The Chrysler PT Cruiser has 11 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2001–2006. On average a defect was admitted 3.19 years after the car was built, the slowest took 8 years. The most recalled system is Fuel System, Gasoline (2 campaigns). Owners also filed 2,029 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Chrysler PT Cruiser
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump module mounting flange could leak fuel if the vehicle is involved in a rollover crash
Risk. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will install a secondary seal over the fuel pump module. Owner notification began august 12, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump module mounting flange could leak fuel if the vehicle is involved in a rollover crash
Risk. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will install a secondary seal over the fuel pump module. Owner notification began august 12, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel supply line could contact the air-conditioning tube service port. This can cause chafing of the line resulting in a fuel leakage
Risk. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect the fuel line for abrasion and install a clip to ensure isolation. In cases with evidence of fuel line abrasion, the fuel line will be replaced. Owner notification began august 12, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the…
Visibility 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the rear quarter glass attaching fasteners may pull through their mounts and allow the glass to separate from the vehicle
Risk. If the glass separates while driving, it could strike another vehicle or injure a pedestrian
Fix. Dealers will replace the rear quarter glass. The recall began on april 30, 2007. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the rear quarter glass attaching fasteners may pull through their mounts and allow the glass to separate from the vehicle
Risk. If the glass separates while driving, it could strike another vehicle or injure a pedestrian
Fix. Dealers will replace the rear quarter glass. The recall began on april 30, 2007. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
Suspension 1 Read
What's wrong. Federal mogul is recalling 6,903 aftermarket ball joint assemblies shipped between november 9, 2007 and march 26, 2008, which may have been packaged with incorrect nuts. The part numbers packaged with incorrect nuts are: k7147, k7329, k8683, and 104353. These parts were made for use on the various vehicles listed above
Risk. The nuts included in the packaging for these ball joint assemblies are missing the intended prevailing torque (self-locking) feature. If the incorrect nut was to become loose, the joining members may loosen leading to a separation of the ball joint. This may result in loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a…
Fix. Federal mogul will notify owners and replace the parts free of charge. The recall began on may 22, 2008. Owners can contact federal mogul at 877-489-6659
What's wrong. Federal mogul is recalling 6,903 aftermarket ball joint assemblies shipped between november 9, 2007 and march 26, 2008, which may have been packaged with incorrect nuts. The part numbers packaged with incorrect nuts are: k7147, k7329, k8683, and 104353. These parts were made for use on the various vehicles listed above
Risk. The nuts included in the packaging for these ball joint assemblies are missing the intended prevailing torque (self-locking) feature. If the incorrect nut was to become loose, the joining members may loosen leading to a separation of the ball joint. This may result in loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a…
Fix. Federal mogul will notify owners and replace the parts free of charge. The recall began on may 22, 2008. Owners can contact federal mogul at 877-489-6659
What's wrong. Federal mogul is recalling 6,903 aftermarket ball joint assemblies shipped between november 9, 2007 and march 26, 2008, which may have been packaged with incorrect nuts. The part numbers packaged with incorrect nuts are: k7147, k7329, k8683, and 104353. These parts were made for use on the various vehicles listed above
Risk. The nuts included in the packaging for these ball joint assemblies are missing the intended prevailing torque (self-locking) feature. If the incorrect nut was to become loose, the joining members may loosen leading to a separation of the ball joint. This may result in loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a…
Fix. Federal mogul will notify owners and replace the parts free of charge. The recall began on may 22, 2008. Owners can contact federal mogul at 877-489-6659
Exterior Lighting 1 Read
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 4-wheel antilock braking system (ABS), 2.4l high output turbocharged engine, and 5-speed manual transaxle, may exhibit inadequate clearance between the left front brake tube and the transaxle housing
Risk. Contact between the brake tube and the transaxle housing over an extended period of time may eventually lead to perforation of the brake tube, which could lead to a loss of braking force in the left front/right rear circuit of vehicle
Fix. Dealers will install revised brake tubes. The recall began october 25, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
Steering 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.4l non-turbocharged engines and automatic transaxles, the power steering pressure hose may contact the automatic transaxle differential cover, potentially damaging the hose
Risk. Power steering fluid leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in an underhood fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect and relocate, or replace as necessary, the power steering hose and confirm torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. The recall began on september 20, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.4l non-turbocharged engines and automatic transaxles, the power steering pressure hose may contact the automatic transaxle differential cover, potentially damaging the hose
Risk. Power steering fluid leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in an underhood fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect and relocate, or replace as necessary, the power steering hose and confirm torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. The recall began on september 20, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.4l non-turbocharged engines and automatic transaxles, the power steering pressure hose may contact the automatic transaxle differential cover, potentially damaging the hose
Risk. Power steering fluid leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in an underhood fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect and relocate, or replace as necessary, the power steering hose and confirm torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. The recall began on september 20, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, manual transmission models only, a welded pin internal to the dual-mass flywheel (dmf) assembly can unseat and become lodged between the flywheel and the clutch disc
Risk. If this occurs, the clutch may not disengage when the clutch pedal is depressed
Fix. Dealers will replace the flywheel and clutch assemblies with the updated design parts. Owner notification began on april 14, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at…
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: certain sport utility vehicles are being recalled for a software error in the instrument cluster microprocessor. Under certain conditions, the cluster, with the majority of its gauges, illumination, and warning lamps, could become inoperative
Risk. Driving the vehicle with an inoperative cluster could cause a distraction, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will re-flash the cluster software to correct the condition. Owner notification began october 8, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
Child Seat 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." some of the owner's manuals for these vehicles are missing instructions that provide a step-by-step procedure, including diagrams, for properly attaching a child restraint system's tether strap to the tether anchorage
Risk. In the event of a crash, the child seat may not be properly attached increasing the risk of injury to the child
Fix. Owners will be provided with an addendum to the owner's manuals
Seats 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the right rear "65%" seat center lower anchor was manufactured with a wire diameter that is greater than the maximum allowable dimension as specified in the standard
Risk. If the connector for a latch-type child restraint is not attached correctly to the anchorage points, the restraint will not properly protect a child in the event of a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the right rear seat center anchor and, if necessary, resize the anchor to meet the diameter specified within the standard. Owner notification began november 4, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 3.19 years |
| Slowest campaign | 8 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 33.3% |
| Campaigns on record | 11 |
Which PT Cruiser years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Visibility | |
| 2005 | Steering | |
| 2004 | Steering | |
| 2003 | Power Train | |
| 2002 | Electrical System | |
| 2001 | Child Seat |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Chrysler PT Cruiser have?
11 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2001–2006. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my PT Cruiser still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 3.19 years, and the slowest campaign came 8 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.