Owners have filed 2,029 complaints on the Chrysler PT Cruiser, covering 2001–2010. The system named most often is Electrical System (377 reports). Worst years by volume: 2001, 2002, 2006; cleanest: 2010, 2009, 2008. 151 reports describe a crash, 94 a fire, 6 a death. On average the car was 5.5 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Chrysler PT Cruiser
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 2,029 PT Cruiser complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 377 Read
The contact rented a 2008 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving 45 mph the contact pushed the horn and received an electrical shock. The contact was injured due to the shock. She spoke with the branch manager and was advised that there was nothing that could be done. The failure and current mileages were not available
The contact owns a 2008 chrysler pt cruiser. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the gauges would suddenly malfunction and display erroneous information before the vehicle stalled. After restarting the engine, the vehicle would operate normally before the failure recurred. Also, the contact…
I tried rolling my windows up with the electric window switch & smoke started coming from the electric window switches on the dashboard
Steering 191 Read
While driving on 10/7/2018 the steering became hard and upon stopping there were flames under the hood. I did research and found that there had been a recall on pt cruisers in the past, 04V268000. When I contact daimler chrysler I was told there were no recalls on my VIN. Before driving the car on 10/7/2018 there was…
The contact owns a 2007 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving approximately 45 mph, the contact turned the steering wheel slightly to move into the left lane. Unexpectedly, the vehicle rolled over three times and the glass shattered. The passenger sustained broken bones and the driver received bruises to her shoulder. A…
The contact owns a 2007 chrysler pt cruiser. The contact was traveling 45 mph and exiting the highway from an off ramp. The steering wheel was turned, but the wheels on the vehicle remained straight. The failure caused the contact to continue traveling straight until crashing into a light post. The vehicle was towed…
Engine And Engine Cooling 183 Read
The contact owns a 2008 chrysler pt cruiser. While stopped with the vehicle shifted into park, the contact began to see smoke being emitted from the instrument panel. The contact then popped the hood and noticed a fire in the engine compartment. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to an…
The contact owns a 2007 chrysler pt cruiser. The contact stated that the check engine warning lamp was illuminated and smoke began emitting from under the hood area. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the crank shaft seal failed. The vehicle was repaired and the next day, the contact experienced an…
Starting around nov of 2006 while driving at any speed, the instrument cluster indicator lights turn on; all the gauges go dead I.e. The speedometer, the tachometer, the gas gauge all go to zero. The warning sounds beep constantly. The 2006 pt cruiser will lose power and/or severely hesitates, power steering will…
Suspension 166 Read
I drove 15 miles an pulled at 55 mph into oskaloosa ia reduced speed to 35 down to 25 an thought I smelled something burning like wires an antifreeze ,black smoke rolled out from under neath my hood on passenger side put in park popped hood opened hood flames coming from underneath engine in front of alternator…
I had stopped at a signal light and was hit in an front /head on crash there was no air bag deployment - thecar was deemed as a total lost per my insurance the damage was front left finder - hood = bumper - grill left suspension parts radiator oil cooler and frame I feel that if the car is going to sustain that much…
The contact owned a 2007 chrysler pt cruiser. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph in heavy traffic, the brake pedal was depressed to slow down however the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the contact rear ended another vehicle. The contact sustained skin rash and mouth damage due to the…
Air Bags 152 Read
The contact owned a 2009 chrysler pt cruiser. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a side impact collision at 35 mph. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard where it caught fire. The fire was extinguished by the towing company. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was…
The contact owned a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving approximately 60-65 mph, he remembered changing lanes and there was shaking in the steering wheel. The vehicle accelerated off of the ground per a witness since the contact doesn't recall the details of what occurred. He does remember that the engine was…
The contact stated while driving 15 mph the roadway was wet and the vehicle hydroplaned and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. When this occurred ,the air bags deployed the contact's shirt and undergarment caught on fire. The police were contacted to the scene of the accident and helped extinguish the flames.…
Power Train 146 Read
The contact owns a 2008 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle jerked back and forth as if the brakes were being depressed and released. In addition, the vehicle began to smoke without warning. The contact was an independent mechanic and repaired the vehicle; however, the diagnosis was unknown. The…
The contact owns a 2006 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving 40 mph, the contact attempted to downshift from fourth to third gear. The stick went forward, but the transmission did not shift. The vehicle failed to slow down and crashed into a sign. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they…
Husband was getting off of an exit and hit a piece of equipment and the airbags did not come out front end of car was damaged including radiator hood fender transmission bumper skirting
Structure 101 Read
2006 pt cruiser. Defective motor mounts. I have been told I need to replace the motor mounts and the cv joints because the bad mounts caused the engine to shift and eat up the cv joints. I did online reviews of various cruiser forum and found hundreds of complaints about the cruiser's motor mounts. Do not delay in…
Car was rear ended and shoved into another car while waiting at a red light. Front and rear end crushed, bumper came off, radiator and front end damage, windshield broken. Air bag did not deploy
Was hit in rear as I was slowing at stop light
Exterior Lighting 100 Read
Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) malfunction on the headlight/foglight multifunction switch on a chrysler pt cruiser 2005, [xxx] (export vehicle, runs in brazi). It started unwittingly turning on the foglights even when the car ignition was off, it lead to…
The contact owns a 2005 chrysler pt cruiser. The contact stated that the headlight icon illuminated independently on the instrument panel when the headlights were not activated. In addition, the contact noticed smoke coming from the turn signal handle. The contact deactivated the fuse but later noticed smoke coming…
The contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving 35-40 mph, the front amber head lamps failed, which resulted in a front end passenger collision. The front passenger wheel detached from the vehicle during the crash. The contact stated that the glove box fractured and separated upon deployment of the air…
PT Cruiser years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Air Bags | — | 1 | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 9 | 5 | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | 13 | 1 | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | 30 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | 10 | 10 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 13 | 13 | |
| 2003 | Air Bags | 19 | 13 | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | 28 | 31 | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | 25 | 15 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 490 |
| Average complaints per series | 4.1 |
| Worst single series | 36 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 5.5 years |
A model average of 4.1 hides a worst series at 36. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the PT Cruiser?
By complaint volume, 2001, 2002, 2006 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which PT Cruiser years are the cleanest?
2010, 2009, 2008 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Chrysler PT Cruiser have?
2,029 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2001–2010. Of those, 151 describe a crash and 94 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.