Maybe Chevy HHR should stand for How ’bout Having a Recall
October 6th, 2010. By AbiK
These are the kind of things that piss me off. A fellow LAS staffer just happens to have a Chevy HHR. The HHR apparently stands for “Heritage High Roof”. At least that’s what Wikipedia says (you can tell I didn’t research that one too deeply). But I’m thinking HHR ought to stand for “HOW ’bout HAVING a RECALL?”.
Yes, a recall. For a design defect. For the ignition switch. It seems the HHR ignition switch has a tendency to get a bit, well, stuck. And that’s precisely what happened when my colleague drove into her driveway last Saturday evening. The key in her HHR got stuck. In the ignition. With the car running. Repeat: running.
Now, I’m sure many of us have experienced that damn-the-key’s-stuck thing—or the opposite, when you go to start the ignition and the key won’t turn at all. Usually a quick tug on the steering wheel will unlock the mechanism that allows your key to function properly. But what if that doesn’t work? And the car is running? Repeat: running.
What do you do? Aside, that is, from flashing back to Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty and realizing your car’s heading there—only it won’t be running on, running behind, or into the sun. It’ll be dead.
Here’s what our staffer did: She called AAA. Hell, she has a membership and they’re supposed to come help you out with a tow when you need one, right? That’s what I’d do. But here’s what happened—AAA said they couldn’t do anything about it. Next!
Call GM. Here’s what happened there—they didn’t want to diagnose the problem over the phone (what, was it wire-tapped? was a lawyer nearby?) Their advice? To “pull the fuel pump relay so the car turns off” and they’ll send a tow truck Monday morning. Ok, let’s just be whipping out that driver’s manual in the glove box to figure out what the heck the fuel pump relay looks like…
Here’s where this gets interesting. Tow guy comes on Monday. When he hears what the problem is, he says, “Oh, second one this weekend. There was a car in the storage yard they couldn’t turn off. They just towed it there, running, until it ran out of gas. It took over 24 hours.” Did you catch that one word? Running.
So they went on to the dealership. Our staffer tells the service guy there that she couldn’t turn the car off. He says, “Key is stuck in the ignition, right?” Bingo!
Our staffer’s starting to connect the dots and do that raise-an-eyebrow thing we all tend to do here at LAS. Comes with the territory. So she starts investigating the issue…goes to the GM site, the car recall sites, the Chevy HHR forum boards. No mention of any recall, but plenty of mentions of stuck keys in the ignition—from various years. She’s thinking, “what’s up with that?” (I’d be thinking WTF?)
Before I go further, the service manager at the dealership expounded on things. Seems that it’s a fairly common problem—not only with the HHR, but also with the Cobalt. The part in question was apparently redesigned due to a design defect, but there was never any recall. So if it happens to folks, they can get it fixed—if the car’s still under warranty, great, otherwise it may cost you about $350 (at least at our staffer’s dealership). Oh, the service manager mentioned that GM should’ve also said to disconnect the battery cables after pulling the fuel pump relay. Gee thanks.
So off I went to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—the folks who do recalls and car defect investigations. I went there not to find out about the HHR—heck, we know there hasn’t been a recall on that—but to find out exactly what is necessary for a recall to happen? For starters (bad pun, I know), a “recall is necessary when…
- a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment (including tires) does not comply with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.
- there is a safety-related defect in the vehicle or equipment.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m thinking that a car whose engine I cannot control is perhaps a safety-related defect—? But I am willing to concede that if the car is in “P” for “Park” that maybe it cannot cause harm, unless I close the garage door and remain in the garage for the night…
Onward. Here’s the NHTSA list—not fully inclusive—of safety-related defects that may prompt a recall:
- Steering components that break suddenly causing partial or complete loss of vehicle control.
- Problems with fuel system components, particularly in their susceptibility to crash damage, that result in leakage of fuel and possibly cause vehicle fires.
- Accelerator controls that may break or stick.
- Wheels that crack or break, resulting in loss of vehicle control.
- Engine cooling fan blades that break unexpectedly causing injury to persons working on a vehicle.
- Windshield wiper assemblies that fail to operate properly.
- Seats and/or seat backs that fail unexpectedly during normal use.
- Critical vehicle components that break, fall apart, or separate from the vehicle, causing potential loss of vehicle control or injury to persons inside or outside the vehicle.
- Wiring system problems that result in a fire or loss of lighting.
- Car ramps or jacks that may collapse and cause injury to someone working on a vehicle.
- Air bags that deploy under conditions for which they are not intended to deploy.
- Child safety seats that contain defective safety belts, buckles, or components that create a risk of injury, not only in a vehicle crash but also in non-operational safety of a motor vehicle.
Ok, those all make sense, and in my mind the one about “critical vehicle components” kind of fits the bill—but regardless—doesn’t a car whose engine I cannot shut off seem like not a good thing? Particularly when a replacement part has already been manufactured to correct the known defect? Maybe a full-blown recall is not necessary, but wouldn’t a little postcard in the mail from GM/Chevy be nice? A little “come on down, have some coffee and watch that tv hoisted high in the corner while we fix that little ol’ ignition switch” notice?
But there is nothing. And instead, you’re left with a seemingly out-of-the-blue car problem and then left holding the bag when it comes time to pay for it.
Aside from complaining to GM, your other form of recourse is to report the problem to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Vehicle Safety Hotline, which is operated by the NHTSA. The number is 888-327-4236. Not enough recourse for my liking, but sometimes it’s the squeaky wheels or the grassroots efforts that get the attention…
Let us know if you’ve got a similar story—we’d love to hear about it, and we’re sure others would, too.
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I have joined the club now too. I have a 2010 HHR with just under 50,000 miles. Went to church yesterday and car would shut off. Of course nothing is open at 8:00 am or on a Sunday. Googled and found that I am part of the elite club. Drove it strait to the dealership still waiting for them to contact me.
Yesterday on my way home for lunch, pulled into driveway, and guess what….I couldn't turn off my 2009 HHR, key was frozen. Husband had to take it into dealership after I tracked him down 45 minutes later. Dealership is busy….sez they will try to work it in. That in itself is a buncha bs. Anyhow, waiting for repair and bill, don't know if it is under warranty still or not. I am really mad now that I have read this blog. Waiting to see what happens.
I HAVE A 2009 HHR WE BOUGHT NEW FROM A CHEVY DEALERSHIP.I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM THIS PAST SATURDAY..WOULDN'T SHUT OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE VERY EAGER TO HELP. THEY GAVE ME A NEW TRUCK 2011 TO DRIVE AND ASSURED ME THE HHR WAS UNDER WARRANTY.I HAVE A LITTLE OVER 16000 MILES ON THE HHR BUT DON'T NEED THIS KIND OF PROBLEMS SINCE LOSING MY HUSBAND THE 28TH OF SEPTEMBER.FROM READING ALL THE REPORTS ON THE COBALTS AND HHR'S CHEVY DOES NEED TO ISSUE A RECALL AND GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happened to me this lunch hour on my 2006 HHR LT ……….the key actually came out while driving down the highway…..when parking I could shut it off but the keyed locked in with the radio going
Its now at the dealer ship having a new ignition tumbler installed for $350.00
This is an hour after the Wiper motor transmission was replaced …………I give up
This happened to us this weekend. The dealership where we bought the car used doesn't service Chevy's, so we took it to a Chevy dealership at 5:00 on Friday afternoon. The woman from the dealership called this morning to tell us the whole thing had fallen apart. The extended warranty we were told we had to purchase in order to be financed is not covering the repair. The key is going to have to be cut & rekeyed in addition to the ignition "guts" being repaired. Grand total? $718.58 Can someone tell me how this is right? They know there is a defect yet no one tells us when we purchase the car used from a reputable dealer and now the extended warranty doesn't cover a dime of the repair. We've had the car for less than a year. I just don't get it!
In my 2009 HHR with 19,500 miles on it, I have had trouble getting my key out of my ignition for 6 months. I asked the dealer about it and they said it wasn't an issue and to come back if it became one. Well, it became one alright. Thank goodness my car got stuck running on my way home from work. I drove it right to the dealership (10 minutes before close) and they had to pull the fuel pump relay and battery to turn it off (at leased they felt bad and gave me a free rental). This is the first new GM car I have ever owned, and it will most likely be the last after all the other basic equipment failures I have had on this car. Like a damaged radiator on delivery, trunk struts, seals around doors, blower motor, VCIM (which still isn't fixed, it handles OnStar and bluetooth hands-free), the radio (it's programming was updated and it fixed all my issues), my key fob's failing, my locks getting stuck open, and I am sure there are others, but that is a hell of a lot of stuff to break on a newer car.
I have a 2010 HHR LT I bought in January of 2011. 25,000 miles later-the power steering went out, a bad PS motor (all electric motor) thankfully it was covered under my warranty. Today, ignition cylinder locks up. Called Brother in law who is a tech at a chevy dealer and he said "yep, see alot of those". I have read where this is supposedly a problem with older HHR's. I see though that the design flaws were NOT fixed for 2010 and up……very dissapointed in Chevy and after the reliability of this HHR and my last Grand Am……..I feel as though I am switching to Hyundai. Owned Ford's before, and they are junk too. I loved my car, but this will be the second day of work I have missed due to this car. This is unbelievable.
For anyone with the stuck key issue – it is covered under Chevy service bulletins. I had no trouble at all with my dealer replacing the ignition. Just FYI if it helps anyone.
09-02-35-005b
#09-02-35-005B: Ignition Key Difficult to Remove, Ignition Key Binds or Sticks in Cylinder (Replace Ignition Cylinder) – (Feb 4, 2010)
Subject: Ignition Key Difficult to Remove, Ignition Key Binds or Sticks in Cylinder (Replace Ignition Cylinder)
Models: 2008-2009 Cadillac CTS (Built Prior to VIN Breakpoint 90163371)
2005-2009 Chevrolet Cobalt (Built Prior to April 14, 2009)
2006-2010 Chevrolet HHR (Built Prior to February 1, 2010)
2007-2009 Chevrolet Equinox (Built Prior to July 2008)
2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada Only)
2006-2009 Pontiac Solstice (Built Prior to April 14, 2009)
2007-2009 Pontiac G5 (Built Prior to April 14, 2009), Torrent (Built Prior to July 2008)
2006-2009 Saturn SKY (Built Prior to April 24, 2009)
Attention: This bulletin only applies to vehicle equipped with automatic transmission.
——————————————————————————–
This bulletin is being revised to update the build date and add the 2010 HHR. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 09-02-35-005A (Section 02 — Steering).
——————————————————————————–
Condition
Some customers may comment that the ignition key is difficult to remove or that the key sticks or binds in the ignition cylinder.
Correction
A new ignition lock cylinder has been released to correct this concern. Replace the ignition lock cylinder following the Ignition Lock Cylinder Replacement procedure in SI. For ignition lock cylinder assembly and coding, use the instructions provided with the new cylinder.
Important: To properly seat the new ignition lock cylinder into the housing, the key must be inserted and turned to the RUN position.
Parts Information
Part Number Description
20869121 Cylinder, Ignition Lock (Uncoded)
So, does this mean my dealer should not have charged me for this repair, or does it just mean GM knows about it?
I've included what to do to stop your HHR from running when the ignition lock breaks and you can't shut off the car or remove the key. This will work for other models as well, but check your manual for the location and details of the fuses and your battery.
I have a 2010 HHR, just over 42,000 miles on it. Just bought it, used, a couple of months ago. Friday evening I went to a store, and when I parked and attempted to shut off the car, the key would not turn. I went back home, my husband tried to shut it off, no luck. We called the number for emergency help on the warranty booklet, the person we reached wasn't very helpful. He said we could leave the car running until a tow truck could get there and take it to a dealer for repair. I told him I didn't need a tow, I could drive to the dealer, since the car's running and I can't shut it off. (Not that any were open at that hour.) He seemed to think letting the car run until it ran out of gas was ok. Never mind about the dash lights running the battery down after the car runs out of gas. I asked him if we could disconnect the battery without harming the computer or anything, He said he couldn't tell us how to do anything over the phone because of liability. I finally got him to go ahead and call the towing service, but have them call me rather than send them out to tow the car. So a guy at the towing service called me a few minutes later, and suggested we pull the fuse to the fuel pump. We'd already thought of that and had already checked the manual to see where the fuses are.
Here's how you do that: Open the fuse box under the hood, it's on the right-hand side as you face the car. There are just a couple of latches that hold the cover in place, easily opened. Look on the inside of the fuse box cover, there's a diagram to show which fuse is where. You want the one for the fuel pump. Pull out the fuse, it just plugs into the socket, sort of like a plug in a wall outlet. The car should sputter to a stop shortly. Now, your dash lights will still be on, because the key is still on. You need to disconnect the negative battery terminal. The battery is not under the hood. It's in the cargo space, under the cover for the spare tire, in the rear passenger side of that compartment. I don't remember what size wrench we used, but it was pretty easy to disconnect.
The rear hatch gate latch is electric, and will not operate to open the hatch again with the battery disconnected, so you need to either prop to rear hatch open with a stick or something, or be prepared to climb into the back to reconnect the battery later, if you want to drive the car in to a dealer for repair.
To re-start the car, we reconnected the battery, put the fuse back in, and turned the key the tiny bit forward that was the only movement possible, and it started right up. We got an appointment with the dealer today, and took it in for repair. It wasn't covered under either our extended warranty that we paid $2000 for, or what remains of the factory warranty, which now only covers the power train, nor under the individual dealer warranty, I was about 200 miles past that one. Our cost was around $225, to replace a part that was clearly defective, that should have had a recall by now.
I have driven a lot of really old hunks of junk in my life, and in 36 years of driving, I've NEVER had an ignition lock break. This car is less than 2 years old. I asked the guy at the dealer if I could expect to have this happen every year or so. He said no, they've had several of these in, and the cylinder they replace it with is a heavier, more beefed up one. This shows that GM is aware of the problem, and the fact that they replace it with a different part pretty much proves that they know the original one is no good.
Save every receipt you get in connection with this or other repairs, you may need them later to get reimbursement in the event of a recall.
yes this has happen to me on my 2007
Right now as we speak my freakin car is sitting running in the driveway, where it has been the past 4 hours! Im so mad I cant think straight….my warranty just expired a couple of months ago! Not only am I having this problems, but with less than 50,000 miles, Im already going to have to replace the struts, the front in linkage, front and rear brakes; did I mention my car leaks when it rains? Not just little drops of water trickling down the inside of the door, but the whole stinking front passenger side floor board floods! OH, and just the other day while driving in the rain, couldnt figure out why my dear old windshield wipers werent clearing my window for me to see,,,,,well it was because it was coming down the INSIDE of my windshield! GM will not help us! Reeders Chevrolet will not help us! Its Christmas, I have 2 little boys and I dont know what Im going to do…..biggest mistake of my life was buying this piece of crap. Please, if anyone knows of any recalls, or anyone who will help us make GM listen, please contact me by email. My address is . Thanks for listening to me rant:(
Glad I am not the only one with HHR issues. I have a 2009 HHR that has been a nightmare. 1. Would not turn off like others have said got this fixed. 2. Would not unlock so I had to put the window down to get out of the car. Fixed multiple times because it was fixed wrong the first time. 3. All of the dash gauges topped out an bottomed out then stopped working even the speedometer would not register (told can not find anything wrong when I took it in because it had started working) 4. Rotors need replacing but they would not cover them because I had 30,000 miles on them and said would have to be done before 27,000 . All of these thing before it has reached 30,000 miles. My car has been in the shop once for two week while they worked on it. I loved the car when I bought it and Hate it now. What has to be done to make these cars a lemon???
Hi Shari–and everyone else who's had this Chevy HHR problem–it's unbelieveable how many have commented here. Chevrolet owes everyone not only a response but compensation for the repair (and the aggravation). There are lawyers who are reviewing the complaints–who knows where it might lead but when this many people have been affected, you never know; for anyone who does want to have a complaint reviewed, you can do so (for free, no obligation) on this form: https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/submit_form…
Well add me to the list, 2010 with 40,000 miles. Ignition stuck in on position, Chevy here also commented on having several around the same milage come in. Have also noticed locking problems and am beginning to suspect back strut problems. Some law firm needs to start up a class action lawsuit. Will be calling to add my complaint to help maybe force a recall. Considering calling the major KC television "Call for action" newscast. Obviously GM is aware of the problem, but like Toyota, is hoping it will just go away. By the way, my repair quote for the ignition repair is $500 to $600.
about a month ago my key got stuck in the ignition ( I have a Chevy HHR 2009) I took it to the dealer and they fixed it for $413 and some change. They gave me 2 new keys for the car and now this morning I go to open my car to go to work and niether one of the keys given to me open it. I called the Dealer and they told me that I would have to get my car over there for them to look at it. HOW AM I GOING TO DO THAT IF THE DOOR DOESN'T OPEN. They told me to get a tow truck but when I asked them if they will pick up the bill for that they said no! This is the last time I get one of these cars, I had a Honda Accord for 6 years and NEVER had a problem with it
I had the same problem with my 2006 hhr and stupi me bought a 2010 HHR because I do love the car design but alas same pin causing a different problem.I can't get my car in drive because the lock is not working when I put my foot on the break.Don't have a solution for this 1 yet but will have to pay 450.00 to get it fix.same pin different problem.yes these car's need to have a recall and chevy needs to fix this problem without our help!!!
chevy dealer did fix this for free
Okay, it's Christmas Eve 2011, My daughter just drove our 2011 (yes, brand new 2011) 6 hours north to her boyfriend's family, and it won't turn off. Christmas Eve! 6 hours away! Merry Christmas.
Just happened to my 2009 HHR Christmas Eve. Ironically I had the 2006 Cobalt which power steering kept going out trying to kill me on the interstate so I am well prepared to handle GM's B.S. I recorded the entire fiasco and will post the video on youtube on the next day or so. I'll return to share the link with all the frustrated GM owners out there. Shame on GM for not recalling cars with issues- this is quite the habit they've developed so on blast they shall go….
Hi Jennifer, Thanks for your comment and you're the second person who had this happen on Christmas Eve of all times! If you've got the video, send the link or the clip itself to –we'll run a post on it (and we can post it to our youtube channel as well). Here's to hoping your 2012 kicks off with less hassle than your 2011 is winding up…
i have hhr 2007 LT
the tempretier guage not work and the van cooling always open
help me please
I have a 2010 hhr 2.4 LT and I am very happy with it . It has 20,000 miles on it and it 's gas mpg is getting better and better with age . It's up to 33.5 hwy @65 mph and around 20-21 around town . I have a business with I make house calls , so I shut down and start up all the time around town. I was interested in the key ignition problem. It has never happened to me and I hope it never will. I can only imagine the pain of it all.The only thing that I had replaced was the fan motor because it was a little noisy . I took it to the dealership and it was changed it about 2 hours . I'm a nut for noise rattles. It was the bearing in the motor. Other than that , To me it is a great dependable car . I use it everyday for work and take trips with it, and has never let me down. I'm happy with my 2010 blue hhr LT. I have heard of many problems , but I guess my car was made in the middle of the week when the workers were paying attention to what they are building.
It warms the cockles of my heart that tax dollars bailed out the maker of the HHR, enabling them to survive.
HHR stands for Handy Holocaust Reminder, as in NEVER AGAIN.
I will NEVER AGAIN purchase a MADE IN MEXICO by GM/CHEVROLET again.
A 12000 parts warranty on an INFERIOR MACHINE is laughable.
But thank GOD we bailed them out, huh? As long as these snarky dealers and mechanics got to keep THEIR JOBS, we should be happy, right? Because JOBS ARE IMPORTANT, right? Even if consumers are paying the price?
Right?
Join the resistance! Paint your HHR LEMON YELLOW and spread the word. (if you don't die first due to a failed HHR mechanism)
My next care will be so foreign that no one will be able to pronounce it.
US and MEXICO products are INFERIOR. I stress that because my HHR was assembled in Mexico. Which begs the question, whose jobs exactly did the GM bailout save? Obviously not solely Americans.
I hope the company GOES COMPLETELY UNDER and that our GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTERFERE THE NEXT TIME.
LET THEM ROT.
I have a 2009 HHr that had same ignition problem. I
can not believe there has not been a recall on the
issues listed. Last year I found my self in the position
of being stuck at the grocery store late in the evening,
needless to say I could not go in. I had to call a friend
to research it online because mine did not come with
an owners manual. What sounded like a quick fix
release button was another failure issue. almost out of
gas I had to leave car running to fill up to make it
home. Isn't that a safty issue in it's self? I know
people do this but it states very clearly at the pump to
turn ignition off while pumping gas. Any way Im a
single Mom with basic auto knowlege, after
researching I realized quicky that this was a very
common problem. I made it home then figured out I
how to kill the fuel. I drove it to the dealer the next
day. The mechanic there told me it was the 3rd one
that week and that it is very common. Thankfully it
was still under warranty at the time. Love the space
and the design of the car but I wonder what the heck
they were thinking. I hate the battery in the back and
truthfully it concerns me what will happen if I get rear
ended.. and when the battery dies, the shifter is stuck
in park and what normaly would be a simple jump, is
such an ordeal. The breaks wear fast. and my tires
have bulges in them. The right back door unlocks
when locked and locks when unlock. One side of the
overhead lights does not work even with bulb
replacement. and the top dash compartment lock
sometime sticks and will not close as well as not let
you open, cheap plastic parts ugh. Sometimes the
console lights have a glich where they go out for a
second leaving you wondering if your seeing things.I
have also learned to reuse cups with lids because the
cupholders are awkward and seem to be a catch all.
Anything you may set in the pasenger seat including
cell phones will slide off into your drink while rounding
curves. This vehicle has reminded me that I miss the
days of simplicity in the automotive world. __
i’ve read about 15 of these stories all of which are operator error. any of these things could happen to any car when you do not know how to operate a motor vehichle correctly. as far as the first user to post, first thing let your “colleague” speak for him/her self and the problem is when people ram the key in and try to start turning it before its all the way in, and by the way a little bit of lock cylinder oil goes a long way every time your get your oil changed. and if you cant pop the hood and see a big black box that says “fuse box” and read a diagram that will show you which fuse/relay is the fuel pump (I mean 4 year olds could figure it out round peg – round hole square peg – square hole) and disconnecting the battery wouldnt do anything after pulling the fuse or relay because there is no power going to the pump if you pull the fuse. Read your owners manuals, thats what they are there for. and learn a little bit about your car.
so explain to me then why my 2008 hhr will not start at times and why my tail lights randomly go out or my headlamps wont work or my horn wont work when i need it to and oh yeah did i mention that almost daily i wonder if it will start at 800 am or 830 am come on…since ive had this vehicle it has been serviced at least every other month for the last year and a half. thank god we bought the extended warranty. something other than not knowing how to turn a key over is wrong with these vehicles get real man
The Point is , this is a on going failure by GM/Chevy to correct a real problem, year after year. I did not go to school to be a mechanic nor do I have any desire to work on cars or their computer systems. And even if you stop the car from running you still have to deal with the repair costs which may very well be more because they say well someone has messed with it & not done so properly, wheather true or not.
When my key was stuck and it & wouldn't come out, I called and they of course couldn't give me any clue over the phone and I was talking to a mechanic. Forunately I called my brother and he checked it out got it turned off. The next day I took it back to the dealer and they had to send for the part so it was a few days before it was corrected, to the tune of $350.00.
I had a "57 Chevy belive me I did a lot of my own work on it, but guess what you could see what you were tring to do, heck you could climb into it if you needed to there was Room to work. My key never was stuck in the ignition and my drivers door handle never came off in my hand.But the fact is if it did I could have put it back on!!! HHR 2010 $350.00 to replace the entire door panel, because it's all molded plastic!!! I started to get out of the car at work and I had something in my hand that I really just couldn't recognize cause it was very light round and silver colored and my brain just couldn't make sense of it for a few moments, then I just started laughing because it was too stupid. This happened about a month or so after the ignition thing with less than 40,000 miles. If they cared at GM/Chevy it would be taken care of, thats their job!!!
I took my 2009 HHR 2LT into the dealership for an oil change. 5 minutes later the service writer comes in asking if I have ever had trouble with the ignition switch, to which I answered no. I was fortunate that this problem happened under warranty and in the dealership that I bought the car and I was no where near the vehicle. an hour and a half later and I'm driving home with a replaced ignition switch. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones in this saga.
I too have a 2010 HHR with 21,000 miles on it and last night key was stuck in the on position. I had to pull the fuel pump relay to shut it off and remove battery terminals. This is not only inconvenient, but, this happened at 10:00pm on a Sunday – fortunately I was at home and not on the road somewhere. However, there are no dealerships to deal with this during afterhours, which seems like it would necessitate offering a recall rather than allowing folks to learn of this defect on their own at times which are far less than optimal. Thanks GM, for keeping this known problem to yourself so that you customers can learn of it upon their own demise.
Wife drove 3 hours from home for a business meeting. And, when she got there the HHR 2009?, would not turn off. Key stuck in the ignition. She is driving back now and going straight to the dealer…..I believe we need an attorney to have the same thing happen and start a class action lawsuit.
Of course, we purchased ours with Cash for Clunkers……..I guess we got one!
Hi everyone, there are attorneys reviewing complaints on this one; will have to see where it leads, but if you've had this Chevy HHR problem with the HHR key stuck in the ignition, you can submit a complaint here: https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/submit_form…
Just had our 2011 HHR (around 41k miles) with the key stuck in the ignition stuck running. Told by Chevy dealer it would be $405 to fix. The local service center couldn't fix it because Chevy has to do the programming. Good business model. The typical driver doesn't know what to do to stop the car at this point. Just wait till someone parks in a garage with one of these…
Meant 2010
Everbody needs to keep calling the Department of Transportation regarding this HHR problem everday untill they get anoyed and pissed off enough to require GM to recall these cars. I am on a limited fixed income. I can not afford to lay out lots of money to pay for GM’s faulty cars. OH by the way, my ignition switch just took a sh*t. Department of Transportation Safety Hotline number is 888-327-4236.
I recently had to have my 2006 hhr fixed for this very problem…you know what makes me the most angry is that I researched this car through edmunds and it didnt come up with any negative comments about something that is apparently known about. I find it a little disconserting about that and would really like to know how much GM paid those people to say only good things… It ended up costing me 320 dollars but after only having my car two weeks, needless to say it was very disheartening. Now I find out that you HAVE to take it to a Chevy dealer to get my key fob reprogrammed???? what the heck…WHY ISNT ANYTHING EASY ABOUT THIS DAMM SUV/CAR!!!!!!
I have a 2010 HHR and my key was stuck, of course running. I pulled the fuse for the fuel pump and within seconds it ran out of gas. I also disconnected the negative battery cable, saving all the other features. What got me was that in the owners manuel, it tells how to remove the key, should this happen. If they (GM, Chevy) were aware of the problem, why didn' they fix it rather than do a write up on how to fix it? GM, do the right thing; DO THE RECALL FOR ALL YEARS!!!!
Are these cars programmed to fall apart ?
I really enjoy the HHR, it is fun to drive and is a head turner. I'm starting to understand now why they stopped making it in 2011. They make cars and as soon as people realize the problems they have, they stop production and make something different. GM/Chevy should do the recall, it would be the right thing for all concerned.
today my daughter-in-law and grandchildren tried to turn off theire 2009 CHEVY HHR 60k miles (wattenty expired 13 days ago) are paying 300.00 plus tax,time and frustration to fix it chevy employee #42900 said he called the dealer LARRY GREEN in cottonwood az. and they were not willing to fix it without the cash WOW i guess i'm not the only one with the problem,but you can belive i will be all over chevy and NHTS local news if they are willing and a few adds in the paper here and there. good luck to all
GOOD NEWS!!! I just found out from my dealer that GM has issued a RECALL as of April 18, 2012 for the repair of the key/ignition problem on my 2009 HHR. This has not been published anywhere by GM as of yet, but when my dealer input my VIN number, this recall showed up in the system.
Looks like all of the complaints have finally paid off. I had the ignition problem just yesterday with my HHR and Iam thrilled to find this out. Spread the word!!
GOOD NEWS!!! THERE HAS NOW BEEN A RECALL ISSUED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM!!
The recall was issued on April 18th, 2012; according to my Chevrolet dealer. I had my 2009 HHR fixed today at NO COST…….It's about time !! SO, if you still need this fixed, INSIST that your dealer look up this recall. Hope this helps…..
Thanks soooo much for the update, as I write this comment my 75 year old parents are sitting in their 2010 HHR. The ign key won't turn and they are 45 miles away, in another state, at a cancer center for my dads follow up apointment. Dad is frustrated and mom is very nervous about the whole situation. So I sent my son to go pick them up and bring them home and that will leave me to deal with the tow and the problem..I'll post as soon as the Chevy dealer gets back to me..hopefully they will get the car towed and repaired in a 24 hour period at no cost to me..
Hi Ed, Let us know how you make out with your parents' car–we haven't confirmed the technical service bulletin or recall yet, so it would certainly be helpful to other readers who've had this HHR key stuck in ignition problem; we'll have to see, too, how folks who've already laid out the money for the repair will fare…time to take those saved receipts back to the dealers and have them run your VIN! So let us know Ed–and good luck!
Gus is the name of my dog, apologies he might have typed that in. I too am one affected by the key locked in on position. Pulled off the air cleaner and starved the engine, then disconnected the battery. As this is a recurring problem maybe that's a normal GM design, like having to pull the skirting in the wheel-well to change the headlamps.
Well I see this is an issue. Funny this happened to me a couple days ago. costing around $370 to get it fixed. I have a 2010 HHR and my husband is furious. Luckily he knew exactly how to pull the fuse and undo the battery cables or it would still be running since I had just filled up! crazy times. Wish there was something more that can be done then just pay for it up the wazzu!
I hae a2006 hhr, I have2006 hhr…by far, the most problematic car I’ve ever owned. Drivers side headlamp out, key stuck in ignition, no sound from rear speakers, doors creak, wipers stick. I hate this car. It was gifted to me after my daughter was murdered last summer so I feel guilty complaining, but frankly, I would rather have my2002 durango back any day. For what I’ve spent on the hhr, I could’ve just chose and bbought a car I wasn’t embarrassed to be seen in. Because, it is also the ugliest car I’ve ever ownded. I can see why they stopped making them. Cnt wait to see what fails on it next.
Well, Guess what Ladies and Gentlemen, I just received my recall notice to have the ignitions system replaced. In the notice it states that if you have already had your ignition system replaced and were charged that you were to bring it back and receive the refund in full for the part.
Another unsatisfied hhr owner here. 07 key stuck in ignition. called dealer re recalls (none for the ignition key stuck issue or the intermitant power steering). funny how internet is full of these issues for hhr. this with less then 40k miles on odo. You'd have thought after bailout they would have changed their ways. Wish I could say HHR is safe or reliable, but NO.
June 4, 2010
I have the EXACT same problem…car was running, couldn't turn it off, had to remove fuel pump fuse to turn car off AND undo the negative on the car battery which is located in the back of the vehicle…got HHR 101 class in matter of minutes in having this little problem. AAA was called, they couldn't help me — but they did say they would pay $100 towards the cost of fixing the problem which is something.
THE GOOD NEWS: As of May 2012, there IS A RECALL on this problem. I received a letter in the mail saying that Chevy HHR is having problems with keys getting stuck in the ignition. If you bring in the letter, they will fix it at no charge. Well, my 2010 Chevy is in service as we speak. 🙂 Good news does come around when you least expect it.
– Kathleen
My key stuck with engine on, but it was covered–whew! Now with 49k mi. the heater won't stop blowing HOT air ( in July) . Dealer says this is not a recall issue -yet- of course. Now what…
Thank God…. My HHR suffered the same fate this past February. Funny thing is I never bothered to google the problem. I only ended up here searching for another issue. My 2009 model has water flowing through the air conditioner vents and blower motor. Every time I turn the steering wheel, I can hear the water flowing to the opposite direction and consequently drowning out the blower motor. After searching for this issue, I found many other owners experience the same issue. I do believe it will also end up on the recall list. For now I am forced to visit the local Chevrolet dealer and have it resoled. I am however pleased to know that I can expect a refund of $279.00 for the ignition lock cylinder replacement.
Hi Jimmy, Thanks for bringing this new HHR problem to everyone's attention here!
I received my recall notice May 2012. Mailed off paper work June 2nd…still haven't receive the refund. It is now August 17th. Will keep you posted. It cost us $225.00.
2010 HHR here. Just happened last night. Key stuck in and running at mall. Had wife drive it home and I followed directions above, removing the fuel fuse and disconnecting the battery. Now need to set up appointment to get it fixed. I guess I need to get it done at the dealer if I hope to get any money from a possible recall. Nice racket GM is running here.
My key got stuck in Oct. 2011, was not fixed by a dealership. Received my recall notice May 2012. Letter stated send proof of repair. Mailed off paper work June 2nd…still haven't receive the refund. It is now September 11th. Hope people will repost with their good news. Beginning to wonder if there is or going to be any. I check this websit weekly. Hope Webmaster will post to me if he/she hears of any. So glad I found this site. Thank you to whomever started it.
Thanks Naomi – we appreciate hearing that you've found LawyersandSettlements.com helpful–and please share our website with friends & family (we're on facebook, too https://www.facebook.com/LawyersAndSettlements). We ran a post about the Chevy HHR problems yesterday; it seems some folks have received letters from GM regarding the ignition problem but others haven't and some of them are having the problem. There has been no official recall over at the NHTSA yet. You were apparently one of the lucky ones who received the letter. Your best bet is to call the customer service number that would've been on the original letter sent to you and try to find out the status of your refund there. Let us know how you make out!
Today I called the number on the form you fill out and the lady stated they had tried to call us twice and no one answered so they closed the claim. She gave me a new file number and a fax number. Said they will have to call us again so I will have the phone at my side at all times.
Yesterday we had four new tires put on at the dealership. After that, they installed an ignition lock cylinder replacement without saying anything to us first. Now if I don't get my claim taken care of before they do theirs I'm afraid I won't get the $225. Will let you know how I make out!
Thanks for the update Naomi! And what lousy customer service–they couldn't reach you so they closed the claim?!?! Keep us posted!
They called today…now they want a copy of the canceled check (going to the bank tomorrow to get it) along with the new file number faxed. Lets see how long it takes this time. Today is Friday, September 14, 2012.
Faxed canceled check September 15th and they called Tuesday, September 18th. Said we should receive the $225.00, in 2 to 3 weeks. Will let you know when I get it.
Thanks Naomi! And thanks for keeping on it–unfortunately, too many folks just get fed up, stop trying and lose out on their due
You want to pull Fuse 45 to shut the car off, then disconnect the battery. You can reconnect the battery to start the car again but to shut it off you will have to pull the fuse. They have a service repair out on the issue now and they will replace the locking cylinder if your car has less 120000 miles on it.