Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - PEDALS AND LINKAGES | |||||
| 08-05-22-001 | 03/01/2008 | 10024763 | Pedal noise/buzz, extra effort needed to depress brake pedal after vehicle has not been driven for extended period of time (reprogram electronic brake control module (ebcm)). *nj | 05/19/2008 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC | |||
| 08/14/2008 | 5800 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 hhr ss with the 2.0l turbo engine that in my opinion has a severe brake problem. when the car starts up after being left off for a period of time the brakes do not apply pressure properly making it difficult to stop. most times the problem goes away as the car warms up and is being driven. i took the vehicle to the dealership and they programmed the vehicles computer and told me that was the fix. they described the fix as adjusting the anti-lock brakes to compensate for the loss of pressure. this only helped slightly and now when the engine is cold if i apply pressure to the brakes i can feel the abs pulsating and even with full pressure applied the car jerks when stopped and even inches forward when at stop lights and stop signs until the car has warmed up for at least a few minutes. i do not think the fix of programming the vehicles computer is adequate and when i called back about the problems after the dealership applied their fix they told me that is all they can do. they also said they have had many reported issues of drivers of the same vehicle having similar problems so it appears to be wide spread enough to constitute a permanent fix. *tr | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 08/23/2012 | 109000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 04/03/2012 | 59000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. while applying the brakes at a speed of 25 mph, the contact noticed that the front end of the vehicle began to shake violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the front rotors were replaced. the failure recurred two weeks after the repair. the recent failure was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were 59,000. kmj | |||
| 04/03/2012 | 59000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. while applying the brakes at a speed of 25 mph, the contact noticed that the front end of the vehicle began to shake violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the front rotors were replaced. the failure recurred two weeks after the repair. the recent failure was not repaired. the current and failure mileage was 59,000. kmj | |||
| 04/03/2012 | 59000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet her.while applying the brakes at a speed of 25 mph the contact noticed that the front end of the vehicle began to shake violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the front rotors were replaced. two weeks after the repair the contact noticed that the failure re occurred. the vehicle has not been repaired for the recent failure. the current and failure mileages were 59,000. bml | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 65000 | ||
| When braking to come to a stop the brakes/wheels shutter and shake violently. | |||
| 08/19/2009 | 41000 | ||
| I puchased a 2008 chevrolet hhr in 2009 with 40,000 miles on it. i noticed braking/shaking problem. dealer fixed it the day after i bought it. under a 500 miles later, braking/shaking starts again. different dealer turns rotors two more times. pads are wearing evenly, so the dealer machanic advised me to purchase after-market rotors as the oem do not appear to resist warping very well. when the dealer's mechanic recommends putting on a non-dealer part, there has got to be something wrong with the engineering of the car or the integrity of the metal in the rotors. there are many complaints on people turning and re-turning these rotors all over the web, ultimately leading them to replace with non-gm parts. | |||
| 06/15/2011 | 123000 | ||
| For the third time since purchasing this vehicle, i have had to have the brake rotors turned due to warping. had the pads replaced with lifetime pads last year. the wobble caused by this warping causes danger to driver, passengers, and others due to difficulty in controlling the vehicle. | |||
| 02/05/2009 | 10000 | ||
| Very rough front end vibration and difficulty steering while braking at speeds over 50mph. dealer turn rotors but came back after a few thousand miles | |||
| 12/30/2009 | 5000 | ||
| Brakes shudder in front when moderate application at highway speed 120kph - dealer fix is having rotors machined but every time they do that they get thinner and heat up quicker therefore warp quicker. this time they had to replace rotors and machined rear drum because i literally had to you use the parking brake to stop on the higway to get back home from our trip. i'm a licenced mechanic and have never seen such poor performance in brakes, my solution would be to install disc brakes on the rear axle to improve the performance in braking. this problem started at since car was purchased 2008 first occurance was at 5k (km) new rotors were put in at 45k (km). please recall these brakes | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 63 | ||
| We own a 2008 hhr and it has been nothing but trouble . first when we purchased the car in dec 2008 it had 23,000 miles on it. two months after we got the car we had to replace both front rotors on it and after fighting with gm they agreed to pay for the rotors. at this time they told us that the car needed new tires and a front end alignment at 26,000 miles . then just two months ago at 61,000 miles it had a rumbling noise in the front end ,the drivetrain was still under warrenty.the dealer told me that the right side axle bearing was bad and they replaced it,and also at this time they told us that the lower ball joint needed to be replaced at a cost to us of over $400.00 . just last week the rumbling noise returned , i returned the car to the dealer again and they told us that this the left axle bearing was bad, warrenty also covered this repair. also they said that the car needed the front rotors turned and new brake pads on it .my wife hit a pothole about three weeks ago and bent the wheel . cost to replace the wheel was $150.00 . when i rotated the tires as per gms advice i noticed that the right front strut was leaking ,and as well as the left rear shock absorber. the only thing i like about this car was its looks. so next week we are going to buy a ford focus.. its no wonder gm had to have the government bail them out... | |||
| 05/19/2009 | 16598 | 1 | |
| Car was approx 4 months old and brakes started squeaking-took into dealer-they turned the rotors-fixed for about 2 wks - its back again and now when i apply brakes the front end of the car shakes violently. i am scared to drive this vehicle. i've tried to enter several times - it will not take it. *tr | |||
| 09/27/2008 | 7350 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. the contact stated that whenever she starts the vehicle and drives forward or backwards, there is no braking power. when the brake pedal is depressed, the vehicle continues to move. she must pump the brake pedal with much force in order for the vehicle to stop. on one occasion, the failure caused her to rear-end another vehicle. there were no injuries and the speed was unknown. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer at least four times, but they cannot determine the cause of the failure. the dealer provided her with a brochure to keep in her vehicle in case of a crash, which stated that she has been experiencing brake failure and was not at fault for the crash. the failure mileage was 7,350. | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Twice in the first 30000 miles a pulsating feeling in the brake peddle had developed. the dealer said the front rotors were warped. the fix was to turn the rotors. the next time they will have to be replaced. this need for brake service every 15,000 miles is not right. the next time this happens the car will not be under warranty and will cause me to incur a considerable expense. *tr | |||
| 07/14/2008 | 11000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 chevy hhr. four months after receiving the vehicle, i noticed that the brakes were squealing excessively. additionally, it was pulling to the right when stopping. i took it into val-mark chevrolet, new braunfels, texas. i was told that they could really find anything wrong other than the front pads were wearing unevenly. they were replaced. in december of 08, i took my car to champion chevrolet, corpus christi, texas complaining of the same problem. they advised the back rotors were warped and needed to be resurfaced. that was done. i have just taken my car back in to val-mark. now the front rotors are warped and need to be resurfaced. mr. jim robinson of val-mark says that i will need to pay for the resurfacing. it is my contention that this is an ongoing problem and should be covered. additionally, i feel resurfacing in only putting a bandaid on the problem. the dealership has now changed positions and states that the front pad were not replaced for uneven ware, but only as a goodwill gesture. *tr | |||
| 02/09/2009 | 6200 | 1 | |
| Popping, cracking, grinding sound and car vibrating upon applying brakes. very hard to get car to stop took it to the dealer they said something was loose under the car and they had to cut and piece it back together. sound stopped for about 2 weeks and is back worse than before have had the car for 10 months 8,400 miles on it. i am afraid to drive it because i don't want to hurt myself or anyone else i am actually looking at buying and older car to drive around in. *tr | |||
| 12/17/2008 | 8000 | 1 | 01/08/2008 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. when attempting to apply pressure to the brake pedal at 15 mph, the vehicle would not stop and stalled simultaneously without warning. the contact crashed into another vehicle and was towed to the dealer. there were no injuries. the cause of the failure has not been identified. he has a copy of the police report. the failure and current mileages were 8,000. updated 03/23/09. *lj the consumer stated the engine failed right before the brakes were applied. updated 03/24/09.*jb | |||
| 10/27/2008 | 9400 | 1 | |
| Brakes do not work correctly and brake pedal goes to floor after car has been parked for any extended time (overnight, etc..) brakes fail to stop vehicle, and there have been 3 barely avoided accidents. car has been taken to dealership where gm disallowed any further action to be taken due to their technical bulletin saying that the defect is a characteristic of the car. *tr | |||
| 08/03/2008 | 1 | ||
| My 2008 chevy hhr ss brakes do not have power assist on a cold start. after thirty seconds or more the brakes work fine. unless i wait for the brakes to warm up there is not enough brake power to stop the vehicle in a normal manner. it seems to take twice as long to stop. when i apply the brakes the pedal goes to the floor and vibrates. gm says this is a normal characteristic of the vehicle and that is does not pose a safety issue. i disagree, if a drive neglects to let the brakes warm up he or she could potentially run a child over or just not stop in time to avoid an accident. this is only an issue on the ss models. *tr | |||
| 09/18/2008 | |||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. while backing out of the driveway, the contact noticed that maximum pressure needed to be applied to the brake pedal in order to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that it was performing normally. the speed and failure mileage were unknown. the current mileage was 5,198. | |||
| 09/20/2008 | 1000 | 1 | |
| Car has hardly any brakes in the mornings or after it has sit for a while. they work fine after driving for a bit. this is unsafe. we've almost slid out into the street backing down our steep driveway on several occasions. have been to dealership twice, first time they reprogrammed brake control module, second time they said it was normal operation, i about blew a gasket, is it normal for your brakes not to work properly? i am very unhappy with the car.*tr | |||
| 09/18/2008 | 200 | 3 | |
| I have a 2008 chevy hhr ss turbo with automatic transmission it has only about 1400 miles on it, and i have had it back to the dealership 3 times for the brakes. after sitting for a period of time, like overnight or while at work for 12 hours when i first get into the car the brakes don't work. they are very hard and have to be pumped several times before they work. i done my research and chevy is aware of the problem but don't have the fix available yet. i was told by the dealership that i'll just have to live with it. not an acceptable answer. hopefully i won't get in a wreck because of it. the dealership is making me bring the rent a car back and making me drive an unsafe vehicle. *tr | |||
| 07/14/2008 | 2000 | 1 | |
| I am having a problem with the brakes on my new 2008 chevrolet hhr/ss. when first applying brakes after initial start-up and after sitting long enough for vacuum to leak down. there is an increased effort to apply and travel of pedal is also increased. pedal is spongy and booster is inoperative until vacuum is restored by revving engine or driving a short distance. this vehicle is equipped with a turbo and vacuum/boost gauge. the initial vacuum is dropped when applying brake. it has been in for this problem twice, left overnight both times, and duplicated both times. the dealer reprogrammed computer per service letter. the second time they supposedly ordered a mastercylinder but still no parts have been changed, probably not even examined! now they tell me this is normal operation and i tell them it's not! the dealer service mgr. has told me that gm knows about this but have no repair available. he blames it on the turbo! it is surely a vacuum leak or booster problem yet they seem unable to understand! i have been a mechanic for 30+ years and i know this is dangerous and needs to be repaired before someone gets hurt! the dealer doesn't even want me to bring it back in as they say it cannot be fixed, it is a design problem! *tr | |||
| 06/04/2008 | 400 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 hhr ss, that has a braking problem when first started or has set for approx. 8 hours. i have almost ran out of our parking lot into traffic. i have had it in the dealership twice. first time they reprogrammed the ecm. problem continues and the second time, i was told that the factory says this is a normal characteristic of the 2.0 engine and turbo. the dealership gave me a copy of service bulletin and at the end ,it states (do not attempt to repair or replace any parts for what is considered normal operation of the ohb). bulletin number is 07-05-22-002. the second bulletin number give to me by the dealership is 08-05-22-001. the following optimized hydraulic brake (ohb) #1-ratchet sound coming from the brake system during ohb activation. #2-brake pedal movement or pulsation when ohb is active. #3-increased brake pedal effort under low brake booster vacuum. #4-change in brake pedal effort when ohb is active. #5-frequent brake stops may result in ohb activation. #6-high altitude driving may result in ohb activation. the way i read all this is when ohb activates, you may have braking problems. i have talked to two different people in customer service and all i could get out of them was (this is normal characteristics of the hhr with turbo). the dealership contacted gm and they say the same thing and there is not a cure for this problem and it is normal for the turbo models. i guess when a few people gets killed they may try to find a fix. my vehicle now has less than 3000 miles and i noticed the problem around 100 or so miles. i have owned 25 gm vehicles in my days and this is the first having normal characteristics for not stopping. if you have an accident and possibly kill someone, how can you explain this to the police, when the police gets in the car and the ohb is not activated and the brake pedal seems normal, you are in trouble and may never prove at that time the brakes honestly did fail. if gm can,t fix the problem they should buy the cars back. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2008 | 900 | 1 | |
| When you start our new chevrolet hhr ss cold and drive off to quickly the brake pedal is rock hard and won't stop the car very well. issue goes away once the engine is warmed up. dealer says normal for this car and i say no way.*tr | |||
| 08/21/2008 | 5200 | 1 | |
| 2008 hhr ss, on startup, power assist brakes do not function properly for 30-90 seconds, after which they work properly. this was first identified when i started my vehicle and began exiting my driveway the other day. a dog ran in front of my car, and i had to apply an exceptional amount of force to the brakes to keep from hitting the animal. after some web research (see especially http://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17740), it appears that this is a common problem for the vehicle, and so i believe it is important that you intervene on behalf of public safety to get general motors to resolve the issue quickly. *tr | |||
| 08/23/2008 | 325 | 1 | |
| 2008 hhr ss turbo - dealer replaced previous 2008 hhr ss turbo that had braking issues at 200 mile. this new car has same exact problem. at startup after the car has been sitting for about 10 hours the brakes do not have enough vacuum inorder to work properly. you have to wait about 120 seconds before there enough vacuum to engage the brakes. until enough vacuum is present the brakes fail to stop the vehicle on any kind of minimal slope. dealer has upgraded the software per the manufacturer recommendation but the problem still exists. dealer recommend that the user sit for 60 seconds before removing the vehicle from park. this is unacceptable and a safety hazard. i have tried two separate vehicles that are identical and they both have the same problem. the is a fix for the saturn sky and pontiac solstice i am told but none for the chevy. *tr | |||
| 08/13/2008 | 225 | 1 | |
| 2008 hhr ss with 200 miles, brakes fail to work at all when car is first started in the mornings. dealer finds no problem. anti-lock brakes engage but do not work. dealer has reprogrammed the computer with the same problem still existing. this is a major defect. dealer instructed us to drive the vehicle to get fixed. we had it towed. *tr | |||
| 03/21/2008 | 1500 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 chevy hhr ss with 13000 miles on it. i have had it in the shop three times for brakes not working. the problems are that the pads coming delaminated and the turbo pulling the vacuum from the brakes. after checking on various web sites like edmonds, i have found that this is common problem. *tr | |||
| 08/12/2008 | 1200 | 1 | |
| Brakes are hard on cold start on my 2008 chevrolet hhr ss turbo. almost had an accident because of this. it's in for the second time because their programming didn't work. i heard that the pontiac solstice and saturn sky has the same problem. thank you, pat *tr | |||
| 07/21/2008 | 450 | 1 | |
| When the vehicle sits overnight or a long period of time there will be no brakes or a very hard peddle when started for at least 30 sec to 1 min. i almost ran into garage door but managed to stop the vehicle using the emergency brake. this has occurred 3 times since i purchased the vehicle 3 weeks ago current mileage is 653. vehicle has been at the service dept. 2 times for the tsb but now the dealer and gm says they have no fix for this issue. *tr | |||
| 05/17/2008 | 7 | 2 | 05/01/2008 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr super sport. each morning while driving various speeds, the brakes do not stop the vehicle when the pedal is depressed. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer three times for this failure and the contact was provided with tsb number 0805220001. the current mileage was 3,685 and failure mileage was 7. updated 09/16/08 *bf the consumer stated the problem only happened with the first application of the brakes. when going downhill, the failed did not want to stop when coming to a stop sign. updated 09/18/08. *jb | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 03/17/2008 | 2500 | 12 | 01/31/2008 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr. while driving 15 mph, the contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle kept moving. the brake pedal stiffened. approximately ten seconds later, the vehicle stopped. the failure has occurred twelve times. the dealer reprogrammed the ecm; however, the failure still occurs. the dealer stated that this was normal for the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 2,500. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST | |||
| 01/18/2008 | 8 | 3 | 01/18/2008 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet hhr ss. when the vehicle is started in cold weather, the braking system takes approximately one minute to function. the brakes use an optimized assist and the brakes would respond slowly. it causes the brakes to respond slowly. the contact is concerned that the vehicle will be unable to stop immediately in the case of an emergency. the manufacturer is aware of the failure, but are not making consumers aware. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer on january 24, 2008 for repairs. the dealer did not replace any components. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the dealer could reference the tsb for that particular failure. the contact informed the manufacturer that a tsb repair was unacceptable. the manufacturer sent out an investigator, but he could not recommend a repair for the failure. the current mileage was 2,000 and failure mileage was 8. updated 04-03-08 *bf the consumer stated when he first gets into the vehicle, and places te vehicle into reverse, the power brakes would not work for a short period of time. the brake pedal is hard to press to midway point, and then the brakes pulsate. after the vehicle has ran for about 30 seconds to a minute, the power brakes brakes began to work fine. it is only when the vehicle seets for an extended perioed of time does the problem arise. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - HYDRAULIC | |||
| 04/12/2008 | 1330 | 5 | |
| Hhr ss has a hard pedal and does not stop easily on in a normal distance. this has occurred 4 times after sitting in cold weather for an extended period. it takes about a minute of warm-up to have the hard pedal-non braking to correct to normal. *tr | |||