I too am now experiencing this problem at 20,000 miles. I opened up the shifter and found the switch. Thought the switch wasn't moving far enough so I bowed the lever a little further to make sure it was tripping far enough. I thought it was solved until last week it started again. I just pulled it apart again. The switch seemed to be making intermittent contact. Because I am out of warranty, I gently removed the switch and carefully opened it up. The contacts were loaded up with carbon. I think this is a poor design and the contacts have too much current being pulled through them for the size of the contacts. I took a piece of paper and carefully cleaned the contacts then reassembled the switch. I reinstalled the switch. Hopefully this will solve the problem. Incidentally, The shifter doesn't need to be shifted back and forth to cycle the switch. You only need to squeeze and release the trigger on the shifter. Slamming the shifter into park won't do it and may break something.

Hope this helps.

 

Found your forum last night...spent a really LONG day with my mom at a city about an hour away...stopped to put fuel in the car and the key didn't want to come out. So I continued on to my little town(didn't really NEED fuel anyway), stopped at the grocery store and key came out fine. Then went home, and key won't come out. Tried all the above. Even waited for hours. Nada. So, then decided that the battery indeed would go dead if I left it for morning, I will detach the battery cable! However, my husband is the one who does the car stuff and he is not here. Hmmn. Can't be that hard. Find out that it is the positive side you want to pull off. Good. Open hood...where IS the battery? There are lids on everything. Pull off a front right piece of plastic, only because it is not actually attached to anything. No battery. Behind that looks like something with a battery shape, and a Negative marked plastic piece...maybe. Top unlatches...it is a fuse box. Not battery. Hmmn...well, pull out that owners manual(that I have not read either...except how to reset the oil change reminder). Since it is mainly the radio that won't turn off and is using power, perhaps I can just pull that fuse. First, the fuse box doesn't resemble the diagram to me. Read further. There is another fuse box inside the car. Took fifteen minutes to locate it, pull cover(I am feeling really close to my car right about then, like I'm really starting to understand it better under the plastic, LOL!), now this fuse area really does resemble their diagram. Locate the fuse puller...YAAY...locate the fuse for the radio...pull fuse...lights and hissy sound go OFF. Good I can go to bed now. Or eat dinner. Heck it is only 10:30 pm.
Thanks to this site...just knowing I'm not alone in this helped a lot. Also gave me an answer to my husband's questions of "What did YOU do to make this happen???". I was able to reply that this happens with HHR's, I didn't do anything to make it happen, and the likely cause of the problem. HA! Very empowering.
Other than that, we really like the car. Very comfortable and fun...and we get good gas mileage too. I replaced my Subaru WRX with this one...and never looked back.
Kait

 

Welcome to the site Kait!!! Too bad it took a problem to get you here though!

 

It may be very helpful to know that the battery is located in the back of the HHR, under the plastic cover that hides the spare tire. Also, be aware of how to jump start the HHR. There is an under hood pin on the fuse block for the positive cable and the negative cable is to be connected to the strut. Failure to do this properly will result in a blown power steering fuse and possibly other problems.

BTW........

 

What do you mean? HHRs have no battery. They're that cool.

 

Same problem; key stuck in the ignition. I noticed that the shifter lock is stuck, and I can push/pull the shifter into any gear. Does pulling the shifter apart and repositioning the pin solve this problem, or is there another mechanical problem with the shifter.

Dennis

On edit:

LinkX, Problem resolved. Centering the pin frees up the shifter lock. I was able to get the pin repositioned without having to disconnect the electrical connector and shifter cable. Thanks for posting the info.

 

Just for information, I was warned by the dealer to never jump start connecting the negative cable to the strut. He says they have replaced many damaged struts becuase of this, and to use a ground on the engine instead. This despite what the manual says!

 

Hi, All!
Boy, when this car decides to have an issue, it really goes all out.
I figured since I had the fuse for the radio out that the battery would not drain. I was wrong. The car is dead dead dead. My hubby came home, went thru the car and found said battery(he remarked that it was in a stupid place, IHO)...the rear hatch won't release, tho. He found the charging location at the front and also released the key from the ignition via the little door. Of course, the car is in the garage, nose forward, and there is no way to get any vehicle anywhere close to the charging location. He stretched out two jumper cables to jump it. I was impressed, yet standing back just in case, hoping he didn't need my help. Turned the key at the appropriate moment, and nothing. Nada.
Anyone have any ideas?
I just heard a beer popping open....
Kait

 

Here's a how to for getting the rear hatch open w/o any power............

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-tutorial-library-21/how-manual-liftgate-release-8540/

Maybe hooking directly to the battery will help. Good luck!

 

Same problem..cant remove the key...I found this pin fell out of shifter area (pix 3). not sure from where..yet.

first picture is of the interlock switch. I temp. closed the switch, the key came out...
going to try to find where that pin goes, if you know post please!

(edit) well I found where that pin goes. I removed the shift assy (4 nuts). From the driver side if you look at the side of the shifter assy. following the shifter down you will see a hole with white plastic showing, when you squeeze the trigger on the shifter that white plastic moves up and the hole will be visible. Slide the pin through the hole. used some epoxy. will see how long that holds.

got this picture from another location. its the hole circled in picture.