If you Own an HHR or want to buy one read this blog!

I found this Red HHR and fell into immediate liking of the car. I like the style of the HHR with the older classic look and the bright red coloring. The HHR features an ample seating area enough for 5 people comfortably. Also features decent gas mileage at 22 in the city and 30 on the highway.

However if you own an HHR or may be considering buying one I would defiantly read this blog!

I like my HHR I named the car ROVER but let me tell you some of the issues I have ran into.

The First issue was the Tire Sensors:
One issue that the HHR has is the sensors on the tires. The light on mine was constantly on and I found out that the sensor in one of my tires had gone bad.
It runs about $80 to $100 to replace the sensors.
You can drive the HHR with a bad sensor (s) on the tires but the light will constantly stay on.

The Second issue was the Engine Light:
A few days after I purchased the HHR the engine light would not go off. I began to research the internet and found this was one of the biggest complaints about the HHR. I took it to the shop  several times and had the car checked out and nothing was wrong with it but the engine light still stayed on. A few causes I found was the gas cap was loose or an emission sensor may be bad. If the sensor is not bad you can drive the HHR but the Engine Light may stay on. You can erase the codes if you have a code reader but usually the light will come back on after a few days. 
I really still have no clue why it stays on in my HHR.

The Third issue was the Radio:
So another huge complaint of the HHR  i noticed online was the radio and the speakers not working. Of course my HHR has this issue. Once again I was doing research on the internet to solve the issue. There is no clear answer that I found and I read several blogs, and even checked the HHR complaint pages and You Tube. A lot of the complaints included the smaller tweeter speakers in the front would work but the door speakers would not work. Answers included finding a blown speaker (s) and checking the fuse for the radio. However there was no clear answer to resolve this issue.
To this day my radio has issues on my HHR.

The Fourth issue was the Brakes:
The front brakes on the HHR often go out and have to be replaced. This may be from weight of the car. Some of the biggest complaints I saw on the car was steering wheel vibration while driving or loud noises from the front tires. On either case the brakes may need changed  and possibly the rotors, calibers and brake pads. This repair can run anywhere from $350 and up depending on the issue. The loud noise or humming could be a bad bearing another one of the biggest complaints I found about the HHR. If you can try to keep the brakes in good condition it is best for this car.

The Fifth issue was the Front Head Lights:
This issue happened to me my driver side head light was always dim and my left light was always bright. So I changed the bulb in the driver side. Not an easy task on the HHR because you have to go through the tire wall behind the front tires. Even after I figured out how to do that by watching videos and researching how to do it the light remained dim. After more research I changed the fuse however to this day I have one dim light and one bright light. I still have not figured this one out.

The Sixth issue was the Key Locked and Dead Battery:
If this happens to you like it did me it is frustrating. The car battery is in the trunk of an HHR.
That is not the bad part. If your battery dies the trunk will not open. Do not stress however.
There is a port in the front of the engine that can be used for jumping or charging a battery.
Also if you cant get to the front fold the back seats down and get to the battery that way.
The HHR may also lock your keys in the ignition as well if your battery dies.
There are two things you can do:
#1) Under the steering wheel there is a small port hole kinda square looking. You can press the the mechanical lock down and the keys will move and come loose.
#2) You can just charge or change the battery and the keys will come loose.

The Seventh issue was a Bad Fuse or Sensor or an Electrical Short:
I noticed some issues with sensors, fuses, and electrical shorts in the HHR.
This is also another big complaint on the internet from HHR owners.
If your having a lot of issues with electricity flow check your fuses and sensors first.
Running down an electricity short good luck is all I will say.

The Eighth issue the Air Conditioner:
This is another huge issue on the HHR complaint department. The issue is the AC will just stop working and on the codes the temp will read all blanks. This is caused by a fuse or sensor again or a bad thermostat. If it goes out on you try resting the code and the AC will work again. The temp should be between 170 to 190 to work properly. However you may need to change the thermostat or sensor if you do not want a continuing issue with the A/C. In a shop this repair can run between $100 and up.

The Ninth issue Chains on the Tires:
Being that HHR is front wheel drive so snow driving is an issue.
HHR does have two lower gears for snow driving or other driving conditions.
HHR design however with the tires and the shorter base between the tires and wheel area adds issues for punting chains or other devices on the tires.
However it can be done.

In the end I still like the HHR it is a fun car and I really like the style and room of the car overall.
There are some issues as you read above but I have also read they last a long time several stories of HHR cars in the 250,000 mile range. I guess it is in how you take care of the HHR or any car.