116 of the 3,420 complaints filed about the Chrysler PT Cruiser are about the other systems — 3% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2001.
116
Complaints
3%
Share of all complaints
3
Crashes
6
Fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown went to get an inspection and I got a paper with information for how to search up if there was any recalls with my car and it has 5 recalls it said
NHTSA complaint #11674679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
tampered odometer
NHTSA complaint #11639675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased the 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser on 1/10/2024. I learned that the Chrysler Dealership does not make keys for the vehicle when locked out, nor does it Service the vehicle. They will "address" a Recall Notice and will do an oil change and will do an inspection only. Chrysler Dealership told me to "Come back tomorrow" when a Recall Notice was issued and they said it was not Safety Related, however a Power Steering Pressure Hose was found to be leaking/exploding oil and this IS a safety related issue. I was rear ended 1/23/24 with 2 dogs in the car. I did not purchase Uninsured Motorists Insurance because I thought under CA State Law that I was legally compliant with insurance I had purchased. I thought between two cars in a potential accident, one had to be able to cover fault for any reason if not both equally. I was told by my Insurance to go after the other Man's Insurance, even if he was not the driver and this did not seem right. The other Man's Insurance Policy had lapsed and I was told there is no coverage for being rear ended. The man said I hit him and said something about "not seeing" the light or turn signal which I demonstrated for functionality. Vehicle has been given different assessments and inspections from 1/10 when purchased to present. I paid $500 at one AAA ASE Facility and $15,000 out of Retirment plus hotel for 3 weeks for the vehicle "dying" and the problem cannot be identified. Car is doing weird things mechanically and no one can locate the problem. There is unaddressed Body Damage where the Rear Left Light (plastic and housing) broke. The vehicle has to have body repair and a new light ordered at a cost greater than what is available through an Auto Dismantler. Chrysler does not make parts for this vehicle. There was rust and corrosion in coolant and metal found in Transmission. I paid full price for a used Transmission. I need someone to review traffic footage to determine when the window went down and dog went out and why
NHTSA complaint #11576953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car (manual 5-speed) has issues going into reverse and hits hard shifting into other gears. I see where online it shows this issue happened quite a bit with the 2002 PT Cruiser. I don't drive my care every day and I keep it maintained very well. I have not had any accidents in it so I believe this may also be a recall issue.
NHTSA complaint #11476715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I'm driving along, cruise set to 65. Ac on. Radio on. No sounds or weird feels from the car. Every light on the dash comes on. They went off after two seconds, with the seatbelt light being last to shut off. Then the car hits 113k miles about ten miles later and just... shuts off. All gauges drop to zero. Ac shuts off. Radio still playing. Full tank of gas. Headlights still on, brakes worked, power steering worked, and emergency flashers worked. I managed to get out of traffic and pull over without causing an accident. I turn the radio off and turn the key off for a few minutes. It cranked right back up and ran a little rough for a moment before smoothing out. I drove home without incident, but kept the radio and cruise off. And stayed under 65. Thankfully, traffic was light. The car has not been fixed as of this posting, nor has it been seen by anyone due to the weekend. Unsure of when I can get it fixed due to finances, but if this happens in heavy traffic or on one of many roads with no shoulder, lives will be at risk.
NHTSA complaint #11469857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Answers and explanations to all of the above questions: My power steering assembly is leaking pretty bad and is only getting worse. I have a bad shoulder that I had surgery on and if it goes completely out I am afraid i wont be able to turn the steering wheel & cause an accident. The rims on the vehicle are cracked/cracking & I believe one has a hole or 2 & another 1 is forming one. It's also scratching & ruining the rotors. Its not the pads they are fine but I need at least 1 new rotor & can't because the rims are defective causing it to happen again which can easily damage the calipers locking up the wheel causing a crash plus sometimes theres a loud crunching noise not grinding like the pads are bad cause they are not. I know the difference. The trac off & airbag lights are on then they go off then come back on again.The dashboard is cracked and it caused the vent to break where anything can get in it.The clear coat is peeling and yet the paint under it is in great shape.I also believe that the instrument cluster is causing the lights to come on the dashboard.The vehicle can be picked up when ever you have a spot open for it. I would like 48 hours notice due to work. This is a safety issue if the power steering goes while driving I cant steer it because I didn't know it was leaking it went out and I was stuck blocking traffic and couldn't turn it the passenger had to do it for me, If the rims get worse or hole bigger it can crack or break in half while I am driving. The defrost vent is open to particles that can get in there that shouldn't. The airbag light on could be a defect or the air bags defective. Nothing has been inspected on it since I just found out when looking up this make, year and model a price on power steering to find out there's a recall on it as well as other issues. There were no warnings and the only code that came up was the high fan relay switch. Since then the trac off light goes on and off as well as airbag light and now is currently on.
NHTSA complaint #11441234 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
BALL JOINT ARE MISSING
NHTSA complaint #11349156 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE CAR HAS BEEN OVERHEATING AT IDLE. WHEN DRIVING, IT MAINTAINS THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE AND RETURNS TO IT EVEN IF IT HAS GONE UP. IDLING AT A DRIVE THRU IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE A FULL OVERHEAT WITH SMOKE. WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF, A LOUD BUBBLING CAN BE HEARD. THE ENTIRE FAN ASSEMBLY AND HARNESS WAS JUST REPLACED. PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING. ORIGINALLY, FAN WOULD NOT TURN OFF ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. EVEN WHEN CAR WAS OFF. SPENT MANY MONTHS HAVING TO REMOVE THE FUSE BECAUSE THE RAN WOULD RUN THE ENGINE DRY OF POWER. THIS WOULD HAPPEN EVEN AFTER SHORT DRIVES WHEN THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND OFF.
NHTSA complaint #11327694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DROVE THE VEHICLE 12 MILES TO GET HOME. (THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY) IMMEDIATELY TURNING OFF ENGINE AFTER MAKING IT HOME. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE (BIG LEAK) FROM HOSE AND SMOKE SMELL FROM UNDER HOOD. (ENGINE LOOKS CHARD)
NHTSA complaint #11271512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY WIFE AND I AND IT ALMOST TOOK OUR LIVES BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF IT ALIVE AND THE INSURANCE AND THE ATTORNEYS GAVE ME SOME MONEY SO I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT ME A CHRYSLER PT CRUISER FOR $4, 700 FOR A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER FROM LARRY H MILLER HONDA I STARTED HAVING OVERHEATING ISSUES RIGHT AFTER I PURCHASED IT FROM THEM AND EVENTUALLY BLEW THE HEAD GASKET IN IT NOT KNOWING THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS ALSO GOING IN IT I HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS FROM THE FIRST DAY I BOUGHT IT I SPENT MY WHOLE $4, 700 FROM MY SETTLEMENT TO GET THIS VEHICLE AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS ON IT'S GOT 60, 000 MILES ON IT AND IT'S IT'S IN MY BACKYARD MY WIFE AND I DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE BECAUSE THIS OVERHEATED AND CAUSED IT TO BLOW THE HEAD GASKET I CHANGE THE WATER PUMP TIMING BELT EVERYTHING AND THEN IT BLEW A HEAD GASKET PLEASE HELP ME MY WIFE AND I ARE STUCK BECAUSE WE HAVE NO WAY TO GETTING AROUND AND I'M NOT ABLE TO WORK BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE WE STRUGGLED SINCE OUR AUTO ACCIDENT AND THIS IS JUST BEEN ONE HURDLE THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET OVER IT PLEASE HELP ME
NHTSA complaint #11195963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
MY CAR IS HANGING UP IN A LOWER GEAR MAY GEAR 2 AND THE ENGINE IS RAISING. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. IT HAS DONE THIS A FEW TIMES WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. SOMETIMES THE ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF AND IT RUNS LIKE A GREAT VEHICLE BUT THEN IT WILL HANG UP AND GET STUCK IN A LOWER GEAR! I HAVE BEEN DRIVING INNER CITY WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND AFRAID TO TAKE IT ON THE HIGHWAY.
NHTSA complaint #11187241 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE WHERE THE RADIO CUP HOLDERS AND THE SHIFTER. CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE DUE TO THE DAMAGE. MY CAR WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME. THE RADIO KEPT TURN ON AND OFF. I HEARD CRACKING WHEN I WENT INTO WORK. WHEN I CAME OUT I SAY THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF DAMAGE. I DID GET THE CAR STARTED AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOME, BUT IT'S NOT DRIVABLE SINCE THE CAR DIED AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY. WHEN I WENT TO PUT IT INTO PARK IT WAS LIKE PARK WAS NOT AN OPTION. AMD THE CAR KEPT MOVING SO I PUT THE E BREAK ON.
NHTSA complaint #11185656 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I DON'T TRULY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPEN TO IT N IF IT'S BEEN FIXED BUT I DO KNOW THAT PRIOR IT WOULD HAVE UNCONTROLLABLE SPEED CONTROL N STEERING PROBLEMS N GPS N VIDEO N AUTO RECORDING N RADIO FREQUENCIES.
NHTSA complaint #11183323 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
IGNITION- KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION. CAR COULD TURN ON AND OFF STEERING WHEEL WOULD MOVE THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE HOWEVER THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION THE MECHANIC HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE PART WHICH WAS VERY COSTLY IN ADDITION THE KEY THAT WAS STUCK WE OBVIOUSLY COULD NO LONGER USE AND IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE THE KEY WITH THE ALARM KEY CHAIN REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #11111048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHILE DRIVING, THE MOTOR SHUT OFF AND THEN STARTED AGAIN WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED WHEN TURNING A CORNER. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES.
NHTSA complaint #11109832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT AND THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON, THE CAR WILL SHUDDER WHEN IDLING (NOT IN PARK). THE SHUDDERING CAN GET QUITE VIOLENT, AND IF I'M MAKING A TIGHT TURN, SWITCHING GEARS, AND MAKING ANOTHER TIGHT TURN THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES DIE. THANKFULLY, THIS HASN'T HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC, BUT I FEAR THAT IT WILL. THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES SINCE I'VE BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR
NHTSA complaint #11101552 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW,MY CAR'S DASH LIGHTS WILL ALL ILLIMINATE ON AND OFF IRRATICALLY AND GAUGUES FLUCTUATING UP AND DOWN SIMULTANEOUSLY. OFTEN BUT NOT ALWAYS,THE CAR WILL STALL AND DIE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. OTHER TIMES I CAN FEEL A LOSS OF POWER. IN FEBUARY I HAD MY BATTERY CORROSION CLEANED UP,TERMINALS REPLACED AND TIGHTENED. FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AFTERWARDS IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN. IT'S ALMOST AS IF THE VOLTAGE IS UNSTABLE..LIKE IT'S BEING CHOKED OFF. CAR BATTERY LIGHT SOMETIMES IS ON..OTHERTIMES IT'S OFF AND HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS. CAR HAS ABOUT 121,000 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #11021638 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE HORN DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY AND IS DEFECTED. IT ONLY WORKS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS TO THE LEFT AND SOMETIMES IT GETS STUCK AND WON'T TURN OFF. WON'T WORK WHILE TRAVELING STRAIGHT OR TURNING RIGHT. THE HORN DID NOT ALLOW ME TO WARN A DRIVER THAT ALMOST BACKED INTO ME, THIS FORCED ME TO MOVE AWAY FROM HIM IN AN UNSAFE POSITION AND HE STILL DID NOT SEE ME AND KEPT ON BACKING OUT. HAD THE HORN WORKED IT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ISSUE THAT ALMOST CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I DROVE HOME TO INSPECT THE HORN AS TO WHY IT WASN'T WORKING IS WHEN I LEARNED THAT IT ONLY WORKED WHILE SITTING STILL AND TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT AND AT TIMES IT STUCK AND WOULDN'T TURN OFF. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS BECAUSE I DON'T USE IT VERY OFTEN, UNTIL THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT HAPPENED. ALSO THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SHOWS TO BE OFF WITH AIR BAG LIGHT ON.
NHTSA complaint #11005994 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TAKATA RECALL I BOUGHT A 2009 PT CRUISER FROM IMPERIAL CHRYSLER IN MENDON, MA IN AUGUST 2013. IMMEDIATELY, IT STARTED TO ACT UP-THIS WAS SEPT 2013. DURING DRIVING THE DASH LIGHTS WOULD SUDDENLY GO ON, THE GAUGES WOULD GO UP & DOWN, AND THEN IT WOULD STALL. I WOULD PULL OFF THE ROAD AND IT WOULD START RIGHT UP, HOWEVER, THIS COULD OCCUR 3-4 MORE TIMES DURING THAT DAY, OR IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN FOR A COUPLE WEEKS. IT WAS VERY INCONSISTENT AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. WHEN IMPERIAL CHRYSLER HAD IT IN SEPTEMBER 2013, THEY DID A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE NOT WORKING WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR, UNRELATED TO THE ISSUE DESCRIBED ABOVE. THEY STATED THAT THEY WEREN'T EXPERIENCING THE ISSUE THAT I WAS HAVING AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEY ADVISED THAT I SHOULD LEAVE THE CAR FOR A WEEK SO THEY COULD DETERMINE WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING. AFTER THE CAR SEEMED TO BE OK UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 2016 WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON ROUTE 128 AND THE DASH LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING, GAUGES UP AND DOWN AND THE CAR STALLED. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AND MOVE ON. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY POSITION TO BE PLACED IN, BEING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH CARS RACING BY. AS A RESULT, I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING ANYWHERE BUT LOCALLY. DURING THE NEARLY 4 YEARS I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR, I HAVE PUT ON JUST UNDER $16,000 MILES DUE TO THESE UNRESOLVED ISSUES. I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH JUST OVER $68,000 MILES ON IT. AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE HAD NO LUCK WITH THE CHRYSLER-TRAINED EXPERTS AT IMPERIAL CHRYSLER. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL LOCAL MECHANICS WHO HAVE THEORIES ON WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE. HOWEVER, THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10993079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I BOUGHT A USED 2007 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. I HAVE PAID $900+ FOR TIGHTENING THE UNDERNEATH OF THE CAR. THE BACK WINDOWS DO NOT GO DOWN AND THE HATCHBACK LOCK WILL NOT OPEN. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF SOME OF THE RECALLS WERE NOT TAKEN CARE OF OR IF THESE REPAIRS ARE COVERED. THANK YOU. PROBLEMS WERE THERE WHEN I BOUGHT IT., BUT I WAS UNAWARE. SHIFTER IS HARD TO GET THE BUTTON UP TO GET THE KEY OUT.
NHTSA complaint #10968846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.