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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
18 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
78,998 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Chevrolet HHR steering problems

steering problem

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2006 Chevrolet HHR Owner Comments (Page 2 of 23)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #421

Jul 082018

HHR

  • 113,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Every couple weeks while driving my car, there will be a ding sound with a message indicating power steering failure. I have to pull over and keep turning it on and off. Eventually it seems to reset itself and work again. I cannot steer it at all when it fails and is at times hard to get off the road in time before it locks up. It is very dangerous since I have to drive on a highway to get to work.

- Haubstadt, IN, USA

problem #420

Aug 012018

HHR 4-cyl

  • 137,000 miles
My 2006 HHR lost power steering. The light came on and it took all I had to steer it. Everytime I cut it all off and crank it back up the light will go off and I can drive it for about a minute to 5 minutes usually in the light saying power steering will come on and the steering issue will occur again. I love my HHR and this is my first Chevrolet product but I really think there should be a recall due to the fact that after much much research I have found that the HHR as well as other Chevrolet vehicles have hundreds to thousands of people with the same exact complaint. The power steering light would come on and they would lose all power steering. This should not be a cost that us who have purchased and put our trust of safety into Chevrolet to have to bare. This can be extremely dangerous and can actually lead to vehicle fatalities due to the power steering going out. Chevrolet should be responsible for the repairs of the power steering due to it being a known fact based on very much research and complaints from so many owners. This fact shows and proves that it is the fault of the way the car was designed or built or faulty parts used by Chevrolet/GM. Please consider the danger that this fault can cause to owners and do a recall to have these issues repaired so that it doesn't end up causing more damage or taking a life because someone loses control of there Chevrolet due to faulty parts. Thank you, [xxx] from halifax Virginia information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Halifax, VA, USA

problem #419

Aug 062018

HHR

  • 95,000 miles
Power steering warning light comes on while driving and difficult to steer. Resets when ignition turned off and back on, however repeatedly happens every few blocks while driving. This is dangerous and there is a recall for later 2009-2010...why not for all years?

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #418

Feb 012018

HHR

  • 34,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

A chip had to be replaced for the power steering to work.also the driver visor keeps falling down and blocking my view when driving.

- Janesville, WI, USA

problem #417

Dec 012017

HHR

  • 140,000 miles
Electric steering motor stops working after 3 -5 minutes of driving, and remains inoperable for duration of the drive. Will restart after ignition is cycled, then will repeat this scenario, there is no warning when this will occur and is very hard to turn, making for some very dangerous situations

- Springville, IN, USA

problem #416

Feb 162016

HHR

  • miles
Power steering comes up in messsge center over 10 mph. Steering is very hard. When you turn the motor off and restart it resets. Over 10 mph power steering comes up again. Brought it to local dealership and diagnostic test done but test comes up with no problems. GM recalled only the 2010 HHR for this problem, not the other year models. I purchased my 2006 HHR new in December 2005.

- Liberty, TX, USA

problem #415

Dec 052017

HHR

  • 124,813 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving in town or on freeway the power steering alert will come on the display readout and there is an automatic loss of the power steering. Power steering comes back after the car has been turned off, but only for a few seconds then repeats the loss. It has been doing that every day since 12/05/2017.

- Statesville, NC, USA

problem #414

Nov 172017

HHR

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet HHR. While driving 35 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. There were no recalls on the vehicle. The VIN was not provided. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #413

Sep 142017

HHR

  • 189,000 miles
Power steering constantly goes while driving. There will be a ding and it will just cut out... why doesn't this have an recall on it"???" its seriously dangerous. Took it to dealer it will cost over 500 to fix. I can barely driving it a block without the power steering going out. It starts 4 mins after driving car... please help and fix!!! this is dangerous.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #412

Oct 142017

HHR

  • miles
Power steering goes out randomly when driving, instrument cluster also mentions something about the power steering as well. This has happened several times while driving and can be dangerous for elderly folks. You have to stop and restart your car to get your power steering working again so it has to be an electrical issue

- La Mesa, CA, USA

problem #411

Oct 272016

HHR

  • 169,207 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power steering went out. Message indicated power steering on dash. I paid dealer$1000 to replace steering column.

- Riverdale, IL, USA

problem #410

Jul 032017

HHR

  • miles
Vehicle losses power steering shortly after starting to drive. Car is in motion when this happens. Much harder to control causing a serious hazard to operation.

- Waupun, WI, USA

problem #409

Jun 262017

HHR

  • 170,000 miles
When driving a click can be heard in the footwell of the drivers seat. A chime and dic alert occurs. The dic displays power steering. The vehicles power steering system stops working. This makes the car very hard to drive at any speed. After restarting the engine the power steering system works as normal for a period of time before it fails again. This issue was recalled on later model year vehicles of this type but the 2006 model was excluded. Further investigation details that the 2006 model and newer cars share the same potentially defective or dangerous electronic power steering motor.

- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA

problem #408

May 022017

HHR

  • 850,000 miles
My power steering light keeps coming on. I shut car off and cars power steering works fine. I drive it for a bit and the light come back making it difficult and dangerous to drive.

- Compton, CA, USA

problem #407

May 012017

HHR

  • 0 miles
After start up the electronic steering motor intermittently goes out and can make steering very difficult.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #406

Mar 112017

HHR

  • miles
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

problem #405

Mar 152017

HHR

  • 79,900 miles
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

problem #404

Mar 022017

HHR

  • 200,000 miles
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

problem #403

Nov 212015

HHR

  • miles
Power steering failure

- Booneville, AR, USA

problem #402

May 012016

HHR

  • 147,000 miles
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

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