Chevrolet HHR reliability by year
5 recalls and 3,573 owner complaints across 6 model years. Best year to buy: 2010. Year to avoid: 2006.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 5 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2010 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 6 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the HHR aggregated across 6 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Chevrolet HHR?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2010 Chevrolet HHR scores 7.0/10 — the strongest in the 2006–2011 range. 515 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Chevrolet HHR year should I avoid?
The 2006 Chevrolet HHR scores 6.6/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 1,006 owner complaints with NHTSA, 0 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2006 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Chevrolet HHR should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2009 (avoid — the electrical system — 5 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system); 2008 (avoid — the steering — 1 fatality report and 9 crash-related complaints on the steering); 2006 (avoid — the electrical system — 4 fatality reports and 2 fire-related complaints on the electrical system); 2011 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 29 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 36,000–80,000 mi); 2007 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 63 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 48,000–100,339 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2010. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Chevrolet HHR are tracked?
6 model years (2006 through 2011) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 5 recalls and 3,573 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Chevrolet HHR?
steering is the most-reported category — 1,562 complaints across 6 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.