2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

I HAVE TAKEN MY PT CRUISER INTO DEALER 10-12 TIMES FOR PROBLEMS THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO CORRECT. THERE HAVE BEEN PARTS LOOSE THAT NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED, SUCH AS BELTS, HOSES, CONNECTIONS AND INTERIOR PARTS THAT HAVE FALLEN OFF THE CAR AND DEALER DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX. I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT TO MANUFACTURER AND APPLIED FOR LEMON LAW, BUT CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT LISTEN AND TOOK DEALER SIDE. THEY CLAIM THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE NOISES, BUT I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THE SHOP SUPERVISOR WHO HAS BEEN CHECKING OUT MY CAR FOR THE NOISES HAS A SEVERE HEARING LOSS AND A CLAIM AGAINST INSURANCE COMPANY FOR HEARING PROBLEMS. THERE ARE HIGH PITCH WHINING NOISES, SQUEALS AND LOUD SCREECHING NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CAR LOSES POWER AND SEEMS TO HESITATE AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. THERE IS ALSO A NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A TRAIN WHISTLE IN THE DISTANCE. I HAVE HEARD POPPING SOUNDS IN THE FRONT END AND SQUEALING AND SCREECHING SOUNDS FROM THE BRAKES AND UNDER HOOD IS CONSTANT. THERE IS ALSO A NOISE THAT IS HEARD SOMETIMES IN STEERING AND TURNING. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY WOULD REPLACE THE POWER STEERING UNIT TO SEE IF IT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEMS AND ORDERED THE PART. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE SERVICE, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE NOISE AGAIN AND DID NOT DO ANYTHING. WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKES THE NOISE IS SO LOUD IT CAN BE HEARD FOR A LONG DISTANCE. IT SOUNDS LIKE CARS BEING CRUSHED. THE NOISE IS ALSO PRESENT IN TURNING CORNERS AND DRIVING, BUT WORSE IN STEPPING ON BRAKES. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES A BRAKE PROBLEM BUT SAY THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER PROBLEMS SUCH AS RADIO/CD PLAYER DID NOT WORK WHEN NEW, SENSOR LIGHT REPLACED, RATTLES UNDER DASH, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ETC, BUT THE NOISES AND IN-ABLILITY TO REPAIR HAVE ME WORRIED ABOUT SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THEY HEAR THE NOISE, BUT THEN TELL ME THE MECHANIC CANNOT DUPLICATE AND DO NOTHING TO REPAIR. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE I GOT THE VEHICLE IN 2003. *JB

DT: THE WHEELS ARE CAST ALUMINUM WITH A METAL CHROME PLATE PUT ON IT, ALLOWING AIR LEAKAGE AROUND THE RIMS. THERE WAS CORROSION BETWEEN THE WHEELS AND AXLE. A MECHANIC TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT HE HAD SEEN OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE WAS A HIGH CHANCE THAT THE WHEEL AND AXLE WILL SEPARATE. THE PROBLEM FIRST STARTED ON DECEMBER OF 2004. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS AS OF YET. *AK UPDATED 12/07/05. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE BREAK AWAY DESIGN OF THE STEERING WHEEL CAUSED A FATAL INJURY. THE POLICE RULED THAT THE FATALITY OCCURRED AS OVERCORRECTING. THE CONTACT STATED HE KNEW OF ANOTHER CASE WITHIN A TEN MILE RADIUS WHERE THE SAME TYPE OF FATALITY HAPPENED. *AK

THE AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING. THE CAR, A 2003 PT CRUISER WITH APPROXIMATELY 38,000 MILES, WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE HOT SUMMER, AND INSTEAD OF TAKING THE CAR ACROSS TOWN TO A DEALER, I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE LOW SPEED ON THE FAN RELAY HAD GONE BAD. HE TOLD ME THE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER, AND THEY WERE REPLACING ABOUT 300 PER WEEK. THIS IS A HIGH NUMBER, PLUS THIS PART SHOULDN'T FAIL WITH THIS MANY MILES IN MY OPINION. I SPEND $500 TOTAL TO REPLACE IT (LABOR, DIAGNOSTICS, AND PART). I CONTACTED CHRYSLER, WHO WAS SYMPATHETIC, BUT AFTER SENDING THEM THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE INVOICE, THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T PAY FOR IT SINCE IT WASN'T DONE AT THEIR DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE A RECALL IS IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHER CONSUMERS. *JB

ON JULY 30, 2005, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN I SUDDENLY HEARD A HORRIBLE SCREECHING/GRINDING NOISE. I MANAGED TO GET MY CAR TO THE NEAREST CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO REAR BRAKE PADS LEFT AND THAT THERE WERE GROOVES IN THE ROTOR (METAL ON METAL). I RECENTLY HAD MY FRONT BRAKES REPLACED IN MAY 2005 AND THE REAR BRAKES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION WITH 1/2 BRAKE PADS LEFT ON BOTH SIDES. I PRIMARILY DO HIGHWAY DRIVING SO MY BRAKES TEND TO LAST LONG. I WAS INFORMED THAT CHRYSLER USES METALLIC BRAKE PADS ON THE PT CRUISERS WHICH MOST MANUFACTURERS DO NOT USE AS IT CAUSES MUCH HEAT AND FRICTION WHEN STOPPING AND PREMATURELY WEARS OUT THE BRAKES. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE REAR BRAKE PADS WERE LOW, THERE WERE NO NOISES, SQUEAKING, ETC. THE ONLY NOISES I HEARD WERE WHEN THE BRAKE PADS WERE COMPLETELY GONE AND THE CALIPER WAS DIGGING INTO THE ROTORS EVERY TIME I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I LATER LEARNED THAT CHRYSLER USES WEAR INDICATORS ONLY ON THE TWO FRONT BRAKES, NOT THE REAR. THERE ARE NO WEAR INDICATORS ON THE REAR BRAKES SO CUSTOMERS WILL NEVER KNOW THAT THE REAR BRAKES ARE GETTING LOW UNTIL THEY HAVE NO MORE BRAKE PADS LEFT AND THE CALIPER STARTS EATING UP THE ROTOR. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I ROUTINELY HAVE MY CAR INSPECTED (EVERY MONTH). THE REAR BRAKE PADS SHOULD HAVE NEVER WORN SO PREMATURELY IN THE SPAN OF 3 MONTHS, CONSIDERING 95% OF MY DRIVING IS ON THE HIGHWAY. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT HAVING WEAR INDICATORS ON ALL 4 BRAKES. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO BE DRIVING AROUND WITH ONLY 2 FRONT BRAKES AND NO REAR ONES AND TO NOT EVEN KNOW IT UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE! *JB

GOODYEAR 205 50R/17 EAGLE RS/A TIRES FROM FACTORY ARE POOR QUALITY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 22,000 MILES. PRIOR TO REPLACEMENT, BALANCING PROBLEMS WERE PRESENT. REPLACED TIRES WITH OTHER THAN GOODYEAR; DISCOVERED THAT FACTORY RIMS WERE NOT BALANCED! DISAPPOINTED IN CHRYSLER'S QC. *JB

TIRES ARE FIRESTONE EAGLE P205/55/16. I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH A FRONT SHIMMY SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD IT LOOKED AT AND HAD RE-BALANCING AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT TO NO AVAIL. THE REASON I SUSPECT THE TIRES IS THAT I HAD SOME FIRESTONE TIRES IN THE PAST DO EXACTLY WHAT I AM EXPEREINCING.I PURCHASED THE CAR USED WITH 15000 MILES ON IT.THE ORIGINAL OWNER WAS EXPEREINCINGTHE SAME SHIMMY. THE CAR AT SLOWER SPEEDS BEGINS TO ROCK FROM SIDE TO SIDE.I WAS TOLD THE LAST TIME THAT I HAD IT LOOKED AT, THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TIRES.

DT: THE SPARE TIRE DID NOT FIT ON THE RIM OF THE FRONT TIRES. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED ALSO AND THEY WERE NOT ANY HELP EITHER. THE OWNER HAS TRIED TO PUT THE SPARE TIRE ON THE FRONT WHEN SHE HAD A FLAT, BUT THAT DID NOT WORK. THE SPARE ALSO DOESN'T FIT THE FRONT. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE 2004, WHEN THE OWNER NOTICED IT. THE OWNER WENT AND BOUGHT BRAND NEW TIRES, BUT DID NOT BUY A 5TH TIRE TO MAKE A NEW SPARE. IT IS THE RIM THAT IS THE PROBLEM, NOT THE TIRE ITSELF. *NM

CRACKS APPEARED ON ALL FOUR TIRES. CONSUMER REPLACED THE TIRES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. GOODYEAR, EAGLE, 205/50R17. *AK WHEN CONSUMER CALLED DEALER, CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO CONTACT GOODYEAR. CONSUMER REPORTED INCIDENT TO GOODYEAR AND THEY ACTED AS IF IT WEREN'T THERE CONCERN. CONSUMER WAS THEN TOLD TO TAKE VEHICLE TO KAUFFMAN TIRE. AT THIS TIME ONLY TWO FRONT TIRES HAVE SPLITS IN THEM AND WERE REPLACED. 6 TO 8 MONTHS LATER THE OTHER TWO DEVELOPED SPLITS AND WERE REPLACED BY MCNABB TIRE IN ROCKMART, GEORGIA. CONSUMER FEELS GOODYEAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE BY THE TIRES FIRST SPLITTING IN THE FRONT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.*SB

2003 PT CRUISER SWAY ARM LINK BAR BROKE.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS 2231 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THIS FAILURE LIKELY OCCURRED DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. *NM