2011 Chevrolet HHR: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
203 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 203 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 13.53
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that while approaching the locked vehicle, the contact noticed that the rear driver's side door had failed to latch securely and was open. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximatel…
Last week, I noticed fuel leaking out from the bottom of my vehicle on the rear passenger side in my driveway after returning home. I had my vehicle towed into a local shop to get looked at. The shop informed me that my entire fuel line assembly needed to be replaced. They stated that the metal assembly has rusted and corroded over time. At the time of this writing, my vehicle is still in the shop awaiting to get fix…
Fuel lines corroded just like millions of other HHR's. Gas is leaking. What does it take to have a recall on this? Does someone really have to be killed?
Recalls: 3 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 14V047000 | Air Bags | This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. |
| 14V171000 | Electrical System:Ignition | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position. |
| 14E021000 | Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | UCI-FRAM Group is recalling certain LS1328 ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1328, Duralast LS1328, Airtex 1S6097, and Carquest 53-27479, and LS1497 Ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1497, Duralast LS1497, Airtex 1S10961, and Carquest 53-27967, for use on various General Motors model and model year vehicles during repair and replacement of the original… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 24 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,550 · EPA range 279 mi
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Fuel/Propulsion System43 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Electrical System39 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Air Bags30 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Steering25 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Engine24 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electronic Stability Control (Esc)23 complaints · typical job: Yaw sensor or ESC module replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$660–$1,560
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Chevrolet HHR?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Fuel/Propulsion System (43 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Chevrolet HHR a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 77/100, computed from 203 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Chevrolet HHR's most common problem?
43 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Chevrolet HHR sit in the Fuel/Propulsion System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is fuel pump or injector replacement: about 3.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $680–$1,620 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Chevrolet HHR cost to run per year?
About $5,296 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $26,482 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Chevrolet HHR have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Chevrolet HHR, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 10/02/2014. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Chevrolet HHR really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 203 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 203 NHTSA complaints on record (13.5/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (13.5/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems