Radiator Problems of Chevrolet HHR

I purchased a 2008 Chevrolet Hhr in may of 2009. The vehicle has overheated 4 times in a year. The radiator and cylinder heads have been replaced and I can not be guaranteed that is will not happen again by the dealership. They have admitted it is an unseen situation, but they are unable to resolve the issue.

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The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Hhr. The contact stated three months after purchasing the vehicle it would not start. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility where she was advised they were unable to make repairs. The vehicle was then towed to a different repair facility where the mechanic advised the ignition would need to be reprogrammed. She would also need a new key that would also have to be reprogrammed. The repairs were completed at the contact's expense. On her drive home, the contact smelled something burning and there was a loud pop. She was able to make it to her residence and when inspecting the vehicle, she found that the engine fan had been tampered with. The dealer advised that both the fan and radiator would need to be replaced at her expense. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The current mileage was approximately 90,100.

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My coolant gauge on the instrument panel would not work occasionally but would start working again within miles and before I could get it to the dealer. They looked at it the first time and said there was nothing they could do unless it stopped working completely, that they had no way of finding out why it would stop working and then just start working again. It happened the first time at about 15,00 miles and then again about every 5,000 miles further. It stopped working the other day again (everything else worked fine on the panel and no problems with the heat/air, radiator or any other coolant issue) but this time it made the "check engine" light come on also. I called the dealer and they said it was best not to drive it in case the engine would overheat so I had it towed to the shop. They finally diagnosed the problem as the thermostat sticking and charged me the full cost of repairs and towing since the mileage was now at 43,800. I had been having this problem for 30,000 miles but they could never figure out why. The last time it happened, my ac wouldn't work. They said that the ac compressor which costs $1300 to replace is broken but that the problem with the coolant gauge/thermostat had nothing to do with it. It just seems very coincidental that both go out at the same time. My car has had other problems that I've never heard anyone having with a brand new car that is less than 3 years old. I will never recommend anyone by this year/model car. It's dangerous due to the problems that everyone is experiencing and in constant need of repair. My next issue with my car is a noise that comes and goes in the front suspension. Again, this problem comes and goes and they can never figure out the problem because it works great when the dealer has it. I would get rid of this car if I could afford to.

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Driving home from work my temp light came on & my car started shaking really bad. While driving it cut off & I had to coast to the side of the road. My car never cranked bk up & had to be towed. There was also coolant leaking from the bottom. Come to find out there was a defect in my radiator because there is nothing covering it (others may want to check into this). I had to have a new engine put in my car in addition I had a faulty wire to my alternator & had to have both stabilizer links replaced about 4 days after the 1st repair. Now when I drive my steering wheel shakes so this will be the 3rd repair.

My brand new chevy Hhr will allow rocks and road debris to ruin the radiator and the a/c condenser then they will not fix under warranty. This car will keep having this problem, I cant keep buying 600 dollar radiators every 3 months.

While driving on the highway (495 beltway near washington, DC) during rush hour my dashboard light indicating a coolant problem came on. I managed to get over to the side of the road. All of the coolant had run out of my car and it was not drivable without risking damage. I did drive it with the temperature reading over 300 degrees until the gauge failed so that I could get it to the dealership. The manual stated that there was a risk of fire if you drive the car with the red indicator warning light on, but I had no choice to get my car away from heavy traffic and to the dealership. According to the dealer the car's radiator and condenser are damaged beyond repair and must be replaced. I did not drive over anything or feel anything collide with my car. I was simply driving when the warning signal sounded and the red indicator light came on. Now the dealership and the manufacturer say that there is no defect in the car that would cause this. I have found several other people who indicate having the same problem with this model of car. There is no protective plate under the radiator to prevent rocks or road debris from coming up as a projectile and damaging it. I have asked the manufacturer to fix the car and install some kind of protective plate, but they have refused. I do not feel safe driving a car that is at such risk for radiator damage during normal driving conditions.