Most common 2011 Chevrolet HHR problems
Share of the 203 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet HHR complaints by model year
Best HHR years: 2011, 2009. Years to avoid: 2006. Compare all years →
2011 Chevrolet HHR recalls (2)
Electrical system › Ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the…
Air bags
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect.
What 2011 Chevrolet HHR owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 47 →
The contact's son owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, he smelled the odor of gasoline inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that he had noticed the smell a few weeks earlier but disregarded the odor. The contact stated that while he was driving, he noticed a trail of fluid on the roadway behind the vehicle. The contact also noticed a puddle of gasoline underneath the vehicle once the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that the leak was nearby the driver's side rear tire and exhaust pipe. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated, however he noticed that the fuel consumption was rising. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
I left vehicle running on my concrete driveway while I ran in the house to get my father for an errand. When I came outside and went to get into the vehicle I noticed a fire in the front of the rear wheel on the driver's side kind of dripping flames from the vehicle on to the concrete. Luckily I reacted quickly enough to release the parking brake. [Car is a manual transmisson]. The car drifted forward [driveway has small downhill pitch]and I turned the motor off. Then I [luckily] ran over to a hose and brought it to the vehicle to extinguish the fire.
Electrical system all 39 →
There is a serious electrical glitch that's in the computer, that causes the car to perform poorly at a slow speed, which cases the steering to become very hard to turn, and maintain lanes while driving. All lights, warnings, and gauges fluctuate back and forth, while the bell inide the car when stared keeps chiming.
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. …
Air bags all 30 →
There is a serious electrical glitch that's in the computer, that causes the car to perform poorly at a slow speed, which cases the steering to become very hard to turn, and maintain lanes while driving. All lights, warnings, and gauges fluctuate back and forth, while the bell inide the car when stared keeps chiming.
The above vehicle has been in for repairs 6-7times for intermit anti-theft light coming on while driving and a recall for anti-theft/air bag malfunctions. Intermittingly the car will also not recognize the key(s) and will not start. My concern for safety is when the car begins to ding while I'm driving and then the anti-theft light comes on it will also decide to stall because it does not recognize the key and thinks it's being stolen. (it has not done that yet, but it is a fear). I had the Chevy 2014 anti-theft/airbag recall aug 2014. In dec 2014 my air bag light came on with a warning to repair. In jan 2015 the anti-theft light came on 2 times. Walker jones Chevy of waycross, ga detected no code for air bag. The anti-theft code revealed unrecognized key but no code to repair (jan.2015) the light has come on 5 times and not started on one occasion, since the recall repair. …
2011 Chevrolet HHR engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 31 / 26 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 29 / 25 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 22 / 29 / 24 |
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Chevrolet HHR a good car?
Based on 203 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 HHR rates better than average: 68% fewer complaints than a typical year of the HHR at the same age. It is one of the best HHR years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Chevrolet HHR?
The fuel & propulsion system — 47 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about delivery › hoses, lines/piping, and fittings. Next are the electrical system (39) and air bags (30).
How many recalls does the 2011 Chevrolet HHR have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2011 Chevrolet HHR, the most recent from April 10, 2014 (ignition). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet HHR?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006. See the full Chevrolet HHR years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Chevrolet HHR problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 40% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.