2009 HHR 36,000 miles owners report
03-30-2012, 02:04 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-07-2009
Location: Denver
Posts: 58
2009 HHR 36,000 miles owners report
Hello everybody! After 3 years and a little over 36,000 miles, I decided to trade in my 2009 HHR LS for a new Chevy Cruze. I thought a 36,000 mile owners report might be an interesting read for you guys and gals, so here it goes!
I purchased my 2009 HHR LS in December of 2008. The only option was the automatic transmission, which came bundled with the Remote Start system that year. Very cool feature, which I used often! I traded it in in February, with a little over 36,000 miles. The dealer gave me $8500 for it, and I still owed $7,250 on her, so I had a nice little down payment on my new 2012 Cruze.
The HHR has been one of my most favorite vehicles I've ever owned. It wasn't the most reliable, as I'll note below, but as far as driving and cruising around, it was a great car and I will miss it! Very comfortable seats, roomy, high driving position, decent stereo, simple controls, smooth as butter transmission, and relatively quiet ride. I could drive this car all day long and not get tired. No back aches, no leg cramps, just comfortable cruising. Great seats!
Some of the things I didn't like at first actually turned out be for the better. Case in point: the hard plastic door panels and dashboard. Yes they felt cheap and were rock hard to the touch, but after 36,000 miles there wasn't one scratch of tear, or any sort of visible wear in the interior of my HHR. Not having kids or pets probably helps of course :) Here's a pic of my interior I took last summer, after purchasing new floor mats:
A few other disappointments: Gas mileage. I have a light foot, and I still averaged only about 28 mpg overall in a mix of city/rural/highway. Also I found the ride to be a little hard over rough roads. The low profile 16 inch wheels probably didn't help. The hard suspension also brought out some rattles in the cabin as well.
While the interior held up extremely well, the exterior was showing some wear and tear. My wheels were starting to rust, as seen here in this pic:
The Chevy bow-tie emblem on the front grill was starting to peel:
Unfortunately my HHR wasn't the most trouble free car I've had. It was in the shop quite often. Luckily, everything was covered under warranty and the dealership always provided a rental. Here's a list of problems I've had over the years:
In March of 2009 at 1,727 miles, my check engine light came on. I trip to the dealer found a "poor connection at MAF sensor". Problem fixed the same day, under warranty.
In June of 2009 at 4,157 miles, I starting noticing a rattle noise from the steering wheel when going over bumpy roads. The dealership had to order and install a new steering column. Fixed under warranty and the dealership provided a rental car.
In July of 2010 at 16,912 miles, I started noticing a popping and clunking noise when applying the brakes and turning at low speeds. This time they replaced the "steering intermediate shaft per bulletin #40-03-08-006D". Under warranty and fixed the same day.
In November of 2011 at 33,548 miles, I started hearing a "roaring" noise from the front tires at around 40mph. The dealership diagnosed the problem as a "internally damaged right front hub/bearing assembly" and fixed it under warranty.
In January of 2012 at 36,125 miles, my check engine light came on. The dealership traced it to a "misfire cylinder 1". It was discovered that damage was done to the number 1 cylinder exhaust valve "stuck and burnt". They had to remove the entire engine from the car to take apart the engine and sent the cylinder head out to a machine shop for a "valve grind." The HHR was out of commission for a week. A rental car was provided and the repairs were covered by the 5 year/50,000 mile powertrain warranty.
At this point, I decided to trade-in my HHR for a new car that would have a bumper-to-bumper new car warranty. I only have one car and I need reliable transportation to work. I just couldn't take a risk of any out-of-pocket repair expenses that could come up down the road with my HHR. Also, with the rising gas prices, I wanted a car with better fuel economy.
Still, I will miss my HHR. A joy to drive and own, but I wish mine would have been a bit more reliable. Also thanks for all of you here on this great website for all the invaluable information and advise on our HHR's! Cheers and safe driving to everyone! Chris
A few departing shots of my HHR...
My HHR at the Colorado/New Mexico state border:
Took this last summer at a 1930s replica gas station by Denver, CO:
I purchased my 2009 HHR LS in December of 2008. The only option was the automatic transmission, which came bundled with the Remote Start system that year. Very cool feature, which I used often! I traded it in in February, with a little over 36,000 miles. The dealer gave me $8500 for it, and I still owed $7,250 on her, so I had a nice little down payment on my new 2012 Cruze.
The HHR has been one of my most favorite vehicles I've ever owned. It wasn't the most reliable, as I'll note below, but as far as driving and cruising around, it was a great car and I will miss it! Very comfortable seats, roomy, high driving position, decent stereo, simple controls, smooth as butter transmission, and relatively quiet ride. I could drive this car all day long and not get tired. No back aches, no leg cramps, just comfortable cruising. Great seats!
Some of the things I didn't like at first actually turned out be for the better. Case in point: the hard plastic door panels and dashboard. Yes they felt cheap and were rock hard to the touch, but after 36,000 miles there wasn't one scratch of tear, or any sort of visible wear in the interior of my HHR. Not having kids or pets probably helps of course :) Here's a pic of my interior I took last summer, after purchasing new floor mats:
A few other disappointments: Gas mileage. I have a light foot, and I still averaged only about 28 mpg overall in a mix of city/rural/highway. Also I found the ride to be a little hard over rough roads. The low profile 16 inch wheels probably didn't help. The hard suspension also brought out some rattles in the cabin as well.
While the interior held up extremely well, the exterior was showing some wear and tear. My wheels were starting to rust, as seen here in this pic:
The Chevy bow-tie emblem on the front grill was starting to peel:
Unfortunately my HHR wasn't the most trouble free car I've had. It was in the shop quite often. Luckily, everything was covered under warranty and the dealership always provided a rental. Here's a list of problems I've had over the years:
In March of 2009 at 1,727 miles, my check engine light came on. I trip to the dealer found a "poor connection at MAF sensor". Problem fixed the same day, under warranty.
In June of 2009 at 4,157 miles, I starting noticing a rattle noise from the steering wheel when going over bumpy roads. The dealership had to order and install a new steering column. Fixed under warranty and the dealership provided a rental car.
In July of 2010 at 16,912 miles, I started noticing a popping and clunking noise when applying the brakes and turning at low speeds. This time they replaced the "steering intermediate shaft per bulletin #40-03-08-006D". Under warranty and fixed the same day.
In November of 2011 at 33,548 miles, I started hearing a "roaring" noise from the front tires at around 40mph. The dealership diagnosed the problem as a "internally damaged right front hub/bearing assembly" and fixed it under warranty.
In January of 2012 at 36,125 miles, my check engine light came on. The dealership traced it to a "misfire cylinder 1". It was discovered that damage was done to the number 1 cylinder exhaust valve "stuck and burnt". They had to remove the entire engine from the car to take apart the engine and sent the cylinder head out to a machine shop for a "valve grind." The HHR was out of commission for a week. A rental car was provided and the repairs were covered by the 5 year/50,000 mile powertrain warranty.
At this point, I decided to trade-in my HHR for a new car that would have a bumper-to-bumper new car warranty. I only have one car and I need reliable transportation to work. I just couldn't take a risk of any out-of-pocket repair expenses that could come up down the road with my HHR. Also, with the rising gas prices, I wanted a car with better fuel economy.
Still, I will miss my HHR. A joy to drive and own, but I wish mine would have been a bit more reliable. Also thanks for all of you here on this great website for all the invaluable information and advise on our HHR's! Cheers and safe driving to everyone! Chris
A few departing shots of my HHR...
My HHR at the Colorado/New Mexico state border:
Took this last summer at a 1930s replica gas station by Denver, CO:
03-30-2012, 06:20 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: 10-23-2009
Location: Buffalo NY
Posts: 246
My 09 LS just turned 36K this week, only related issue was bowties. The dealer replaced the 1st time then I just painted when they started to go again. The Cruze is a nice ride and so many on the road, but I'm sure you'll think of some mods to make yours stand out. Enjoy..
03-30-2012, 12:02 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-07-2008
Location: NorCal
Posts: 237
Nice report, thanks for posting it. Under the circumstances, I would have made the same decision as you and sold the HHR and I think you made a good choice going with the Cruze, even though you will be giving up the utility of a wagon.
Sorry your unit wasn't more reliable. At 3 years and 48K, my '09 SS has a better service record with just two repairs required so far, replacement of the driver's air bag sensor and one of the release rods for the rear seat back. I'm hoping this good experience keeps up for many more miles because like you, I find my HHR an absolute joy to drive.
Love the photo with the vintage filling station!
Sorry your unit wasn't more reliable. At 3 years and 48K, my '09 SS has a better service record with just two repairs required so far, replacement of the driver's air bag sensor and one of the release rods for the rear seat back. I'm hoping this good experience keeps up for many more miles because like you, I find my HHR an absolute joy to drive.
Love the photo with the vintage filling station!
03-30-2012, 12:12 PM
#6
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,805
I think you made the correct decision based on the "troubles" you had. Engine/drive train may have done well as time/miles progressed, but you probably would have encountered other issues that would have been out of pocket expense.
I'd be interested in the mileage you recognize on the Cruze. I have 2 friends that have them and they're seeing about 27-28 MPG, mixed driving. One friend is especially conservative in driving habits, so if you're the same, I'd like to know if you exceed that MPG.
I think the only thing you will miss from the HHR is the utility. For what it is, it is able to carry a remarkable amount of gear.
I do wish you much luck and good experiences with the Cruze.
I'd be interested in the mileage you recognize on the Cruze. I have 2 friends that have them and they're seeing about 27-28 MPG, mixed driving. One friend is especially conservative in driving habits, so if you're the same, I'd like to know if you exceed that MPG.
I think the only thing you will miss from the HHR is the utility. For what it is, it is able to carry a remarkable amount of gear.
I do wish you much luck and good experiences with the Cruze.
03-30-2012, 10:09 PM
#7
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-07-2009
Location: Denver
Posts: 58
Thanks everyone for the nice comments! I really wish Chevrolet would have kept and updated the HHR, I would have definitely considered getting a new one. I will miss the utility of having a wagon, although to be honest I never really used the cargo space much anyways.
28 mpg on my HHR wasn't bad, but for a 4 cylinder engine I would have liked to get at least 30 mpg. I know the HHR is a heavy car and the 4 speed auto probably didn't help either.
My new Cruze, a base LS with the 1.8L and automatic is currently averaging 32 mpg, but I have a light foot. On the Cruze forums, most people are averaging around 30 mpg it seems. Eco models are in the mid 30s. My 42 mile roundtrip daily commute consists of 25% city driving, 50% rural driving (45-55 mph) and 25% freeway (65 mph). I'm hoping to achieve 33-34 mpg as I break-in the engine.
28 mpg on my HHR wasn't bad, but for a 4 cylinder engine I would have liked to get at least 30 mpg. I know the HHR is a heavy car and the 4 speed auto probably didn't help either.
My new Cruze, a base LS with the 1.8L and automatic is currently averaging 32 mpg, but I have a light foot. On the Cruze forums, most people are averaging around 30 mpg it seems. Eco models are in the mid 30s. My 42 mile roundtrip daily commute consists of 25% city driving, 50% rural driving (45-55 mph) and 25% freeway (65 mph). I'm hoping to achieve 33-34 mpg as I break-in the engine.
03-31-2012, 09:44 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: 01-25-2010
Location: Marietta, PA
Posts: 640
I have a 2009 2LT with 55,000 miles and only issue I have had was an internally craked headlight fixed under warranty. I went with the 5yr/100,000 warranty. I consistently get 30 to 30.5 mpg with about the same %'s you have on your work commute. On a trip to Ohio I got over 35mpg (mostly highway.
