Looking to buy any reasonably-priced, non-dented-up, low mileage HHR for general use and for the occasional hauling of stuff from Home Depot. Recent past autos have been a '98 Blazer LT (engine died at 169,xxx) and a 1994 low mileage Ford Ranger 4x4, Ext'd cab, V-6, (LOADED & then some) that has new tranny issues and is for sale real cheap. Decided V-6 4x4s and their crappy mpg are not for me. Been looking at the many ads for HHRs. Just joined this forum, read LOTS of threads, etc. I even printed the Scheduled Maint and Additional Req'd Service pages from the on-line owners manuals to learn about the timing of major (costly) work, timing belt vs. timing chain, and so forth. I hope to get a reliable example that many describe in their 100,000 mile stories. I'll drive it about 5-6000 miles/year.

So I will soon be taking some test drives and wondered if some members had thoughts on which ones to walk/run away from. I read a lot about frequent front brake repairs, front-end suspension pieces needing replacement a bit too often so I'll be on top of those things. Any tell-tale tranny noises that signal big problems ahead? I'll tackle minor issues but I am no mechanic.

Oh yes ... still fuzzy on the whole fuel requirements. Is it Premium for the 2.4L and Regular for the 2.2? Some members seem to prefer the smaller engine which surprises me. Isn't bigger usually better?

Thanks! Looking forward to replies!

 

Welcome!

Premium is not Required for the 2.4L but suggested/recommended. 2.0 it is required.

The 2.4 has more HP and better MPG.

Test drive and stomp on the brakes a few times, let go of the wheel a few times, listen for oddities while turning especially etc.

 

Welcome to the site.

One thing to take note of is the sitting position in the HHR's. Takes a little getting used to about the "vision" out the windshield. A low front roof edge at the top of the windshield area can make it hard to see some traffic lights.

Always found it odd that HHR stands for Heritage High Roof when the roof is so darn low in front.

 

I use the same basic guidelines when I'm checking out a vehicle. Take a flashlight and look over the entire undercarriage. Obviously a higher mileage car will have some minor surface rust on the exhaust and maybe a few other places, but you want to make sure none of it is cancerous. Let the engine come up to temp while you're doing all of this and listen for anything out of the ordinary(my old 2.2 was a touch tappity but had no issues). Use that flashlight to look for any leaks in the engine bay.

As far as the test drive, turn the radio off. Listen for creaks and groans that shouldn't be there. Test everything, A/C, heat, windows, everything. While I wouldn't say beat on it, kick it down on te test drive. This will not only check to make sure nothing is wrong with the motor, but ensure the trans isn't slipping.

And just a side note Don, the 2.0T on stock tune is also only recommended to use premium. GMS1 and above requires it.

 

Listen carefully, the HHR's will tell you if they like you or not!!

 

Now I remember, the sticker for the fuel filler is part of the Stage 1 kit.

 

And under the hood.

 

Let me know if you find such a thing...even the newest ones are getting up in mileage, and the few remaining clean low milers are generally not cheap, I was hoping to find a more recent version to replace mine, but at 96,000 miles, mine doesn't seem to be a high miler compared to what I find for sale locally.
There will be clunks and creaks from the front end unless it has been substantially replaced - mine was making noise from fairly low miles, but apart from new swaybar links I haven't done much to deal with it. You are obviously aware of listening for noisy timing chains, especially at startup, but there doesn't seem to be much else that misbehaves on the engines. Wheel bearings can get noisy. Check all the electrics work - mirrors, door locks and windows.
The good news is that nothing is expensive to replace or repair.

 

Be sure to check the doors on the inside. Many exhibit rust on the lower lip. Repair is all but impossible.

 

Just back from the Test Drive. It was an '06 LT with 118xxx miles. The seller showed me a receipt for new rear brakes, (the fronts were noted as being in near new condition), swaybar links, oil sending sensor (I think) correcting a bad oil-leak situation. I liked it. I thought it drove fine. A/C worked well. Inspected until 1/17.

Problems: More dings, scrapes and small dents than I'd like. I'm not sure ANY panel/section could be called pristine. The turn signal would not self-cancel (right) or stay put for lefts. (Had to hold it in position). The rear hatch must be held open. (Seller says this just started happening). Rear seat (light gray cloth) is pretty darn dirty. Finally, many bits & pieces that should be in the rear cargo area are missing. Namely: the cover that covers the spare tire cover, the cover that hides/covers the cargo area, the little plates that (i think) allow access to the rear taillights for bulb replacement. There is a "custom" grille. Might have seen it in other ads but not sure. Narrow horizontal bands in a flat black finish with no Chevy Bow Tie emblem. Not too fond of it. Truck is a medium blue color and I think the standard grille would be better looking. Seller says the missing cargo-area bits were missing when he got it less than a year ago. He's never heard that Chevy recommends Premium for the 2.4L engine so he's always used Regular. Got the impression I was more informed than he was about some things.

Pretty sure I can live with these things. I'll probably collect my own dents & dings soon enough based on what I know about my fellow Philadelphia drivers. $2,900 doesn't seem like too much to risk. Any thoughts out there?