2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE ENTIRE REAR QUARTER WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE INCLUDING THE FRAME AND THE GLASS SEPARATED FROM THE BODY OF MY VEHICLE AND WENT INTO THE ROADWAY. THIS IS ALREADY A RECALL ISSUE FOR THE 2005 AND 2006 MODELS OF THE PT CRUISER, BUT SINCE IT IS NOT AN EXISTING RECALL ISSUE WITH THE 2001 MODELS CHRYSLER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE WINDOW THAT FELL OUT OR THE REMAINING REAR QUARTER WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY DO THE SAME THING AT SOME POINT. FORTUNATELY, THE WINDOW THAT FELL OFF MY CAR DIDN'T INJURE ANYONE, BUT IT CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD. *TR

MY CAR JUST SHUTS OFF LEAVING ME NO CONTROL TO STOP, TURN, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME..... @ 55MPH TO NOTHING IS ASKING TO BE HIT FROM BEHIND. OR IF TURNING ACROSS A DIVIDED HIGHWAY, TO BE LEFT STUCK WITH 2 LANES OF SEMI COMING FOR ME AND MY KIDS. NOW IT SOMETIMES WONT EVEN DO ANYTHING WHEN I CRANK OVER THE IGNITION (LIKE THERE IS NO BATTERY) OR IF IT CRANKS AND STARTS IT WILL SHUT OFF RIGHT AWAY. IT WANTS TO IDLE DOWN AT STOPS AND STALL. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP MORE THAN I LIKE N SPENT MORE MONEY TO HAVE TO BE TOLD THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING. I READ OF SO MANY OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS WHO END UP JUNKING THESE CUZ THEY JUST STOP STARTING....SAD, WE NEED OUR CARS TO RUN. CHRYSLER KNOWS THEY R RIDDLED WITH SERIOUS ISSUES INCLUDING THE LIGHTS AND TRANSMISSIONS.....THESE ARE A BAD COMBINATION ON THE ROAD. SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK @ SOME STATS! THANKS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO THE WALL ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON HER LEFT FOREARM AND A BLACK EYE DUE TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT WAS HOSPITALIZED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND HEARD A METAL CLUNK NOISE, PROCEEDED ANOTHER BLOCK - FROM A STOP MADE A LEFT HAND TURN ONTO A HIGHWAY - AT THAT TIME A VERY LOUD METAL NOISE, NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NO CONTROL OF VEH AT ALL. SOMEHOW MANAGED TO GET TO SIDE OF ROAD WITHOUT ROLLING VEH, WHEELS TURNED OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, HAD VEH TOWED TO SHOP. ENGINE CRADLE WAS RUSTED OUT ON RIGHT SIDE AND GAVE WAY, WHICH DISCONNECTED STEERING CONTROL ARM AND AXEL FROM THE WHEELS, MECHANIC - STATED DRIPPING FROM AIR CONDITIONER HAD RUSTED THE PARTS ON THAT SIDE ONLY - REST OF UNDER VEH WAS IN GOOD SHAPE - STATED HAD SEEN THIS IN PT'S OFTEN - A KNOWN CHRYSLER ISSUE WITH THE PT CRUISERS AND THE NEONS ALSO - WHICH HAVE THE SAME PLATFORM. IF HAD BEEN GOING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD, POSSIBLY FATAL ACCIDENT. OWN TWO OF THESE VEHS - TOOK THE SECOND VEH TO HAVE INSPECTED (ONLY HAS 50,000 MILES) - HAS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. RESEARCHED THE PT CRUISER FORUMS AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE. CHRYSLER IS NON RESPONSIVE - THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS IS A DEADLY PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS UNREPAIRABLE. *TR

I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR TO INCLUDE ELECTRICAL, OVER HEATING (WHICH WAS NEVER FIXED EVEN AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES), AND TRANSMISSION. IN 2013 AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY 4 LANE HWY. I HEARD A SUDDEN AND LOUD BOOMING NOISE AND THE CAR BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY. THINKING THAT I HAD HIT SOMETHING IN THE ROAD I BEGAN SLOWING DOWN AND MAKING MY WAY TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HWY. BUT BEFORE I COULD GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HWY. THE CAR MADE THAT LOUD BOOMING NOISE A SECOND TIME AND SHOOK VIOLENTLY AGAIN. IT THEN LOST ALL POWER TO THE FRONT WHEELS LEAVING ME STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HWY. AFTER REMOVING AND OPENING UP THE TRANSMISSION I FOUND THAT THE DRIVE SHAFT IN THE CENTER OF THE TRANSMISSION HAD SHEARED IN HALF. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I BELIEVE THAT THE SLIGHTLY WORN ENGINE MOUNTS CAUSE A BINDING ACTION ON THE DRIVE SHAFT IN THE TRANSMISSION THUS CAUSING THE SHAFT WHICH IS MADE OF A COMPOSITE MATERIAL TO BASICALLY EXPLODE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. THIS PROBLEM IS SO WELL KNOWN BY US CAR BUFFS THAT JASPER ENGINES INC. (A WELL KNOWN COMPANY THAT REMANUFACTURES ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONS) REPLACES THIS STOCK SHAFT WITH A STRONGER MORE ROBUST ONE WHEN THEY REMANUFACTURE THESE TRANSMISSIONS. THE VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE CAR THAT HAPPENED WHEN THIS TRANSMISSION SHAFT FAILED ALMOST CAUSE ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ON A VERY BUSY HWY. CHRYSLER SHOULD RECALL ALL TRANSMISSIONS WITH THIS TYPE OF COMPOSITE SHAFT. *TR

I PURCHASED A USED PT CRUISER THAT DROVE FINE UNTIL THE COMPONENTS NEAR THE POWER STEERING HOUSE TOUCHED AND CREATED A MAJOR LEAK AND CAUSED MY CAR TO SMOKE VERY BADLY CLOSE TO CAUSING A FIRE WHILE DRIVING. *TR

I FIRST SENT THIS COMPLAINT ON MAR 7, 2014 AND RECEIVED AN EMAIL REPLY ACKNOWLEDGING IT, BUT SINCE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING. IS MY COMPLAINT BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY? IT IS A SERIOUS COMPLAINT AS FOLLOWS: ON FEB 5, 2014, MY 2001 PT CRUISER SHUT DOWN WHILE IT WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN A BUSY STREET. IT DIDN'T MAKE A SPUTTER OR A SOUND, IT JUST DIED. LUCKILY, IT COASTED LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO PULL OFF ONTO A QUIETER STREET AND UP AGAINST A CURB. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP THE EXPLANATION FOR THE MOTOR SHUTTING DOWN WAS ALARMING. THE AUTOMOTIVE TECH REPORTED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR NEEDED REPLACING. AS I UNDERSTAND, WHEN THIS SENSOR GOES BAD, THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS DOWN. WITH NO WARNING. I HAD GAS IN MY PT. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS; THE TECH SAID MOST CARS THAT ARE 'NEWER' (AS FAR BACK AS 2002, AT LEAST) HAVE THIS SENSOR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD. I LOOKED THROUGH EVERY PAGE OF MY 2001 PT CRUISER OWNER'S MANUAL AND DIDN'T FIND ANY INDICATION THAT THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM LIKE THIS OR THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR SHOULD BE TESTED REGULARLY, IF IT COULD BE TESTED, THAT IS. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE DOING THE PUBLIC A LIFESAVING SERVICE TO LOOK INTO THE DANGER OF THIS FAILED DESIGN, NOT TO JUST REPLACE THEM IN ALL CARS WITH A NEW ONE, BUT WITH ONE THAT IS NOT DESIGNED TO FAIL AT THE RISK OF THE DRIVE AND ANYONE ELSE IN THE VICINITY WHEN A MOVING CAR DECIDES TO JUST SHUT DOWN. WITH NO WARNING. THERE IS NOT A TIME FRAME FOR THIS PART TO FAIL, BUT CARS THAT ARE AROUND MY CRUISERS MAY BE READY TO GIVE OUT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 20 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

PULLED INTO WORK SHUT CAR OFF NOTED LEAKAGE PART ON GROUND WAS TOLD PRESSURE SWITCH. *TT

FOR A MONTH I HAVE BEEN PUTTING POWER STEERING FLUID IN MY PT CRUISER AND WENT TO GET NEW TAGS AND COULD NOT PAS EMISSIONS BECAUSE OF A POWER STEERING PROBLEM. I WAS SO UPSET I WENT TO THE SALON AND WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW I NEED TO GET MY VEHICLE CHECKED .. A WOMAN IN THE OFFICE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS WEBSITE. I CHECKED AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. HOW DO I GET IT REPAIRED? WILL THEY HONOR IT ? IS THERE A LIST OF SPECIAL DEALERS? HELP I NEED TO PASS EMISSIONS TO KEEP MY CAR LEGAL. *TR