Good Morning guys.

I have just bought a 2006 LT. I paid $7000. It has 84,000 miles and it looks like it has been looked after. I bought it in the black Friday mega sale at my local dealer and the car was $8500 last week. This main Chevy dealer offers a 7 day no questions asked money back guarantee. A buddy of mine is going to put it on the ramp and take a good look around. The car drives real nice although I do notice the key will not come out the ignition unless it is fully in Park.

I have been frantically searching this forum to learn of potential problems including the sway bar, water leaks etc but would like a complete list of what to look for. I do know the dealer did something to the brakes during prep work.
If I missed a similar post with the search function then I am sorry.

Thanks - UJ.

 

Welcome to the group! Your key should only be removable in Park since it is interlocked for safety reasons, if you can pull it out any other time...that's a problem. As far a potential problems go, well as with any other machine, things can and will go wrong. Are you having issues or are you more interested in compiling a list of everything that can crop up? If you can be more specific about any things that concern your HHR, I'm sure everybody here can direct you to the info you need. As a guess I'd say the dealer probably did a brake job before the sale, at 84,000 miles it was probably due. Hope this helps a bit, don't be shy about asking more questions.

 

Common problems are front end rattles, warped rotors, water leaks in front floors.

Key stuck in ignition (can't get it out even in park) used to be fairly common, but most seem to have been repaired. Only a few recalls, and for what I would consider minor issues.


Overall, great little cars!

 

The stuck key was a problem with the 06 models. Mine was repaired under warrenty (3 year/36K miles). I'd have the dealer look into fixing that issue. My 06 HHR has over 75 K miles on it and no other issues. I still have the original brakes. Brake issues happen with type of driving, city, highway or brake jammers. My car does not have ABS, nor traction control which is a plus in my book.

 

First thing you need to consider when reading posts on web sites is they are the magnet for those seeking help and or to complain.

Just keep things in perspective. for every one complaint here there are thousands that have not had the same issue. There were more than half million HHR's built so think about that vs the number of issues here.

Also people cry lemon on so many things anymore. Most cars have issues some you find some you don't, Many people have issues with their cars and do not even know they have them. It does not matter if it is a Chevy, Ford, Honda, Toyota or Hyundai if you go to their web sites they all have people with issues. Vehicles are mechanical and they are prone to some issues. The more miles the more of a chance for an issue.

If you are buying this car check it out full before you buy it. Or in you case get it checked out fully before 7 days and make the dealer fix any issue to keep it. Odd are you will lose money some where if you turn it back in. Most dealers do not do a 100% refund.
They always find a way to tag a fee on somewhere.

The key issues. Like stated the car needs to be in park to remove the key. In some cases the shifter may need adjusted with the interlock to get it to come out easier. As cars age the interlock some times wears or gets out of adjustment. The dealer can address this issue very easy.

So keep in mind even with some having some issues many many more of us have thousands and hundreds of thousands of miles with few to no issues.

The HHR is on a older platform by the old GM so it is not perfect but it is not bad either.
Note issues like hub bearings and brake complaints are the same on many models and brands. These are not just GM or HHR issues.

 

The most common issues are loose/rattling/sqeaking parts in the suspension and steering due to wear. Drive fairly slowly over some uneven pavement and listen, it will tell you a lot.
Also get a good feel for braking from highway speeds, see if there is any bumpy feedback through the brake pedal. Refinishing the rotors is perhaps what your dealer did prior to delivery.
There have been some electrical issues with the 06 in particular, but they seem pretty rare. As mentioned some of the early models had water leaks from the rubber patch on the passenger side below the windsheild.
On the other hand, the powertrain is known to be pretty solid. Many have high mileage and no problems in that area.

 

Welcome & I am sure once it's checked out you will enjoy the ride!

 

Well sead! there are lot of people that will take the time to post problems with there cars on the net. but only a few posts the good things or if they have no complaints at all.

 

Well said Lucky, you never see most of the good things about HHR's. The old axiom in business holds true, a happy customer tells a handful of people, an unhappy customer tells the whole world!

 

Yes, I don't understand why this thread was titled the way it was.