The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the contact was informed that the vehicle was leaking gasoline. The vehicle was inspected, and the contact was informed that fuel was leaking from the driver’s side rear wheel well area, near the muffler. While at the residence, the contact observed that fuel was still leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a rusted fuel line located near the driver’s side rear wheel well, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to have the vehicle diagnosed by a dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 68,900. The VIN was not available.
2008 Chevrolet HHR fuel system problems
85 complaints (14% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 123,027.
- owner complaints
- 85
- of this car's complaints
- 14%
- typical mileage
- 123,027
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings5
- Delivery: fuel pump1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet HHR fuel system problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Chevrolet HHR fuel system
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Fuel Line Leak
On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM). The metal fuel lines are corroding and leaking fuel in the area between the front and rear wheels on the driver's side of the vehicle before the muffler. Most consumers allege a fuel odor and/or an observable fuel leak that alerts them to the condition.The subject metal fuel lines have a protective AGE coating and, in the vicinity of the left rear wheel, are further wrapped in a foil heat shield. The AGE coating consists of an annealed zinc aluminum alloy metal coating with extended corrosion protection paint. Under certain conditions, water and corrosive road deicing agents may enter a crevice between the heat shield and the AGE coating. With extended environmental exposure in high corrosive environments, the AGE coating can degrade. If it degrades enough, the base metal lines may begin to corrode beneath the heat shield.Corrosion to the fuel lines may eventually cause a perforation to develop in the line, allowing fuel vapors to escape from between the line and the heat shield, emitting a fuel odor that will be detectable to the vehicle operator. If the corrosion progresses, fuel may begin to weep from the line. Further metal degradation due to corrosion could create a drip or a mist of fuel. If this occurs, vehicle owners may see drips, spots, or puddles on the ground near the rear portion of the vehicle, primarily along the driver's side rear wheel.The majority of allegations (85%) were reported for vehicles that are operated in the salt belt region of the United States. This area includes states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Additionally, the average failure mileage in the subject vehicles is approximately 111,000 across all data sources.Considering the low manufacturer complaint/warranty rates of fuel line replacement, the fact that the majority of failures are concentrated in salt belt states, high failure mileages, as well as the field exposure time for the subject vehicles, and the highly detectable and progressive nature of this failure over time, the potential safety consequences of this issue are very low. To date, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. There are two reported fires in ODI data and no reported fires in GM data. Both ODI reported fires were minor, occurred after the vehicle was parked, and were extinguished utilizing fire extinguishers.In view of the progressive failure occurring at high mileages, the age of the subject vehicles, the high detectability of the leak, and the majority of failures occurred in salt belt states, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at under the attached identification numbers.
PE20011
What 2008 Chevrolet HHR owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that on one occasion after her friend parked the vehicle, the contact observed condensation underneath the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by the friend's nephew, and it was determined that the fuel line had a hole and was leaking fuel. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Gas line leaking, leaves puddles and can visibly be seen dripping
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the contact detected an abnormally strong fuel odor. Upon inspection, the contact noticed a leak coming from underneath the rear driver's side door. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Action Number: PE20011 (Fuel System, Other, Fuel/Propulsion System, Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was 184,025.
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the contact became aware of a fuel leak nearby the rear driver’s side wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel line had completely rusted due to being wrapped in heat-reliant tape. The contact was informed that the fuel lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and was informed that there was a recall related to the rust failure of the fuel line of another make and model vehicle however, the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 199,000.
Fuel line leaking in two places, in the rear and in the front. Completely rusted out. My car only has 60,800 miles on it. Type of car is a 2008 chevy hhr lt 2.4. Gas is leaking on the ground and a strong smell of gas is emitted from the car. This is very dangerous because the car could catch fire. I did not think this would happen to my car with so few miles on the car. I did not know there was a problem and drove the car 130 miles away from home to my dad's funeral. Then I had to drive it back because th e tow would have been $700. The mechanic who inspected the car. Buddy lloyd's lakeview automotive at 4757 sang run road in mcenry, md 21541, said it would cost about $2,000 to fix because of the extent of the corrosion and the chaep materials used. In addition, the fuel lines are located underneath other major parts and would have to be taken off to get to the fuel lines. The mechanic said at any moment if I hit a bump that the gas could empty the tank and possibly catch fire!
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that there was fuel leaking from the fuel tank. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the fuel tank however, the failure persisted. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
Corrosion of the metal fuel lines underneath the vehicle towards the rear and in the vicinity of the left rear wheel well.
2008 HHR Chevy LS 4D. Within 10 months of purchasing this car (October, 2017) the smell of gasoline became so strong I took it to the local mechanic. The fuel line had completely rusted out. I was told it could have caught fire! Cost of replacement was $420.00. A huge financial burden for a senior citizen. I have original bill for this amount and receipt of payment.
Gas leak has started on the driver side in front of the rear tire.
Questions about the 2008 Chevrolet HHR fuel system
Does the 2008 Chevrolet HHR have fuel system problems?
Owners have filed 85 complaints about the fuel system of the 2008 Chevrolet HHR, 14% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet HHR fuel system problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 123,027 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Chevrolet HHR fuel system?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Chevrolet HHR have the most fuel system problems?
The Chevrolet HHR model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2008 (85 complaints), 2009 (84 complaints) and 2010 (52 complaints).
Other 2008 Chevrolet HHR problems
Steering 297Electrical 108Brakes 55Airbags 38Engine 28Locks 25Transmission 22Driver assistance 15Suspension 15Body 13Acceleration 12Lights 12Wheels 9Tires 6Visibility 6Seats 2Seat belts 1
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