53 of the
4,753 complaints filed about the Chevrolet HHR
are about the throttle and cruise control —
1% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2008.
53
Complaints
1%
Share of all complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
vehicle ecm keeps reporting an error code p2138 that refers to a correlation issue between sensors on the throttle/pedal system, causing the vehicle to enter into reduced power and eventually disables engine. Problem persists even after replacing pedal component. Apparently water enters the compartment where the part is located and corrodes wiring between the ecm and the pedal system. GM is apparently aware but so far has done nothing. Problem is especially hazardous because engine power is reduced during acceleration and happens without warning. Vehicle could be in high density traffic and then suddenly experiences lack of power or total disability, and driver must try to navigate to the side of the road--not always possible or safe to do.
NHTSA complaint #11641227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Noticed that the cruise control would disengage randomly when activated. I checked the function of the brake lights at night and found that the brake lights would turn themselves on randomly with zero brake input, disengaging the cruise control. In this state, depressing the brake pedal more than around 30-40% would turn the brake lights off, even with the brake pedal fully pressed. Furthermore, with the brake pedal pressed to a moderate level, the cruise control is able to be engaged, even with obvious brake pressure being applied. This defeats the cruise control disengagement feature and the cruise control system will fight against the braking system to maintain speed instead of turning itself off as it seems to rely solely on the brake lights for the automatic disengagement. This issue is quite dangerous as this seems to happen quite often with the brake lights, but I cannot find any sort of consistent scenario that causes these issues to occur.
NHTSA complaint #11530229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The gas pedal would stick and the car would not decelerate when removing pressure from it. This happened a couple of times on separate days but would unstick and decelerate fairly quickly. Then today the gas pedal not only became stuck but it accelerated and I had to hit the brakes to get it to stop accelerating.
NHTSA complaint #11469471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
OUT OF NO WHERE, SPEED ODOMETER WENT TO FLASHING AND CAR WOULD NOT SPEED UP EVEN WHEN PUSHING THE GAS... HAD IT CHECKED AND WAS TOLD TO CHECK TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL BECAUSE MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. IT STOPPED WORKING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, HAD TO TOW IT HOME BECAUSE WAS TOO SCARED TO TRY TO MAKE IT HOME. WHEN PUSHING THE GAS, YOU CAN FEEL IT LOSING POWER.
NHTSA complaint #11365656 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE SERVICE ECS DOES NOT GO OFF. THEIRFOR THE CAR WILL NOT GO UNLESS THE ROADS ARE COMPLETELY FREE OF SNOW AND ICE. THE CAR JUST SITS AND SPINS. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY .CAN NOT DRIVE CAR IN WINTER MONTHS
NHTSA complaint #11290454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND REMAINED IN FIRST GEAR. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG, TRACTION CONTROL, AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER: 08016. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS AN AIR BAG FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 191,000.
NHTSA complaint #11127972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TAKATA RECALL MY HORN DON'T WORK THE SERVICE AIRBAGS STAYS ON. THE STRUTS BACK HATCH DON'T OPEN CRUISE CONTROL DON'T WORK CHECKED ALL MY FUSES AND THEY ARE ALL GOOD
NHTSA complaint #11124172 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
INSTRUMENT PANEL FUNCTIONS WORK INTERMITTENTLY WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING AND FLASHES ON AND OFF. IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE SPEEDOMETER FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM ALSO AFFECTS THE ABILITY OF TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT INTO GEAR PROPERLY. WHEN VEHICLE IS CHECKED USING DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER, COMPUTER FAILS TO DETECT CODE ERROR OR IDENTIFY PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE.ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
NHTSA complaint #11102499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE IN MENTION, CHEVY HHR 2008, SUDDEN ACCELERATION GOING DOWN FREEWAY REACHING 80 MPH. RPM'S WENT UP TO 6 AND STAYED FOR OVER 7 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME DUE TO NO WHERE FOR ME TO TURN. I SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN BY ENGAGING NEUTRAL AND CONTINUE BREAKING. THE BREAKS WERE PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. MY RIGHT FOOT WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN OFF WHEN SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED. I DID NOT HAVE MANY OPTIONS ON A TWO LANE NORTHBOUND FREEWAY 101 IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. I COULD TURN TO THE RIGHT AND GO DOWN AN EMBANKMENT OR TURN LEFT AND HIT MEDIAN AND ANOTHER VEHICLE OR KEEP GOING FORWARD AND RAM THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING IN PARK WHEN I FINALLY STOPPED. THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVED UP AND RPM'S AT 6 STILL. I DID TURN CAR OFF AND STARTED AGAIN AND CAR WAS STILL REVVED UP, VERY LOUD ENGINE NOISE. TRIED REVERSE AND CAR ENGAGED IN REVERSE FAST. I TURNED VEHICLE OFF AGAIN AND CALLED TOW TRUCK.
NHTSA complaint #11078408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A FAINT NOISE WAS HEARD AND I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF ROAD WALKED AROUND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE LOOKING TO SEE IF ANYTHING STOOD OUT, ASSESSED THE TIRES, ENGINE AND NOTHING APPEARED TO BE WRONG. I PROCEEDED TO GET ON THE RAMP ON AND AS I WENT THROUGH THE TOLL BOOTH DRIVING AROUND 40 MPH, THE CAR ACCELERATED TO A SPEED OF ABOUT 87 MPH, THE STEERING COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED IT WAS ALMOST AS IF IT WAS IN A LOCKED POSITION. ONCE THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF AT THE HIGH SPEED, IT THEN CAME ALMOST TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE WAS REVVING BUT THE SPEED WAS NOT SUPPORTING THE SOUND. I PROCEEDED TO BRAKE, USE THE ACCELERATOR AND WAS GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO FUNCTIONS BUT NEITHER WOULD WORK. SCARED TO GO INTO THE FLOW OF HEAVY TRAFFIC, I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL WHICH ALLOWED ME TO ROLL DOWN THE RAMP AND ONTO THE SHOULDER. I THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND LET IT SIT AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN IT BACK ON TO REMOVE IT MORE OUT OF THE DRIVING LANE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE
NHTSA complaint #11075777 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FAILED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.
NHTSA complaint #11075316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS APPLIED BUT IT WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL ODOR OF FUEL OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.
NHTSA complaint #11012373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DRIVING 45 MPH PRESSED THE BRAKES , VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING THEN I APPLIED EXCESSIVE FORCE ON THE BRAKES, FINALLY ENGINE STARTED TO REDUCE RPM'S NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, LUCKY THAT I AM A VERY EXPERIENCED DRIVER LOL TO OTHER DRIVERS
NHTSA complaint #10991567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. REDUCED ENGINE POWER. ESC OFF. THIS OCCURRED ON VEHICLE STARTUP AND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE GOES INTO A LOW POWER MODE AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN MORE THAN FIVE MILES PER HOUR.
NHTSA complaint #10986228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHEN PROMPTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 06/29/17*LJ UPDATED 09/21/2017
NHTSA complaint #10984774 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING MY 07 CHEVROLET HHR @ 45 MPH WHEN THE DASH DISPLAY BLINKED THEN DISPLAYED ENGINE POWER REDUCED, FOLLOWED BY A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION OF SPEED. I COULDN'T ACCELERATE BEYOND 30 MPH, SO I PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE 18 WHEELER TRAVELING BEHIND ME. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I DROVE 15 MILES BACK HOME @ A SPEED OF 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE REFUSES TO ACCELERATE BEYOND 30 MPH
NHTSA complaint #10959902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING UP TO 10 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR FLASHED OFF AND ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
NHTSA complaint #10946610 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE REDUCED POWER WARNING AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT TOOK ME DOWN TO 25 MPH. I COULDN'T GO NO MORE THAN 25 OR 30 MILES PER HOUR. PULLED OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND IT FELT LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO TAKE OFF BY ITSELF.
NHTSA complaint #10939560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.