2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

2001 PT CRUISER, 69000 MILES. ORIGINAL OWNER AND RIMS. RIMS, ACCORDING TO DEALER ARE RUSTED INSIDE AND WILL NO LONGER HOLD AIR. CHRYSLER DOESN'T SEEM TO THINK THIS IS ABNORMAL FOR A 4 YEAR OLD CAR AND WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. I THINK THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AS I HAVE HEARD/READ ON THE WEB ABOUT OTHER PT CRUISERS HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. *JB

(1) NORMAL DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. (2) TIMING BELT FAILURE AT 89,400 MILES WHERE SCHEDULE "B" MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE LISTS THE PART TO BE REPLACED AT 120,000 MILES AND EARLY FAILURE IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. LEAVING MY WIFE AND STEPSON STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY WITH NO SHOULDER TO SAFELY REMOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. (3) DEFECTIVE PART IS TO BE REPLACED.*JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHROME PLATED WHEELS CORRODED, CAUSING THE TIRES TO GO FLAT. THE SEAL BROKE AND CAUSED THE AIR TO LEAK OUT INSTANTLY. THE WHEELS HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED AT THIS TIME. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, AND THE RIMS HAVE BEEN RESEALED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE THESE CHROME PLATED WHEELS UNDER WARRANTY.*AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE LOSING AIR PRESSURE. THE FLUCTUATION IN THE CHANGE OF WEATHER DETERMINED WHICH TIRE WAS AFFECTED. A LOCAL TIRE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE DESIGN OF THE WHEELS. THE WHEELS WERE CHROME OVER ALUMINUM. THE WHEEL BUILD UP WITH CORROSION AND PREVENTED THE SEALING OF THE TIRE. THE SERVICE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO PULL HARD TO THE LEFT. SHE THEN DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A GARAGE FOR AN INSPECTION. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS INCIDENTS. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS FAILED. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT SHE SHOULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT WAS REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE VEHICLES. THE MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS SINCE THE REPLACEMENT. *AK (11/23/05) *SC

(1) NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS; (2) CAR BEGAN TO BUCK AND THEN WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEARS; TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *JB

AUGUST 2005 MY SELF AND MY FAMILY WERE TAKING A SHORT TRIP OUT OF TOWN ABOUT 200 MILES. AT THE HALF WAY POINT WE PULLED IN TO A GAS STATION FOR SOME REFRESHMENTS I WAITED IN THE CAR WHEN I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM MY STEERING COLUMN UP THROUGH THE FLASHER BUTTON. WE REALIZED IT WAS THE WIRING FROM MY FOG LAMPS ONLY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT NO LONGER WORK. THE LAMPS WERE NOT IN USE AT THE TIME. NOT REALLY SURE WHY THE WIRING CAUGHT FIRE. *JB

(1) NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. (2) ELECTRIC LOCKS BEGAN LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THEMSELVES. NEXT MORNING CAME OUT AND CAR HAD UNLOCKED ITSELF. CANNOT TRUST THE CAR TO REMAIN LOCKED. (3) HAD AN INDEPENDENT AUTO MECHANIC LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. WAS ABLE TO TRACE THE PROBLEM TO A $100.00 PART THAT CHRYSLER WILL NOT GIVE TO INDEPENDENT AUTO MECHANICS. WENT TO CHRYSLER DEALER, SAID IT WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE PART. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 PT CRUISER WITH CHROME RIMS AND LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT. THESE CAME ON THE CAR WHEN I PURCHASED IT. THE RIMS ARE PEELING WHICH IS LEADING TO AIR BEING LOST IN THE TIRES. MY TIRE DEALER TELLS ME THIS IS COMMON WITH THESE RIMS AND MANY CHRYSLER DEALERS ARE REPLACING THE RIMS AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. CHRYSLER KNOWS THIS IS HAPPENING AND IT IS A HAZARD. IT IS UNREASONABLE OF CHRYSLER TO EXPECT THE CONSUMER TO HAVE TO REPLACE RIMS ON A CAR THAT WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. *JB

MY FOG LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND COULD TURN ON EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING. MY CAR BATTERY DRAINED A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND I HAD TO OBTAIN A JUMP TO START MY CAR. CALLED CAR DEALER, AND THEY PULLED THE FUSE TO THE FOG LIGHTS AND SAID THERE IS A SHORT IN THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. CALLED CHRYSLER, AND I AM OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY WILL OFFER NO ASSISTANCE UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. I SEE THERE IS A PRIOR COMPLAINT DATED AUGUST 2, 2005 FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON THREE OTHER PT CRUISERS AND MY CAR DEALER STATES THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE SWITCH ON SEVERAL PT CRUISERS. I HAVE ALSO READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON SOME ONLINE FORUMS. I WILL KEEP MY SERVICE RECORDS IN CASE OF RECALL PER CHRYSLER. *JB