2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. SHE NOTICED A LOUD RUBBING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL EVERY TIME SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OR REASON FOR THE NOISE. SHE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (04V268000) FOR THE POWER STEERING AND THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ACCORDING TO THAT RECALL; HOWEVER, SHE NOTICED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE ISSUE. THE DEALER LATER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT HEAR THE NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING AWAY FROM THE DEALER, SHE SMELLED SMOKE, DROVE BACK TO THE DEALER AND SMOKE BEGAN TO "BELLOW" FROM UNDERNEATH THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE DEALER PROVIDED ASSISTANCE AND REPLACED THE HOSE, CALIPER, BRAKE PAD, ROTOR AND THE WHEEL COVER. SHE WAS CHARGED $406.60 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ADVISED OF THE REPAIR COST; HOWEVER, THEY ADVISED HER TO TAKE THE MATTER UP WITH THE DEALER. THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE FAILURE RECURRED, THE SAME DEALER TOLD THAT THE CALIPER WAS LEAKING. THEY CALIPER WAS REPLACED ACCORDING TO THE WARRANTY. SHE ASKED THE DEALER WHY THEY HAD NOT REPLACED IT THE FIRST TIME ACCORDING TO WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS A NEW ISSUE. SHE WENT BACK TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING YEAR FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE AND WAS BILLED $239 TO REPLACE THE CALIPER SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. RECENTLY, SHE SMELLED SMOKE AND AN AUTHORIZED DEALER STATED THAT THE CALIPER WAS WARPED BECAUSE OF INTENSE HEAT AND THE BRAKE LINE HAD SOOT IN IT AND THAT THE WARPED CALIPER WAS HOLDING THE WHEEL IN PLACE. SHE PROVIDED THE DEALER WITH A REFERENCE NUMBER FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE DEALER TRIED TO SPEAK WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,900. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,181. UPDATED 12/7/09 *CN UPDATED 12/08/09

MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH CONNECTOR HOUSING DEGRADES DUE TO HEAT EXPOSURE OVER TIME WHICH CAN CAUSE SHORTING, LIGHT OR TURN SIGNAL FAILURE OR A SMOKE/FIRE HAZARD. THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WAS THAT THE FOG LAMPS WOULD TURN ON BY THEMSELVES. OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE MAIN LIGHTS TURNING ON AND A FEW INSTANCES OF THE STEERING COLUMN BILLOWING SMOKE WHILE DRIVING. CHRYSLER HAS 2000+ MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCHES ON BACK ORDER AND REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE AFTER MANY OWNERS HAVE CALLED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE MULTIFUNCTIONAL LIGHT SWITCH ON PT CRUISERS IS DEFECTIVE. OVER 500 PT CRUISER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THAT SUDDENLY THE FRONT & BACK FOG LIGHTS COME ON & DO NOT SHUT OFF EVEN WHEN THE MOTOR & ALL OTHER SWITCHES ARE TURNED OFF. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A SHORT IN THE SWITCH WHICH COULD RESULT IN HEAD LIGHTS SUDDENLY BEING TURNED OFF WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. THIS FAILURE HAS BEEN CONSTANT FORCING ME & OTHERS TO REMOVE THE FUSE CONTROLLING THE FOG LIGHTS SO THAT THE BATTERY DOES NOT DRAIN DOWN AFTER THE VEHICLE IS SHUT DOWN. I AND OTHERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING A REPLACEMENT PART. *TR

DASHBOARD IN 2002 PT CRUISER HAS CRACKED DOWN THE MIDDLE AND HAS BEGAN TO SEPARATE INTO PIECES. THIS INCLUDES THE CENTER DEFROST VENT. PER THE JUNE 18, 2007 MIAMI HERALD YOU HAD 9 COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF 2002 MODELS AND 12 FROM 2001 OWNERS. THIS WAS OVER 2 YEARS AGO. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS MANY MORE COMPLAINTS THAT PROBABLY HAVEN'T BEEN FILED WITH THE NHTSA. CHRYSLER DENIES RESPONSIBILITY. VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS ( E.G. COVERKING) HAVE ALREADY STARTED MAKING DASH COVERS FOR THE PT CRUISER SPECIFICALLY TO COVER CRACKED DASHES; BUT I CANNOT USE ONE AS THESE COVERS DO NOT INCLUDE THE CENTER DEFROST VENT WHICH HAS BROKEN INTO PIECES AND FALLEN INTO THE VENT. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DASH COVER. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ENOUGH CARS SURELY TO INITIATE A DEFECT INVESTIGATION. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE DASHES! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH HE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SEVERE INJURIES. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 66,200. UPDATED 10/27/09. *LJ UPDATED 10/29/09.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. HE REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. NONE OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. HE SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 108,000. UPDATED 10/19/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED AN ATTACHMENT THAT WAS MAILED TO HER THAT INCLUDED INFO ABOUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT HER.

CAR WON'T START AT TIMES. HAD TO JUMP IT THEN IT STARTED. SOMETHING DRAINING THE BATTERY IF CAR SITS FOR A DAY OR TWO. CHANGED BATTERY 3 TIMES, STILL HAVING PROBLEM. BOUGHT CAR BRAND NEW, DEALER STILL CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. CAR NOT RELIABLE. STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS NOT LONG AFTER I BOUGHT IT. I'VE HAD TO CHARGE THE BATTERY AND THEN AFTER A FEW DAYS WOULD HAVE TROUBLE STARTING. *TR

FOUND 2002 PT CRUISER WITH DEAD BATTERY ON OCCASION, NO CONSISTENCY. REPLACED BATTERY (7.75 YEARS OLD, 90K MILES) AFTER 3RD INSTANCE OVER 2 MONTHS, ISSUE RESOLVED FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. CAR PARKED IN HOT PARKING LOT, FOG LIGHTS WERE DIM WHEN APPROACHING CAR. CAR WOULD NOT TURN OVER TO START, HAD IT JUMPED. UPON RETURNING HOME, WENT TO TURN OFF CAR, FOG LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. FIDDLING WITH LIGHT SWITCH WOULD MAKE THEM GO OFF TEMPORARILY, THEN RIGHT BACK ON. FOUND TURNING LEFT BLINKER IN ON POSITION KEPT FOGS OFF. RESEARCHING ISSUE, FOUND THE FOLLOWING FORUM: HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHRYSLER-PT-CRUISER/TF81KHBDLDVT92AH2 WHERE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. WAITING TO HEAR FROM CHRYSLER ON REPLACEMENT PART, AS ALL ONLINE SOURCES SAY IT IS BACK ORDERED 30-60 DAYS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS COMPLETELY CRACKED AND HOUSES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. SINCE MAY OF 2009, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STALLING WITHOUT WARNING. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE WITH A USED ONE, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE FOR THE THIRD TIME FOR FREE; HOWEVER, THE PART WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL TWO WEEKS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 124,000.