2006 Chevrolet HHR LT

Summary:

I believe they had a nice concept but cheap workmanship caused me to wish I'd never purchased an HHR

Faults:

2007: I have issues with the wheel locking in place, and at times I sit in a parking lot trying to get the wheel to release so I can drive.

2008: Glove box on top of the dash, made of all plastic, button broke plastic screw holders and they call it trim work. Must replace entire box, which in 2008 was $250.

2009: Inside door handles are made of plastic and break off in your hand when opening the doors from the inside. Although the broken piece is less than a 3 oz piece of circular plastic, the dealer says to fix it, you must purchase an entire new door. I was quoted $468 dollars to replace it (another entire door with a plastic handle, which will just break again). With four doors, the expense to replace door handles could become thousands of dollars, which is crazy and not covered under any of the warranties they sold me.

Tried to contact the GM corporation, who told me that although I found many complaints about the car handles in all kinds of web/magazine etc locations, it was not a recall item and therefore they could not assist me (they gave me the run around).

General Comments:

I use to tell people that I enjoyed my HHR. I liked the retro look and it got about 23 miles to the gallon. But lately I find that all this cheap plastic "trim" work could cost more than simply getting a new car. I will not purchase another one and with their cheap plastic trim. I will not buy another Chevy. Ending what was a family that bought Chevy cars/trucks for over 50 years.

My point is that use of cheap products in today's environment should not sell cars. I believe that a Chevy should take responsibility and fix issues like plastic door handles or etc.. if they want to keep customers returning.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 3rd September, 2009

3rd Sep 2009, 18:11

I rented an HHR while my Ford Windstar was in the shop for repairs (AGAIN) and I hated the thing. Not only was the interior a typical Chevy interior (hard plastics, loose trim pieces, multiple squeaks and rattles) but the interior noise was very LOUD. The engine was constantly roaring and the road noise was just out of this world. I had to raise my voice to a much higher level than I would expect in any car in order to speak to the passengers I was carrying! And no, I'm not a crazy driver, I'm a 67 year old woman who drives very carefully. After my Windstar was returned, it needed another repair that was going to cost me $1800 just a week later. I sold it on the spot and bought myself an '08 Civic. I love my Civic, very comfortable, much more reliable than any of my domestics, and I get about 46 MPG.

2006 Chevrolet HHR LT 2.2

Summary:

The car is a piece of crap -- sorry I bought it

Faults:

Very disappointed in the car in general; the handling is the worst of any car I have ever driven, and when pressing the gas pedal hard, the car pulls violently.

The wind noise inside the vehicle is unbelievable. When returned to have the problem corrected, I was informed that the outside mirror needed to be adjusted. I am a GM employee and have worked in final repair, and have never in my life heard of adjusting an outside mirror to correct a whistling sound inside of a vehicle; usually this is caused by a door rubber, door not fitted properly, and even glass that is not the correct curvature.

Also the ashtray or lack of is located in the worst place possible, between the seats, and you have to take your eyes off the road just to find it, or burn your seats.

General Comments:

The car achieves great fuel mileage.

There is plenty of room in the car for carrying and hauling, especially how the rear seats fold and separate. Also the extra space under floor is a great idea; a nice place to put cameras and computers where they can't be seen.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th April, 2008

11th Apr 2008, 11:16

My step-mom owns an '06 and my Dad owns an '07. They are both pleased with theirs. Both had the same recall with the sunvisors or headliner. Kinda weird. Step-mom's '06 got a flat tire thanks to a bent rim. It has the standard alloys, not the larger ones with low-profile tires. We live in Georgia where there are virtually no potholes, so very odd how she managed to bend a rim. Dad's '07 has remote start and it didn't work for a couple days. Worked fine after that. Weird. Both have the 2.2L and it's terribly underpowered for the HHR. The HHR feels too heavy for the engine. The 2.2L has no guts in everyday normal types of driving, so the engine has to work hard often. It's a buzzy sounding motor, so it's very unpleasant to listen to everytime you need to get up a hill (very hilly around here) or pass on the highway. The visibility is pathetic thanks to tiny windows and ridiculously thick pillars all around. My Tracer wagon has MUCH better visibility. I also hate the steering. It feels very artificial and disconnected from the road. It's much better in my Tracer. On the upside, they run very smoothly, quietly when cruising, and the ride is like glass. The backseat feels much roomier than the Caliber. The front seats are firm but reasonably comfortable. The Pioneer stereo is great. It seems like a nice value for the money, but "not my cup of tea."