2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

MY CHRYSLER 2005 PT CRUISER, BOUGHT IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, SUDDENLY LOSES ITS POWER WHILE I AM DRIVING (TWICE ON THE HIGHWAY). THIS LOSS OF POWER RESULTED IN MY NEARLY BEING IN A REAR END COLLISION FROM A TRUCK COMING UP BEHIND ME! IT HAS BEEN TOWED TO 2 CHRYSLER DEALERS ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY OR FIX THE PROBLEM ALTHOUGH IT HAS HAD TWO ADDITIONAL FAILURES DOCUMENTED BY THEM. THIS LAST TIME THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR OVER TWO WEEKS. IT HAS A SERIOUS DRIVEABILITY ISSUE. THEY HAVE ALREADY REPLACED SEVERAL PARTS INCLUDING THE ENTIRE ONBOARD COMPUTER PRIOR TO THIS MOST RECENT BREAKDOWN. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A NEW CAR AND CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE TOOK THE INFORMATION OVER A WEEK AGO HAS NOT GOTTEN BACK TO ME. *NM

WITH ONLY 21,000 MILES MY 2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE BASE MODEL EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE MANUAL CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 100 MILES OF OPEN HIGHWAY AND WAS ENTERING A MORE URBAN SETTING WITH FREQUENT STOPS AND STARTS DUE TO TRAFFIC LIGHTS. AFTER ABOUT THE 5TH OR 6TH LIGHT MY GEAR SHIFT LEVER WOULD MOVE BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR. LUCKILY I HAD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN SAVANNAH GA. IT TOOK 3 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AND HOUSING HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH A MANUAL CLUTCH IS CLASSED AS A "CONSUMABLE" PART CHRYSLER AGREED TO SHARING HALF THE REPLACEMENT COST FOR THE PARTS DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAILURE. I DROVE MY FIRST PT CRUISER ( AN EARLY PRODUCTION 2001 MODEL ) OVER 86,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD A CLUTCH PROBLEM. I AM NOW 18,000 MILES INTO THE LIFE OF THE REPLACEMENT CLUTCH WITH NO SIGNS OF ANY PROBLEMS. *JB

I BEGAN HEARING A POPPING NOISE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AT APPROXIMATELY 25000 MILES. AT 27000 MILES, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A BAD RACK & PINION UNIT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE UNIT UNDER WARRANTY. AT 30000 MILES, THE NOISE RETURNED. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER, WHO RE-DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMN. THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. *KB THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED TWO DAYS BEFORE THE FIRE OCCURRED. A PASSERBY EXTINGUISHED THE SMALL FIRE. *NM

ON THE INCIDENT DATE, I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 78 MILES AN HOUR (IDAHO FREEWAY SPEED LIMIT IS 75). THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED CAUSING THE TIRE TO COME COMPLETELY APART. IT WAS LITERALLY FILLED WITH ASH FROM THE RUBBER. THE TIRES ARE ON A 2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE TOURING EDITION AND HAD ONLY 19000 MILES ON THEM. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED WITH 36 OR MORE POUNDS OF AIR AND THE AIR PRESSURE HAS BEEN CHECKED MUCH MORE OFTEN THAN NORMAL DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ALWAYS LOOKED LOW. I HAD JUST CHECKED THE AIR IN THEM TWO DAYS BEFORE. ABOUT 15 MILES PRIOR TO THE TIRE EXPLODING, THE CAR HAD A VERY DISTINCT PULL TO LEFT WHICH I ATTRIBUTED INITIALLY TO WIND LOAD FROM THE SIDE OF THE CAR, APPARENTLY IT WAS NOT WIND. THESE TIRES ARE A DEATH TRAP WAITING TO HAPPEN. *NM

O RINGS ON FUEL INJECTORS CAME OFF, CAUSING INJECTORS TO TAP. CHRYSLER WILL NOT TOUCH IT. THEY KEEP SAYING THE INJECTORS ARE SUPPOSED TO TAP! I WENT TO 4 CHRYSLER DEALERSHIPS, AND 3 SAID IT`S NORMAL, AND ONE SAID THEY COULDN'T HEAR THE TAP. I WENT TO 3 OTHER MECHANICS ( NON CHRYSLER) AND THEY ALL SAID IT`S NOT NORMAL, AND TO GET IT FIXED RIGHT AWAY. BUT CHRYSLER WILL NOT ADMIT THERE`S ANYTHING WRONG, AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT. BECAUSE OF THAT, I HAVE TO GET A DIFFERENT CAR! AFTER THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT, I WON`T BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO FIX THE PROBLEM! I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND ANY CHRYSLER PRODUCT TO ANYONE! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MOVING FROM A STOP SIGN AT 10 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, FIRE WAS NOTICED COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. THE CONTACT EVACUATED THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS PRESENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED A SHORT CIRCUIT FROM THE BATTERY CABLE WAS THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT TAKEN. THE DEALERSHIP NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ORIGINAL TIRES OF THE VEHICLE HAD VERY THIN TREAD BELT AND A VERY SMALL NAIL CAUSED A PUNCTURE. THE TIRES ALSO WOULD NOT GRIPPED ON WET PAVEMENT AT ANY SPEED, CREATING SAFETY RISK DURING RAINY WEATHER. DUE TO THE POOR QUALITY OBSERVED ON THOSE TIRES BY THE CONTACT THE TIRES WERE ROTATED EVERY 3000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE ALL TIRES AT ONLY 19000 MILES. THE TIRES MANUFACTURER DID NOT WARRANTY IN RELATIONS TO MILEAGE. THE TIRES WARRANTY PROVIDED REFERRED ONLY TO PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING. GOODYEAR MANUFACTURED THE EAGLES SS. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE ENGINE STALLED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE PCM MODULE TWICE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED FOUR SPARK PLUGS AND VARIOUS WIRING TWICE, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE DRIVER SIDE BACK TRIANGLE WINDOW BLEW OUT INCLUDING THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE DRIVING BEHIND MANEUVERED TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE FLYING WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED THE MISSING WINDOW.