2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

PURCHASED 2003 PT CRUISER IN OCT 02. MARCH 03- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE IDLED VERY ROUGH. BROUGHT IT IN AND THEY SAID IT HAD A CRACKED SPARK PLUG. FIXED? NO... JUNE 03 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT IDLED VERY ROUGH. BROUGHT IT IN AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED A NEW ALTERNATOR. FIXED? NO. SAME THING IS HAPPENING AGAIN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND IT IS IDLING VERY ROUGH. *LA

THE GASKET ON THE THIRD BREAK LIGHT DOES NOT FIT UP TO THE REAR WINDSHIELD. THERE IS ABOUT A 1/4 INCH GAP. A NEW ONE WAS INSTALLED BUT IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. IT MUST BE A DESIGN FLAW. *LA

AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE RANDOMLY BOTH WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF AND PARKED. *LA

WHEN COMING TO A STOP DRIVER WOULD PRESS ON THE BRAKES AND VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE.*AK

HEATED SEATS WENT ON BY THEMSELVES AND POOR/DANGEROUS LOCATION OF ON/OFF SWITCH (ON SEAT BASE BETWEEN SEAT AND DOOR) IS UNSAFE. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE TRANSMISSION DECELERATED EVEN WHEN THE CONSUMERS FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL VEHICLE. *AK THE TRANSMISSION LEAKED FLUID. THE DEALER CONTINUED TO FIX THE HOSES. *SCC *JB

VEHICLE IS A NEW 2003 PT-TURBO GT W/AUTO STICK, AIR, ETC. VEHICLE IS THE VERY FIRST NEW VEHICLE THAT MY WIFE HAS EVER OWNED. I BOUGHT IT FOR HER AS A XMAS GIFT IN DEC., 2002. SINCE FEBRUARY 2003, THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO OVERHEAT. IT HAS HAD NUMEROUS PARTS REPLACED FROM THEROMSTAT/COOLING FAN AND ITS THEROMSTAT SWITCH, TRANS-COOLER (TURBO), WATER PUMP, ETC. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR ALMOST 11 WEEKS. BOTH THE ZONE AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED BY DEALERSHIP, AND THEY RESPONDED ON PREVIOUS TRIPS INTO THE SERVICE BAY. MY WIFE ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT FOR ALMOST 5 1/2 WEEKS AFTER RECEIVING THE VEHICLE BACK FROM DEALERSHIP. THEN, ON SUNDAY, 20 JULY 2003, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AGAIN!! MY WIFE DROVE IT TO VICTORVILLE MOTORS (LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER, VICTORVILLE, CA) ON MONDAY, 21 JULY AND THERE IT HAS BEEN SINCE. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS THE WATER PUMP AGAIN AND THE DEALER WAS WAITING FOR THE ZONE AND/OR MFG TO CONTACT THEM TO SEE WHAT ELSE COULD BE DONE TO RECTIFY THIS ANOMALOUS CONDITION. EITHER IN DESIGN AND JUST A BAD ENGINE. BLOCK IS IRON, WATER PUMP AND HEADS ARE ALUMINUM. ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED INTO THE RED LINE SO MANY TIMES, THE BLOCK AND OTHER COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN SEVERLY HEAT STRESSED. MY WIFE RECENTLY (JAN 2003) DISCOVERED SHE HAD RENAL ESRD (TOTAL KIDNEY FAILURE) AND IS CURRENTLY DOING DIALYSIS. WE LIVE IN VICTORVILLE, CA AND SHE MUST DRIVE TO FONTANNA, CA KAISER HOSPITAL FOR HER TREATMENTS. APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES EACH WAY CLIMBING THROUGH A DESERT MOUNTAIN PASS, ELEVATION 4340 FT. SHE REQUIRES A RELIABLE VEHICLE AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME, SHE DOES NOT HAVE ONE. MY WIFE COULD BE STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A DESERT MOUNTAIN PASS WITH THIS PROBLEM VEHICLE. ALL WE HAVE ASKED FOR IS CHRYSLER REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE....MY WIFE HAS WANTED THIS DREAM CAR. FOR OVER 2-YEARS. IT..."..THANK YOU........RON & GWEN REPASS. *AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT LOCKING SYSTEM PROBLEMS. WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING, AND IF THE CONSUMER LEAVES THE VEHICLE OR STANDS OUT OF THE VEHICLE, THE DOORS WILL AUTOMATICLY LOCK. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL.*AK

I BOUGHT MY 2003 PT CRUISER TURBO OCT 13TH 2002, IN FEB 2003 I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE I HAD NOTICED RED FLUID LEAKING . I WAS ALARMED 2 C ATF LEAKING FROM A CAR WITH LESS THAN 9,000 MILES ON IT. ANYWAY I TOOK IT IN & THEY REPLACED THE SEAL & BEARING ON THE LEFT SIDE. ON MAY 28TH I TOOK IT TO A BODYSHOP 2 GET GHOST FLAMES PAINTED ON IT. JUNE 12TH CAME ALONG AND THEY CALLED ME TO COME SEE THE CAR FINISHED. IT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. I PROUDLY APPROVED OF THE WORK THEY COULD THEN BUFF AND DETAILED IT. ON JUNE 14TH AFTER BEING BUFFED OUT THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN TO THE DETAIL SHOP ON THE FREEWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FRONT LEFT TIRE SEIZED UP AND THREW THE CAR ACROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND INTO AN EMBANKMENT WHERE IT CAME TO REST.THE DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR AFTER COLLECTING HIMSELF. THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WAS BROKEN OFF, FLUID EVERYWHERE. UTAH HIGHWAY PATROL IMPOUNDED THE CAR UNTIL I COULD BE NOTIFIED. I GOT THE CALL FROM THE BODYSHOP OWNER, HE TOOK FULL RESPONSABILITY AND WAS WILLING TO DO WHATEVER TO MAKE MY CAR NEW "AGAIN". UPON INVESTIGATING THE DAMAGE HE NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FRONT AXLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. HE LITTRIALLY HAD TO TAKE THE RIGHT SIDE APART AND USE A BAR TO POUND OUT THE LEFT SIDE. HE GOT 2 SECOND OPINIONS BEFORE CALLING ME 2 TELL ME THAT THE AXIL HAD SEIZED 2 THE BEARING INSIDE OF THE TRANNY. HE SUGGESTED THAT I CALL THE DEALER. FINIALLY ON THE 23RD OF JUNE THE DEALER CAME AND GOT MY CAR WHERE IT IS STILL SITTING UP TILL THIS CURRENT DAY. THEY FOUND $5500.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION/AXLE AND SUCH. THEY CALLED A ACCIDENT INVESTAGATOR THAT SHOWED UP JULY 2ND. I TOOK HIM TO THE ACCIDENT SITE WHERE AFTER 3 WEEKS YOU COULD STILL SEE THE SKID MARKS. THE INVESTIGATOR GATHERED ALL HIS INFORMATION AND WENT BACK TO CHRYSLER. I HAVE CALL NEARLY EVERYDAY. I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY FILE IS IN THEIR "LEGAL" DEPARTMENT. NO ONE IS TALKING. NOW 2 WAIT AND SEE WHAT CHRYSLER IS GOING TO DO. *AK

NHTSA#03-V-076-000:ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODELS ONLY, A WELDED PIN INTERNAL TO THE DUAL-MASS FLYWHEEL (DMF) ASSEMBLY CAN UNSEAT AND BECOME LODGED BETWEEN THE FLYWHEEL AND THE CLUTCH DISC. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON MAY 23/2003 AND ON MAY 25/2003 THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FAILED. *JB