10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 18 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 6 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 78,801 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
The power steering goes out when you are driving it, and you have to pull over and switch the car off, and wait a few minutes and restart the car.
- Navarre, FL, USA
Power steering failed causing dangerous driving condition. Sudden change in ability to control vehicle. Start vehicle and has power steering for a few minutes then goes out while driving.
- Waupun., WI, USA
The electric power steering will go out while driving for no apparent reason. The light will light up on the dash stating power steering failure. Sometimes when I am in a curve the power steering will go out making it difficult to control the car in a curve because it's not expected. I can be driving down the interstate and it will just go out. I will have to stop the car and shut the car off and restart it and it will be fine for a little while and then it will go out again, and will have to repeat the cycle of stopping and shutting the car off or continue to drive without a power steering unit, which I have to do most of the time since I drive a lot on the interstate. I have read that a lot of people with this same car has experienced the same issues and I don't understand why General Motors have not recalled these cars and replaced these defective power steering units.
- Metropolis, IL, USA
Power steering failure
- Booneville, AR, USA
Power steering fails suddenly, making the car impossible to steer. This has happened in heavy traffic and on the freeway at higher speed. Other HHR's have been recalled for this problem but not the 2006 models. I've read other 2006 owners complaining of this same problem. I've checked the fuses and cannot find any reason for this problem. If I turn the ignition off, then restart the car the steering works fine for about 5 minutes before the steering goes out again. This problem started about 5 months ago, about May 2016. At first it occurred randomly, but now happens every time I drive it. Speed has no bearing on the problem as I can be driving 20 mph or 70 mph. I currently have 149,580 miles on this car. I've had the recalled ignition replaced twice and I'm wondering if this problem is related as the power steering is electric. I've had several close calls and feel the car is too dangerous to drive.
- Rosenberg, TX, USA
Power steering loss.happen about 6 different times.this car is driven by a senior 76.and car only has 23400 miles.doesn"T seem right that that should be happening was backing out of a drive way last time and couldnt get it to steer was very hard.happened last time on Oct.21,2016
- Alta Loma, CA, USA
My air bag service light comes on and my power steering dont work while this air bag service light is on. My heat dont work either while my air bag service light is on. I can drive it for awhile and when my air bag light goes off my power steering starts to work and my heat does too.
- Corydon, IN, USA
Power steering problem shutting off and on.
- Ny, NY, USA
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering ability. The power steering warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000. The VIN was not provided.
- Waterloo, IL, USA
Takata recall. Power steering goes out on my 2006 HHR while driving down the highway. Can pull over and kill the engine and restart the car and it will work fine again for a few miles then the power steering message will comes across message board and ding then it goes out again. It has been doing this for about a month now and it first started when the heat index started to get really high. It started off only occasionally doing it, but now it's more frequent. Have scheduled an appointment with dealer to have service tech look at it.
- Castle, OK, USA
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet HHR. While driving approximately 35 mph, the power steering warning indicator illuminated and the steering wheel seized. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician could not determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.
- Minsie, IN, USA
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet HHR. While driving various speeds, the steering wheel seized. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 153,000.
- Laredo, TX, USA
While driving the steering get hard and I am unable to make normal turns. This happens at slow speeds and highway speeds.
- Morristown, IN, USA
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet HHR. While driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel warning light illuminated continuously, and the steering wheel seized. The contact had to turn off and restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
- Detroit, MI, USA
I was driving home from work, and was taking a left turn to enter the highway, when all of a sudden I heard a ding ding ding from the car. My dash lit up a warning that said power steering and the steering wheel locked up. It became nearly impossible to steer, and I ended up on the side of the road, in a field. Thank goodness I didnt get into a major accident. And thank goodnes my 1 and a half year old daughter wasn't with me at the time, and was already safe at home!!
- Las Vegas, NV, USA
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet HHR.while driving 70 mph, the power steering failed and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. Prior to the failure, the vehicle was previously serviced for the failure twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000. The VIN was unavailable.
- Dallas, TX, USA
It started a couple months ago, you would hear a beeping sound then a message on the dash, it will say "power steering" then the power steering would not be working, it started once a week then once a day now it happens every single time you drive the car.
- Williamstown, NJ, USA
Vehicle has 111,000 miles and twice in the past two days the power steering error in the dic came on during low speed cornering. Both times the power steering was working normally until the turn and was very difficult to turn under manual mode. A reset of the car restored power steering albit temporarily.
- Greenacres, FL, USA
We keep hearing a ding, ding, ding, and the instrument cluster reads out power steering as we lose our power steering and it becomes very difficult to turn the wheels. This keeps happening every so many days and I have changed the 60 amp fuse. But it seems that if I pull over and shut off the car and restart it the power steering works once again. It is very frustrating and dangerous in traffic. I called our mechanic and he said he will not work on electronic steering systems. That doesn't give me much comfort as it appears I would have to go to the dealer and guess it might be a big deal and very expensive. But other than that, we have been very happy with our car these last 10 years.
- Homosassa, FL, USA
- Atlanta, GA, USA