2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

ALL FOUR TIRES CONTAINED BULGES IN THEM, AND CRACKS. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. GOODYEAR, EAGLE RSA, 205/50 R17.*AK THE 5TH TIRE HAD A BULGE AFTER 7 DAYS. *BF *NM

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING OUR BRAND NEW 2003 PT CRUISER, WE NOTICED THE DASH LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS WOULD OCCASIONALLY FLICKER FOR NO APPARENT REASON. AT FIRST, IT WAS VERY INTERMITTENT AND WE DID NOT PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO IT. HOWEVER, SINCE ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER OF 2004, THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE. NOW WHENEVER THE BRAKE IS APPLIED, THE DASH LIGHTS AND THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER VERY NOTICEABLY, AND THE FREQUENCY OF THE FLICKERING FOR NO REASON HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. ON NOVEMBER 18, 2004, WE TOOK THE CRUISER INTO SPOKANE CHRYSLER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM (INVOICE 147545). SPOKANE CHRYSLER WAS VERY COURTEOUS AND TRIED DILIGENTLY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE GENERATOR, THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, AND EVEN TRIED A NEW BATTERY -- UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THEIR EFFORTS FIXED THE PROBLEM. SPOKANE CHRYSLER DID DISCOVER THAT THIS FLICKERING LIGHTS DEFECT WAS NOT UNIQUE TO OUR CRUISER. THE TECHNICIAN TESTED SEVERAL 2002, 2004, AND EVEN BRAND NEW 2005 PT CRUISERS AND FOUND THAT IN EACH OF THESE MODELS, WHILE NOT ALL, BUT SOME OF THEM HAD THE SAME DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM IS PARTICULARLY DISTURBING CONSIDERING THE NATURE OF MANY OF THE PT CRUISERS CONTROL SYSTEMS. THE PT IS IN MANY RESPECTS A FLY-BY-WIRE TYPE OF VEHICLE. EVERYTHING FROM THROTTLE CONTROL, AIR/FUEL MIX, SPEED CONTROL, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTING, TRACTION CONTROL, TO ABS BRAKE CONTROL IS GOVERNED BY ELECTRONICS. THE FLICKERING LIGHTS ARE A DEFECT THAT CAN CLEARLY BE SEEN, BUT WHAT ABOUT DEFECTS THAT CANNOT BE SO EASILY SEEN. WHAT ABOUT A BRAKE CONTROL FLICKER OR AN ERRATIC THROTTLE CONTROL FLICKER THAT YOU DO NOT NOTICE UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. OR, WHAT HAPPENS IF IT IS PITCH DARK, YOU ARE ROUNDING A CURVE AT 60 MPH, AND THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER OUT AND STAY OUT! AT THIS TIME, THE PROBLEM HAS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED. WE FEEL CHRYSLER HAS TWO OPTIONS--EITHER FIX THE DEFECT IMMEDIATELY (THIS IS OUR PREFERRED CHOICE) OR REPLACE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY.

DT: BRAKES FAILED. WAS STOPPING AT STOP LIGHT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, CAR DID NOT STOP. THERE WAS A CRASH. VEHICLE HIT A SUV . THERE WERE INJURIES. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE DUE TO THE BRAKES AND CRASH. NO INQUIRES ABOUT RECALLS, BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEARCH FOR RECALLS AFTER COMPLAINT.*AK

HESITATION IN VEHICLE IN ALL SPEEDS (5 SPEED), TOOK TO CHRYSLER AT LEAST 5 TIMES (4 DIFFERENT DEALERS) TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.....THE FOLLOWING WAS PERFORMED... 1) RE-FLASHING OF PCM 2) CHANGING OF SPARK PLUGS 3) CHECK OF SPARK PLUG WIRES 4) FUEL INJECTORS CHECKED FOR CLOGGING 3 TIMES DEALERS REPLACED ONE (OR MORE) OR ALL SPARK PLUGS (WITHIN ONE YEAR) 1 TIME PCM WAS RE-FLASHED 2 TIMES DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE HESITATION WAS 'NORMAL' 2 TIMES DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE HESITATION WAS NOT FOUND, WHEN EACH TIME IT WAS INSISTED THAT THE TECHNICIAN OR SERVICE MANAGER DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO CONFIRM THE HESITATION. GATHERING ALL INVOICES FOR CORRECT DATES...

THREE OF THE TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED BUBBLES ON THE SIDE WALL. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE BUBBLES WERE CAUSED BY THE VEHICLE IMPACTING POT HOLES. THE TREAD DEPTH ON THE FRONT TIRES ARE 632, THE REAR TIRES 832. *JB *BF *NM

I BOUGHT MY 2003--NEVER TITLED--PT CRUISER LAST MAY. I NOTICED SEVERAL WEEKS LATER THAT WHILE DRIVING THE HEADLIGHTS AND PANEL LIGHTS FLICKERED CONTINUOUSLY. AFRAID OF A SHORT AND CAUSING A FIRE I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY. I HAD THE CAR BACK 5-6 TIMES AND THEY TRIED EVERYTHING FROM CHECKING FOR SHORTS, TO REPLACING A SWITCH, TO INSTALLING A NEW PANEL CLUSTER, AND NOTHING FIXED THE PROBLEM. AT ONE TIME THEY HAD MY CAR FOR OVER A WEEK WORKING BY PHONE WITH THE TECHNICIANS FROM CHRYSLER TO TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND IT STILL EXISTS. I HAVE BEEN VERY PATIENT THEM, BUT MY PATIENCE HAS WORN OUT. ON ONE OCCASION 50 MILES FROM HOME THE LIGHTS FLICKERED SO BAD THEY WENT OUT TEMPORARY AND I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. *AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. NO INJURIES REPORTED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK

2003 PT CRUISER GT PURCHASED BRAND NEW APRIL 29, 2003. CLUTCH HAS FAILED 3 TIMES OVER 10 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS. MARCH 8, 2004 MILEAGE ? 19,842: DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT ENTERED ONTO THE 60 FWY EAST THE CLUTCH GOES OUT ON THE FREEWAY IN TRAFFIC! HAVE TRUCK TOWED TO JAMMIN DODGE CHRYSLER THAT NIGHT. THE CAR IS ALMOST 12 MONTHS OLD! MARCH 12, 2004 REMOVED AND REPLACED CLUTCH MODULE ASSEMBLY. CAR PICKED UP. DECEMBER 17, 2004 MILEAGE ? 35,930: THIS IS JUST 9 MONTHS AFTER THE CLUTCH WAS FIRST REPAIRED! CLUTCH GOES OUT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR; IT LAUNCHED FORWARD BECAUSE IT WAS IN FIRST GEAR. IT MISSES THE CONCRETE WALKWAY TO MY OFFICE BUILDING BY LESS THAN A INCH. DECEMBER 21, 2004 STAR CHRYSLER REPAIRS CLUTCH JANUARY 22, 2005. MILEAGE ? 37,275: JUST ONE MONTH SINCE LAST REPAIR TO CLUTCH! I AM DRIVING TO BANK IN MORNING. I COME TO STOP AT THE END OF MY STREET AT THE STOP LIGHT. MY CAR CLUTCH IS MALFUNCTIONING. I STOP THE CAR. I TRY TURNING IT OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THE CAR LAUNCHES FORWARD HITTING THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. THE MAN GETS OUT OF THE TRUCK. HE LOOKS AND THERE IS NOT DAMAGE TO HIS TRUCK. HE ASKS ME DID I SEE HIM? I TOLD HIM THAT MY CLUTCH WENT OUT AND HE CAME OVER AND SAW HOW THE CLUTCH JUST WENT TO THE FLOOR. HE SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS WISHED ME LUCK AND TOOK OFF. MY GRILL IN THE FRONT IS BULGING. MY LICENSE PLATE FRAME CRACKS. AND THE TOP OF MY BUMPER IS SCRATCHED. I CALL AAA. HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO JAMMIN DODGE IN POMONA. I REQUEST NO WORK TO BE DONE. I WILL CALL CHRYSLER CORPORATE MONDAY MORNING. I WILL NO LONGER DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AS IT IS NOT SAFE. *AK

WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL AND GOING UP HILL I HAVE TO STEP ON THE BRAKES AND THEY WOULD NOT RELEASE. I HAD TO STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES WITH INCREASING FORCE UNTIL THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAUGED. I HAVE DONE THISTIME ON MY DRIVE HOME FROM WORK AND IT REQUIRES MUCH MORE FORCE GOING UPHILL THEN ON LEVEL GROUND. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED THERE WAS ALMOST AN ACCIDENT BUT I HAD THE ADDITIONAL TIME TO STEP ON THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIME TO GET THE CRUISE CONTROL TO TURN-OFF.*AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM. OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND HAD SEVERAL ADJUSTMENTS MADE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERS, AND PROBLEM DID NOT DUPLICATE ITSELF. HOWEVER, THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. *AK....*AK