Used Chevy HHR Buying Guide: 2006-2011 Ignition Recalls, SS and Checks

If you're looking at a used Chevy HHR, the 2006-2011 retro wagon, the first job is the ignition: every model year is tied to GM's ignition switch or ignition cylinder recalls, and on a 2006-2007 HHR the switch defect can leave the air bags inactive in a crash. Clear those by VIN, check the power steering recall on 2009-2010 non-turbo cars, and only then decide between the plain 2.2/2.4 car and the turbocharged SS.

I went through NHTSA's recall API for 2006 through 2011 HHRs on Saturday evening, October 17, 2026, along with Car and Driver's HHR page and its 2008 HHR SS road test. These are cheap cars now, and a lot of them are on their fourth or fifth owner, which is exactly how a recall letter ends up in a mailbox nobody checks.

What the HHR is good at

The HHR name stands for Heritage High Roof, and the boxy shape makes it roomy. Car and Driver's HHR page calls it a smooth-riding wagonette that beat the Honda Element in a comparison test but trailed the Chrysler PT Cruiser, and notes it was also sold as a windowless panel van. Those panel vans turn up on the used market after fleet and small-business use, and they deserve a closer look at the history and the interior wear.

The SS is the outlier. In the 2008 HHR SS road test, C/D lists a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter Ecotec making 260 hp, which it says was 111 hp more than the base 2.2-liter and 88 more than the optional 2.4. The magazine's SS ran 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and offered 63 cubic feet of cargo space, and its base price was $22,995 back then. I'd treat a modified SS with suspicion, since a turbo car with a boost gauge tends to attract tuners.

If you'd rather have a newer small Chevy, our used Chevy Sonic buying guide and used Chevy Cruze guide cover the cars that followed.

HHR recalls to clear by VIN

• 14V047, ignition switch: GM first recalled Cobalts and Pontiac G5s on February 10, 2014, and on February 25 added 2006-2007 HHRs and other models. According to the NHTSA record, key ring weight or road conditions can move the switch out of "run," and if the key isn't in run the air bags may not deploy in a crash. Dealers replace the ignition switch. The summary names 2006-2007 HHRs, but the API attaches the campaign to every HHR year through 2011, so check the VIN rather than the year.
• 14V171, 2006-2011: the key can come out of the ignition when it isn't in "off," so the car could roll away. Dealers replace the ignition cylinder if it's the old design and cut two keys.
• 14V153, 2009-2010 non-turbo: the electric power steering can lose assist suddenly, making the car heavy to steer at low speeds. For the HHR, the fix under GM's bulletin is a new power steering motor.
• 08V046, 2006-2008 without roof rail air bags: a head-impact test point failed the federal standard, and dealers add an energy-absorbing piece to the headliner trim.
• 08V444, 2006-2008: the storage bin door on top of the dash may not stay shut in a crash, as the head-impact standard requires. A redesigned latch fixes it.

Until the switch recall is done, NHTSA's record tells owners to remove everything from the key ring except the ignition key. If the seller hands you a big jangling key ring on a 2007 HHR and says "it's fine," that's your answer about how closely they've followed this. Our Chevy recall check by VIN post shows how to confirm the work was actually completed.

Checking a used HHR before you buy

Match the VIN on the dash, door jamb and title, then decode it. Our Chevrolet VIN decoder post explains the positions, and NHTSA's vPIC decoder will confirm the engine, which is how you spot an LT wearing SS badges. Search NMVTIS for salvage or junk brands. On the drive, turn the wheel at parking-lot speed a few times; steering that goes suddenly heavy is a reason to stop and check that 14V153 was done.

Then pull a real history report before money changes hands. Old panel vans and cheap commuters are where we've seen a "clean" listing next to a salvage auction record the seller left out. CarVins is a licensed reseller of CARFAX and AutoCheck, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, Experian or Chevrolet. In mid October 2026 one report costs a guest about $5.50 and a member about $4.50, and the two-report bundle runs about $6.75, while buying direct is usually $39.99 to $44.99. The checkout page has the final word on price.

Sources

• Car and Driver: Chevrolet HHR and 2008 HHR SS road test
• NHTSA 14V047, 14V171 and 14V153; other campaigns from recallsByVehicle, read Oct. 17, 2026
• NHTSA vPIC and NMVTIS