2010 Chevrolet Hhr Driver assistance Problems

Noticed that the cruise control would disengage randomly when activated. I checked the function of the brake lights at night and found that the brake lights would turn themselves on randomly with zero brake input, disengaging the cruise control. In this state, depressing the brake pedal more than around 30-40% would turn the brake lights off, even with the brake pedal fully pressed. Furthermore, with the brake pedal pressed to a moderate level, the cruise control is able to be engaged, even with obvious brake pressure being applied. This defeats the cruise control disengagement feature and the cruise control system will fight against the braking system to maintain speed instead of turning itself off as it seems to rely solely on the brake lights for the automatic disengagement. This issue is quite dangerous as this seems to happen quite often with the brake lights, but I cannot find any sort of consistent scenario that causes these issues to occur.

NHTSA ID

11530229

Incident

Jun 7, 2023

The gas pedal would stick and the car would not decelerate when removing pressure from it. This happened a couple of times on separate days but would unstick and decelerate fairly quickly. Then today the gas pedal not only became stuck but it accelerated and I had to hit the brakes to get it to stop accelerating.

NHTSA ID

11469471

Incident

Jun 15, 2022

OUR CHEVY HHR 2010 HAS BEEN DYING AND STALLING OUT ON US WHILE WE ARE DRIVING IT, THE ONLY TIME IT HAD POWER GOING TO IT WAS WHEN IT WAS BEING JUMPED. EVEN THEN SOON AS THE CABLES WERE UNHOOKED IT WOULD JERK THEN DIE RIGHT AWAY. IT SEEMED AS IF MOST OF THE LIGHTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDED OF THE TRUCK ONLY WOULD FLASH WHILE JUMPING IT, THEN NOTHING. IT WAS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, AND EVERYTHING BASICALLY SEEMS LIKE IT'S MALFUNCTIONING. THIS HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT, NOR CAN I EVEN START IT AT THIS POINT,BUT I DEFINITELY DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW BEING THAT IT POWERS COMPLETELY OFF WHENEVER IT WANTS TO. IT WAS IN MOTION A FEW TIMES ON CITY STREETS, AND IN MOTION TURNING WHEN IT DIED FOR THIS LAST TIME. ITS NOW PARKED ON A STREET UNABLE TO DRIVE IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

11326059

Incident

May 25, 2020

WHILE DRIVING MY 2010 CHEVY HHR, I HAD JUST EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS ENTERING THE SPEEDWAY FUEL STATION, MY STEERING JUST SEEMED TO LOCKUP ON ME AND A DASH ALERT FLASHED "SERVICE ESC" THEN I SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER! IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY MAJOR TRAGEDY LIKE COLLIDING WITH A GAS PUMP OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, I WAS ABLE TO RUN IT INTO THE CURB I FELT LIKE MY ARMS WERE NEARLY RIPPED FROM THE SOCKETS. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO MY HOME AND THE FOLLOWING DAY TOWED TO A MECHANIC. DISCOVERED THAT THE EXPERIENCE WAS NOT EXCLUSIVELY MINE, APPARENTLY SOME 444 OTHERS HAD AS WELL. I CHECKED FOR RECALL NOTICES WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALLS WERE CLOSED AND REPAIRS WERE DONE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BY WHOM, WHEN AND WHERE EXACTLY! IT OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT DONE PERMANENTLY NOR SATISFACTORILY AS I'M VERY SORE NOW, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!

NHTSA ID

11241211

Incident

Jul 29, 2019

Mileage

202,000 mi

A FAINT NOISE WAS HEARD AND I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF ROAD WALKED AROUND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE LOOKING TO SEE IF ANYTHING STOOD OUT, ASSESSED THE TIRES, ENGINE AND NOTHING APPEARED TO BE WRONG. I PROCEEDED TO GET ON THE RAMP ON AND AS I WENT THROUGH THE TOLL BOOTH DRIVING AROUND 40 MPH, THE CAR ACCELERATED TO A SPEED OF ABOUT 87 MPH, THE STEERING COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED IT WAS ALMOST AS IF IT WAS IN A LOCKED POSITION. ONCE THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF AT THE HIGH SPEED, IT THEN CAME ALMOST TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE WAS REVVING BUT THE SPEED WAS NOT SUPPORTING THE SOUND. I PROCEEDED TO BRAKE, USE THE ACCELERATOR AND WAS GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO FUNCTIONS BUT NEITHER WOULD WORK. SCARED TO GO INTO THE FLOW OF HEAVY TRAFFIC, I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL WHICH ALLOWED ME TO ROLL DOWN THE RAMP AND ONTO THE SHOULDER. I THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND LET IT SIT AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN IT BACK ON TO REMOVE IT MORE OUT OF THE DRIVING LANE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE

NHTSA ID

11075777

Incident

Feb 26, 2018

Mileage

73,158 mi

FIRST MY AIRBAG SYSTEM STARTED COMING ON SAYING SERVICE AIRBAGS AND THE SENSORS ARE ALL NEW, SECOND THE SERVICE ESC COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING VEHICLE TO SHIFT EXTREMELY HARD FROM 1ST GEAR (AUTOMATIC TRANNY) BRAKING SYSTEM WAS WORKING FINE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR NO BRAKES AND THE FLUID IS FULL AND THE SYSTEM WAS WORKING JUST FINE AFTER MAKING GM AWARE OF THIS THEIR RESPONSE TO IT ALL IS THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BUT THIS WAS AN ISSUE FROM DATE OF MFG AND GM REFUSES TO FIX OR CORRECT THE ONGOING ISSUES ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS IF NHTSA CANT HELP WITH THIS ISSUE THEN I HAVE NO WHERE LEFT TO TURN EXCEPT EITHER TO A MORGUE OR A SCRAP YARD

NHTSA ID

11060657

Incident

Jan 4, 2018

Mileage

116,000 mi

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2016 & WAS GAVE TO ME VIA MY GRANDPAS WILL AFTER HE PASSED AWAY IN JULY 2016. THE CAR NEVER RAN CORRECTLY & IT WAS PARKED FOR A TOTAL OF 9 MONTHS, WHILE GETTING WORKED ON IN THE MEANTIME. IVE PUT ALMOST 1000 INTO THIS CAR & REPLACED EVERY PART IT NEEDED. NOW THE CAR WONT START & SHOWS THE AIR BAG ICON IS ALWAYS ON WHILE THE CAR TELLS ME THAT MY ECS IS "OFF" & SERVICE ECS. I OWN THE VEHICLE & IT IS PAID OFF.

NHTSA ID

11053779

Incident

Dec 4, 2017

WHILE DRIVING 25 MILES AN HOUR ON DRY FLAT PAVEMENT MY ESC ACTIVE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD A VERY HARD TIME STEERING AND THE BRAKES WERE APPLYING THEMSELVES. I WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I WAS IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN THE MIDDLE LANE WITH NO WHERE TO PULL OVER. I AM LUCKY I DID NOT HIT ANYONE. AFTER 5 MINUTES OR SO IT WENT OFF.

NHTSA ID

11047691

Incident

Nov 21, 2017

Mileage

81,000 mi

I AM EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE GAUGES AND POWER STEERING AS WELL AS WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON AND LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS TO THE D.L.C. CONNECTOR. IT MAY HAPPEN AT ANY TIME ANYWHERE.

NHTSA ID

11021004

Incident

May 10, 2017

Mileage

130,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ESC WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN MAKING A SHARP TURN OR WHEN TRAVELING ABOVE 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE DUE TO NOT HAVING THE EQUIPMENT TO PROPERLY REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 206,000.

NHTSA ID

11018694

Incident

Aug 20, 2017

Mileage

206,000 mi

ESC IS WHAT IT SAID ON THE DASH. IT SOUNDED AS IF SOMETHING HAD CRAWLED AND WAS KEEPING THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING PROPERLY I LOOKED UP WHAT THE MEANING OF THE MESSAGE ON THE DASH AND IT SAID TRACTION CONTROL WARNING WHICH I HAD NO CLUE BUT WHEN I PULLED OVER WALKING AROUND THE CAR NOTHING SEEMED TO BE WRONG THE ENTIRE CAR WAS SHAKING IT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE AND THE CARS HAD TO GO AROUND ME. WHEN I RE-STARTED THE CAR THE MESSAGE WENT OFF AND THE CAR MOVED AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED.

NHTSA ID

10967283

Incident

Mar 17, 2017

Mileage

77,780 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE TRACTION AND ESC WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE BRAKES JOLTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

NHTSA ID

10923920

Incident

Nov 2, 2016

Mileage

70,000 mi

AFTER POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS REPLACED WHEN REACHING SPEEDS OF 20MI PER HOUR WHOLE FRONT END SHAKES FEELS LIKE WHEELS LOCKING UP CAR WAS MOVING

NHTSA ID

10888402

Incident

Jul 25, 2016

Mileage

75,114 mi

CHANGED VVT SENSOR & SERVICE ESC & SERVICE TRACTION WARNINGS APPEARED ON DISPLAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON ALSO

NHTSA ID

10873760

Incident

May 23, 2016

Mileage

160,000 mi

THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MOTOR ASSIST SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING. I START THE CAR AND WITHIN 2 MINUTES THE CAR IS SAYING THAT THE EPS IS NOT FUNCTIONING AND STEERING THE CAR BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. ALL THE TIME. VERY UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED ESPECIALLY TURNING. I WOULD LIKE MY CAR TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10839077

Incident

Feb 15, 2016

ESC ACTIVATION LIGHT COMES ON, CAR VIBRATES BADLY AND HARD TO STEER. HAPPENS MAINLY ON DRY ROADS, AT TIMES GOING AROUND A BEND IN THE ROAD. IT IS SPERATIC, BUT LAST WEEK HAPPENED ALMOST EVERYDAY. ITS BEEN AT THE DEALER 6 TIMES TO TRY TO FIX, BUT TO NO AVAIL.

NHTSA ID

10790494

Incident

Nov 4, 2015

Mileage

58,000 mi

MY 2010 HHR SERVICE ESC AND SERVICE TRACTION WARNING CAME ON ENGINE POWER REDUCED AND HAD LITTLE BRAKE CONTROL. I HAD TO PULL OFF AS IT REDUCED MY SPEED AND WAS HARD TO STEER. VERY DANGEROUS. HOW CAN THIS BE FIXED IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ISN'T A SERVICE STATED IN ALL THE REPORTS HERE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10658973

Incident

Nov 15, 2014

Mileage

99,845 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TRAILER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,243.

NHTSA ID

10638866

Incident

May 10, 2012

Mileage

35,243 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE POWER STEERING, AIR BAG, AND SERVICE ENGINE SENSORS WERE ALL ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT HAD A DIFFICULT TIME TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING NOISE THAT WAS HEARD EACH TIME THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V153000 (STEERING) AND 14V047000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. UPDATED 10/7/14*CN THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, THE ENGINE AND AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE LOWER CONTROL BUSHING, TIMING SOLENOID AND CAMSHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 11/25/14 THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE LEFT FRONT HEAD LIGHT WAS REPLACED 5 TIMES. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND FRONT AXLE WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. *JS

NHTSA ID

10621492

Incident

Jul 8, 2014

Mileage

150,000 mi

THIS IS ONE OF REPEATED INCIDENTS WHERE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) ACTIVATES WHILE TRAVELING STRAIGHT ON DRY PAVEMENT AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 15 AND 30 MPH. A CHIME SOUNDS, A MESSAGE APPEARS ON THE DISPLAY, THE VEHICLE BRIEFLY LOSES STEERING AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHILE BRAKE IS INVOLUNTARILY ACTIVATED. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING, THE CAR CONTINUES NORMALLY. FORTUNATELY, THIS HAS NOT YET CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ON THIS OCCASION, THE RIGHT FRONT HUB WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER HAS VARIOUSLY ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO MISMATCHED TIRES (REPLACED WITH ALL NEW), BAD HUBS (BOTH REPLACED), BAD SPEED SENSORS (REPLACED), BAD ALIGNMENT (FIXED) AND A WRONGLY CALIBRATED STEERING POSITION SENSOR (RE-CALIBRATED). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED, REPAIRED REPEATEDLY, AND THE PROBLEM IS BACK AGAIN. THIS NEEDS TO BE ESCALATED TO A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10606163

Incident

May 2, 2013

Mileage

75,024 mi

EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHEN ENTERING FREEWAY ONRAMP. WARNING CHIMES SOUNDED, DASH MESSAGE READS TRAC CONTROL. ROAD CONDITIONS BARE AND DRY. CODE C0280. DEALER REPLACED YAW RATE SENSOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10606150

Incident

Jan 28, 2011

Mileage

33,387 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET HHR. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE SPEED DECREASED TO 20 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART IT IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE TRACTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

NHTSA ID

10598505

Incident

Jun 12, 2012

Mileage

28,000 mi

DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD ON DRY ASPHALT STREET AT ABOUT 28 MPH. THE BRAKES BEGAN APPLYING THEMSELVES VERY HARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER. MADE CAR BUCK AND NEARLY STOPPED ME DEAD IN TRAFFIC. DASHBOARD MESSAGE CENTER SAID "ESC ACTIVE". IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVATING ITSELF FOR NO REASON AT ALL. I FORTUNATELY KNOW WHERE THE ESC OFF SWITCH IS, PRESSED AND HELD IT IN UNTIL "ESC OFF" CAME UP ON THE MESSAGE CENTER. THIS HALTED THE ROGUE BRAKING. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE FREEWAY, A TOTAL LOSS OF WOULD SEEM LIKELY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10595858

Incident

Jun 2, 2014

Mileage

77,985 mi

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH,I HAD A WARNING LIGHT AND THE DISPLAY READ SVC ESC. SHORTLY AFTER, THE POWER STEERING DISPLAY CAME ON IN THE VEHICLE. I THEN IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. IT TOOK GREAT FORCE TO STEER THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE HIGHWAY TO A SAFE LOCATION. I THEN USED THE ONSTAR SERVICE, THEY RAN A QUICK DIAGNOSTIC - RESULT CAME BACK THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONNECT TO THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM - THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM HAD LOST ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OR HAD FAILED COMPLETELY - THEY WERE UNABLE TO LET ME KNOW WITHOUT HAVING IT DIAGNOSED FURTHER AT A LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND THAT MY ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY ALSO EXPLAINED THAT OTHER MODELS OF THE HHR WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUE THAT I EXPERIENCED, HOWEVER MY MODEL WAS CONSIDERED "SAFE". *TR

NHTSA ID

10587583

Incident

May 9, 2014

Mileage

110,063 mi

PLEASE INCLUDE REPAIRING THIS ISSUE IN THE RECALL OF 2010 HHR VEHICLES. THIS IS THE MOST RECENT OF MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WHERE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) ACTIVATES WHILE TRAVELING STRAIGHT ON DRY PAVEMENT AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 15 AND 30 MPH. AS A CHIME SOUNDS, AND A MESSAGE IS FLASHED ON THE DISPLAY, THE VEHICLE BRIEFLY LOSES STEERING AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHILE BRAKE IS INVOLUNTARILY ACTIVATED. ON THIS OCCASION, THE SERVICER FOUND THE FEMALE CONNECTORS TO THE ABS SPEED SENSOR WERE NOT MAKING PROPER CONTACT. HE CRIMPED THE NEW ONES TIGHTLY WHEN INSTALLING THE REPLACEMENT ENDS. THE SERVICE ADVISOR ADMITTED THAT MY CAR IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE, HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM REPEATEDLY. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING, THE CAR CONTINUES NORMALLY. FORTUNATELY, THIS HAS NOT YET CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER HAS VARIOUSLY ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO MISMATCHED TIRES (REPLACED WITH ALL NEW), BAD HUBS (BOTH REPLACED), BAD SPEED SENSORS (REPLACED), BAD ALIGNMENT (FIXED) AND A WRONGLY CALIBRATED STEERING POSITION SENSOR (RE-CALIBRATED). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED, REPAIRED REPEATEDLY, AND THE PROBLEM IS BACK AGAIN. *JS

NHTSA ID

10579499

Incident

Dec 12, 2013

Mileage

80,811 mi