186,000 miles and its dead
01-17-2015, 07:16 AM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-03-2006
Location: chicago
Posts: 498
X2 get it checked out ... Do not go by the shop because a lot them are looking to make big money on you and how well do you know this shop? These cars are running well to 300000 to 5000000 miles if there well maintained ...the only thing that sucks is the suspension and wheel bearing problems other then that there are awesome 
01-17-2015, 07:49 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-26-2006
Location: San Bernardino, California
Posts: 1,876
5000000?? Really? I'd like to see that one! (I know it's a typo) But seriously, I just watched the neighbors up the street work off and on over about the last month or so, putting an engine in an 06 LT, similar to the one we had, and they finally got it running. They bought the engine from a self service junkyard for $400 and did all of their own work. I helped the with the A/C.
01-17-2015, 08:18 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: 08-09-2010
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 158
You guys are calling 186k good service? My HHR only has 145k so far, but my 1995 Nissan pickup has 232k and still runs through our required emissions check with flying colors. It doesn't burn a drop of oil.
I think I would get a second opinion/price also. Would be worth a towing bill if it saves you $1000. I don't envy your decision though. I just scrapped an older BMW even though it ran fine because the front end work it needed, and the fact that some idiots smashed a bottle of Crown Vic through the back windshield, would have cost as much to fix as the car was worth.
I think I would get a second opinion/price also. Would be worth a towing bill if it saves you $1000. I don't envy your decision though. I just scrapped an older BMW even though it ran fine because the front end work it needed, and the fact that some idiots smashed a bottle of Crown Vic through the back windshield, would have cost as much to fix as the car was worth.
01-17-2015, 08:20 AM
#14
Deceased
Join Date: 06-30-2010
Location: Kannapolis NC
Posts: 25,739
I think that the 5,000,000 mile figure is a typo, but something tells me that eventually we'll see an HHR hit the million mile mark.
Last summer I looked at a pair of '08 Panels from a Raleigh pharmacy that came across the block at a used car auction, they'd been used as delivery vehicles, and each one was well over 500,000 miles.
There has to be a root cause of the OP's apparent catastrophic engine failure, now we wait to see what that cause may have been.
Last summer I looked at a pair of '08 Panels from a Raleigh pharmacy that came across the block at a used car auction, they'd been used as delivery vehicles, and each one was well over 500,000 miles.
There has to be a root cause of the OP's apparent catastrophic engine failure, now we wait to see what that cause may have been.
01-17-2015, 10:21 AM
#15
Member
Join Date: 01-17-2013
Location: Boston Ma
Posts: 40
Mine has 320.000 still all original motor,tranny only thing i have done is suspension and wheel bearings tires oil running good ....
01-17-2015, 02:09 PM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-20-2011
Location: Savanna Illinois
Posts: 737
My HHR was just short of 200,000 miles when the engine went bad.
Since mine is a 2006 I had to have to have a replacement engine from another 2006 or compatible other vehicle like a Cobalt or Saturn Vue or a few others. The electronics are different on the newer HHR's and the newer engines are simply not compatable.
Since your HHR is newer you can go with the less expensive engines.
I was able to get a used engine with around 70,000 miles on with a 2 year guarantee for around $1,200 from SWEngines.com and a local shop installed it for me for about the same amount. I did have some other work done like a complete manifold back exhaust and new oxygen sensors and new rear shocks installed for that price.
So for less than $2,500.00 I had my car back. I couldn't buy another car worth having for that much. I did buy a 2005 PT Cruiser Turbo GT convertible because otherwise we were on foot or begging rides from friends and things like that, but it cost much more than fixing the HHR.
Since mine is a 2006 I had to have to have a replacement engine from another 2006 or compatible other vehicle like a Cobalt or Saturn Vue or a few others. The electronics are different on the newer HHR's and the newer engines are simply not compatable.
Since your HHR is newer you can go with the less expensive engines.
I was able to get a used engine with around 70,000 miles on with a 2 year guarantee for around $1,200 from SWEngines.com and a local shop installed it for me for about the same amount. I did have some other work done like a complete manifold back exhaust and new oxygen sensors and new rear shocks installed for that price.
So for less than $2,500.00 I had my car back. I couldn't buy another car worth having for that much. I did buy a 2005 PT Cruiser Turbo GT convertible because otherwise we were on foot or begging rides from friends and things like that, but it cost much more than fixing the HHR.
01-17-2015, 10:13 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-14-2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 432
Driving home from work yesterday my 2007 HHR LT Panel croaked.
There was no warning. It just started losing power and then died.
Right before it cut off I noticed that the temp gauge was reading zero, or whatever the lowest reading is.
There were no idiot lights, nothing at all to warn me that it was going to die.
When I noticed the temp gauge I turned on the heat and it was blowing cold.
It was still blowing hot that morning when I went to work.
I only drove for about one minute after it started losing power so I could attempt to make it to the next exit off the interstate.
I never made it.
I had it hauled to a local garage and they called today and said that there was a major compression issue and the engine was most likely toast.
They seemed to think that it would not be cost effective to attempt to diagnose and repair the engine.
They recommended engine replacement.
I have looked around and have found that I can purchase a fairly low mileage 2.4 ecotec engine for between $600 to $1000 and the shop wants $2200 to install it, including belts, filters, thermostats, fluids, etc....
But since Kelly Blue Book only values this car at between $2900 to $3700 I am wondering if its even worth dumping another $3000 into it to get it fixed.
I could probably buy another one for close to the same amount that I could get this one fixed for. I can't say that I have ever been very impressed with this thing anyway. Since I have had it I have had to replace or turn down the rotors about two times a year, have replaced the front wheel bearings, the struts, the sway bar links, the sway bar bushings, the starter, the windshield, the sunroof wind deflector brackets, and a bunch of bulbs. I guess I just expected to get more than 7 years out of a new car.
I commute 120 miles a day and need something that gets some decent mileage. I could really use a 4x4 pickup but I am not finding many low mileage, fuel efficient American trucks that I would trust for around the same amount it would cost to fix the car.
I'm definitely not wanting to saddle myself with another new car payment and my credit is such that I end up paying ridiculous interest rates for a used car or personal loan and I don't have cash on hand to buy anything either.
If I end up getting it repaired, it will have to be on a credit card.
I guess I am half ranting and half asking what would you do.
I have a rental right now and this thing is costing me $200/week so I need to make a decision before the weekend is over.
What would you do?
There was no warning. It just started losing power and then died.
Right before it cut off I noticed that the temp gauge was reading zero, or whatever the lowest reading is.
There were no idiot lights, nothing at all to warn me that it was going to die.
When I noticed the temp gauge I turned on the heat and it was blowing cold.
It was still blowing hot that morning when I went to work.
I only drove for about one minute after it started losing power so I could attempt to make it to the next exit off the interstate.
I never made it.
I had it hauled to a local garage and they called today and said that there was a major compression issue and the engine was most likely toast.
They seemed to think that it would not be cost effective to attempt to diagnose and repair the engine.
They recommended engine replacement.
I have looked around and have found that I can purchase a fairly low mileage 2.4 ecotec engine for between $600 to $1000 and the shop wants $2200 to install it, including belts, filters, thermostats, fluids, etc....
But since Kelly Blue Book only values this car at between $2900 to $3700 I am wondering if its even worth dumping another $3000 into it to get it fixed.
I could probably buy another one for close to the same amount that I could get this one fixed for. I can't say that I have ever been very impressed with this thing anyway. Since I have had it I have had to replace or turn down the rotors about two times a year, have replaced the front wheel bearings, the struts, the sway bar links, the sway bar bushings, the starter, the windshield, the sunroof wind deflector brackets, and a bunch of bulbs. I guess I just expected to get more than 7 years out of a new car.
I commute 120 miles a day and need something that gets some decent mileage. I could really use a 4x4 pickup but I am not finding many low mileage, fuel efficient American trucks that I would trust for around the same amount it would cost to fix the car.
I'm definitely not wanting to saddle myself with another new car payment and my credit is such that I end up paying ridiculous interest rates for a used car or personal loan and I don't have cash on hand to buy anything either.
If I end up getting it repaired, it will have to be on a credit card.
I guess I am half ranting and half asking what would you do.
I have a rental right now and this thing is costing me $200/week so I need to make a decision before the weekend is over.
What would you do?
01-18-2015, 07:56 AM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-03-2006
Location: chicago
Posts: 498
I think that the 5,000,000 mile figure is a typo, but something tells me that eventually we'll see an HHR hit the million mile mark.
Last summer I looked at a pair of '08 Panels from a Raleigh pharmacy that came across the block at a used car auction, they'd been used as delivery vehicles, and each one was well over 500,000 miles.
There has to be a root cause of the OP's apparent catastrophic engine failure, now we wait to see what that cause may have been.
Last summer I looked at a pair of '08 Panels from a Raleigh pharmacy that came across the block at a used car auction, they'd been used as delivery vehicles, and each one was well over 500,000 miles.
There has to be a root cause of the OP's apparent catastrophic engine failure, now we wait to see what that cause may have been.
Last edited by hurst2001; 01-18-2015 at 08:35 AM.
01-18-2015, 09:23 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-26-2006
Location: San Bernardino, California
Posts: 1,876
01-18-2015, 01:22 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-13-2014
Location: MI
Posts: 119
A car that can't make it to 200K in this day and age isn't worthy to me. With that being said, what happen to the days when you just pay a shop $500 to throw in a replacement engine and call it good?
Hell, I was able to get my clutch replaced in my Accord for $800, and that was with parts and labor.
Hell, I was able to get my clutch replaced in my Accord for $800, and that was with parts and labor.