2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Complaints

CAR HAS BEEN OVERHEATING WHEN AC IS PUT ON. OVERHEATING WHILE IDLING SOMETIMES. I HAVE SPENT OVER $2000 TRYING TO FIX IT. IT'S NOT HEAD GASKET OR HEADS ACCORDING TO 2 SHOPS. I CALLED CHRYSLER, THEY SAID NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT COOLING SYSTEM HAVE EVER BEEN REPORTED. I FILED A COMPLAINT. SHOPS HAVE CHANGED EVERYTHING AND CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON EVEN AFTER EVERYTHING HAS BEEN REPLACED. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL!! *TR

2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NO INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION, FUEL AND OIL LEAKS, BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS COMES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS COMPLETELY DARK AND HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE GAUGES AT NIGHT. UPDATED 05/22/13

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATER HAD BECOME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE HEAD GASKET, TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT. NO OTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

WELL MAINTAIN PT CRUISER BLEW HEAD GASKET GOING DOWN INTERSTATE AT 70MPH. CAUSED ENGINE TO OVER HEAT. CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SPRAY BOILING WATER FROM THE WATER OVERFLOW TANK BACK ON TO THE WINDSHIELD. CAR HAD RIGHT AT 32,550 MILES ON IT. THE SPRAYING WATER AND STEAM COULD HAVE CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL AND CRASH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE REARVIEW MIRROR DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THEM. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, MY BATTERY WAS SUDDENLY DRAINED AND I HAD NO IDEA WHY. I HAD TO BUY A NEW BATTERY FOR ABOUT $125. *TR WHEN MY FOG LIGHT INDICATOR BEGAN TO FLICKER ON AND OFF ON ITS OWN. I'D JUST PRESS THE END OF TURN SIGNAL ARM INWARD TOWARDS THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE INDICATOR LIGHT WENT OFF. GRADUALLY, THE PRESSING PROCESS DID NOT WORK ANYMORE AND I DISCOVERED THAT SHUTTING OFF THE CAR WITH THE LEFT HAND TURN SIGNAL PRESSED DOWN, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY SOLVED THE PROBLEM (SO I COULD DO SOME RESEARCH ON ITS SOLUTION). NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO, I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER AND FOR $65 THEY DIAGNOSED IT AT A NEED TO REPLACE THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH WHICH THEY SAID REQUIRED THE PULLING OF STEERING WHEEL AND OVER $600 MORE TO FIX. I OPTED OUT ON THAT, SINCE CAR HAS 112,000 MILES ON IT. THEN, WITH A WEEK OF VERY HOT 90 DEGREE TEMPERATURES, , I FOUND THAT BRAND NEW BATTERY TOTALLY DRAINED AND BEGAN READING THE INTERNET POSTS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF PULLING THE FUSE. OF COURSE BEING A USA CAR, THE MANUAL DIDN'T IDENTIFY THE FUSE FOR THE FOG LAMPS IN THE "UNDER THE HOOD" FUSE BOX. IT SEEMS THAT THE HEAT ALLOWS THE FOG LAMPS TO STILL TURN ON WHEN THE LEFT HAND SIGNAL ARM IS PRESSED DOWNWARDS. GOING FURTHER, I FOUND THAT FUSE #8 IN THE INTERIOR DASHBOARD FUSE BOX COULD BE PULLED AND SHOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT FURTHER REPAIR. I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING THAT CHRYSLER DOES NOT EVEN SHOW YOU A SKETCH OF THE INTERIOR FUSE BOX IN THEIR OWNERS MANUAL.THIS APPROACH DOES MEAN THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE IS NOT ALLOWING THE BUYER (ME) TO FULLY ENJOY ALL THE FEATURES OF THE VEHICLE! SEEMS TO ME THAT CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS NOT RECALLED THE DEFECTIVE CARS ON PURPOSE AND NEEDS TO HAVE A DEBACLE LIKE TOYOTA HAD BEFORE THEY WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIX A BAD DESIGN. .

I UNLOCKED MY CAR DOORS WITH REMOTE, AND DROVE TO THE STORE, IT WAS DARK OUT SO I HAD MY HEAD LIGHTS ON. WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE STORE AND TRIED TO UNLOCK MY CAR, IT WOULD NOT WORK. SO I MANUALLY UNLOCKED THE DOORS WITH MY KEY. IT WAS VERY COLD WEATHER AT THAT TIME AND MY HEATER WOULD NOT WORK AS WELL THEN I TURNED ON MY CAR TO GO HOME, AND MY LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON. AND SO I WAS TOWED HOME. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT IN TO A CHRYSLER REPAIR SHOP AND THEY DID A QUICK CHECK ON IT AND SAID THAT IT MIGHT BE THE ELECTRICAL AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING OUT WITHOUT TEARING THE ENTIRE CAR APART AND SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH IT. THERE WENT $100.00 OF MY MONEY TO FIND OUT THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO TO GET THE CAR REPAIRED WITH OUT HAVING TO SPEND $1,000.00 PLUS.... WHICH IS A QUOTE BY THE CHRYSLER REPAIR. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT, DUE TO NO LIGHTS AND NOW THAT WE HAVE HOT 90 TO 101 DEGREE WEATHER, I CAN NOT DRIVE MY CAR DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO USE THE AIR CONDITIONER OR TO ROLL MY WINDOWS DOWN. I HAVE SPENT OVER $3,000.00 IN REPAIRS FOR MY CAR AND I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR JUST TWO YEARS. THERE IS ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER WITH MY CAR, THE PROBLEMS ARE HAVING TO REPLACE PARTS AND SOMETIMES HAVING TO REPLACE THOSE SAME PARTS A YEAR LATER WHEN THEY HAVE JUST RAN OUT OF THE WARRANTIES. I HAVE SERVICE RECORDS FOR ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS AND IT IS ALMOST 2 INCHES THICK. I AM ON DISABILITY AND IT TOOK ME OVER A YEAR TO SAVE THE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY THIS CAR AND I HAVE NO MORE MONEY TO FIX IT AGAIN... AND I HAVE TO TAKE IT THROUGH DEQ HERE IN OREGON AND IT WILL NOT PASS THEIR TEST DUE TO EXHAUSTION PROBLEMS WITH THE EMISSIONS LEAKING AS WELL. *TR

LOUD CRACKING SOUNDS WHILE DRIVING THEN THE DASH STARTED OPENING UP IN TWO PLACES, ONE THROUGH THE VENT FAN ALL THE WAY TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE OTHER FROM THE VENT TOWARD THE GLOVE BOX. CHRYSLER AND MY DEALER CLAIM THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM ALTHOUGH MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB AND THIS SITE? ALSO MANY ON THIS SITE SAID THEY CONTACTED CHRYSLER. HAVE MADE APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE AT MY COST SINCE IT DOESN'T SEEM SAFE TO DRIVE A CAR THAT'S SPLITTING DOWN THE MIDDLE, AND CHRYSLER AND THE DEALER CLAIM NO RESPONSIBILITY. MY CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, USED SUN SHADES AND ONLY HAS 35,585 MILES, LIVING ON THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST WHERE THE WEATHER IS MILD ALL YEAR AROUND. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS DEFECTIVE MATERIAL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD REPLACE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED CONSTANTLY AND THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS BLOWING HOT AIR. THE CONTACT WAITED FOR THE TEMPERATURE ON THE VEHICLE TO COOL OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE OPEN CIRCUIT FAN MOTOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE RADIATOR EXPLODED. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN TWO REPLACEMENTS OF THE RADIATOR FAN BELT ASSEMBLY AND A REPAIR TO THE COOLING FAN GROUND. THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,600. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,678.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE INTERIOR INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIR. THE REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01V288000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.