2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

SEAT BELT TENSIONER JAMS IN MIDDLE REAR SEAT OF 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. I PREVIOUSLY PAID TO REPAIR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN 2004 AND IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP BUT THE ONLY SOLUTION SEEMS FOR ME TO PAY TO FIX IT AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING CARS FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A SEAT BELT PROBLEM. I MEAN, SEAT BELTS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BREAK - YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON THEM. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED IN AUGUST 2004 AND AGAIN IN AUGUST 2009. *TR

THE TURN SIGNAL/HEADLIGHT CONTROL SWITCH ON MY 01 PT CRUISER HAS FAILED IN THAT MY RIGHT HAND TURN SIGNAL TO THE FRONT DOES NOT COME ON. I HAVE INVESTIGATED THIS AND BEEN TOLD BY CHRYSLER PERSONNEL THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE IS TURN SIGNAL/HEADLIGHT CONTROL SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS PART IS IN BACKORDER TO THE TUNE OF APPROX 4600 PARTS AND AN AFTER MARKET COMPANY THAT I CONTACTED SAID THEY ARE ALSO IN APPROX 30DAYS BACKORDER STATUS TRYING TO FILL THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENTS. IN CHECKING WITH ON-LINE FORUMS I'VE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR SWITCH INVOLVE HEADLIGHT FAILURE TO OPERATE AND LIGHTS (FOG LIGHTS) COMING ON WITHOUT OPERATOR ACTION. I BELIEVE THIS IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT FAILURE AND NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO SOMEONE'S ATTENTION THAT THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF SWITCH FAILING "UN-ANNOUNCED" AND CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY NOT ONLY TO THE OPERATOR OF THE PT CRUISER BUT TO OTHER VEHICLE OPERATORS AS WELL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER AND A 2008 EVENFLO EMBRACE CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT MODEL NUMBER 4851906A. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTING THE CHILD IN AN "INFANT ONLY" CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT. THE HANDLE OF THE CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT LOOSENED WHEN GRASPED FIRMLY. THE HANDLE WAS NOT ATTACHED SECURELY TO THE RESTRAINT SEAT. THE HANDLE DID NOT FAIL. THERE WAS SLIPPING OF THE HANDLE WHICH COULD CAUSE RELEASE OF THE CHILD SEAT AND OCCUPANT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE RESTRAINT SEAT WAS REPLACED FOR SAFETY ISSUES INVOLVED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. BL

IN 2004 CHRYSLER RECALLED PT CRUISERS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS FOR A FAULT WITH THE POWER STEERING HOSE WHICH CAUSED FIRES IN A FEW CARS. THEY DID NOT HOWEVER COVER 2001 PT CRUISERS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. *TR LAST WEEK (8-20-09) MY WIFE DROVE TO THE POST OFFICE (2 MILES FROM HOME) AND SMELLED BURNING RUBBER, SHE DROVE THE CAR DIRECTLY BACK HOME. I EXAMINED THE CAR THAT NIGHT AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DRIVE BELTS, TIRES, AND THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY LEAKS. I TOOK IT FOR A QUICK TEST DRIVE AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. THE FOLLOWING DAY (8-21-09) MY WIFE AGAIN DROVE THE CAR TO THE POST OFFICE, THIS TIME IT STARTED MAKING GRINDING NOISES AND WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER. SHE DROVE THE CAR STRAIGHT HOME AGAIN. THERE STILL DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY LEAKS BUT WHEN I TEST DROVE IT I COULD TELL THE POWER STEERING WAS NON FUNCTIONAL. I OPENED THE FILL CAP FOR THE POWER STEERING FLUID TO CHECK ITS LEVEL AND THE REMAINING FLUID IN THE SYSTEM DRAINED ONTO MY DRIVEWAY. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE HAD BEEN A LEAK IN THE POWER STEERING HOSE THAT WAS BEING BURNT OFF ON THE ENGINE. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE ONLY USING THE CAR FOR LOCAL TRIPS AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DANGEROUS IF THE HOSE HAD LET GO WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. RECALL 04V268000, NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE04028, SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE PT CRUISERS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AS WELL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

THE FUEL LINE WAS RECALLED IN 2002 UNDER PT CRUISER FUEL LINE LEAKS AGAINST AIR CONDITIONER AND I HAD THAT REPAIRED IN 2002. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO THE FUEL LINE SINCE THEN. ON JULY 25 2009, THE FUEL LINE SPRUNG A LEAK. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I NOTICED THE LINE RUBBED AGAINST THE TOP OF THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSED THE HOLE IN THE FUEL LINE. OBVIOUSLY FUEL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE LEAK COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE THREATENING TO MYSELF AND FAMILY. THE FUEL LINE IS THREADED UNDER THE POWER STEERING PUMP HOSE AND OVER THE ENGINE TO THE FUEL INJECTION RAIL. OVER THE MILES THE LINE RUBBED THE TOP OF THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSED THE HOLE IN THE FUEL CAUSING GAS TO SQUIRT AND LEAK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I REPLACED THE LINE TO REPAIR. I DID KEEP THE OLD FUEL LINE AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE ENGINE WHERE IT RUBBED. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW, BY ALLOWING THE FUEL LINE TO RUB ON THE ENGINE AND HELD DOWN BY THE POWER STEERING PUMP HOSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING EXAMINED, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,000. UPDATED 9/1/09 *CN THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING, THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING WAS LEAKING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SHE WOULD HEAR A CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND THE BUSHINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,000. UPDATED 08/28/09. *LJ THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FOG LIGHT WOULD COME ON WITH NO WARNING. A NEEW MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS NEEDED. UPDATED 09/02/09.*JB

2000 PT CRUISER WITH 50000 MILES. MULTIFUNCTION LIGHT SWITCH ON STEERING COLUMN HAS FAILED IN PAST TWO WEEKS. WHEN VEHICLE TURNED OFF, FOG LAMPS STAY ON. ONLY WAY TO GET THEM TO TURN OFF IS TO TURN ON LEFT TURN SIGNAL. WENT TO DEALER TO GET REPLACEMENT SWITCH AND WE ARE #1500 ON WAITING LIST FOR NEW SWITCH. CHRYSLER HAS NO OUTLOOK FOR WHEN NEW SWITCHES WILL BE AVAILABLE. PULLED FOG LIGHT FUSE TO KEEP FOG LIGHTS DE-ENERGIZED. GREAT RISK ACCORDING TO WIDELY DISTRIBUTED REPORTS THAT LIGHT WIRING HARNESS CAN FAIL, MELT AND START FIRE. THE ONLY SAFE THING TO DO IS PARK CAR AND REMOVE BATTERY UNTIL NEW SWITCH IS AVAILABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE. SHE ALSO NOTICED FUEL LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE FRONT HOOD. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, SHE DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 02V214000 AND 02V215000, BUT HER VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM BOTH RECALLS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST WITH ANY REPAIRS AND WOULD NOT ASSUME LIABILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNABLE TO BE ENTERED INTO THE SYSTEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 39,000. REMAILED 10/20/09. *LJ

SHORT IN MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH CAUSES FOG LIGHTS TO COME ON RESULTING IN A DEAD BATTERY. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS IS A 15 AMP CIRCUIT AND IT MAY POSSIBLE CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE ALSO. APPEARS TO BE A COMMON MALFUNCTION WITH THE PT CRUISER FOR ALL YEARS. *TR