2006 Chevrolet Hhr

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FUSE BOX CAUGHT FIRE AND CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DRAIN COMPLETELY. BYSTANDERS HELPED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND FUNCTIONALITY AND THE IGNITION KEY REMAINED STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,400.

WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT FLASHES ON DASH BOARD AND I LOSE ALL THE FUNCTION OF THE POWER STEERING. IT HAS NOW HAPPENED 4 SEPARATE TIMES IN TWO WEEKS, THE LAST WHEN I WAS TURNING A CORNER AND NEARLY HIT A CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE I COULD NOT STEER THE VEHICLE. I HAVE A SAFETY RECALL LETTER FROM GENERAL MOTORS STATING THAT I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO FIX AND THEN THEY WOULD DETERMINE IF IT FELL UNDER THERE RECALL. WHEN THE LETTER STATES TO BRING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD THE POWER STEERING LIGHT EVER COMES ON THE DASH PANEL, WHICH IT HAS DONE KNOW 4 TIMES WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. I COULD BEEN KILLED IF I HAD BEEN GOING FASTER OR KILLED SOME ONE. THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THE GM FAULTY MECHANICS. FIRST IT WAS THE IGNITION HAVING TO GIVE MY VEHICLE UP FOR NEARLY 6 WEEKS TO HAVE IT FIXED. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY GENERAL MOTORS AND PAID FOR BY GENERAL MOTORS, NOT THE CONSUMER. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE, ANOTHER DEATH BECAUSE OF THE MISTAKES. EVEN AFTER THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE VIA LETTER, BUT I FIRST PAY OUT OF POCKET AND THEN DETERMINE IF THEY WILL REIMBURSE ME FOR IT. THE FIRST TIME I WAS IN DOWNTOWN LA GOING TO WORK AND ONCE AGAIN WHEN I TURNED LEFT WHILE DRIVING, THE SECOND ON THE 405 IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, JUST AS I WAS ACCELERATING AND CHANGING LANES, THE LIGHT FLASHED ON THE DASH BOARD (POWER STEERING) AND I LOST ALL POWER STEERING CAPABILITY. THE THIRD WAS THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 15, 2016. TURNING LEFT AGAIN AND THE FOURTH TIME JUST YESTERDAY AGAIN WHEN I TURNED LEFT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN INTERMITTENTLY BEFORE FAILING COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BULBS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE IT COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

MY CAR WAS INVOLVED IN THE IGNITION RECALL...TOOK IT IN HAD IT ALL FIXED. NOW THAT SAME SWITCH HAS GONE FAULTY AGAIN. THE CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER. ACTS JUST LIKE THE STARTER IS GOING OUT, IT SLOW TO START AND GETS WORSE AND WORSE TILL IT WILL NO LONGER START. I HAVE HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED AND STARTER(DUE TO THAT SEEMED TO BE THE ISSUE. AFTER DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT SWITCH KEEPS COMING UP AS AN ISSUE.

AFTER ABIDING BY THE RECALL TO CHANGE THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE CAR STARTS FREAKING OUT RANDOMLY. THE DASH LIGHTS START GOING ON AND OFF. LOOSE POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES AND THE CAR JUST STOPS. YOU CAN BE GOING 70 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR JUST GIVES OUT. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX IT UNLESS I AM WILLING TO PAY ALL THE FEES. I HAD A SECOND DEALERSHIP REPLACE SOME FUSES BUT AFTER 2 DAYS IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN. AFTER THE FIRST EPISODES, I CALLED AND OPENED A TICKET WITH CHEVROLET, BUT BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP I USED DIDN'T WANT TO MESS WITH THE CAR ANY MORE THEY WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL. NOW I AM DRIVING A DEATH TRAP BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD A NEW CAR AND I WON'T LET MY CHILDREN DRIVE OR BE IN THE CAR.

RAW GAS LEADING UNDER THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF LEFT REAR WHEEL. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC. HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK PICTURES AND SAID ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS OLDER (JUST TURNED 10 WITH 93,000 MILES), IT WAS FAR TOO YOUNG FOR SUCH SEVERE RUSTING. THE RUST GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE GAS TANK. HE GAVE ME THE PICTURES AND SAID TO CONTACT GM. WHICH I DID. AFTER A WEEK OF BANTERING BACK AND FORTH WITH CUSTOMER CARE, MY CASE WAS SENT TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE CUSTOMER CARE FOLLOWING AN EMAIL I SENT TO MARY BARRA, CEO OF GM. THEY OFFERED A %15 DISCOUNT ON THE $1000 ESTIMATE OF REPAIR. I REFUSED THAT OFFER. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT LET ME DRIVE THE CAR OFF THEIR LOT BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE LEAK. I RECENTLY FOUND THAT ALL THE AREA DEALERSHIPS CARRY A FULL SUPPLY OF THE EXPENSIVE FUEL LINES FOR THE HHR.. I'M TOLD THAT THEY WHEN THEY CARRY SO MANY, IT MEANS THAT THERE IS A HIGH DEMAND FOR REPLACEMENT. MY CERTIFIED MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT DESIGN LOCATION OF THE FUEL LINES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLLECTION OF WATER AND SALT. THE FUEL LINES ARE UP AGAINST THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD WHEN THE RUSTING LEADS TO GAS LEAKS. PLEASE HELP! THE CAR WAS PARKED AT THE TIME OF THE GAS LEAK WITH A PUDDLE OF GAS COLLECTION ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FRISBEE.

THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE IGNITION ON THE HHR, I HAD THE IGNITION CHANGED BUT ON THE WAY HOME THE LOCKS UNLOCKED AND LOCKED SEVERAL TIMES, THEN THE CRUSE KICKED OFF, THE RADIO STOPPED WORKING, THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT OFF AND ON, AND THE MOTOR STOPPED. I HAVE CONTACTED GM SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY SAY THE IGNITION CHANGE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE AND ALSO HAD TO REMOVE THE FUSE FOR THE RADIO, BECAUSE IT WOULD RUN THE BATTERY DOWN. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN WE HAVE DRIVEN IT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I FORMER MECHANIC THAT WORKED FOR A GM DEALER SAID THAT THERE IS A ELECTRICAL UNIT THAT THE IGNITION CONTROLLED AND THAT WITH THE PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION CAUSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL UNIT. WE DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE MUCH BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT, NOR WOULD WE SELL IT, BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS.

WHILE ON VACATION, THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN STARTED IN 2 WEEKS. THE WEATHER HAD TURNED FROM WARM AND RAINY TO VERY COLD. AFTER GETTING BACK AND STARTING THE CAR, NOTICED A HEAVY FUEL SMELL AND THOUGHT THE EXHAUST WAS BURNING EXTRA RICH DUE TO THE COLD TEMPERATURE. GETTING OUT OF THE CAR TO WALK AROUND TO INSPECT THE EXHAUST NOTICED A STEADY DRIP FORMING A CIRCLE ON THE ASPHALT JUST IN FRONT OF THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE LOCATION OF THE LEAK SEEMS TO BE WHERE THE FUEL LINE BENDS UP AND INTO THE BODY CHANNEL. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT MORNING WHERE IT HAS BEEN WAITING ON PARTS TO REPLACE THE RUSTED STEEL FUEL LINES BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. WAS ADVISED THE HEAT SHIELD TO PROTECT THE FUEL LINE FROM THE NEARBY EXHAUST SYSTEM RETAINS MOISTURE AND LEADS TO THE LINES RUSTING AND PERFORATING. I DID NOT TAKE PICTURES, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THIS AN ISOLATED ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE'S FUEL LINES AFTER CHECKING ONLINE FOR SIMILAR COMPLAINTS.

FUEL LINES RUSTED OUT TO THE POINT OF LEAKING. LEAKING GAS IS ON THE LEFT SIDE IN FRONT OF LEFT REAR WHEEL BY THE ROCKER PANEL.THE STRAPS THAT HOLD UP THE FUEL TANK ARE ALSO RUSTED. MY RESEARCH ON THIS SHOWS THAT THAT THIS IS A PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I'VE OWNED CARS FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF RUST IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE. MY CAR IS A 2006 AND HAS 93,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD NOTICED A GAS SMELL AFTER I PARKED MY CAR. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, I NOTICED A WET SPOT UNDER THE LEAK. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION AND PICTURES, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE GAS WAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINES ON THE LEFT REAR OF THE CAR (DRIVER SIDE) IN FRONT OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE. I'VE PROVIDED PICTURES.