2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

HERE IS AN EXTRACT OF WHAT I SEND TO CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHICH THEY REJECTED- NO INJURY WAS INVOLVED: I DO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH ONE REPAIR THAT WAS NEEDED, THOUGH. I HAD TAKEN THE CRUISER IN FOR SERVICE ON AUG 7, 2006 AT THE ADVICE OF OAKLAWN MOBILE IN CRANSTON, RI. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISER WAS TO DO WITH A STEERING RACK THAT PURITAN REPLACED IN 2003 AND REPAIRED VIA A RECALL AGAIN IN 2005. HOWEVER, IT WAS DUE TO WORN FRONT-END PARTS. SPECIFICALLY BOTH FRONT TIE RODS, WHEEL BEARINGS, AND CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. GIVEN THAT THE CAR ONLY HAS 40,400 MILES AND HAD JUST COME OFF WARRANTY, I FOUND IT ODD THAT PARTS WOULD WEAR OUT THAT FAST. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE VEHICLE IS GENTLY DRIVEN. I DECIDED TO REVIEW THE NHTSA WEBSITE TO SEE IF I COULD FIND ANY INFORMATION RELATING TO THIS SORT OF REPAIR. IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE WERE 20 ODD COMPLAINTS ABOUT SUSPENSION PROBLEMS SPECIFIC TO THE '02 CRUISERS. MOST OF THE INFORMATION WAS REDACTED, BUT I DID FIND (AND ENCLOSE) ONE COMPLAINT THAT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO MINE. I WISH TO REQUEST FROM DAIMLERCHRYSLER WHAT I THINK IS FAIR AND EQUITABLE COMPENSATION IF THE FORM OF 90% OF THE REPAIR BILL OF $1320.64 TO BE REFUNDED. I TAKE THIS UP WITH THE COMPANY RATHER THAN THE DEALER. THE ENCLOSED COMPLAINT, AS WELL AS THE SERVICE REP AT PURITAN, STATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH EARLY PT CRUISERS. I WOULD ACCEPT A 10% REDUCTION FOR NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THE VEHICLE, AS A REASONABLE CONSUMER WOULD EXPECT SOME SORT OF SUSPENSION WEAR AFTER 40,000 MILES, RATHER THAN 100% WEAR THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER CHANGED AN ELECTRONIC MODULE. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE GAS WAS CONTAMINATED, BUT THE VEHICLE HAD THIS PROBLEM ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS.*AK

POOR FUEL ECONOMY, COMPUTER AND ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS, POOR REPAIR & DIAGNOSTIC ABILITIES OF DEALER SERVICE TEAM. 12 MPG OFF THE LOT AND NO BETTER THAN 16 SO FAR INCLUDING A TRIP TO THE KEYS. THE H3 GETS 20 !! CONTINUOUS COMPUTER RELATED ISSUES WITH DASH DISPLAYING ERRONEOUS READOUTS. "REPAIRED" 1X, IN FOR 2ND ATTEMPT NOW. MY BIG LEMON STAMP IS READY. *JB

I HAVE A NEW 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER LIMITED. IT HAS APPROX 4200 MILES ON IT. LAST WEEKEND IT STARTED HEAVILY LEAKING OIL FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. THE OIL LEVEL WAS DOWN ALMOST 3 QUARTS WHEN I DISCOVERED IT, AND STILL NO INDICATION ON THE DASHBOARD. I TOOK THE CAR TO TOWN & COUNTRY CHRYSLER IN LEVITTOWN NY ,MONDAY MORNING. TUESDAY THEY DIAGNOSE THE MAIN CAM SEAL HAD BURST. THEY BELIEVE IT WAS CAUSED BY AN INCORRECT BORE SIZE ON THE BLOCK. THEY WILL HAVE TO INSTALL A NEW ENGINE BLOCK IN THE CAR. IF THE DIAGNOSES IS CORRECT, ENGINE BLOCKS TO MY KNOWLEDGE ARE NOT BORED OUT BY HAND , BUT BY ROBOTICS . THEREFORE I AM CERTAIN MY ISN'T OR WON'T BE THE ONLY COMPLAINT..THIS MIGHT BE A QUALITY CONTROL ISSUE. *JB

I WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH A GREYHOUND BUS AND A PT CRUISER. AT AN UNDERPASS IN TUCSON I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE TAKING A LEFT OFF INTERSTATE 10. THE GREYHOUND BUS WAS MAKING A LEFT THAN A QUICK RIGHT. WHEN HIS BACK END WENT OUT MY CRUISER WAS HIT ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE, CAUSING SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND LANDED ME IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM WITH FACE INJURIES. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB

CURRENTLY FYI. HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO DEALERSHIP WHEN A PART COMES IN ON AN UNRELATED REASON. WILL ALERT DEALER OF MY PROBLEM THEN, SO IT HAS NOT YET BEEN SEEN BY A MECHANIC. ON FATHER'S DAY I HAD A WOMAN MAKE A LEFT TURN IN FRONT OF ME, AND STOPPED. I TRIED TO BLOW MY HORN TO GET HER OUT OF MY WAY WHILE TRYING TO MOVER OUR OF HER PATH. HORN FAILED. TRIED TO BLOW THE HORN WHEN I GOT HOME, AND CAN HEAR THE SWITCH CLICK, BUT NO HORN. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT JUST FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOWS ABOUT THIS SITE, DO NOT KNOW HOW COMMON OF A COMPLAINT IT IS FROM OTHERS. THIS IS A SAFETY DEVICE WHERE ONE FAILURE DUE TO DESIGN IS TOO MANY. *NM

1) DRIVING ON INTERSTATE APPROX 600 MILES ON VEHICLE 2) WINDSHIELD CRACKED APPROX 6 IN LEFT OF CENTER, BEGINNING AT BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD, UP FOUR TO FIVE INCHES VERTICAL, THEN BRANCHED LEFT AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL APPROX 3 INCHES. CRACK CONTINUES TO LENGTHEN HORIZONTALLY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. 3) DEALER STATED NOT RESPONSIBLE, CAUSED BY ROAD HAZARD, HOWEVER I DISAGREE WITH THIS. *NM

THE HORN ON THIS 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AND ONLY WHEN YOU HIT A PLACE ON THE WHEEL EXTREMELY HARD. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE HAD TO FEEL AROUND ON THE WHEEL PUSHING AND PUSHING TO MAKE IT WORK. IN A SITUATION WHERE THE HORN IS NECESSARY IT IS TOO LATE. I WAS TOLD BY MY DEALER WHEN I HAD IT IN TO BE FIXED TWO TIMES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NEW PT CRUISER AND THAT IT WAS THE MAJOR COMPLAINT FROM CONSUMERS. I DID NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH MY 2002 MODEL. I DO NOT USE THE HORN OFTEN BUT AS A WARNING TO AVOID INCIDENTS. IT IS A NECESSARY PART OF THE VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT A DESIGN FLAW MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY. PLEASE SEE IF YOU CAN INFORM CHRYSLER. THANK YOU. *JB *AK *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SPOT ON THE STEERING WHEEL THAT ACTIVATES THE HORN IS HARD TO FIND. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A MECHANIC.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS ONLY A SMALL AREA ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO ACTIVATE THE HORN. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY REPLACED THE STEERING WHEEL BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 3/22/2006 - THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. *NM