why does the brake lights stay on all the time

are they on with the switch out of the picture??? do they go out with the switch removed???

no they stay on even when the switch is out

feedback...http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/blog/chevy-hhr- complaints-still-coming-in.html

I have the same problem with our 2010 HHr. I have had it in the shop 3 times for this problem and they still stay on. the switch and sensor have been changed and nothing seems to work. I would like some answers to what is going on with this problem.

I have a 2009 HHR that had the brake lights come on by themselves while driving. Along with it I got the following warnings on the dash message board... ESC OFF , SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION. I also noticed the cruise control and ABS Braking stopped working. Being somewhat of a DIY Mechanic and having worked in Mechanical Engineering I investigated the problem to find that the same defective parts used in vehicles on the May 2005 GM Tail Light Malfunction were also used in the HHR and the HHR should have been included in the recall but were not. The recall fix involves adding a ground cable to the vehicle so that the Brake Positioning Sensor doesn't keep losing it's memory with the Control Module which can cause the brakes to illuminate on their own or cause them to not work at all. I changed the Brake Pedal Positioning Sensor on mine and then had to have a Certified GM Dealer Re- Learn the Sensor to the Control Module and the problem was fixed. But without the missing (recall) Ground Cable it was only two months later and the memory was lost again. I actually believe the Brake Pedal Sensor did not need to be replaced the first time but it only needed to be re-learned with the Control Module to make things temporarily work again and as soon as GM expands the recall and adds the ground cables we can all get our cars fixed properly. I filed complaints with... NHTSA, The Federal Trades Commission and The Wisconsin Consumer Protection Agency since I live in Wisconsin and I suggest everyone else with this problem do the same so we can force GM to fix the vehicles properly and before they cause an accident. To be sure try to convince your local GM Certified Dealer to re-learn your Brake Pedal Positioning Sensor to the Control Module and see if your problem gets fixed. Just remember the fix is only temporary without the cable installed.

I should add that GM reimburse me for the new Brake Pedal Sensor and the Dealer re-learning labor costs but they will not add the proper fix to the recall until the other agencies force them to do so. I'm sorry it was the May 5th 2014 Tail Light Malfunction Recall... http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/05/15/gm-new- recall-brakes-lights-wipers/9118137/ There was a Service Bulletin issued in March 2015 on how to fix the problem but apparently GM Certified Dealers are the only ones with access to it... http://www.chevroletproblems.com/tsbs/Impala/2014/

Here is an additional article that explains the problem very well. It also list the vehicles initially included in the recall. However when my 2009 HHR was being relearned at the Dealership the owner actually confirmed that my 2009 HHR also had the exact defective parts as the others and should have been included. http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/P ages/news/us/en/2014/May/0514-five-recalls.html

FYI... I was able to locate the Service Procedure in PDF form for the initial vehicles but it may not be the same or may vary from the HHR. http://www- odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM460752/RC RIT-14V252-3751P.pdf I hope all this info helps those with this problem and give you some hope of getting the problem fixed. Sorry it wasn't sooner cause I assume many have wasted lots of money trying to fix the issue.

I found the solution to the brake lights staying on. On my 2006 hhr the brake light would not go off once I applied the brakes, I notice that all 4 bulbs in the 3rd brake light was burned out, I replaced the burned bulbs and that instantly solved the problem. You must replace all 4 bulbs even if they all are not burned. Gilbert (Trenton NJ)

Gilbert I tried your suggestion of changing all 4 bulbs after 1 had burned out. I still can not get them to turn off. Does a Dealer have to reset the memory for me through a relearning process?

I just emailed the NTSB and asked if they can force Chevy's hand on this. And I referenced this thread. Hopefully they can do something.

I have a brake light problem where I release the brake pedal 5 Seconds letter later that brake lights are back on. I have change that brake pedal sensor module. This is an 08 Chevy Impala 3.5.

Vehicle: 2010 HHR LT with 283000 miles. Backyardman thread was very helpful. I just started having the problem of "brake lights on when brake pedal not depressed/brake lights off when brake pedal depressed." Secondary symptoms were inoperative cruise control, service ESC announcement, ESC off announcement, and service traction announcement. I discovered it when a guy, who was following me for several miles, told me what was going on when we stopped. I thought it must have been the brake-pedal switch and almost ordered one, but discovered this thread before doing so. I think this is the easiest fix I've ever performed on a car. It took all of five minutes and I took my time. Both the problem and the fix are clearly depicted in NHTSA's recall bulletin 13036, issued in August of 2014 titled "Brake Lamp Malfunction," applying to Chevy Malibu, Malibu Max, Pontiac G6, and Saturn Aura (BUT NOT THE HHR). Even so, the fix applies to the HHR because it used the same Body Control Module (BCM). The problem is that, "over time an increased resistance can develop in the BCM connection system." The fix is, essentially, to apply dielectric grease to both the pins and receptacles of the C2 connector of the BCM (the upper and vertical one of the two, large, blue connectors), plug it and unplug it to work the grease into the contacts, then repeat before buttoning things up. Following this procedure (without all the extra fluff described in the recall procedures) everything returned to normal. This is the link to NHTSA's fix document: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2014/RCRIT-14V252-3751P.pdf If the link doesn't work, you can find it on the NTHSA.gov website by searching for recalls. Type in 2007 Pontiac G6 and a few recalls come up, one of which is this one. Its date is May 14, 2014. There are a few PDFs which accompany the recall. The one you want is,"RCRIT-14V252-3761P.pdf" Note: in the fix literature, the BCM photos are oriented 90-degrees clockwise from what you will see in the HHR. This is because the other vehicles mounted the BCM differently. Once you figure this out, it will be easy to find the correct connector in your HHR.