2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

VEHICLE ACCELERATION WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I TRIED PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL NUMEROUS TIMES TO STOP THE ACCELERATION, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I TRIED SHIFTING THE AUTOMATIC SHIFTER FROM D (DRIVE ) TO 3RD GEAR, BUT STILL THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH A FULL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE, VEHICLE WAS STILL REVVING UPWARDS.. I COULD SMELL BURNING BRAKES. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO SLOW DOWN WHERE THE ROAD WAS LEVEL, STILL WITH FULL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES. I SHIFTED THE GEARS FROM 3RD TO NEUTRAL AND THEN PARK TO STOP THE REVVING,BUT IT CONTINUED AND I SHUT THE CAR OFF. I STARTED THE VEHICLE A FEW MOMENTS LATER AND THE REVVING NOW LONGER OCCURRED. I WAS ON AN ISOLATED HIGHWAY IN THE BACK COUNTRY. HAD I BEEN IN THE CITY THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. THIS SAME TYPE OF ACCELERATION (TOYOTA VEHICLE) HAPPENED TO A FAMILY LOCALLY AND THEY CRASHED AND ALL PERISHED IN THE RESULTING FIRE.

WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN ABOUT OCTOBER 2014 AND WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED WITHIN A WEEK OF BUYING THE VEHICLE AND THE REPLACEMENT IGNITION SWITCH FAILED ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 8, 2017. MY HUSBAND TRIED TO START THE CAR ON THAT DATE AND THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED TO MAKE EVEN A SMALL NOISE LET ALONE START THE CAR. POSSIBLE LEAD IN PROBLEMS TO THE FAILURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WERE THE BRAKE LIGHTS BURNING OUT ONCE A WEEK AND THE ALARM INDICATING THAT THE KEYS WERE LEFT IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE DRIVER OPENED THE DOOR WHEN THE KEYS WERE IN THE DRIVER'S POCKET OR PURSE STARTING ABOUT 4 WEEKS BEFORE THE IGNITION SWITCH FULLY FAILED.

FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW,MY CAR'S DASH LIGHTS WILL ALL ILLIMINATE ON AND OFF IRRATICALLY AND GAUGUES FLUCTUATING UP AND DOWN SIMULTANEOUSLY. OFTEN BUT NOT ALWAYS,THE CAR WILL STALL AND DIE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. OTHER TIMES I CAN FEEL A LOSS OF POWER. IN FEBUARY I HAD MY BATTERY CORROSION CLEANED UP,TERMINALS REPLACED AND TIGHTENED. FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AFTERWARDS IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN. IT'S ALMOST AS IF THE VOLTAGE IS UNSTABLE..LIKE IT'S BEING CHOKED OFF. CAR BATTERY LIGHT SOMETIMES IS ON..OTHERTIMES IT'S OFF AND HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS. CAR HAS ABOUT 121,000 MILES.

TAKATA RECALL- THE CAR WILL AT RANDOM TIMES NOT CHANGE OUT OF FIRST GEAR. I CAN PULL OVER SOMETIMES AND RESTART IT MULTIPLE TIME AND IT WOULD WORK. MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALSO RANDOMLY COME ON NOW. AND THE THERMOMETER SOMETIMES WILL BE BLANK AND SOMETIMES WILL SAY -12 WHEN IT IS 90 DEGREES, AND SOMETIMES IT IS ACCURATE. AND SOMETIMES IT WILL LIGHT UP SAYING I AM IN ALL GEARS, PARK, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, REVERSE. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS IF I AM ON THE INTERSTATE, OR GOING UP A HILL AND THIS HAPPENS I CAN'T GO OVER 35 MILES PER HOUR WITHOUT TAKING A CHANCE OF BLOWING MY ENGINE.

THE REAR HATCH KEEPS OPENING BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR IS RUNNING AND MOVING DOWN THE STREET AND YOU HEAR THE LATCH ON THE LIFTGATE ACTIVATE UNLATCHING IT. YOU GET A CONFIRMATION NOTICE IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THAT THE LIFTGATE IS OPEN. IT IS CONSISTENT ON THE FREQUENCY BUT NOT CAUSED BY A CERTAIN EVENT, LIKE HITTING A BUMP OR TURNING OR COMING TO A STOP, BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS. FINALLY DID SOME INTERNET SEARCHING AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE PT CRUISER LIFTGATE LATCHES FOR SEVERAL MODEL YEARS

I HAVE A 2006 CONVERTIBLE PT CRUISER TURBO LITE (TURBO TUNED TO TAKE REGULAR GAS) - AND HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THIS GUY I QUOTED BELOW HAD/HAS. RAW GAS FUMES FILL THE CAR EVERY TIME I TURN A CORNER OR ACCELERATE THE CAR TO PASS A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE. USUALLY THE SLOW VEHICLE IS GOING ABOUT 60 SO IT'S NOT LIKE I THINK I'M ON THE SPEED-LIMIT-FREE AUTOBAHN. THE GAS TANK IS ALWAYS LESS THAN 1/2 FULL SINCE I RARELY DRIVE OUT OF TOWN. QUOTE FROM FACEBOOK - WARNING: ALL PT CRUISER OWNERS. FIRE HAZARD.. I JUST SUBMITTED THE FOLLOWING COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA. THERE IS A SHORT JUMPER FUEL LINE (PLASTIC) THAT CONNECTS THE MAIN FUEL LINE THAT RUNS FROM THE TANK UP TO THE FIRE WALL WITH THE FUEL RAIL. THIS LINE LEAKS FUEL WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE MAIN LINE. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AND CONTINUES TO LEAK. THIS IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THIS LINE IS ONLY A FEW INCHES FROM THE TURBO OR EXHAUST AND ON A RIGHT HAND TURN COULD DRIP ON TO THE TURBO OR EXHAUST AND IGNITE...THE SMELL OF FUEL ENTERS THE CABIN. PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM A ASE CERTIFIED MASTER TECHNICIAN AND BESIDES OWNING A PT CRUISER HAVE WORKED ON SEVERAL OTHERS AND ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ONE HAS THIS PROBLEM WHETHER IT IS A TURBO ENGINE OR NOT...IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE EXPERIENCES AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM... WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS THAT IF YOU ASK ANY CHRYSLER DEALER (ASK THE TECH) THEY WILL TELL YOU THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM SO THERE IS NO DOUBT CHRYSLER IS AWARE. I GUESS SOMEONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO DIE OR SUFFER SEVERE INJURY BEFORE CHRYSLER DOES ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. "

RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY INOPERATIVE. NO HIGH BEAM, LOW BEAM, OR TURN SIGNAL / FLASHER FUNCTION. REPLACED BULBS SEVERAL TIMES AND ALL TEST GOOD IN OTHER FIXTURES SUCH AS DRIVER SIDE LAMP ASSEMBLY. ENGINE IS THROWING "CYLINDER 3 MISFIRE DETECTED". PLUGS, WIRES REPLACED WITH NO REPAIR.

WHILST DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY REAR DRIVER'S SIDE VISIBILITY WINDOW FLEW OFF OF MY CAR AND NEARLY HIT THE VEHICLE DRIVING IN THE FAST LANE TO MY IMMEDIATE LEFT AT 65MPH. THEY HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH IT. I STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PICKED IT UP.

THE WIRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN IS FAULTY, IT CAUSES THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS TO FLICKER THEN THEN EVERY THING SHUTS DOWN, INCLUDING THE ENGINE,BRAKES,STEERING ETC: THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS, IT HAS HAPPENED AND SCARES YOU TO DEATH. I HAVE CALLED CHRYSLER & MANY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I HAVE TO HAVE REPAIRED @ MY EXPENSE. I CANNOT AFFORD IT. THIS IS A CHRYSLER PROBLEM AND THEY DON'T CARE. WHAT TO DO? IT DOES THIS INTERMITTENTLY, BUT DOES IT MOSTLY WHILE WE'RE DRIVING.

WHILE DRIVING, THE INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL START FLASHING. THE GAS GAUGE, THE SPEEDOMETER, THE SEAT BELT LIGHT, AND OTHER LIGHTS, EXCEPT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, FLASH ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE FLASHING AND THE INDICATORS ARE FLUCUATING BACK AND FORTH, THE CAR HAS SLOWED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STOP. IT HAS NOT STOPPED YET BUT THE CAR DID ENGAGE IN SOME BUCKING ACTION. IF I STOP THE CAR AND START IT AGAIN AFTER PUTTING IT IN PARK, GENERALLY THE LIGHTS DO NOT FLASH FOR THE REST OF DAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC MANY TIMES IN REFERENCE TO THIS ISSUE. THEY COULD NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY KEPT IT FOR TWO DAYS AND WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE AND THEREFORE DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS HAD EVERY CONCEIVABLE TEST AND HAS HAD PARTS REPLACED AND NOTHING HAS STOPPED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FROM FLASHING AND THE CAR NEARLY STALLING. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORP. CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO WAS NOT HELPFUL. THEY SIMPLY PUT ON HOLD FOR 45 MINUTES TO DEAL WITH MY COMPLAINT. I HAVE LOOKED ON-LINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH PT CRUISERS. CHRSYLER IS EMPLOYING RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE NO ONE IS KILLED.