2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

THE REAR BUSHING ON BOTH SIDES WERE SEPARATED WHERE THE RUBBER BUSHING WERE TORN APART COMPLETELY CAUSING THE STEERING TO DRIFT SIDE TO SIDE. *BF *SC *JB

MIDDLE REAR SAFTEY BELT FAILED. THE RIGT REAR SEAT WAS FOLDED FORWARD. THE SEAT BELT JAMMED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE SEAT TO BE RAISED. THE SEAT HAD TO BE DISASSEMBLED AND A NEW SEAT BELT INSTALLED. THIS SAFETY DEVICE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-84 AT 65 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP, LOSING ALL GEARS EXCEPT 1ST. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO DECELERATE RAPIDLY AND THE CAR TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE OFF-RAMP WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAR NOW NEEDS THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT WITH ONLY 69,000 MILES ON IT. *JB

THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS ARE SEPARATING FROM THE RUBBER. THIS CAN CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, RATTLES, SEVERE FRONT END VIBRATION. SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL PT CRUISER CLUB HAVE HAD THIS OCCUR AS LOW AS 5000 MILES. CURRENTLY MY PT HAS 75.000 MILES AND THE PROBLEM IS OCCURRING. I AM A 25 YEAR EMPLOYEE OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY. AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT THESE TYPE OF BUSHINGS SHOULD BE HAVING THIS SEPARATION PROBLEM. A RECALL AND MANDITORY REPAIR IS IN ORDER, BEFORE A OWNER HAS A VEHICLE ACCIDENT DUE TO THE VEHICLE LOOSING STEERING CONTROL.*AK

ON 12-17-04 MY TIRES WERE ROTATED AND BALANCED AT DISCOUNT TIRE CO. THIS RESULTED IN VIBRATION AT LOW SPEEDS IN MY STEERING WHEEL. DISCOUNT RECHECKED THE BALANCING, BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG. SEVERAL DAYS LATER I MOVED THE L/F TIRE TO THE REAR TO SEE IF THE WHEEL MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM - THE VIBRATION STOPPED! ON 12-23-04 I STOPPED BY THE LOCAL GOODYEAR DEALER TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH THEM. IT WAS MADE CLEAR THAT ALL I WANTED WAS A TIRE SAFETY INSPECTION AT NO EXPENSE TO ME. THEY SAID THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO INSPECT THE TIRE AT NO COST AND THE NEXT MORNING I DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT 7AM (12-24-04). A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER GOODYEAR CALLED AND SAID THE L/R TIRE WAS BAD (TREAD SEPARATION) , THAT THEY HAD REPLACED IT WITH A NEW TIRE, AND IT WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF ANY COST INVOLVED, AND I ASSUMED IT WAS A FREE REPLACEMENT (27K MILES). WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PRO-RATED CHARGE OF ALMOST $80 FOR THE REPLACEMENT TIRE (GOODYEAR EAGLE LS P205/55R16). I TOLD THEM THERE WAS TO BE NO EXPENSE TO ME FOR THE TIRE INSPECTION - THAT IF THEY FOUND THE TIRE BAD I WAS GOING TO HAVE A COMPLETE SET PUT ON AT PEPBOYS. THEY PUT MY OLD TIRE BACK ON AND AGREED THERE WAS NO CHARGE FOR ANYTHING.*AK

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHILE CHANGING MY FRONT ROTORS & PADS (AT 27K MILES), AND WITH THE SUSPENSION HANGING, I NOTICED THAT THE REAR BUSHING ON EACH CONTROL ARM HAD SEPARATION. I FIRST NOTICED THIS AT 23K000MILES (2-18-04) WHEN I WAS INSPECTING THE FRONT BRAKES, BUT THOUGHT IT MUST BE DESIGNED LIKE THAT SINCE THERE WERE SO FEW MILES ON THE CAR (I AM A RETIRED HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC). RESEARCHING NOW THE PT CRUISER SITES ON THE INTERNET I FIND THAT THIS IS, AND HAS BEEN, A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OWNERS.*AK

THE CHROME ON 3 OF THE WHEEL RIMS PEELED, CHRYSLER REPLACED ALL 3 RIMS. THE 4TH RIM STARTED TO PEEL AT THE STEM OF THE TIRE WHICH MADE THE TIRE LEAK AIR. *TC *NM

FACTORY INSTALLED SUN ROOF SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING LARGE CHUNKS OF GLASS TO ENTER THE VEHICLE (POSSIBLY FAULTY SAFETY GLASS) AND CAUSED SCRATCHES TO 3 INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING A 20 MONTH OLD BOY. *AK

PT CRUISER 2001 (CAR) WILL CONTINUE TO RUN WITH KEY OUT OF IGNITION. SAFETY ISSUE: CAR CANNOT BE STOPPED OCCURRENCES: HAS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 6+ TIMES SINCE PROBLEM INITIALLY BROUGHT TO DEALERS ATTENTION IN 2002 CHRYSLER SUPPORT: ESSENTIALLY NOT RESPONDING WITH CORRECT SOLUTIONS OVER THE LAST 24 MONTHS TO LOCAL DEALER WHO CANNOT RESOLVE THIS DEFECT DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS ON 3 OCCASIONS WITH DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS - HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR DEALER GAVE ME SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS THAT IF CAR DID THIS AGAIN, I COULD STOP IT BY REMOVING FUSE #11 - AFTER A SET OF RECENT SEQUENTIAL FAILURES ON 12/4/04 WHERE I USED THIS TECHNIQUE UNTIL I COULD CONTACT THE DEALER ON MONDAY MORNING; VEHICLE BATTERY DIED AND NEEDED TO BE RE-STARTED; RESPONDING MECHANIC ADVISE ME THE PROCEDURE FOR REMOVING FUSE #11 WAS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE ARCING IN THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND POSSIBLY A FIRE AND COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE ONBOARD COMPUTER. MOST RECENT EVENT OCCURRED ON 12/4/04 WITH KEY OUT OF IGNITION, CAR STILL RUNNING.- UTILIZED DEALER TECHNIQUE OF REMOVING FUSE #11, BATTERY DIED. *JB

THE BRAKE PADS FAILED AT 10,000 MILES. THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES LATER AFTER HAVING THEM CHECKED THERE WAS A LOUD MOANING NOISE. FOUND THAT THE PADS HAD CUT INTO THE ROTORS, AND THE ROTOR DISHED WAS BENT VERY BADLY. NOW AT 15000 MILES THE VEHICLE NEEDED NEW BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS.*AK