2011 Chevrolet HHR: check engine light

9 of the 203 complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet HHR describe check engine light.

owner complaints: 9
of this car's complaints: 4%
typical mileage: 59,000
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 142 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Check engine light by model year

2011
9
2010
4
2009
15
2008
10
2007
22
2006
33

What owners say

Filed Oct 23, 2023 · Fuel system · IL

Fuel line/gas leaking from faulty tube carrying ignitable flammable fluid...no warning just smell and sighting at stop..went to savoy IL dealer immediately and had replaced @ 1k cost approx. 2+ yrs ago...cel

Filed Mar 12, 2018 · Electrical, Engine · 120,000 miles · MO

My 2011 hhr has started acting up by throwing out the reduced engine power light, ESC light and service traction light. This will happen when in park(when warning up the vehicle) and when im driving. It seems to happen more in cold weather. When it happens it reduces the speed down to 25mph and lurches forward and sounds horrible! I have had this happen when driving down a highway and the interstate (luckily I was in the right lane and able to get the shoulder safely. There is no warning when it is about to happen. It also will do it while stopped waiting for a stop light to change. It will throw on the check engine light and we have checked the codes and changed what it said needed change but that did not work. From what I have looked up it looks like people are having all sorts of issues with this but no one has found a solution. There needs to be a solution because spending hundreds of dollars for it not to fix it is not right.

Filed Feb 17, 2017 · Electrical · NY

Purge vent valve ground wire keeps breaking off in the wiring harness due to not enough protection(from the elements)and causing the check engine light to come on(p0449 -purge vent valve circuit malfunction) and sometimes have a gas order in the vehicle due to this ongoing issue and needs to be addressed on how to remedy this issue. This is the second time that I have with this issue.

Filed Sep 12, 2016 · Engine · 45,000 miles · NJ

While driving the car engine light appeared, I had it towed to the chevrolet dealer near me, in rockaway, nj. They reported that the charge would be over one thousand dollars, and there is a recall

Filed Apr 23, 2015 · Engine · 35,550 miles · PA

Check engine light came on, all fuel injectors needed replaced. 15,000 later the entire engine needed repaired (separate complaint).

Filed Mar 2, 2015 · Engine · 59,000 miles · MI

Driving along, 'low engine power' light came on (along with other errors, something about traction, something ESC, engine chugging; car slows down to about 10 MPH and won't accelerate; after turning car off, waiting a few minutes, car started again (but check engine light stayed on); this has actually happened to me 3 times in the past 3 weeks (I don't recall the exact dates) - I thought it might be from the extreme cold (close to 0 or below) - but today it is 31 degrees and happened again. I'm glad I wasn't on the expressway! Fortunately it happened at moderate speed and I was in a place I could safely pull off the side of the road.it appears that this is happening with numerous vehicles from around that year.

Filed Jan 13, 2015 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 125,250 miles · KS

Was traveling at night on interstate 70 between kansas city and st louis when the check engine light can on along with the traction control light at the same time the on dash message center said engine power reduced, traction control off, and ESC off. At the same time the car lost speed and before I could get off the road I was almost rear ended by a truck, at the time it was raining. Since then it has happened numerous times with no warning. After stopping the car with the engine off for a very short time it will start and run fine with the traction control light off. But the check engine light remaining on. The code for the check engine light is p2135 which is a code for the throttle pedal position sensor, this has been replaced and the problem remains to happening. I think this could be very dangerous and could cause accidents resulting in injuries. The vehicle has been to a number of mechanics and the problem continues. I spoke with gm this week and they said that they had never heard of the problem, I think they should look online you fill find many posting complaining of this problem covering many model years other than 2011.

Filed Jul 9, 2014 · Transmission · 67,000 miles · OH

Vehicle will jerk really hard when shifting gears, car is an automatic, very scary to drive. Don't know what is wrong. Jerks then check engine light comes on.

Filed Sep 15, 2013 · Body · 27,000 miles · KY

When I bought this car the back doors where a little hard to open I chalked it down to it still being not broke in well I've had this car for a year now and the back handles do not work at all from the inside sometimes one will work this is a big safety issue if there is a accident who ever is sitting in the back cannot open the doors I really think chevy needs to fix this issue before they get sued only hope no one gets killed / hurt over the back doors being opened I've had it checked 2 times they said its just because of lack of use that's bs considering its been well used for the year I've had it and now the check engine light is coming on great.