Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Chevrolet HHR owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. The contact was experiencing multiple failures with the vehicle. The vehicle was previously repaired per a recall for the ignition switch; however, the repair was insufficient. At times, even with the key in the off position, the vehicle would not shut off. The battery would have to be disconnected to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that the key did not remain in the ignition and he felt unsafe driving the vehicle. In addition, the driver side door handle was not working properly and was replaced twice by the dealer. The contact stated that the ESC (electronic stability control) indicator illuminated shortly after purchasing the vehicle. Each time the ESC indicator illuminated, the vehicle drastically reduced in speed. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal noise and the service traction and service ESC warning lights flashed randomly. The vehicle suddenly reduced speed and hesitated as if it would stall. The accelerator pedal did not respond each time the failure recurred and the vehicle jerked violently and reduced speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer more than once and they were not able to replicate and diagnose the failure. The dealer test drove the vehicle and found no failures. Upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the computer reset and the warning lights dimmed, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and provided no remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the key fob failed to open the front driver side door. In addition, while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the battery was replaced. The contact was informed that the rear brakes and drums also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000. Updated 08/02/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the onboard computer malfunctioned and caused the power steering, traction control, speedometer, and fuel mileage indicator to go haywire. Gill Chevrolet (4700 e broad st, columbus, oh 43213, [phone]) repaired the vehicle on three separate visits, but the failure recurred especially in the winter with the cold weather. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 37,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the check air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed by the dealer. The contact was informed that the front driver and passenger side air bags needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V047000 (air bags, electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,818.
I tried to used remote start from my fob. It worked the first time but nothing after that..stationary these were the events that followed: all at the same time lost power steering (power steering assist) landed me in the hospital with torn chest muscle while car was moving on a interstate no A/C (compressor does not come on) stationary service airbag light came on while car was moving on the interstate service tire monitors stationery no temp reading stationary
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. The contact noticed a leak of hot air/liquid under the dashboard coming from the front and rear of the vehicle. The contact was burned from the hot water leakage. The contact also stated that the vehicle made an abnormal swoosh noise when making turns, which created a hot mist inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the front passenger and both rear doors would not unlock with the key fob. The power locks malfunctioned and had to be unlocked manually. The failure recurred multiple times. The dealer was notified of the failures, but could not diagnose the cause of the failures. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls for the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Related recalls
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…
Electrical complaints in other HHR years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2011 Chevrolet HHR?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the electrical system of the 2011 Chevrolet HHR, 19% of the model year's 203 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Chevrolet HHR electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-171 (ignition, Apr 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Chevrolet HHR electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.