Traction Control complaints by model year
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
While driving at a speed of 45 miles per hour , all of a sudden in the dic a ESC active started flashing and my car start losing speed and it felt like the traction kicked in. I immediately looked down to make sure it had not jumped out of gear. It was in the correct gear. The ESC active went away after about 45 seconds, and about a mile down the road it did the same thing again and I had to put on mu emergency flashers and pull off the road. By the time I got it to the side of the road , the steering wheel started to lock up and it act like it did not want to stop when I applied the brakes. By this time the speed had dropped to about 15 miles per hour. The road conditions when this happen was dry , and the tires and the brakes on my car was in good working condition. Once it was towed to my house I drove it around my neighborhood about 5 times and nothing happened. …
I was driving down the interstate at about 70 MPH, when I began to get the messages service ESC ESC off, traction control of, engine reduced power and not to mention all my lights lit up like a christmas tree. Also when all of this started to happen my vehicle jerks reduced speed drastically and was shaking vigorously I hurry up and exited the interstate and turned off my vehicle I waited a few minutes and the vehicle started right up 3 miles or so down the road the exact same thing happened only this time I was turning unto a busy intersection and I was left stranded in the middle of the street because the car would not budge I had to end up getting it towed. This is something that it's very dangerous and if I would have had my kids with me I wouldn't be as calm as I am now. I am livid and outraged as to why this has not been recalled. …
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!
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
I have a 2009 HHR and I have been having a number of problems the ESC and the ABS warning lights come at low speeds around 5 to 15 MPH and the brakes make a growling noise I drive 80 miles a day back and forth to work in stop and go traffic on the interstate and the turnpike I am afraid I will rear end somebody or worse I don't want to let my wife drive the car because when it occurs she might not know on to react. When I turn the car off and it goes away for a while but comes back. And the service air bag light comes on from time to time when it is raining or heavy dew I had the recall performed on the air bags and it still is happening the passenger air bag display on the dash will come on when there is no one sitting in the passenger seat. …
Car when stopping began to run rough. After engine light came on. Went off day later. Had oil changed then the ABS track light and brake light came on. Messages: service tracking and ESC. Had diagnosed . No one so far has been able to figure out problem. Code co550 was read but no specific problem code shows up. There is no end to expense to correctly diagnose problem. GM has on line similar problems with malibu and equinox. But not 2009 HHR. They should be able to assist fixing this problem. If car no fixed will not pass inspection. It could cost upwards of 800 dollars before it can be figured out. GM shoud know the problem cause and help out. This car was made in Mexico. Could this be the problem?
While driving my car on the city streets the doors suddenly unlock the lights flicker off and back on and the car jerks and then the car does the same thing and locks the doors again and then unlocks the doors again with the headlights going out again and back on again just as quickly. It does this over and over again while driving to work or to run to the store or where ever. I took it to the Chevrolet dealer and they cannot tell me what the problem is. No codes are showing what the problem is. I have had it to three different garages and no one can seem to tell me what the problem is. The last dealer told me that I would have to leave the car there and every time they got into the car to drive it to see if it would do it again for them it would cost me right around $130.00 each time. I can't afford that. I asked them if it could be the ignition and they said no. …
Hello, how are you? The traction control warning light stays on and the button cannot turn it off. The engine light stays on and there is a service prompt on the information scroll lcd screen. The cruise control switch lights up but the cruise does not engage when the set button is pressed at any speed, ie, 30mph, 50mph, 55mph etc. The research I read recommends to contact you to help get this vehicle included in an existing recall for the same issues in other GM vehicles with the same equipment. In other words, this vehicle has the same defective equipment as other GM vehicles that have been recalled for repair. Due to the fact that this vehicle has the same defective equipment that was recalled in other GM vehicles I request this vehicle be covered under the same recall and able to be repaired as soon as possible.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet HHR years have traction control problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (33), 2009 (25), 2011 (25), 2006 (17) and 2008 (15) model years. Traction Control complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet HHR traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles; 26% happened 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.