2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

PREMATURE FAILURE OF FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. THIS VEHICLE HAD 37,000 MILES WITH BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT BUSHINGS FAILED. WITHOUT REPLACEMENT, THIS CAN LEAD TO ADDITIONAL SUSPENSION WEAR AND IN AN EXTREME CASE, LOSS OF CONTROL. BUSHINGS OF THIS TYPE IN TYPICAL VEHICLES LASTS THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO MY INDEPENDENT GARAGE THIS COMPONENT SHOWS AN INORDINATELY HIGH FAILURE RATE, AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR EXPERIENCE IN REPLACING THEM IN MANY PT CRUSIERS. THEY SEE THEM AT A RATE OF ONE EVERY TWO WEEKS, AND THIS WAS AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE, NOT A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THIS PROBLEM WAS CAUGHT AT PENNSYLVANIA ANNUAL STATE INSPECTION.*AK

I BOUGHT A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER IN FEBRUARY 2007. WHEN I BOUGHT IT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE DASHBOARD,THAT BECAME QUITE LARGER IN JUST A FEW MONTHS, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE CRACK/SPLIT WAS GROWING. SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED I FIGURED IT WAS MY PROBLEM, BUT I KNEW OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS WAS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE THAT COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT A DASHMAT COVER TO HELP SO THE DASHBOARD WON'T GET AS HOT, BUT IT STILL GREW. WHAT COULD I DO ABOUT THIS? *AK

TIRES GOING FLAT NOT HOLDING AIR PRESSURE. ALL FOUR RIMS STARTED FLAKING AND COMING APART, HAD TO HAVE THEM RESEALED AT LEAST 4 TIMES A YEAR. WENT OUT AND BOUGHT FOUR NEW RIMS. *TR

RECENLTY ON MY LOCAL NEWS THEY HAD A STORY SAYING THAT 2001 DODGE VEHICLES WERE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH DASHBOARDS CAVING IN ON THE DRIVING WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE A 2001 CHRYSLER P.T. CRUISER (CHRYSLER IS A DODGE) MY DASHBOARD HAS A CRACK IN IT AND I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS IS NOT A ISOLATED PROBLEM AND MY DASH BOARD COULD SIND AT ANY MOMENT. THIS IS HAPPENING AS THE DRIVERS ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SHUTTING EVERYTHING DOWN IN THE DASHBOARD THAT YOU NEED TO DRIVE SAFELY WITH, JUST WANTED TO PLACE MY CONCERN THAT THIS COULD BE EFFECTING OTHER DODGE MODEL CARS. *TR

I OWN A 2001 PT CRUISER. I TRIED TO HAVE A FLAT TIRE FIXED ON THIS CAR, THE TIRE SERVICE PERSON INFORMED ME THAT THE RIM HAD A CRACK THAT WAS MORE THEN AN INCH LONG AND THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW A NEW TIRE TO BE MOUNTED ON THE RIM. I HAD TO GET A FRIEND TO PICK ME AND MY CHILDREN UP AND GO WITHOUT MY CAR UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A REPLACEMENT RIM USED FROM A RIM DEALER IN DAYTON OHIO. ALL THE ORIGINAL RIMS BELONGING TO THIS CAR ARE PITTED, PEELING, SOME WON'T HOLD AIR OR ARE SPLIT. THE RIMS I'M TOLD ARE THE CAUSE OF TIRE FAILURE AND PREMATURE WEAR AND FREQUENT FLATS. I FIND THESE ISSUES TO CREATE UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR

THE 2001 PT CRUISER FOG LIGHTS CAME ON BY THEMSELSVES WHEN THE SWITCH WERE IN THE OFF POSITION, DRAINING THE BATTERY WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED. IF THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS TURNED ON THE FOG LIGHTS WENT OFF. I HAD TO PULL THE FOG LIGHT FUSE TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM.*AK

THE FOG LAMPS ON THE 2001 PT CRUISER COME ON AND STAYED ON THEIR OWN ACCORD. THIS CAUSED A DEAD BATTERY 3 TIMES. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR THE ALARM WENT OFF. SOMETIMES THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WORKED CORRECTLY, SOMETIMES IT DID NOT. SOMETIMES THE KEYLESS ENTRY WORKED AND SOMETIMES IT DID NOT. WHEN IT DID WORK, I COULD NOT GET THE DOOR TO UNLOCK WITH THE KEY, IT RELOCKED BY ITSELF, LEAVING ME LOCKED OUT OF MY OWN CAR AND STRANDED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I COULD NOT LOCK THE DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE WITH ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK. MUST INDIVIDUALLY LOCK ALL DOORS. SMOKE CAME FROM THE TOP OF THE STEERING COLUMN , THROUGH HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH ON TWO OCCASIONS. DEALER SUGGESTED $200. REPLACEMENT OF MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH - BUT RESEARCH SHOWED THISWAS NOT A REMEDY TO THE PROBLEM. I LIVE IN A REMOTE, RURAL AREA, AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE OR SECURE WITH THIS VEHICLE. *AK

MY 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER'S FOG LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING UNLESS THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL IS TURNED ON. IF THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS NOT TURNED ON THE FOG LIGHTS DRAIN THE BATTERY LEAVING ME STRANDED AND REQUIRES RECHARGING OR REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY. MULTIPLE FORUMS I'VE READ LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THIS IS A MASSIVE PROBLEM WITH THE PT CRUISER. IT REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF A MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH AT A COST OF OVER $200. *JB

CONTROL SWITCH FOR 2001 PT CRUISER HEADLIGHTS AND FOGL IGHTS HAD INTERMITTENT SHORT, CAUSING REPEATED BATTERY DRAIN. EXACT SAME PROBLEM NOTED BY 20 OTHER PT CRUISER OWNERS THIS YEAR ON WWW.TOPIX.NET. SOME SUGGESTED A FUSE REPLACEMENT FOR $200 MAY FIX THE PROBLEM. NO WORD FROM CHRYSLER ON THE SUBJECT. WHY WAS THERE NO RECALL?*AK

TL*- THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT 3 OUT OF HIS 4 TIRES WERE LEAKING. HE TOOK THE 2001 PT CRUISER TO A TIRE SHOP AND AT THE TIRE SHOP THEY STATED THAT THE BRIDGESTONE FUSION TIRES WERE FINE, THE FAILURE WAS ON THE METAL INSIDE THE RIMS THAT WAS COMING APART. THE CONTACT CAN PROVIDE PICTURES IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118000.