unavailable. the dealer did not know when the part would arrive. the manufacturer was not notified. the contact had not experienced a failure. updated 9/12/14*cn the issue was resolved. updated 09/23/14

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled several times intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the technician replaced the ignition switch. however, the failure recurred intermittently. in addition, the contact indicated that the air bag sensor illuminated. the contact was not included in recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system). the air bag failure was not diagnosed and the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was not available. updated 12/09/14*lj updated 5/11/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14e021000 (electrical system); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the vin was unavailable. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Taken the car to dealer multiple times, for power steering failure as well as the car stalling.. was told there was nothing that could be done about the car... was side swiped on road on 03/14/2014... car barely tapped us and we lost control of the car due to power steering issue... ran into the guardrail.. car was totaled while the other car (a 2005 toyota prius) drove home... driver had head injuries while passenger had contusions to his right hand from airbags. this car is a death trap waiting to happen.. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the parts were not available for nhtsa campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system). the contact stated that he was concerned for his safety since the parts were not available in order to do the repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the delay. the vehicle had not experience the failure.

I was driving the vehicle- 2009 chevrolet hhr and i attempted to park in an auto dealer parking lot when i was unable to turn the vehicle off! i could not turn the key and i could not get the key out of the ignition switch so the vehicle just continued running. i drove home and removed the main fuse which resulted in the vehicle shutting down.i had to have the vehicle towed to a chevrolet dealer where the switch and key were replaced at an expense of almost three hundred dollars. prior to that problem and even now since the repairs were made i have to manipulate the key to start the vehicle. i certainly hope gm will honor this situation as i had previous nightmarish experience with them when i owned a 1999 malibu (remember the dexcool crisis) and after spending a considerable amount of money(over $2,000) in engine/intake/water pump.thermostat repairs the class action resulted in my getting a check for $21.00(that's twenty one). if this situation is resolved i would simply look forward to being reimbursed for the $291.00 i just spent and having the ignition system checked thoroughly for defects and/or potential danger. it is so shameful that these auto makers and dealers are so[xxx] dishonest. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact attempted to have the vehicle repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system); however, the parts for the repair were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to perform the repair. the vehicle had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v153000 (steering, electrical system); however, the parts needed for the repair were unavailable. the manufacturer was notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v047000 ( air bags , electrical system ) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. the vin was not available.

My 2009 hhr has what is referred to as the may 15, 2014 gm tail light malfunction. the malfunction is caused from faulty wiring and causes the brake lights illuminate without touching the brake pedal and they remain on while driving. this malfunction also disables safety features like electronic stability control ' which tries to correct for skids ' and panic braking assist, which is designed to make sure the vehicle's full braking power is being used in an emergency. it also disables the cruise control and the traction control. in 2014 g.m. said it knew of hundreds of complaints and 13 accidents associated with the problem. i have had several near accidents and several issues of road rage from other drivers since my hhr began the malfunctioning in february 2014 which is when i first contacted gm to get it fixed. since then i have filed complaints with the nhtsa, the federal trade commission, the state of wisconsin consumer protection agency and gm but have not yet had anyone step up and fix the problem. since the malfunction causes the bcm to lose memory with the brake positioning sensor i did take the vehicle to a certified gm dealership and had them re-learn the memory between the two. this solved the problem temporarily and lasted about two months. i cannot afford to have this done every two month as a solution. gm needs to be ordered to fix the issues correctly before someone is fatally injured.

Vehicle ran fine entire day(12-20-2013), i parked to shop with my wife at a local mall. when we were ready to leave the vehicle would turn over and then immediately shut off. this happened at least 10 times, my battery was beginning to drain so i stopped. my wife and i decided to continue our shopping and come back to vehicle later. once again i started the vehicle and it immediately shut off. i had to call a towing service (aaa) to tow us to a local repair shop. the next day i was told the vehicle started fine and they could not find any problem. the mechanic did tell us that the vehicle had previous error codes from last night pointing to ignition and starter units, but they found no problems. i have received numerous recall notices from gm describing this very thing and have requested a full refund of my towing fees ($95.00 invoice#73066) and trying to set up my repair since the recall notices went out in april 2014. i have not heard anything since. gm case # [xxx] operator (jim). information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that the key became lodged in the ignition switch, preventing the contact from powering off the vehicle. the contact mentioned that in order to power off the vehicle, the battery had to be disconnected and a fuse had to be removed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 65,500.

When i parked my car in the driveway my keys got stuck in the ignition and i couldn't turn my car off.i had to get it towed to a dealers who replaced the ignition. the next day my security light went on so i took it back to the dealers they we're very busy so they checked to see if my keys were programmed then the light went off so we thought it was ok. i left the dealers and within 200ft my hhr stalled and doors locked with me inside the vehicle. i called them back with my cellphone from inside the car then the doors suddenly unlocked and i was able to drive back to the dealers.they gave me a car to use. i left my hhr there so they could hook it up to the computer to see what was wrong. alot of codes came up they said but they cleared them and said they reprogrammed my keys. the only code left was a icp code but they said i didn't need a icp panel so i took my car back. when i came out of work at 1am i unlocked my car and started my hhr up. it stalled immeditatly.with the keys stuck in the start position i tried it again after about 10 min and it started up and i drove home. i called the dealer again and they said bring it monday again but they cant lend me a car until its fixed or promise that they can fix it. i tried to start it now and i can but i really am afraid to drive it but i have too to bring it back to the dealers. very scary and bothersome thing. i increased my insurance and will be only taking sideroads until someone figures this out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact was unable to start the vehicle after numerous attempts. the vehicle was recently repaired according to nhtsa campaign number: 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin and failure mileage were unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled with the illumination of the check engine warning light. the vehicle was not able to be restarted and was towed to the contact's residence. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 147,000.

I have had my recall competed on my ignition switch, however, i am concerned because i still have an issue where i turn off the car and take the key out of the ignition, and either i hear the engine still run slightly, but more commonly the issue is that the door chimes as if i opened the door with the key still in the ignition (although it is not). i thought the replacement after this recall would fix the problem as i had previously brought it to the dealership and they could not "duplicate it" or see any immediate issues. should i be concerned that this is still happening after the recall? *tr