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Chevrolet HHR repairs by problem area

Engine (22%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (6%)

Brakes and Traction Control (3%)

Suspension and Steering (26%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (25%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (11%)

Other (7%)

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Chart based on 780 repairs.

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Chevrolet HHR engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (3%)

$1000 - $2499 (4%)

$500 - $999 (12%)

$100 - $499 (31%)

< $100 (50%)

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Chart based on 147 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

89678 mi US $485	Leak from coolant pipe. Mechanic replaced o-ring on thermostat housing. Also serviced transmission while it was there.
97546 mi US $610	Replaced water pump, thermostat, radiator cap (water pump was functional but leaking).

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78500 mi US $100	DTC codes p0221 and p0121, throttle position sensors. still in process of diagnosis, numerous things can cause these trouble codes. car still not fixed at present time
98000 mi US $600	throttle body replaced, then numerous wiring issues after install. mechanic made it right after 3rd trip
108000 mi US $600	fuel lines rotted out in rear, replaced entire fuel lines
115000 mi US $1500	timing chain and guides replaced. one guide fell broke/fell apart inside while driving.

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96000 mi

US $90

Check engine light came on indicating bad exhaust fuel purge solenoid. Replaced both exhaust and intake solenoids.

21000 mi	The ignition cylinder locked up. My car was stuck running. They had to pull the battery and fuel relay to turn it off. It took them a day to get my car back to me.
27800 mi	The ignition cylinder was recalled. Too bad it already locked up on me once. I feel so much better about my car to have the redesigned part in there now.
37300 mi	The flex-joint failed between the manifold and catalytic converter. The catalytic converter assembly was replaced under the emissions warranty.

178000 mi

US $50

CEL, CODE P-001. REPLACED BOTH CAM POSITION ACTUATORS (ONLY 1 WAS BAD). NO CEL AND CAR RUNS GREAT.

162000 mi

US $1400

Emission and catalytic converter replacement

139500 mi C $160	engine was missing replaced plugs problem solved
145700 mi C $20	engine started to run rough and serge at intersections removed mass air flow sensour problem cleared up

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174000 mi US $277	Replaced exhaust flex pipe from back of engine to catalytic converter.
196000 mi US $375	Replaced both valve timing actuators. Car was running rough because of amount of fuel being dumped was more than needed resulting in less MPG.

36000 mi	Check Engine light due to engine misfire
38000 mi	Rebuilt cylinder head due to carbon build up

47000 mi

US $200

Key in ignition switch could not be removed, and would not turn to shut the engine off.

40000 mi

US $245

Started the car and drove to the gas station and was unable to turn the car off. the key would not rotate in the ignition lock. Drove to the dealer and they removed the lock and replaced it with a new unit keyed to match my existing keys.

46000 mi

US $650

broken ignition switch

85000 mi

US $400

Replaced ignition switch due to occasional inability to remove key. Also checked out a separate issue with the exterior doorlock; it has twice failed to unlock the car & we had to break-in with help of AAA. Didn't make repairs cause of cost.

97000 mi

US $600

Valve sensor, clean throttle body, serpentine belt replace

94000 mi US $100	Engine would cut off while driving
94000 mi	I replaced another sensor and it stopped just had a little looping. Never fully fixed.

70000 mi

US $8

rusted out fuel line

79000 mi

Check engine light on, had cracked head and faulty ignition module

147000 mi

US $6000

Engine Problem do to no safety feature for the engine if it overheats. ED from Chevy Corporate said they would help us out with the problem and then said it will cost us 6,000. Still owe 4,000 on the car so that was no help at all.

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15000 mi

US $150

Had the GM stage 1 kit installed in Dec. 08. In May of 09 I noticed some hesitation and sputtering when driving. Turns out that the stage 1 MAF sensor wiring had to be soldered versus the original install's crimped connection.

60000 mi

failed head gasket

7440 mi	Fuel relay needed to be replaced.
9900 mi	TSB #09126: Charge Air Cooler Inlet Duct Detachment
14260 mi	P0499 Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Vent Solenoid Control Circuit High Voltage
15500 mi	P0499 Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Vent Solenoid Control Circuit High Voltage again. No record of previous 'repair' which was probably just the dealer resetting the check engine light. Light was not on during visit so dealership did nothing. P0499 Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Vent Solenoid Control Circuit High Voltage replaced for real. (Used an alternate dealership)

100000 mi US $190	Replaced thermostat and coolant.
117000 mi US $12	Message about gas cap not sealing. Was not leaking fuel. Replaced gas cap.
131000 mi US $262	Replace ignition lock cylinder due to wear. Long crank time after refueling.. every time. Solved by replacing purge solenoid.
155300 mi US $479	Car would overheat in city traffic. Diagnosed as defective radiator cooling fan.
162000 mi US $50	Replaced Intake camshaft variable valve timing actuator valve and solenoid.

38700 mi

US $112

Cylinder 1 misfire. Not covered under warranty so I replaced the coil pack and spark plug myself.

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47000 mi

Car overheating, failed thermostat.

55000 mi

US $50

serpentine belt and tensioner pulley

109000 mi US $100	Cam Position Solenoid went bad. Code P0011. Easy fast repair and dealer had the part too. I replaced both and it cost about $100.
115000 mi US $4551	Bad turbo, resulted in over heated engine blown head gssket and cracked block. New GM crate engine installed.

134000 mi US $13	Check engine light on. Fuel pressure leak, cleaned fuel fill neck at the cap and replaced cap.
135800 mi US $1100	Car overheating. The chain that powers the water pump broke. Replaced water pump chain, timing chain, chain guides, water pump sproket, thermostat and seal.
162000 mi US $180	Camshaft position sensor

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61000 mi	Car surges when driven at certain speeds and when stopped at light.
61000 mi	Still surging when last had it.

53200 mi US $5500	Blown engine, coolant leaking into engine and mixing with oil. Replaced engine.
54000 mi US $500	Traction control and service engine light came on. Diagnosed as misfire on cylinders 1 and 4, performed complete fuel injection cleaning service

71000 mi

Check engine light comes and goes. When it is on the engine seems to have loss of power, car wants to stall and runs rough when in gear. Cannot operate radio and AC at same time. Mechanic replaced all spark plugs and cleaned coils. Car is at dealership,ltr from GM on ignition cylinder issue-it's locking up. Also reported check engine issue-am in a rental car until they get it repaired, major engine issue covered by drive train warranty.

76600 mi

Misfire on one of the valves, issue was covered under factory warranty. Dealership had to rebuild the valve. Cost for rental car covered by dealership as well! My mechanic didn't figure this out and only replaced spark plugs.

10000 mi	The electronics don't work properly - they randomly fail to record or over-represent the speed/mileage/gas amount, etc. This has been happening since right after I bought the car. Chevy finally admitted there's a problem.
105000 mi US $140	knock sensor failed.

78700 mi

US $400

The pins in the ignition lock cylinder broke.

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69000 mi

Thermostat replaced

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44000 mi

Warped engine head. Replaced by dealer under warranty

103000 mi US $16	Replace torn serpentine belt.
115623 mi US $198	Hole in catalytic converter causing car to fail smog. Replaced CAT and small section of rusted exhaust pipe.

31000 mi	Ignition key would not turn in the ignition. Could not move out of park or turn the steering wheel so it had to be towed to the dealer.
34000 mi	Mass air flow sensor replaced.

122400 mi

A sensor stopped working and the dealer said that I could drive with it not working and it would be ok. The cost to replace the sensor would be about $180.00. No way.

31000 mi

US $130

Ignition switch hard to turn with key

8000 mi

Throttle Position Sensors not reporting within accepted values. wiring harness repaired by dealer per TSB

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77000 mi

Major repair needed requiring engine tear-down. GM covered all expenses.

97000 mi

US $115

Car sputters and idles up and acts like it doesn't want to start after fueling up, and also the electric steering freezes up and has no power to it. I have to turn the car off and start it again in order for it to work dealer says no prob.

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100000 mi US $30	I installed a Dorman #917-216 Variable Valve Timing Solenoid
117000 mi US $30	Replaced The Intake variable valve timing solenoid Dorman part # 917-215. Engine light was on, read code and replaced this part.

93500 mi US $100	Dealer said had to replace injectors for cylinders 2 and 4. Work done at independent shop to save money. Light came back on, actually 1 and 3, dealer was wrong. Replaced those.
98500 mi US $180	It was a sensor or actuator that was part of the variable valve timing system. Had the car back by noon.
119000 mi US $150	Replace thermostat and coolant flush

70680 mi

Key locked in on position could not shut off or remove key. Shifter worked fine so drove to dealer. Fixed for no charge under a TSB.

46000 mi

injectors were faulty. gm tech bulletin stated problem. replaced under drivetrain warranty.

17980 mi

$500

2 injectors were changed front driver tire was change too

100000 mi US $150	Oil leak
160000 mi	Check engine light on.
165000 mi US $250	hole in flex portion of exhaust. Replaced which include catalytic converter.

8000 mi	Poor gas mileage. Took in for routine maintenance, oil change. Tech loaded new update for pcm. Have not driven veh enough to know if change has made a difference.
17000 mi	Remote start, very cold outdoor temp. Car had been driven an hour previously for a few minutes only. When started from a distance of 100 yds away could hear a distinct popping sound from exhaust and smell gas odor when approaching the vehicle.

29000 mi US $56	Random Engine Misfire
33000 mi	Engine Misfire / Fuel Injector Replaced

140000 mi US $800	Timing chain skipped one tooth on the crankshaft sprocket. All timing related parts had to be replaced.
216000 mi US $50	Bad fuel injector for cylinder #2. Replaced with used injector from salvage yard. MPG increased from 28 to 30 mpg after repair.
235000 mi US $75	Water pump started leaking. Even after using the special tool (that allows changing the pump without disturbing the timing chain), the tensioner over tightened itself and the chain made noise. Had to pull timing cover to reset tensioner.

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55480 mi

C $250

code P0121 throttle body, replace throttle body

89000 mi

O2 sensor wiring short.

135000 mi US $150	Preventively replaced spark plugs and coil packs; also replaced leaking. valve cover gasket
139000 mi US $750	Gas fumes inside vehicle after filling tank. Replaced fuel tank and vent lines to tank

89000 mi

US $1300

Bad valve loosing compression in cylinder #4. The head had to be reworked. Affecting computer and transmission.

10000 mi	Bushing in air breather mount tore and allowed assembly to vibrate when idling. Replaced rubber mount bushing.
32000 mi	Vehicle became difficult to start, poor performance and check engine light. Dealer diagnosed low fuel pressure due to pump failure.

115000 mi

US $222

Check engine light comes on. The digital and analog coolant temperature gauge won't function. The AC will not emit cold air. The thermostat was replaced and now all is well.

246140 mi C $250	Replaced upper engine mount
253580 mi C $300	Engine was slow to start, taking two sometimes three tries to start. Replaced intank fuel pump and fuel injectors and battery
276520 mi C $36	Replaced the fuel pipe , from the tank to the steel line above the fuel tank, I had to drop the fuel cell again

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47740 mi

C $700

sensor light on

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22000 mi	Again addressed occasional dead/no start problem. Corporate involved. Level of attentiveness much improved. Replaced ignition switch. They're not sure this is the fix, but it was best guess. Month has passed, but problem only once every 3 mos on average.
24500 mi	Another attempt at intermittent start problem. Acted up immediately, so they ordered more parts and scheduled another try. Replaced bcm and other modules. Had MANY problems when picked up, so they kept it another two days. Some minor problems remain, but main one hasn't occurred again yet, though it's been only 2 weeks. new problem...gas mileage down by 15%. 10/2-10/6 Dealer again tried to repair intermittent problems. Replaced BCM computer. Result was no fix, but new problems. Took car again from 10/9-10/15. Reprogrammed and replaced other module. Results to be determined over period of time.
26000 mi	Same problems recurred, so October repair also was a failure, and new problem created - mileage down 20%. GM involved again cuz nobody knows what to try. All my dealer contacts fired-again, so starting again with new person. I am pushing for new car.
27000 mi	New service manager and general manager neither has any idea what to do, so we are negotiating an arbitration for a replacement vehicle.
27000 mi	Dealer took one last shot at fixing recurring "no-start" problem, but found nothing. Reached agreement to get me into new vehicle. Transaction is complete and I will add vehicle here.

93000 mi	SES light. GMTechlink: camshaft reluctor that has moved on the camshaft usually due to heat (but not in my case). Only cure new camshaft. http://www.sandyblogs.com/techlink/
106000 mi US $120	The flex pipe connecting the header to the cat had developed a leak. The shops I spoke to indicated that the dealer was the only place to find a replacement because of the 5 speed manual.
141000 mi	Oil leak from the block. Am not able to find the source or fix.

35960 mi C $623	New Radiator, Complained to GM about no lower grill as every other GM product has a lower grill except the Cobalt and HHR which have the same chasis. lots of 3rd party mfg's have a lower matching grill. GM did not warranty as a small stone punctured it.
43877 mi	Catalytic Converter Replaced. Hole in flex pipe. Covered under warranty.
C $315	Thermostat went!

130200 mi US $290	CEL, replaced solenoid, $92 to diagnose. Also found that front end shimmy due to scalloped tires, replaced tires (not in total), rides much better.
223000 mi US $30	Replaced Knock Sensor

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84684 mi US $31	thermostat
213000 mi US $75	Code for downstream O2 sensor. Replaced both upstream and downstream sensors
221100 mi US $525	Both fuel lines, supply and return, rusted thru behind heat shield near left rear of vehicle causing leaking fuel. Water was trapped inside of heat shield material causing rust thru. Both fuel lines replaced.

60000 mi US $70	Indications of exhaust and intake cam solenoid failures.
61000 mi	Replaced 4) injectors, reprogrammed based on TSB and Codes P0171 and P0300. Now after approx. 800 miles codes and trouble lights have returned. Requires re-diagnosis.

33057 mi

t/c light came on when acclerating hard, car ran funny. would reset after car was turned off for a minute or so. MAF sensor was replaced MAP sensor replaced - traction control light comes on when accelerating hard on a curve or from a stop. traction control system disabled due to code C0561 in PCM code. P0106 also stored in system.

50000 mi

Variable valve timing actuator solenoid replaced.

59500 mi

Catalytic converter rusted/corroded

39000 mi

US $50

key could not be removed from ignition. Problem was with the shifter sensor not showing the transmission in Park. Dealer replaced shifter mechanism and the sensor.

122200 mi

US $338

Code P0010..Intake and exhaust timing solenoid and camshaft position sensor. $210 parts, $128 labor.

43000 mi	Bad thermostat caused the check engine light to be activated.
55500 mi	The exhaust pipe adjacent to the catalytic converter split open causing a leak.
75000 mi US $100	Replaced MAP sensor

106000 mi	Exhaust leak at flex joint in pipe containing catalytic converter.
127500 mi US $1000	some part of crankshaft broke and object created hole in crankcase leading to oil being evacuated from crankcase
148000 mi US $170	Check engine light came on and stayed on. Used code reader which reported either failed catalytic converter or downstream O2 sensor failure. Replaced O2 sensor since catalytic converter was replaced aprx. 18 months ago. Clrd code prob. gone
211900 mi US $115	Serpentine belt broke while on trip. Belt was recently replaced along with alternator and tensioner.

96500 mi US $533	Check engine light and traction control light and hard shifting. Diagnostic codes P0013 and P0014. Dealer replaced intake and exhaust camshaft actuator solenoids and cleaned throttle body. Engine air filter was also replaced.
136000 mi US $622	Replaced section of fuel lines near rear axle to eliminate fuel leak where line had corroded. DTC Code p2127 replaced faulty ECM with GM refurbished ECM and programmed ECM.
136000 mi US $335	replaced thermostat
139000 mi	Relearn crankshaft and idle variation. N/C

182000 mi

US $100

Code P0010 displayed on Code reader... Replace Valve Actuator solenoid Intake side. Fairly simple straightforward procedure, less than 1 hour, cost less than $100... Problem Resolved

192000 mi

US $260

Replace Radiator

109120 mi

C $200

Bank 2 oxygen sensor replaced.

3100 mi

Bad fuel injector.

140000 mi

US $50

Thermostat quit working.

52080 mi

$150

P0i02 maf sensor - replaced P0449 vent solenoid-replaced

125240 mi

C $150

Intake and exhaust solenoids replaced as service engine light and traction light was present causing hard shifting, especially into 2nd gear.

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84000 mi US $600	Ignition COntrol Module Thermostat
94500 mi US $35	Downstream O2 sensor.
96000 mi US $137	Had a P0240 code, hoped the downstream O2 was the problem, had to replace the cat.
108000 mi US $75	MAP sensor
112500 mi US $75	Upstream O2

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41000 mi	IGNITION SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED.
49000 mi	Crack in pipe coming off exhaust manifold to converter.
63000 mi	Throttle body gasket blown. Was replaced.
101000 mi US $600	Had to replace the ECM.

121000 mi

US $87

O2 sensor Bank 1 Sensor 1. Heating Element bad. replace O2 sensor

70000 mi

US $400

Ignition coil and module both went bad. Ext. Warranty only covers the ignition coil not the module (under the electrical portion of the Chrysler Group Service Contract)I paid $100 deduct for coil and full price for module.

49600 mi	Flex pipe rusted through at motor. Had to replace whole pipe back to catalytic converter as it is all 1 piece.
74400 mi C $50	Cracked manifold
77500 mi C $81	Previously was told by dealer that car had a cracked exhaust manifold, this shop found that the bolts on the right hand side were loose
86140 mi	Had metalic rattle near drivers rear wheel. They removed a Heat guard that had rusted through and become loose.

122000 mi

Replaced the ignition switch under the recall. The car would shut off if you just touched the key. But it never shut off by itself. Now the old key still works in the ignition and the door even though they changed the lock mechanism.

75000 mi

US $3800

Burned exhaust valves

115000 mi US $560	Leaking rear main seal
133000 mi US $1170	Exhaust leak near catalytic converter, which I noticed because of the sound. Also, check engine light. O2 sensor and catalytic converter replaced.

32000 mi

intermittant t/c light goes on also check engine same thing.

26000 mi	Check engine light, replaced thermostat.
34000 mi US $223	Bad fuel injector, replaced under warranty, replaced other 3 injectors per bulletin, reprogrammed computer.
39300 mi	Bad o2 Sensor

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111000 mi

Recall- ignition and key replaced

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Chevrolet HHR repairs by problem area

Chevrolet HHR engine repair cost distribution

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