The Chevrolet HHR has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2006–2011. On average a defect was admitted 4.07 years after the car was built, the slowest took 8 years. The most recalled system is Air Bags (3 campaigns). Owners also filed 2,979 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Chevrolet HHR
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Air Bags 3 Read
What's wrong. This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or…
Risk. If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners…
What's wrong. This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or…
Risk. If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners…
What's wrong. This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or…
Risk. If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners…
Electrical System 2 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position
Risk. If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the…
Fix. General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For…
What's wrong. UCI-FRAM Group is recalling certain LS1328 ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1328, Duralast LS1328, Airtex 1S6097, and Carquest 53-27479, and LS1497 Ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1497, Duralast LS1497, Airtex 1S10961, and Carquest 53-27967, for use on various General Motors model and model year vehicles during repair and replacement of the original ignition switch. The weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the affected ignition switches to move out of the run position, turning off the engine and disabling the air bags
Risk. If the ignition switch moves from the run position to accessory, the car would stall and the air bags will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury to the occupants
Fix. UCI-FRAM Group has notified its purchasers to quarantine and return all inventory. Any switches already installed in vehicles will be replaced by GM dealers as part of NHTSA recall 14V-047, free of charge. UCI-Fram's purchasers should contact UCI-FRAM Group at 1-800-890-2075. GM vehicle owners requiring additional…
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position
Risk. If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the…
Fix. General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For…
Steering 1 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving
Risk. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year…
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving
Risk. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year…
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. General motors is recalling 276,729 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet cobalt, hhr, malibu, traverse, gmc acadia, pontiac g5, g6 and saturn aura and outlook passenger vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicles safety standard 102, "transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect", and fmvss 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention". On some of these vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjustment clip may not be fully engaged. If the clip is not fully engaged, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. With this condition, the drive could move the shifter to "park" and remove the…
Risk. The driver may not be able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning
Fix. Dealers will inspect and ensure that the shift cable adjustment clip is fully engaged. In the event that the clip does not engage, the shift cable will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before march 24, 2009. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc…
Latches/locks/linkages 1 Read
What's wrong. Gm is recalling 296,422 my 2006-2008 chevrolet hhr vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, 'occupant protection in interior impact." the door on the storage bin in the top center of the instrument panel failed to remain closed as required
Risk. This standard specifies performance requirements to provide head impact protection for occupants
Fix. A redesigned latch will be made available. The recall began on december 23, 2008. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a>
What's wrong. Gm is recalling 296,422 my 2006-2008 chevrolet hhr vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, 'occupant protection in interior impact." the door on the storage bin in the top center of the instrument panel failed to remain closed as required
Risk. This standard specifies performance requirements to provide head impact protection for occupants
Fix. A redesigned latch will be made available. The recall began on december 23, 2008. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a>
What's wrong. Gm is recalling 296,422 my 2006-2008 chevrolet hhr vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, 'occupant protection in interior impact." the door on the storage bin in the top center of the instrument panel failed to remain closed as required
Risk. This standard specifies performance requirements to provide head impact protection for occupants
Fix. A redesigned latch will be made available. The recall began on december 23, 2008. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a>
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 4.07 years |
| Slowest campaign | 8 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 46.4% |
| Campaigns on record | 8 |
Which HHR years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Electrical System | |
| 2010 | Electrical System | |
| 2009 | Power Train | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | |
| 2006 | Air Bags |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Chevrolet HHR have?
8 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2006–2011. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my HHR still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 4.07 years, and the slowest campaign came 8 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.