2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

HAD TIRES CHANGED AT DEALER. AFTER TIRE CHANGE, TWO OF THE TIRES BEGAN LEAKING. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM CHECKED, DEALER FINALLY DECIDED THAT THE CHROME-PLATED RIMS WERE CORRODED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOW, AFTER HAVING TWO MORE TIRES REPLACE, THE NEW TIRES ARE LEAKING AND I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR TWO MORE RIMS. *JB

FEB 2006 - JUNE 2006: INDICATOR LIGHT ON DASHBOARD LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY, APPEARS TO INDICATE A HEADLAMP FAILURE, BUT NO BURNT-OUT BULB IS APPARENT. JUNE 8, 2006: INDICATOR LAMP WILL ONLY GO OUT WHEN HIGH BEAM OR TURN SIGNALS ARE ON. JUNE 8, 2006: BATTERY DEAD AFTER CAR PARKED FOR 5 HOURS. JUMP START SUCCESSFUL. JUNE 8, 2006: READ MANUAL. DISCOVERED THAT CAR HAD FOG LIGHTS, AND THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT MEANT THAT THE FOG LIGHTS WERE ON. ONLY THE FOG LIGHT SWITCH WAS OFF. AND TURNING THE SWITCH ON AND OFF DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. JUNE 9, 2006: PULLED RELEVANT FUSE. HOPE NOTHING CRITICAL IS ON THE SAME CIRCUIT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED FOR THE VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER 2004 AND THE RECALL REPAIR WORK WAS COMPLETED BY THE DEALER. IN JANUARY 2005, THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS CONTINUALLY LOW DUE TO A LEAK INDICATING THAT ONE OF THE HOSES WAS ERODED. THE DEALER DETERMINED A PUMP AND HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE HOSE WAS REPLACED PREVIOUSLY UNDER THE RECALL BUT THE PUMP WAS NOT. THE DEALER WILL NOT PERFORM THE NECESSARY REPAIRS FOR THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT WITHOUT A CHARGE. *NM THE SERPENTINE BELT, BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS AND MOTOR MOUNT WERE REPLACED. THE RIGHT SIDE INTERIOR LIGHT WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 02/06/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. UPDATED 7/5/2006 - *NM

TRANSMISSION OF 2002 PT CRUISER FAILED @ 56,000 MILES NEEDING COMPLETE REBUILD. FLUID PUMP DISINTEGRATED SPREADING METAL SHARDS THROUGHOUT TRANSAXLE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A LEAK WAS DETECTED IN THE POWER STEERING HOSE. A NHTSA RECALL, 04V268000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE POWER STEERING HOSE, HOWEVER THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR WITHOUT CHARGE UNDER THE RECALL.

I HAD A VERY ALARMING INCIDENT ON JANUARY 23, 2006. AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK AND TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES I SMELLED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND LOOKED TO BE SURE THE FUEL CAP WAS IN PLACE. IT WAS SO I ATTEMPTED TO RE-START THE ENGINE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE ENGINE STARTED BUT RAN QUITE ROUGHLY. I AGAIN STOPPED THE ENGINE TO CHECK THE SOURCE OF THE GASOLINE ODOR. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE GASOLINE WAS RUNNING OVER THE EDGE OF THE FUEL TANK SHIELD. I DECIDED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE STARTED AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF FIRE OR EXPLOSION. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERS SERVICE CENTER. I WAS TOLD THE FUEL LINE WAS BROKEN. I ASKED THAT THE FUEL LINE BE SAVED FOR ME. I HAVE IT AND IT IS BROKEN ON THE END.*JB

I WAS INFORMED BY SERVICE ADVISOR JAMES QUINN AT BRUNSWICK AUTO MALL IN BRUNSWICK, OHIO (330-273-3300) THAT THE REAR CONTROL ARM(RUBBER BUSHINGS ON MY 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER WERE WORN OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AT 44,971 MILES. I DID A WEB SEARCH AND FOUND NUMEROUS PT CRUISER USER FORUMS AND FOUND REFERENCES TO CHRYSLER CHANGING THE SUPPLIER OF THE BUSHINGS SOMETIME AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT. CHRYSLER CHANGED THE BUSHINGS SUPPLIER DUE TO VERY EARLY FAILURE AND ALSO UPGRADED THE QUALITY OF THE BUSHINGS. MY BUSHINGS FAILED DUE TO HAVING THE OLDER STYLE BUSHINGS. 45K MILES IS VERY EARLY FOR CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS TO WEAR OUT. I CONTACTED CHRYLSER WARRANTY AT 800-992-1997 TO COMPLAIN AND WAS ASSIGNED REFERENCE NUMBER 14736996. AFTER EXPLAINING THE SITUATION, THE CHRYLSER REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT CHRYSLER WOULD OFFER NO CUSTOMER GOOD-WILL ASSISTANCE WITH PAYING FOR THE REPAIRS SINCE I WAS 1 YEAR AND 4 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CHRYSLER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE CHRYSLER EXTENDED WARRANTY IN ANTICIPATION OF UNANTICIPATED VEHICLE REPAIR PROBLEMS LIKE MY BUSHINGS. THE "UNANTICIPATED" EARLY FAILURE OF REAR CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS ON OLDER MODEL PT CRUISER BUSHINGS IS A SEVERE SAFETY THREAT TO CONSUMERS WHO EXPECT QUALITY PARTS IN THEIR VEHICLES THAT SHOULD NORMALLY LAST AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. THE UNANTICIPATED FAILURE OF THE PT CRUISER BUSHING CAN EASILY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, ACCIDENTS, OR MUCH WORSE. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY COMPLAINT. BEST REGARDS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKES SQUEAKED AND BRAKE DUST WAS OBSERVED ON THE HUBCAPS. THE BRAKES PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN TURNED FREQUENTLY AT EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE BRAKING CAPABILITY OF THE VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE ALL OVER THE ROAD. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THE BRAKE PADS AND THE ROTORS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE. THREE DEALERSHIPS AND HAVE ADMITTED THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT BUT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE FUNCTIONING OF THE BRAKES THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO ISSUE A RECALL. ACCORDING TO THE CONTACT THIS FAILURE DOES AFFECT THE FUNCTION OF THE BRAKES.

I HAVE A 2002 PT CRUISER AND TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY SAID: BUSHINGS (BOTH LOWER-FRONT) REMOVE & REPLACE CONTROL ARM SHAFT AND BUSHINGS, LOWER BOTH CONTROL ARM. BEARING & SEALS. FROM WHAT I AM READING IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH PT CRUISERS. *NM