Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the power steering assist failed as the contact was attempting a turn . The failure increased he contact's steering ability however, the contact was able to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection but the mechanic did not diagnose the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 39,000. Updated 02/20/13*lj the electric power steering motor was replaced.
2008 Chevrolet HHR steering complaints
Page 10 of 11: complaints 251 to 280 of 297, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Power steering keeps going out. Usually when turning. The first time it went out, I was driving 45 MPH and it went out while I was rounding a curve, and I almost hit a tree because I was unaware that it was going to do this. After that, it went out about 2-3 times a week, everytime when making a turn. I went to have it looked at and my mechanic said that he couldn't find anything wrong with the power steering and to report this problem as he has seen this in a few other hhrs that he has worked on. It is very dangerous and because of it unpredictability, I am always afraid to drive my car.
The electric steering system of my 2008 hhr failed so many times on me. It happened in cool mornings and in hot afternoons. One time the system failed while I was making an u turn and the car almost jumped onto the sidewalk because it was so hard to turn without the power assist. This is definitely a safety issue. I saw some reports that in canada there was a recall on this problem. Why not in us?
As I was driving around a curve after stopping, going about 5 MPH, a power steering message appeared and I was unable to steer my car. In order to stop my car I had to turn a corner (by turning the wheel which took a lot of effort), where I was able to put it in park and then shut off the vehicle. The car started back up with no problems. An hour later the message reappeared and would not go off. It is very difficult to steer and I do not want to drive this on the road (I have no control over the car). The car only has 31,000 miles on it and is 4 years old.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the steering wheel locked without warning. The contact turned the engine off and maneuvered the steering wheel with force several times before there was a normal response. The contact was able to resume driving. The failure occurred five times. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 40,500.
The car was like "exhaling" as I was driving on the highway. The next morning after I started my car, I saw the message "power steering". Took it to the chevy dealership on oct 3 and was charged for them to tell me they could not duplicate the problem. On oct 10, it happened again, but I heard a warning signal along with the message. I immediately drove to the dealership again and was told they couldn't get to me until oct 15. I was told that the last time, they found a low voltage and that was all. I'm left wondering what to do if it stops in the middle of the highway and no power steering. I have another appointment on oct 15th(probably for another $120) for them to tell me the same thing. Safety - if I lose the power steering while on the highway, trying to go around curves, I will surely get hit by someone. There's no shoulders on the highway (I-40) that I drive on daily during peak traffic time. Luckily, my car has not done that to me, but it is showing all the warnings. Please help before someone loses their life, including myself. I am about afraid to get on the road because of this problem and of reports that the engine "fried" on someone else's car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. The contact stated that the power steering was malfunctioning intermittently. The contact stated they have to turn the vehicle off and restart it in order to get the steering to come back. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 32,000. Updated 11/28/12*lj the consumer stated the power assist for the steering would go out without warning while driving.
While on vacation we were driving in washington dc traffic during mid day traffic congestion, the power steering failed in our car. We were lucky and were able to struggle to steer to get off to the edge of the highway and shut the car off. Upon restarting the power steering was working until several hours later again in busy traffic. This happened 3 more times in next two days before getting it back home & to the dealership, where it was determined to be a component that has been recalled in other models but not this one. I cannot understate the danger of losing power steering in any road conditions, putting myself, my family and other motorists in danger.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. The contact stated that while driving 2 MPH, the power steering motor turned off independently. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing and the contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 88,000 and the current mileage was 90,000. The VIN was unavailable.
I had just pulled out of a driveway. I heard a few alert tones and looked at my dash and the power steering message was displayed. I entered into a roundabout and learned that my power steering was not working. Luckily I was not going very fast and was able to muscle the car through the turns. I had a few more turns on the way home. Once at home I turned the car off for a few minutes. Upon restarting it the power steering was again functional. I am afraid that it will happen again in heavy traffic areas.
Power steering fails after vehicle is driven for approx 10 minutes. No warning, just goes out. Apparantly chevy cobalt uses same/simalar electric power steering motor which has been recalled. Unsure why no recall has been issued for the hhr.
Power steering ceased to function.
This car is a safety hazard going down road. I bought it new in 2008. Rotors & brakes are horrible - have to have repaired multiple times. Bearings have went out, replaced & one went out again. I spend approx 1200 dollars a year just to get shaking out of front end, turning rotors & tires. But that isn't really the problem I am reporting: was having trouble with ignition switch - it was recalled - took it to dealer to have it replaced - understand that I was having no problems with car at this time - upon leaving dealers and within 15 miles power steering light comes on & I lose power steering. Now my power steering goes out unexpectedly whenever it decides to. Took back to dealer because I felt this was something they messed up and was told this is just a problem with hhrs and that power steering motor needs to be replaced. After researching this...it is very common with this car, along with brake issues, severe shaking in front, bearings going out and many other problems that I have also had. I realize my car is high mileage, I work as a home health nurse & use this car for work, but I do keep it maintained. I hope that I will be able to get into different car before I get in accident in this one.
Vehicle will show ecs code in dic message center and ESC will be disabled. Vehicle will then lose power steering short time later and you will have no power steering. Has been happening since warranty expired at 36,000 miles. It will reset after engine is turned off, however after about 20 minutes of steady driving you will lose power steering.
While driving, the power steering light came on and the vehicle became hard to steer. It does this almost every time we drive the vehicle, but luckily it has not yet done it while turning a corner. When you turn the vehicle off and turn it back on, it works again. There does not seem to be anything in particular that triggers an event. It may happen after 2 minutes of driving, or 40 minutes of driving, or it may not happen at all on any one particular trip. This is a very dangerous situation and seems to be common amongst hhr owners. There is currently a canadian recall on this, but not here in the us. There is a gm tsb (231703) referencing this, but that does not require gm to repair this dangerous problem.
The power steering went out while I was driving on city roads. It will briefly come back on after the car is shut off and restarted, but it goes out again shortly after the vehicle begins moving. My warranty is up and the manufacturer has refused to reimburse me, either fully or partially, for the cost of replacement. There was a canadian recall for the same model of car, but I cannot find any information on the difference between the power steering units of the us and canadian models such that not having a us recall would be justified. Please investigate this issue. It is not only unfair for people to have to pay for expensive repairs for a relatively new vehicle, it is a serious safety risk that should be fixed by the manufacturer.
This car has a safety defect with the steering wheel ..the steering wheel shakes out of control ..starting at 50mph very scary.. Today I went online to read at lest 20 complaints online about the same steering issue..this is very serious ..please prove me wrong..1 complaint I read the man stated that he had his steering wheel changed 3 times and it did not resolve the problem.. Major defect...please help me to resolve this matter.. You can use my car as an example to test ..please ! I am scared to drive it ..I have been driving since 1975...all make of car.. Chevy is my favorite.. The hhr is the worst in safety performance.. It is not safe for people to keep passing this brand of car around because of the defect in the steering.. I have only had this car for 3 month it came with low miles.. And all of the complaints I read today had low mileage..people are passing these cars off because of the defective steering which is a major safety defect . How did this car passed safety inspection.. Or was it tested for safety at any time prove me wrong ?????? Feed back please.....
Electric power steering goes out at random times. Is not related to speed, or even being used at the time. Can be at a full stop and the power steering will stop working and the power steering message comes on the dash. Turning off car and restarting will get it working again, but may go right back out within minutes, apparently for no obvious reason. Happened to me 3 times in a one mile trip. And this is a repeated occurrence. Vehicle is very hard to steer when the power steering stops working. Doing online research has show that many other owners are having the same issue and that replacement of the power steering motor usually fixes the problem. Same as with the below mentioned problems with the chevrolet cobalt. Recall. Number 10023. There is currently a recall on this exact same problem with the exact same part on the chevrolet cobalt. I believe the hhr should have been added to this recall. This can potentially be a very deadly problem depending on circumstances. How me deaths or injuries does it take for chevrolet to do the right thing for all affected owners of faulty components?
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. The contact stated that the power steering light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000. Updated 5/11/12 *cn the consumer stated the power steering failed six times. Updated 05/22/12
I was driving on a freeway overpass at about 15 MPH when the instrument panel displayed the message, "power steering." the steering wheel all but locked up and it was nearly impossible to drive the car though I found a way to go on the freeway and exit at the first chance I had. I called my mechanic first who said he wanted to see the vehicle as soon as possible. I told him I have a aaa membership and he suggested I have the car towed to avoid further damage since he did not yet know what the problem was. I had the hhr towed to the mechanic and he told me after a thorough investigation that the power steering assist was not working correctly; was doing this intermittently at this point but did it at random today. Given the fact this problem cannot be predicted and the resulting safety issues, I authorized the mechanic to make the repair once he received the part. I have looked online and see this steering problem presents itself in the 2008 hhr at approximately 38k miles which is how many miles I have on it; the problem came up as if like clockwork. I don't feel I should have to pay for this repair work since there are under 40k miles on the car. Is there any plan for chevrolet to call a recall on this problem so we can either have the repairs done at gm's expense or for those of us that made the repairs on our own to have a reimbursement? My repairs are going to be $400+. I am unable to drive the car unless the repairs are made. Please advise what my options are for this problem. Thanks.
The power steering fails. There is no warning and it happens at any speed and any driving situation.
After driving for more than 10-30 min, at any speed but usually at or above 50 MPH, the power steering would malfunction intermittently, steering/handling became difficult. Feels like it's over-correcting or is ice-skating around the lane when keeping the wheel straight. Occasionally hhr will buck while driving on the highway, would slow down to 55-65mph and still experience rough bucking & poor handling. Took to dealership to fix what I thought was an alignment issue, they said there were no other problems, but still experience them almost daily. Also have had troubles removing the key from ignition after shifting the car into park.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH the steering wheel became hard to turn and the power steering light illuminated while the failure occurred. The failure was experienced numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test that located the failure in the power steering motor which should be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 63,900.
The first time the power steering failed in my 2008 hhr, I was driving on the freeway with my wife and daughter out of nowhere there was a warning sound and then the dashboard warning lit up and I had lost all power steering. Luckily, I was able to keep control of the vehicle as there was heavy traffic and I was in the middle of a rather treacherous highway curve with four lanes of traffic. I eventually made way off freeway, turned off vehicle and then started it again. This seemed to do the trick, for a short time. Since this first power steering loss, the same thing has happened at least 7 or 8 times, at various speeds with total power steering loss. This is the only vehicle we have and since we cannot afford another vehicle I am forced to drive this safety hazard. I am worried about losing control and crashing possibly hurting my family and/or others. This has to be fixed, there are too many people driving the same make/model/year with the same problem. It is obviously not a fluke; I am not the only person having this issue.
Power steering failed while vehicle was being operated at 25-30 MPH. Vehicle's onboard diagnostic system detected the problem as evidenced by warning chime and display of "power steering" message. Vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who verified loss of power steering and diagnosed a failure of the electric steering motor, which was replaced.
My power steering on my 2008 chevy hhr the same as the cobalt stops working while driving, and it cause me to run off the road. Luckily there were no injury, but what if ???????
Starting april 2011 my chevy hhr has been having problems with its power steering. It has turned off several times while I was driving. Each time could have resulted in a major accident. I drive a lot of winding roads and do not feel safe doing so now. I do not feel safe driving my hhr. I have to pull over and turn off my car for a few minute before I can start it back up and have the power steering work. It is now starting to turn off several times in one day. I have been reading that this is happening to many people with this same vehicle. I fear this may result in accidents that could be avoided if it is recalled and fixed in the hhr.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. While driving at various speeds, the contact heard a chime inside of the vehicle and the power steering warning indicator illuminated with a sudden loss of power steering. The contact was able to maneuver to the side of the road with difficulty turning the steering wheel. The engine was turned off and restarted. The power steering operated normally for a brief period of ten minutes. The failure occurred eight times. The vehicle was taken to an independent dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
I began to notice that the power steering in my car would intermittenly fail about three or four months ago. The first instance was when I was turning my wheel while entering into a parking lot. The car made a dinging sound, then in the odometer are it read "pwer steering." it then became extremely difficuit to turn my wheel. I stopped the car, turned it off, then restarted it and the problem went away. Then a few weeks later it happened again, but when I turned it off, started, then restarted, it went back to normal just as it did before. This continued on for several weeks, each time it would be less and less time between incidents. Now, I can't even get ten feet out of my driveway before I lose the power steering function. It continues to function normally when the car is first started, and then for a short distance, but every time I drive the car now, I have no use of my power steering.
The electric power steering turned itself off mid turn causing a drastic understeering leading the vehicle into oncoming traffic, upon research I found that gm recalled the exact same steering components that failed in the hhr in other gm vehicles but not the hhr. If this does not warrant serious investigation what does. The second time this happened everything was fine as we were driving straight, the problem occurred when the electric power steering turned back on mid-turn causing my wife to over turn into someone's front lawn, had anyone been in the way this would have been tragic. We've been lucky this far but as we are a low income household we don't have the means to pay some dealer to fix this as they all say it's on us the owners to take care of even though it's the same defective equipment that was in vehicles like the cobalt and pontiacs lines, why hasn't there been a recall issued, this is a sever driving impairment that can cause accidents and gm doesn't seem to care due to it's an acceptable loss! No life is an acceptable loss, please address this issue as there are many complaints into this same issue in the research I preformed, by the way, why is it gm canada issued a recall on this part for the hhr and not the us branch? Our hhr is a 2008 with 66000 miles on it and the electric power steering is the issue.
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