2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

LEFT SIDE FRONT WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. I REGRET NOT HAVING SAVED THE BROKEN BEARING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT SLOW SPEED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AND WAS SIGNALED BY A VARY LOUD CRUNCHING SOUND. IT WAS SUDDEN AND SEVERE ENOUGH THAT WE DETERMINED IT NEED IMMEDIATE REPAIR. WE CONSIDER OURSELVES LUCKY THIS OCCURRED AS WE PULLED OFF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. OUR PREVIOUS SPEED HAD BEEN ABOUT 60 MPH. THIS CAR HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN SERVICED AT THE CHRYSLER DEALER WITH IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS. *TR

IN 2007 I WAS DRIVING WHEN I STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING SOUND IN MY TIRES. I WAS HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED IMMEDIATELY, BUT NO DETERMINATION WAS FOUND. OVER THE YEAR I WAS FORCED TO REPLACE MY TIRES 3 TIMES BECAUSE THEY WOULD WEAR AND I WOULD SLIDE AND THE TIRES WOULD SKID IN SIMPLE WEATHER. IN MARCH OF 2008 I HAD TO REPAIR MORE TIRES AND MY BALL JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES IN THE FRONT WITH WHEEL ALIGNMENTS. ALSO IN 2007 I STARTED HEARING A SQUEALING SOUND IN THE ENGINE, I HAD IT CHECKED IMMEDIATELY AND WAS TOLD MY POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED REPLACING. BUT DECREASED ONCE THE MECHANIC PUT IN POWER STEERING FLUID. SINCE THEN EVEN NOW I STILL HEAR THE SQUEAKING AND EVERY MONTH I HAVE TO PUT IN STEERING FLUID. I CALLED CHRYSLER REGARDING RECALLS RELATING TO THESE PROBLEMS AND WAS TOLD NO RECALLS WERE IN EFFECT. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INFO IN 2008 REGARDING THESE RECALLS THAT I NOW SEE ONLINE. ALSO MY AUTOMATIC STICK SHIFT STICKS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S COLD OUTSIDE. I HAVE ALMOST HIT SOMETHING HEAD ON TWICE SINCE DECEMBER 2008 BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO SHIFT IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 PT CRUSIER TURBO AND I RECENTLY HAD ONE OF MY TIRES GO FLAT WITH NO PUNCTURE OR DAMAGE TO THE TIRE. I REPLACED THE TIRE AND IN TWO WEEKS THE NEW TIRE WENT FLAT, AGAIN NO APPARENT DAMAGE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE TIRE STORE, THEY SAID THAT THE TIRE WAS FINE, HOWEVER THE INSIDE OF THE RIM WAS PEELING OFF AND THE SEAL THAT IS FORMED COULD NOT HOLD DUE THIS PEELING OF THE COATING ON THE RIM. I ASKED FOR A NEW TIRE, THEY AGREED AND IT HELD FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS, HOWEVER WHEN THE WEATHER GOT EXTREMELY COLD, THE TIRE WENT FLAT OVER NIGHT AGAIN WITH NO DAMAGE. THE RIMS ARE DEFECTIVE ACCORDING TO THE TIRE DEALER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN HER STEERING COLUMN. SHE ALSO SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR EMANATING FROM HER VEHICLE. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION AND STEERING HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V268000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS). THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 67,000.

THE TIRE ON MY 2005 PT CRUISER WAS FLAT AND WHEN I WENT TO GET IT FIXED WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRE WAS FINE BUT THE FINISH WAS COMING OFF THE RIM AND THIS CAUSED THE TIRE TO GO FLAT. I WENT TO A NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR CHAIN TO GET IT FIXED. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD PUT A TYPE OF SEALANT AROUND THE TIRE SO IT WOULD NOT GO FLAT. THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE IT WOULD NOT GO FLAT AS THEY STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR PT CRUISERS. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER PT CRUISER OWNERS AND LOOKED ON THE INTERNET IN REGARDS TO THIS AND FOUND THAT INDEED, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR MODEL. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DEFECT AND THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD REPLACE THE RIMS BEFORE A TIRE OR TIRES GO FLAT WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. I WAS FORTUNATE AS THE CAR WAS PARKED. BUT TO BE STUCK IN WINTER WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING MULTIPLE FLATS WHILE DRIVING IS A VERY RISKY VENTURE FOR ME AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC. I WOULD APPRECIATE HAVING THIS MATTER LOOKED INTO AND WHAT MY FUTURE OPTIONS ARE IN REGARD TO MY PT CRUISER. *TR

REAR QUARTER WINDOW FLEW OFF OF CAR. PASSENGER QUARTER WINDOW DID THE SAME THING IN MAY08. CHRYSLER IS SAYING THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE MONTH MY CAR WAS MADE. *TR

IN DECEMBER 2007, WHILE ON AN EXTENDED TRIP, THE FOG LIGHT ON MY 2005 PT CRUISER ACTIVATED THEMSELVES AND COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. THE ENTIRE CONTROL LEVER ON THE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED WHEN WE RETURNED HOME. *TR

ON DECEMBER 2, 2007 MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW APART. AFTER GETTING TIRE CHANGED I WENT TO WALMART AND BOUGHT A NEW TIRE. ON JULY 22, 2008 THE SAME KIND OF TIRE AGAIN HAD A PROBLEM WITH A DEFECTIVE BELT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE TIRE WAS A GOODYEAR VIVA 2 P195/65R15BW VIVA 2. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SAFELY TO A PLACE TO HAVE THE TIRE CHANGED BUT HAD TO BUY A NEW TIRE EACH TIME. *TR UPDATED 08/27/08

THE FOG LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP REMOVED THE FUSE UNTIL WE COULD SCHEDULE THEM TO WORK ON IT. WHEN WE TOOK IT IN TO BE FIXED, THEY REPLACED THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE'S TEMPERATURE GAUGE DIAL WOULD RISE ABOVE THE HALFWAY MARK. THE FAN HAD TO BE ACTIVATED IN ORDER FOR THE DIAL TO RETURN TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAN AND THERMOSTAT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS NO RECALL REGARDING THIS FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,029 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.