2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH FOR HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS FAILS. LIGHTS ERRATIC, SAFETY PROBLEM BIG TIME AT NIGHT. THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THE PROBLEM SINCE 2001 CAN BE VIEWED ON LINE UNDER VARIOUS POSTS AND THREADS. OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT THE COMPANY NEEDS TO ADDRESS. SINCE THE COMPANY IS NOW RUN BY THE GOVERNMENT, SHOULD I CALL THE WHITE HOUSE? *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER A FEW YEARS AGO NOW. I HAVE SENT CHRYSLER MANY LETTERS ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT WAS VERY SCARY. I BOUGHT THE CAR AT ABOUT 31,000 MILES. ABOUT A MONTH LATER MY PAINT STARTED PEELING OFF OF THE FRONT BUMPER AND MY DASH STARTED TO CRACK. MIND YOU I KEEP MY CAR GARAGED AND IT IS WASHED AND WAXED REGULARLY BY A SHOP THAT I HAVE USED FOR YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY WERE GONE. SO I CONTACTED MY NEXT CLOSEST DEALER. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT MY CPU WENT OUT WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED. THEY HAD TO REPLACE IT TWICE BEFORE IT FINALLY LASTED MORE THAN A DAY. THEN MY DASH COMPLETELY CRUMBLED. IT CRACKED FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE FRONT IN THE CENTER AND ON BOTH SIDES. I WROTE A LETTER AND EMAIL WITH NO ANSWER. I THEN CONTACTED CHRYSLER BY PHONE AND THE LADY TOLD ME TO F%*K OFF AND HUNG UP ON ME. SO I GAVE UP. OBVIOUSLY I WAS NOT GOING TO GET ANYWHERE WITH THEM. THEN ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO A FRIEND WHO IS A LICENSED MECHANIC AND HE SCANNED IT ON THE COMPUTER AND SAID IT WAS MY CPU AGAIN! I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. SO I WROTE ANOTHER LETTER BECAUSE THIS REPAIR WAS GOING TO BE $1400.00 DOLLARS. NO RESPONSE. BUT THE SCARIEST WAS ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING WITH MY 13 MONTH OLD NIECE IN THE CAR AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF MY STEERING COLUMN. I ALMOST HAD GOT IN A WRECK TRYING TO GET US TO SAFETY. THE SMOKE STOPPED SO I FIGURED WHATEVER IT WAS DONE FOR NOW. WE WERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A NOT SO DESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOOD AT NIGHT SO I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CHANCES WITH THE CAR. WE HEADED OFF ON OUR WAY AND MY HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLICKERING. I PARKED THE VEHICLE AT HOME AND THE NEXT MORNING MY FAIRLY NEW BATTERY WAS DEAD. MY FLOOD LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND HAD BEEN ON ALL NIGHT. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKED INTO POSITION & WOULD NOT PROTRACT. HAVE TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET IT TO DO SO BUT HAVE BEEN UNABLE. *TR

THE CONTROL SWITCH FOR THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2002 PT CRUISER HAS GONE BAD CAUSING THE FOG LIGHTS TO BE PERMANENTLY ON AND DRAINING THE BATTERY. *TR

FOG LAMPS STAYED ON WHEN 2002 PT CRUISER WAS TURNED OFF. AFTER DISSEMBLING OF THE SWITCH BOX THE INTERNAL SWITCH HAD ARCHED ENOUGH THAT IT WELDED ITSELF TOGETHER CAUSING THE PLASTIC TO MELT AND SMOKE. I USED A REAL RELAY TO REWIRE THE CIRCUIT WITH A SWITCH ON THE DASH. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO REBUILDING THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND NOW I HAVE A OIL LEAK. GREAT CAR FROM CHRYSLER. I ONLY HAVE 74,000 ON THE CAR. *TR

DASHBOARD BEGAN CRUMBLING ABOUT 3-4 YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR (NEW) AND IS NOW IN TERRIBLE SHAPE AND MAY BE NEAR COLLAPSING. I HAVE NOT CHECKED INTO REPLACEMENT YET. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE WITH OTHER PT CRUISER OWNERS AND OTHER CHRYSLER-MADE CARS. *TR

TIRES , LEAK AIR PRESSURE@ 10 # PER DAY . BALANCING AND ROTATION IS DIFFICULT DUE TO CHROME PEELING OFF RIMS. MECHANIC TOLD ME THE PEELING IS INSIDE THE TIRE ALSO MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO BALANCE. I INSERTED (FIX AFLAT) TO HELP STOP THE LEAKING BUT THIS ADDED TO THE IMBALANCED CONDITION. DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT NO RESPONSE WAS GIVEN FOR THIS CONDITION. *TR

I OWN A 2002 PT CRUISER TOURING EDITION AND RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN COMING OUT TO MY CAR TO FIND THE BATTERY DEAD, I HAVE A NEWER BATTERY SO THIS BAFFLED ME UNTIL I REALIZED TODAY THAT THERE IS A SHORT OF SOME KIND IN THE MULTI SWITCH FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS THAT CAUSED THE FOG LIGHTS TO REMAIN ON EVENTHOUGH EVERYTHING ELSE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FOLLOWING LINK SHOWS MAY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND LIKE OTHERS UNTIL I FIND OUT WHY THIS IS HAPPENING I HAVE PULLED THE FUSE FOR MY FOGLIGHTS.HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0F6957. THIS IS DANGEROUS IF THERE IS A SHORT IN THESE SWITCHES IT CAN CAUSE A FIRE AND GIVEN THE MASSIVE AMT OF PEOPLE ALL OVER CAR FORUMS HAVING THIS ISSUE WHY HAS NOONE ISSUED A RECALL ON THESE SWITCHES? *TR

FAILURE OF MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH: INITIALLY THE FOG LIGHTS WOULD COME ON WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL WAS ENGAGED. THIS FIRST BEGAN IN APPROXIMATELY 11/2008. INITIALLY THIS HAPPENED ONLY OCCASIONALLY, BUT BECAME MORE FREQUENT. NOW THE FOG LIGHTS ALWAYS REMAIN ILLUMINATED, EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF/PARKED. THIS REQUIRED THAT I REMOVE THE FUSE CONTROLLING THE FOG LIGHTS SO THAT THE BATTERY WOULD NOT BE DRAINED. AFTER RESEARCHING ON MANY DIFFERENT MESSAGE BOARDS, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THIS IS A VERY FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH PT CRUISERS. NOT ONLY IS IT ANNOYING, BUT IT IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FIRE (ELECTRICAL) HAZARD. I FEEL I RECALL IS WARRANTED. *TR

MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH FELT LIKE IT HAD ADDITIONAL FRICTION WHEN TURNING LIGHTS ON. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE THE HEAD LIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS WERE NOT COMING ON WHEN THEY SHOULD. FIRST UNIT WAS REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP. SECOND INSTANCE THE SWITCH DID NOT HAVE ANY PRECURSOR INDICATION OF FAILURE, ALL LIGHTS FROM SWITCH JUST STOPPED WORKING ONE DAY. SECOND UNIT IS BEING REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP. PART ONLY LASTS ~18 MONTHS. *TR