Owners' Stories

I wrote the story in January about my 2006 PT Cruiser having module/shifting problems. Now, in February, I am told that EQUIS insurance says to replace all of the electrical terminals and modules. It seems the modules cannot hold the codes that were inputted through technical service bulletins. Still shifts hard and the car has been in the shop NOW since November. I know it needs a new transmission but the insurance company is dragging their feet, probably until April when the contract expires. They claim the problem is electrical. I drove the car for one day and can hear the gears grinding in forward and reverse. It will also shift lock the transmission into the safe mode. If the people at EQUIS read this, keep in mind that I bought a brand new Buick in January and I made sure your company did not have the extended warranty contract.

My mom was driving our 2006 pt cruiser touring edition and the speedometer went down and up and the gas meter went to empty .

I have a 2001 pt cruiser and thought my car was posessed because my locks would lock and unlock, dome light would go on and off and car would ding indicating that a door was ajar. I was ready to go insane but when my Dad came to visit me he discovered there was a screw in the driver side door that was loose and it was connected to the grounding wire. When he tightened the screw all the clicks, dings and craziness stopped.

Purchased a New 2002 Inferno Red Touring Edition, extra included moon roof, heated leather seats (which were not hooked up at time of delivery), Great looking retro style car. Love the exterior and interior styling very well thought out. Wish gas mileage were better. Issues have with the car have been minor, but expensive. The orginal Good Years Tires were replaced with less than 10,000 miles on them due to excessive wobbling in the steering- bad tires, chrome plated rims have developed a slow air pressure leak on front tires due to rusting over the years. Just spent $946.05 to replace front control arm and bushings, brake fluid exchange, and 3rd brake light bulb replacement. Time for service replacement was 2hrs or under, feel was greatly over charged for the repairs.

About3-4 months ago, while I was driving the door ajar light came on as did the dome light (as it does everytime the warning goes off). So, I pulled over and opened/closed all doors including the hatch. This did not help at all! Every time I drive the car it constantly DINGs and the door aj light comes on and the locks lock and unlock themselves! It's like my car is possessed! I have found nothing to help this situation. Also, the radio display sometimes works, but mostly I have to guess what station I am on. Setting the alarm in a no-go. When the car is off and you lock all the doors (by remote, key, or manually) within minutes the alarm starts screaming! So, I cant even lock my car. This is very upsetting. I really need help. I love my cruiser, but this is ridiculous :(

DOORS LOCK AND UNLOCK BY THEMSELVES - DOME LIGHTS COME ON BY THEMSELVES - CLICKING NOISES IN DASHBOARD - MECHANIC CANNOT FIND REASONS - HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I PURCHASED MY FIRST CHYSLER PRODUCT WHICH WAS THE 2001 PT CRUISER (NEW), AFTER THE SECOND RE-TOOLING TOOK PLACE. I FIND THAT THE A/C DRAGS ON THE ENGINE POWER, THE INSIDE SEATS= MATERAL DID SHOW OVER PULLING OR STRETCHING WHICH RUINED THE MATERIAL, THE APPEARANCE SHOWS BUMPS/STRESS ON ALL AREAS OF EACH SEAT, THE MAJOR FLOOR RUG WAS NEVER PLACED FLAT ON THE FLOOR, SHOWS MUCH BUNCHING AND TERRIBLE WORKMANSHIP...THE ORIGINAL BRAKES LASTED LONGER THAN MOST, THE BACK DOOR (HATCH) RUSTED OUT AT THE BOTTOM QUICKLY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS IN THE GARGAGE AND WAS TAKEN CARE OF, TO THIS DAY THE ONLY WAY I CAN SHUT THE HATCH DOOR IS BY USING TAPE ACROSS THE BOTTOM SO I DON'T CUT MYSELF ON THE RUSTED AREAS WHICH STRETCH ACROSS THE BOTTOM. THE REPAIR JOB FOR THIS DOOR= $3,000, SO IT IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY. THEY DID NOT LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM BETWEEN THE RUBBER FOR THE WATER TO ESCAPE...I NOW HAVE 100,000 ON THE CAR, I JUST REPLACED THE BRAKES & SHOCKS, I ALWAYS HAD TO ADD EXTRA OIL PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL CHANGING DATE,I AM NOT BURNING OIL AND DRIVE APPROX. 75 MILES PER WEEK. I USE FULL SYN. OIL SO I DO NOT HAVE TO CHANGE IT AS OFTEN, BUT I STILL HAVE TO ADD THE OIL ANYWAY. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER CHYSLER PRODUCT..DISAPPOINTED..

I've had the front brakes done twice....excuse given to me was because I drive in the city alot on hills. I replaced all four tires and had them rotated once. Oil change every 3000 miles. Now I have a shimmy in the front end so that is my next fix it job. The car has been reliable. Had a check engine light on once, took it to the dealer, nothing found.....reset it and I was on my way again. Gas mileage leaves little to be desired but the car has good power. Lots of driving over 82,000 miles on it. Drove to LA several times and Las Vegas last summer and it did really well. Overall been a good car.

I purchase my car from enterprise rental a 2006 5yrs ago. I have not had any major problems. Until recently, i took it to be serviced for air. It kicked really good and lasted for 2days. I am at a lost because i dont know exactly what to do in this situation. Any suggestions?

I have a 2004, 5 speed in which I bought used in 2008. The car had approximately 65,000 miles on it when I purchased it. I love the body styles of these cars and love the many features about them. I was warned to not buy the car by many, but I bought anyway. I have replaced the entire braking system on it shortly after the purchase to include rotors, hubs, bearings, drums etc. That cost almost $700 from Just Brakes. The next repair was an all wheel alignment and a new set of tires which cost about $400 from Pep Boys. Then about 4 months ago I had to replace the Timing Belt after the car stalled on me in going home traffic on a Friday....and that repair cost me about $1,500. So all in all, I am very pleased with my car and happy with the purchase I made almost 3 years ago. The only thing I can really complain about is the fact that the car seems to eat up tires really fast. Especially the right rear one. Just bought a used tire to replace that one until I need a full set again....which will be very soon. If I was asked to rate the car on a scale from 1-10, I would have to give it an 8-8.5 because no car is a problem free car.

this the 3rd.pt,I've had,and the worst.first the tires went in less than 20,000 mi.30,000 Mi. brakes, shocks and bushings.35,000,the valves in the engine began to rattle.now, the air conditioning has quit cooling. dealer est.$500.00-$800.00. I am 87 yrs.young,and can't afford that. any help? thanx Nolan Smallwood

The wife and I luv our little PT Turbo Convertible and I enjoy cruising with the top down, a little Led Zeppelin and my gray hair flying in the wind! lol Being a crazy old white man never felt so good ;>)

I love the fact that the seats come out of this vehicle and the room interior. I even like the fact the the window controls are on the dash above the radio. I do not however like all the repair bills that go along with owning this car. I bought this car with only 45 thousand miles. Now with about 72thousand on my car I have replaced the radiator (twice-but once was after a wreck I had two days ago.) both wheel bearings, air conditioner hose, timing belt, break pads, breaks, rotors, and of course the normal maintenance like tires. & i still feel like Im forgetting something. But hey it gets good gas mileage. Im averaging 21 mph in town and 24 interstate

Good ride, some problems - but easily corrected.

30 years turning a wrench Professionally, Purchased car with 31K. Have 141K now 3/11, It's going on 10 years old, and it has had it's problems, but no more than most made american made cars. I have got about $1100 in parts I have put on it over the years. My labor so no cash there. I will tell you I'm one that replaces parts when I see it borderline as some will push much harder before replacement. Changed timing belt, w/pump and tensioners. Replace Radiator, Starter, Alternator. Wheel bearings, Make sure you get the tapered bearings over the ball bearings. No more wheel bearing problems. Clutch is still good, but in the next 3 weeks will be replacing manual transmission as the Transmission Differential bearings are bad, and I will put in a new clutch as it will be all apart and a good time to do it. No such thing a perfect trouble free vehicle. On a 1 to 10 I have to rate it a 7. I would buy another one.

I bought my 2005 PT(PurrdyThang)new, May 30th, 2010. She is Dark Plum Pearl Metalic. She is the PERFECT car for me. I would buy another one in a heartbeat, but I plan on keeping Her, till I take my last breath. Sounds kinda cheesy, right? O WELL..................

2007 PT NOT TURBO 50,000 MILES TO DATE FRONT BRAKES, TWO BRAKE LIGHTS, A/C LOW PSI CONTROL, BATTERY, SET OF TIRES, NOT BAD GOOD CAR GAS IS 17 TO 15 IN TOWN, 22MPG INTERSTATE. NOT MUCH POWER FOR GAS USEAGE. GOOD FAMILY CAR, TOOK IT ON A FEW 1000 + MILE TRIPS GOOD ON HWY.

PURE GARBAGE. TRANS NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT 250 MILES. PREMATURE FAILURE, FRONT SUSPENSION, WATTS LINKAGE, WATER PUMP, EMISSION CONTROLS. CHRYSLER WON'T WORK WITH YOU-GARBAGE CAR.

I have owned my 2004 GT HO Turbo since it was new. I am a lifelong Mopar owner, so I knew of this car's ( and company's) shortcomings in advance. All PT owners should replace their suspension bushings with polyurethane units if they intend to keep their cars for the long haul. The factory control arm bushings, especially, will not last. I have 110K on mine now and it was money well spent. To be fair, when I replace the normal wear items, I use aftermarket units (cross-drilled & slotted brake rotors, polyurethane timing belt, etc) If you shop around, you'll find better value and better quality than OEM.

I have a 2005 convertible. I have had issues with the air conditioning leaking, the bearings on the wheels failing, oxygen sensors replaced, the brakes, and the radiator replaced. I am a staunch American car buyer, and although alot has been replaced by the 7/70 extra warranty that I bought, this has been ridiculous.

I bought this car after seeing it at the Milwaukee Auto Show in summer of 2000. Had to wait a while because they hadn't gone into production yet. Love the car! After nearly 10 years and 206,000 miles, I finally had to do a "major" repair - timing belt broke. Still has the original clutch which works fine, though probably will have to replace this year. Suspension is getting a little soft, too. Must be the miles....

Bought our 2001 Cruzer in 2003, it had 60,000 miles on her. Now it has 182,756 and still going strong. Timing belt broke, had to replace the motor mounts, front ball joints, most of the front suspension. As we are keeping this car forever I plan on fixing all that goes wrong. I am 6' 5" tall and I'm very comfortable in this car I love it.

Have a 2001 and I am having trouble finding the transmission module part. Car is still under warranty.

We bought our 2001 PT Cruiser Limited, in 2004, with 40,000 miles on it. The only problem we had was we had to put a Transaxle Control Module TCM in it, it kept stopping at any speed. At first we thought it was the Brakes, but they were all replaced with the best we could buy, then Chrysler said it needed a new Transmission, with a cost of $2,600, but I read on the internet of somebody having that same problem,and they discovered it to be the TCM, we replaced it for a cost of $300. We love our car and will never part with it. It gets great gas mileage, very comfortable seats, very good looking little sports car. Couldn't ask for a better car.

many many problems. Chysler poor support.

I bought my 2002 Dream Cruiser when it was 3 years old with 70K miles on it. I fell in love with it and am still in love with it even though it has almost 140K on it now. It's roomy, luxurious, sporty (5 speed manual), reliable and gets good gas mileage and also is cheap on insurance and upkeep. I highly recommend this versatile little cutie.

THIS IS THE WORSE CAR I HAVE EVER OWN, BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND IT'S NOT EVEN TWO YEARS OLD AND I HAVE TO REPLACE ALL BRAKES AND THE ROTORS...REAR BUSHINGS CONTROL ARM, BEARINGS AND HUB...

I bought my Pt Cruiser new, in the fall of 2004. Within the 1st year, the fuel pump module, which incorporates the fuel guage, was replaced 3 times on warranty. The last time the tank had to be replaced, as the dealer cracked it in the process. The Engine has always run rough, which the dealer says is normal. The transmission (automatic) developed a whine this past summer. The 1st trip to the dealer, they determined it WAS an abnormal sound, and replaced the "transfer gears", which did not change the noise. They then decided it WAS NOT an abnormal sound, and I should ignore it. I called another dealer, and was told they would have to charge me the $100. deductable again (normal for 7-70 warranty claims) since the other dealer had already aledgidly fixed the problem. I called Chrysler, and they offered no help, and said the second dealer was correct. The car has 68,900 miles on it and I am sure as soon as it hits 70,000 the transmission will die. My best advice to anyone looking to buy a new car, DO NOT buy a Chrysler product. My Dad warned me of this 44 years ago, when he bought a 1966 Dodge Coronet, and fought with Chrysler for a year over a bad engine. He traded it in on a used Chevy, and said it was the best decision he ever made.

It's a convertible that has 33000 have had no problems in the 6 mo I have had it. The tires for it are expensive. It has the auto stick and that is fun. The turbo makes this car really quick at 250 hp.

P.S. If you bought a chrysler in the last 20 yrs and are happy with your purchase you have gotten use to having low standards

I agree 100 per cent: The brakes are non ABS and they really dont grab well. I wonder whether it makes sense to allow ABS retrofitted, if possible. A ABS is essential for the security

when i bought the car ran fine. Now the abs and traction control light stays on just about all the time. When those lights are on the brakes are fine but when they are not the brake pedal jumps up and down and you feel like you dont have any breaks. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thank you.

Just bought a 2002 PT Cruiser Limited Edition, with 126,000 miles on it. Drives great, some noise coming from underneath the car on the passenger side front, checked the suspension and everything looks okay and is tight. Next will check to see if it might be the exhaust that is loose. I get about 28 mph in the city and 33 on the highway.

Just bought my 2002 PT Cruiser (it's now July 2010). It has 78,000 on it. It's a Limited Edition Woodie and apparently was garaged because it looks brand new. Bought it from a Lexus dealer in Marin County, CA and they went through it before selling it. It seems like a really solid car, and looks brand new inside and out. I just hope it stays this way and is a reliable car. I bought it for $6,200 and I believe got a good deal, for which I am very grateful.

I bought my 2005 Touring about 3 months ago. Had 50K miles. Since then, I've replaced the front bushings & control arms. Also needed a tune-up. The "somethings wrong" light started showing, AGAIN. Replaced split trans hose. I've put this thing up for sale. No more Chryslers.

I have a 2001 PT Cruiser-engine mount problems, steering gear problems, electrical problems and the list goes on. Every time I take my car to the dealership for regular maintenance, I end up sending a whopping $800.00. I will never by another Chrysler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The engine sounds like it should be diesel but its not. The transmission upshifs and downshifts when it wants to. I've had the chip "updated with new software" 3 times now. The front end wobble can be fixed if you have your CV joints, axle shafts, and lower control arms replaced... I did at 24k miles under the extended warranty. The brakes are non ABS and they really dont grab well. The stopping distances are long. The steering is vague, and the transmission/engine drones and has a mind of its own. It gets 17mpg around town, and if I have an extremely light foot and coast a lot I can get 21 on the highway. I can think of 1 nice thing... with the rear seats removed (they weigh a ton!) the back is cavernous. Next time i'm listening to consumer reports and buying foreign...

I have had at least 5 PT Cruisers, I just sold one that had 125K on it, no trouble at all. The others were used when I bought them and I have had great success with them. They have enough power (all non-turbo) and good gas mileage (25mpg). Some folks complain about wobble etc. CHECK YOUR TIRES! I just replaced 2 front tires because of flat spots on a 07.that my wife loves and drives. The tires appeared to have a lot of life left, the car has 30K miles.Head lights glazed over on 01, got some 1200 grit wet sand paper and polished them back up, They also sell a kit at the auto store that will polish them.

I wish i can say the same about my pt cruiser, I have 2007 seven pt cruiser and sense the first year we bought it i was bad, keep blowing fuses took it to the dealership and they told us that nothing was wrong, next year summer start and start doing again, they look and they found a short in the ingnition switch and they say the fixt it and the same day the car blow more fuses. they have several time after that and they can not find any problem with it. so don't know what to do.

Bad things, head lights are glazed over, turning radius is awful, tire wear seems to be bad, if you have the steel crome plated rims, they rust inside and have to be cleaned or the tires lose air, if the water pump needs replaced you better be ready to dig deep in the wallet. Good things, styling, reliable, body has no rust and clear coat hasn't faded, engine has plenty of pep.

I purchased the car new in 2006. Nothing on this car has given me troubles exept the A/C. The senser on top of the condenser went bad which I hear is common for Chrysler. I replaced the senser and the A/C is like new agian. The Gas mileage is terrible to be such a small car. I feel these cars would have been more popular if the gas mileage was better. on the highway I'd get around 340 miles on a tank which is not bad but in stop and go traffic, I might get 240 or less. Other than that car is great.

I bought the my cruiser in Aug 2009 and almost immediately found a front end wobble that would occure between 43 and 48 mph. I only had about 300 miles on the car when I took it in to my service dept. I was shocked when after I was told that two service tech's drove the car and the wobble was typical Cruiser. "what a Farce" Now I have 2100 miles on the car and a front axle seal has gone out and there is a fuel leak in the engine compartment. The wobble is still there. The service rep told me that there is a part that is located where the fuel line goes thru the veh. fire wall/fender well that is leaking. I was also told that the part is backordered and will take about two weeks, but I can stil drive the car. Seem there has been 99 of this part fail and production is behind. As for the axle seal they say that the wobble is not reason for the seal failure. This is a wait and see since I have not got the car back as yet

I bought my cruiser new and have had it for 4 years. It has about 52K miles on it, and at about 48K we started having problems. In the last 4 months, we've replaced the radiator, front wheel bearings, control arms, and it needs new CV joints which are on back order. The only saving grace to all of this is the Chrysler extended service contract I bought -- it has covered every single thing they've had to do on our car. But I will not buy another Chrysler/Dodge product.

I have a 2005 PT Cruiser and love her. Great gas mileage, comfortable and cozy. Never a problem until now. My brake lights will not come on. If any one know how to fix it please write back. When I have this one payed off I'll get another it is that good!

We purchased our 2004 PT Cruiser GT new and it now has 36000 miles. The car is well maintained and we have had no problems. We bought it on impulse and we love it. It's the first "cheap" car we had for years and see no reason to buy an expensive car again. Good points: Great looking! Accelerates like crazy thanks to the turbo! Hauls more stuff than cars much bigger. Easy to climb in and out of. Fun to drive! Good quality! Not so good points: Poor gas mileage for a small car (also requires premium) Poor turning radius (can turn my 3/4 ton pick-up in less space). Gas tank too small (200 miles on a tank)

At under 35,000 miles the 2005 PT Cruiser I bought new, had to have it's front end arm bushings replaced twice. Also at under 35,000 miles all four spark plugs had to be replaced. Now at under 50,000 miles I find that there is a problem with the ABS I am looking into getting repaired. Needless to say, I am not a big fan of Chrysler.

Bought mine used with less than 5,000 miles on it. Base model non turbo, automatic. I have had no problems with it and I really like it. Great style, handles like a sports car, plenty of room, great stereo and not one rattle at 20,000 miles. Gas mileage could be better. It has ample power. especially after I installed a K&N air filter. The chrome wheel covers that it came with were extremely pitted after there first Midwest winter so I ditched them and bought some nice 5 spoke wheels. I think most people would be satisfied with a PT Cruiser.

My wifes' convertable is fully equiped with all extras. She calls it her youth mobile. We have had no problems except the cost of the tires for this sports model. The high output turbo gives a lot of power but uses more gas then we like.

I got this car at 104,000 miles, almost 3 years ago now. Despite only being 4 years old, the tailgate was beginning to rust, and the rear Chrysler emblem was gone. Other than that, the body is fairly solid, and still looks great in the wash. The brakes work well, and last quite a while. No problems there. I've had to replace a water pump for $600, which until recently was my most major expense. Chrysler has definitely gone with form over function on this car. The engine compartment is extremely cramped, making it difficult to work on. The battery is actually covered by the air filter enclosure. The air intake plenum has to be removed to even get to the spark plugs, which adds a significant cost to a tune-up. Despite all that, the engine itself (the base 2.4 liter i-4 in this case) seems pretty solid, albeit a bit slow, well, actually very, very slow. It feels very underpowered. This is a grandma's car through and through. There was a bit to be desired on the taillights. Changing the rear bulbs is a bit of a pain. Normally a large flathead screwdriver is enough to get the taillight assembly off, but if there is any corrosion, only a special star bit will work. Why they didn't just use a philips head for this, I'll never know, especially since the light bulbs need to be changed. After a few years of owning the car, the light bulb sockets fried. They aren't just sockets, but actually have circuit boards in them. It cost me about $80 to replace all four taillight/rear blinker sockets and bulbs. Also, some of the dash lights were burned out when I bought the car, so it's hard to see the gas gauge at night. I have had (thankfully) no transmission problems as of yet. I have had no exhaust or emissions issues, either. Heating and air conditioning works well, and the A/C has lasted 2 winters so far without needing a recharge, which is an improvement over Chrysler vehicles from the 90's, which required a recharge every year. I have had major suspension and steering problems. Currently the car is in the shop getting a new steering rack. Thankfully the power steering pump is okay. I got the issue fixed before but it didn't solve the underlying problem apparently. I would not purchase this car again just for that issue. Suspensions are extremely expensive to work on and only poor engineering and design can account for a car having problems like this. Overall, it is an okay vehicle. The base, non-turbo engine is not only slow, but gets lackluster gas mileage (only an EPA estimated 25 mpg highway, while other cars in this class regularly top 30). The handling is sloppy and it just feels like the car is too heavy for its suspension. It is not any fun to drive. For that reason as well as the steering problems I've encountered, I can't recommend this car to anyone for any purpose.

With 75,000 miles on it, my wife's 2002 PT Cruiser has required a torque converter, lower control arm bushings, wheels (original ones corroded), wheel bearings, and a few other items.

I just love my pt cruiser.....its so much fun to drive and very very comfortable to drive. The heat and a/c wow works a little to good...lol in the winter I have to turn it down a bit because I am burning up and in the summer the a/c is really cold like winter. But overall I really love the styling and comfort of driving the car. Gas mileage could be a little better but overall I just love it

This car now has about 75,000 miles. Tires and brakes have been replaced. The airbag light comes on during hard right turns at 35/40 miles an hour. The oil is changed every 3,000 miles. The trim around the windows has always looked bad. The car is kept in a garage. Still has the original battery. No other mechanical problems.