Fuel System complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
Fuel line leaking right in front of rear driver side tire. Puddles up. Steady leak. And strong odor of gasoline in and outside of the car. Gets me woozy at times. It also gets on my tires and affects steering if I was parked on pavement for a while it puddles back to my rear tire. And makes me worry about a fire. Right in the back seat where a car seat would be. Because I was driving through my yard a while back and my family was burning some limbs and stuff. All at once I get flagged down where it has caught fire to my car. Luckily I put it out before it did any permanent damage. But it is not safe for sure.
The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the underbody and rear wheel well were rusted and corroded adjacent to the exhaust pipe. The contact noticed that fuel was leaking. Eventually, the contact detected an abnormal odor of fuel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the nickel installation shield on the fuel lines had several holes. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified however no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet HHR. The contact while driving at an undisclosed speed, noticed a strong fuel odor. The contact stated that upon parking and exiting the vehicle, there was fire underneath the rear driver's side, where the fuel tank was located. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. There was no injury sustained. The contact then noticed a trail of fuel on the floor. The contact became aware that fuel had leaked while driving. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel line was corroded and needed to be replaced due to a wrong design. The contact stated that the fuel line was designed over the muffler, which caused water intrusion and corrosion. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where the fuel line was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. …
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the rear of the vehicle started burning. The contact was able to stop the fire and the contact noticed that the gasoline was leaking onto the ground under the vehicle. No one was injured and no police report was filed. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the fitting to the gasoline trunk was damaged causing the gasoline to leak. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 28,000
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the contact was informed that the vehicle was leaking gasoline. The vehicle was inspected, and the contact was informed that fuel was leaking from the driver's side rear wheel well area, near the muffler. While at the residence, the contact observed that fuel was still leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a rusted fuel line located near the driver's side rear wheel well, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to have the vehicle diagnosed by a dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 68,900. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the contact became aware of a fuel leak nearby the rear driver's side wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel line had completely rusted due to being wrapped in heat-reliant tape. The contact was informed that the fuel lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and was informed that there was a recall related to the rust failure of the fuel line of another make and model vehicle however, the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 199,000.
NHTSA investigations
Fuel Line Leak
On July 5, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-011 to investigate instances of metal fuel lines under the vehicle corroding and leaking fuel in model year (MY) 2008 through 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2008 through 2009 Chevrolet HHR passenger cars manufactured by General Motors (GM).
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet HHR years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (85), 2009 (84), 2010 (52), 2006 (51) and 2007 (51) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 14% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet HHR fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for any Chevrolet HHR model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet HHR fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 117,000 miles; 8% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the delivery › hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (14 mentions), followed by the delivery › fuel pump (2).
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.