I've posted the latest results of TrueDelta's reliability survey to the site. These are for the year ending March 31, 2007. (CR currently provides results through March 31, 2006, making their data a year older.)

For the 2006 Chevrolet HHR, I have an average of 7.2 months of data on 28 cars. The stat of 0.9 successful repair trips per year is worse than the average for a 2006, but not much worse.

I tend to see higher repair rates for the first model year of a car. Unfortunately, I have not yet started collecting data on the 2007 Chevrolet HHR because not enough owners are signed up, so I cannot say whether or not this is the case with the HHR.

Those of you who have been helping out with this research, thanks, I appreciate it.

Other results:

TrueDelta Vehicle Reliability Survey results

 

By that listing, I woud not have bought one......

 

Unless I am reading the results wrong, the results seem to be more of a black mark against the repair facilities than the vehicle.

 

Fear not folks, look at the numbers. The thing was based on 28 HHR owners chiming-in. 28! How many '06s are there? 28,000? More? So, that survey represents less than 1/10th of 1% of 2006 HHR's.

Other makes also have similar low numbers.

worthless info.... less than worthless....

 

No, I disagree...

based on members responses on this forums and others, it supports exactly the correct information. I read it the same way as Black Rose......Dealer Service on initial contact, SUCKS, big time.

 

Also, the early 06s had a lot of problems. Mine was built in April 06 and I did not have many of the problems you all have posted here.

I don't normally buy a car in it's first year of production but I couldn't resist getting an HHR as soon as possible!

 

There's a lot of ways to view these figures, based on 28 HHR's and the people responding on their trip to the shop for repairs. There's not enough information to judge anything, more then likely all 28 had problems. How many happy customers didn't respond? Looking at same year figures for the HHR and PT did anyone see this information?

Totally Hypothetical: Cherry-odds

Chances of taking no trips to the shop during a 6 year period, assuming 20000 miles a year:

2006 Chevrolet HHR: 1.3 percent, or about one in 75

2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser: 0.3 percent, or about one in 361

Difference: Someone buying the 2006 Chevrolet HHR is 381 percent more likely to get a cherry.

However, the odds are very slim in both cases

And this wasn't the PT's first prod. year. Anyway we bought these cars for personal taste and they came with warranties cars have car trouble. What are you going to do?
I'm driving an American car that looks awsome drives great and gets a lot of looks and attention. When it needs to go to the shop I'll take it, and if I'm not happy with the shop I take it to, I'll find one I'm happy with.

Curtis & Deb

 

I normally avoid first year models like the plague, but like you, I couldn't resist getting the 06 (even though I could have had an 07).

I had a car that was into it's fourth year since re-introduction (2001 Malibu) and it was the worst piece of crap I have ever had the misfortune of owning.

The issues I have had to date with the HHR are very minor in my opinion, especially compared to that Malibu.

 

You've found your way onto a page that is clearly marked as containing hypothetical--not actual--data. Those pages are to show how I intend to report results when the sample sizes are larger.

The only actual data right now is the 0.9 repair trips. This reflects on the vehicle, not the service facility. I don't include unsuccessful repair trips in this analysis. Those would reflect on the facility.

The research design collects data going forward. Most repairs occur after people sign up to participate, so they can't just be signing up to gripe. This research design, which no one else uses, largely eliminates this source of bias.

28 is not an ideal sample size, but it is far from worthless. The total number sold has no bearing at all on the required sample size. Instead, what matters is the amount of variance from vehicle to vehicle. With this sample size, the actual repair rate is most likely somewhere between 0.7 and 1.1.

As others have suggested, I believe this number reflects first-year issues. Most likely the repair rate will drop as GM sorts these out.

 

Thanks for the explanation, it surely helps understand.

But, why not include your guidelines with the results, at the bottom of the page for instance. Wouldn't it prevent misinterpretations from ocurring??