2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

FOG LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP IN EL SEGUNDO, CA FOR REPAIR ON 03/29/06 WAS TOLD IT WAS AN INTERNAL SWITCH AND REPAIRED FOR $86.58. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED. THEN IN 2008 IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND I TOOK IT INTO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP IN W. LOS ANGELES, CA AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN SO IT HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THAT TOTALED APPROXIMATELY $340. NOW ON EASTER (04/04/10) ON MY WAY TO A BBQ TO MY PARENTS HOME, THE FOG LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN ...AND WOULDN'T TURN OFF AGAIN. BUT THIS TIME IT CAUSED ME TO PANIC BECAUSE IT OVERHEATED AND SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH AND TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WHILE I WAS JUST GETTING OFF THE FREEWAY. I WAS LUCKY BECAUSE I WAS NOT TO FAR FROM MY PARENTS HOME WHERE MY BROTHER WHO WAS FORMALLY A MECHANIC HAD THE MIND TO PULL OUT THE FUSE TO THE FOG LIGHTS. THE FUSE WAS VERY HOT WHEN HE PULLED IT OUT AND THE SMOKING STOPPED. HE DID STATE THAT THE CAR COULD OF CAUGHT FIRE IF HE HAD NOT PULLED THE FUSE OUT IN TIME. I WAS LUCKY. I DO HAVE THE OLD PART AVAILABLE. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) SOMETHING YOU MAY WISH TO LOOK AT WITH CELL PHONES AND THESE INCIDENTS WITH ACCELERATION ON CARS. WE HAVE A PT CRUISER AND SEVERAL TIMES WE HAVE PLACED THE PHONE IN THE STORAGE AREA IN THE MIDDLE IN THE DASH. WITH THE KEEY OFF, THE PHONE RINGS AND THE CAR STARTED TURNING OVER UNTIL WE MOVED THE PHONE AWAY FROM THE IMMMEDIATE AREA OF THE DASH. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT?? [XXX] *TR

RECALL ON FUEL PUMP MODULE NEVER DISCLOSED BY DEALER! RECENTLY HAD SERVICE TO MY CAR AT A DODGE-CHRYSLER DEALER IN ATLANTA, GA AND THEY NEVER DISCLOSED THAT I HAD A RECALL PART ON MY CAR. MY FUEL PUMP MODULE NEEDS A SECONDARY SEAL PLACED OVER IT SO IT WON'T LEAK IF A ROLL-OVER ACCIDENT OCCURS. TOOK CAR TO A SECOND CHRYSLER DEALER, AND THEY TOO NEVER DISCLOSED MY RECALL FUEL PUMP MODULE NEEDS REPAIRS. THIS PROBLEM COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS AND FATAL ACCIDENT. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THESE DEALERS NOT INFORMING UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS OF SOMETHING SO SERIOUS. *TR

MAY OF 2009, CAR WOULD NOT START. NO CLICKS, NOTHING. THEN AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, TURNED OVER. PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE UNTIL HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO SHOP. MECHANIC ADVISED IT WAS THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AND CHRYSLER TOLD THEM TO LOOK AT A JUNK YARD. COST SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPLACE. STARTING TO HAVE IDENTICAL PROBLEM ALMOST 1 YEAR LATER. LOW MILES, ONE OWNER. SCARED TO GO ANYWHERE BECAUSE CAR WON'T START. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS WITH THE FOG LAMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED THERE WAS A BURNING RUBBER SMELL. THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH SHE ALSO SMELLED BURNING RUBBER; HOWEVER, AFTER SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT SEVERAL PT CRUISERS EXHIBITED THE IDENTICAL FAILURE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEIR SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT WILL CONTACT HER TO SEE WHAT CAUSED THE SMOKE. THEY ALSO ADVISED HER NOT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED OR TOWED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 51,000.

THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH CHRYSLER PT CRUISER ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, NAMELY THE MULTIFUNCTION CONTROL SWITCH SEEMS TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THIS DEPLETES THE BATTERY, AND HAS LED A NUMBER OF PT CRUISER OWNERS TO REPLACE THE MULTIFUNCTION CONTROL SWITCH NUMEROUS TIMES OR REMOVE THE FUSES FOR LIGHTS, SUCH AS THE FOG LIGHTS. CHRYSLER KNOWS THAT THERE IS A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLE BUT ARE NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. INFORMATION ON SUCH EXPERIENCES CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEB AT FORUMS SUCH AS HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHRYSLER-PT-CRUISER/TF81KHBDLDVT92AH2 OR AT PTCRUISER.COM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 PT CRUISER, I WAS STOPPED AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I GOT OUT AND WITHIN A MINUTE THE CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE CAR AFTER THE DAMAGE. *TR

MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH (THAT CONTROLS THE FOG LAMP) SHORTED OUT, CAUSING THE LIGHTS TO BE ON NO MATTER WHAT POSITION THE SWITCH WAS TURNED TO. I WAS FORCED TO REMOVE THE FOG LAMP FUSE; CHRYSLER HAS SEVERAL HUNDRED OR MORE ON BACKORDER, I'VE BEEN TOLD IT MAY BE 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR BEFORE I CAN GET A REPLACEMENT. *TR

HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY 02 PT CRUISER NOT STARTING FOR 7 YEARS AND WENT ON LINE AND FOUND OTHERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. CALLED CHYRSLER AND TOLD THEM THEY WERE GOING TO FIX AND PAY FOR PROBLEM. SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEMS WAS AND NOTICE CHRYSLER WAS PUTTING CHEAP PARTS ON THEIR VEHICLES. HE UPGRADED THE CABLES CONNECTING TO AND FROM THE BATTERY AND HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE. THE CABLES WERE UNDER VOLTED AND WEREN'T ABLE TO CHARGE THE BATTERY AND I GOT STRANDED SOMETIMES. CHRYSLER CALLED DEALER AND HAD THIS WORK DONE AT NO EXPENSE TO ME. IT'S NOT THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR OR THE OTHER CONNECTION I CAN'T REMEMBER. IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE. PLEASE LET YOUR SERVICE MANAGER KNOW THAT IT IS THE LOW VOLTAGE BATTERY CABLES TO THESE AREAS. HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING, HESITATION STARTING OR WOULDN'T START AT ALL HAPPEN AFTER NOT DRIVING THE CAR SOMETIMES FOR 2 DAYS JUST AFTER BRINGING IT BACK TO THE DEALER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT TIRES CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO INTENSE HEAT IN THE WHEELS. THE BRAKE CALIPER ALSO LOCKED WHICH CAUSED THE LEFT WHEEL TO LOCK AND MELT THE BRAKES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY CORRECTED THE FAILURE IN APRIL OF 2006. A DIFFERENT DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS NEVER REPLACED OR REPAIRED WHICH IS WHY THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,800.