Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Chevrolet HHR owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving and I went to roll the sunroof down and it ejected itself and came off the whole glass and frame and broke in many pieces on the bridge if there would of been a car or person walking it would of hit them and caused a major accident its going to cosy over$2000.00 to get it replaced whicj I cant afford to do I feel like the manufacturer should replace the part it wasnt my fault
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet HHR. The contact noticed water leaking from the roof of the vehicle each time it rained. The location on the roof where the water was entering could not be determined. As a result, water surrounded the interior of the vehicle around the air bags and on the floorboard. The contact stated that the electrical power seats and the power windows failed to operate and the water shortened out the radio. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet HHR. When the contact attempted to open the vehicle with the key, the master key opener would not unlock the doors. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and towed the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure occurred seven other times. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. Updated 10/29/15 updated 11/22/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the key fob would inadvertently function when she attempted to open the vehicle doors. Also, the hydraulic for the hatchback would cause it to independently open. The contact had to use a stick to keep the hatchback from closing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.
Chevrolet HHR 2009, doors mechanism. Door latches stop working and can open at a turn or while driving. Or latch can lock you in unable to get out of vehicle in an accident and or emergency. I was driving home and back door flew wide open I had not opened it at all but when doors lock and open they all do so the back latch opened never closing unaware of this the door flew open almost causing an accident at an intersection.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet HHR. When the key was removed from the ignition switch, the door chime activated as if the contact were exiting the vehicle. In addition, the radio remained operable for a short period of time. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,000.
2009 HHR. We have had so much trouble with is car, I don't have the space to tell you all the complaints. This is the latest happening; wife calls me from town, cant get out of the car, door wont open. Finally had to crawl over the console and exit on the passenger side. Quiet a feat for a 260 lb 72 year old lady. Now I read on the internet this is a ongoing problem for HHR going all the way back to 2007. One person said the dealer charged $450.00, because the whole door panel had to be replaced. GM is certainly aware of the defective door locks and latches on the HHR. When some gets burned alive because they cant get out of the car GM cannot say the were not aware of the failures of the door latches because there are hundreds of complaints about the doors failing to open. …
I went to open driver side door to get out of my parked car. Door handle would not release the door to open. I have to role done my window (power window) and open door from outside to be able to get out of my car trough the driver side door. Dealer said that whole new door panel is required at a cost of $450.00 because the handle and trigger is part of the panel. The dealer went on to say that 100s of these panels have had to be replaced because of and engineered defect and GM does not want to cover the problem. This is a safety concern because if I had to get out my car in case of an emergency, the drivers door can not be opened unless the window is rolled down and opened from outside. I would be trapped in the driver seat if unable to get window opened.. GM should be held responsible for their engineered defect. .
Chevy HHR all models, all years: when exiting my vehicle the drivers door handle snapped. It is made of plastic!! After research I discovered this is an extremely common problem with all models and all years of the Chevy HHR since all interior handles are made from plastic. This is a very expensive part because it requires the replacement of the entire interior door panel. It is a dangerous situation because once the handle has snapped the only means to open the door is to unroll the window and open with the ouside handle or to have another person open the door from the outside - not ideal, especially if one is in an accident or emergency. I believe Chevy should replace all handles with a sturdy, non-breakable metal handle. This would improve safety of this dangerous situation.
Pulled in to driveway and went to exit vehicle. The plastic driver's door handle broke off in my hand. This basically left me stuck in the vehicle unless I crawled over the center console or unless I was able to roll down the electric window, pivot in the seat, and reach the outside door handle. Obviously in an accident, or vehicle fire, the extra time needed to exit, if the door handle broke off, is unacceptable. A very basic internet search shows that this is a very common problem with this vehicle model. An inconvenience for a younger driver but this could be a catastrophic failure for an older, less physical driver.
Body complaints in other HHR years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2009 Chevrolet HHR?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the body & structure of the 2009 Chevrolet HHR, 4% of the model year's 508 complaints. The component named most often is body (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet HHR body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2009 Chevrolet HHR, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet HHR body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.