DEFECTIVE INSTALLATION OF WIRING HARNESS CAUSED OPEN IN CRANK SENSOR WIRE. HARNESS WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED WHICH ALLOWED CHAFFING ON CV BOOT. RESULT WAS COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER IN HIGH SPEED LANE OF SAN DIEGO FREEWAY, PLACING THE DRIVER IN EXTREME DANGER OF COLLISION FROM REAR AS CAR WAS COASTED TO SAFE SHOULDER.
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2001 record →
HEAD RESTRAINT IS OF SUCH DESIGN THAT IT WILL NOT STAY IN POSITION. IT WILL DRIFT UP, AND CONSUMER'S HEAD RESTS AGAINST METAL BARS. CHRYSLER ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM, AND THEY WERE WORKING ON IT.*AK CHRYSLER STATED TO CONSUMER THAT ALL VEHICLES MADE AFTER NOVEMBER 2000 HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *SLC
ENGINE DRIVE BELT ASSEMBLY FAILED. DEALER HAD CAR OVER 15 DAYS TO REPAIR. NOW, ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. NOT RELIABLE FOR TRAVEL. CHRYSLER UNRESPONSIVE TO CONCERNS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WITH REAR WINDOW OPEN, IT WOULD MAKE EXCESSIVE NOISE WHILE GOING 40MPH. ALSO, SUN ROOF WOULD MAKE A LOT OF NOISE WHEN OPENED. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED OF POOR DESIGN. NOTHING COULD BE DONE. *AK *SLC
MOISTURE IS DEVELOPING BETWEEN CLEAR COAT AND THE PAINT WHICH CAUSES HOOD TO TURN WHITE. *AK *SLC
WHILE CONSUMER WAS TRAVLING AT 15 MPH AND DROVE THROUGH A PUDDLE ENGINE SHUT OFF. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER STATED THAT AIR INTAKE WAS FLOODED FROM WATER THAT SPLASHED UP.*AK
LARGE AMOUNT OF SNOW SLIDING OFF ROOF ONTO FRONT WINDSHIELD AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE UNABLE TO REMOVE SNOW WHILE DRIVING. THIS COULD LEAD INTO A VEHICLE CRASH. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAIL TO ACTIVATE OR GO OUT. ACTIVIATING HIGH BEAMS RESTORS LOW BEAMS. HAPPENED TWICE SO FAR UPON INITIAL TURN ON. HAVE HEARD OF THEM GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING. CONCERNED!*AK
GOODYEAR EAGLE LS 16 IN TIRES ARE SEPARATING FROM THE SIDEWALL, DOT #NPT2BMDR. *SLC
1. STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE ON SHAFT WHILE TRAVELING AT 68-70 MPH; 2. HEADLIGHTS WOULD FLICKER FROM BRIGHT TO DIM, AND 3. FRONT WEELS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. MOST PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY DEALER. >> PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
A POPPING, OR CRACKING SOUND OCCURS IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN I TURN SHARPLY TO THE LEFT, I.E. TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE OR A DRIVEWAY, WHICH IS ALWAYS AT LOW SPEEDS. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED IT, SAID THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM, WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO FIX IT, AND HADN'T GOTTEN ANY TSBS ON IT. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL OTHER PT OWNERS WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT ONLY ONE ACTUALLY HAD THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED.*AK
I HAVE A INTERMITTENT CYCLIC VIBRATION AT SPEEDS FROM 65MPH AND ABOVE. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED 3 OF THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ROUND. THIS HELPED THE PROBLEM, BUT DIDN'T CURE IT. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TWICE MORE AND ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE MANAGER ,AFTER TAKING A TEST DRIVE WITH ME, AGREES THAT THE VIBRATION IS STILL THERE, THEY SAY THEY HAVE CHECKED EVERYTHING AND CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM. HE SAYS HE TESTED ANOTHER PT CRUISER AND IT HAS THE SAME FEEL. I HAVE TALKED THIS OVER WITH THE OWNERS SON AND I AM NOW TOLD THAT I MUST JUST LIVE WITH IT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205/55R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/55R16 )
VEHICLE STALLED, THE HOT MUFFLER CAUSED THE BUMPER TO MELT DUE TO DESIGN LOCATION, THE PROBLEM WAS MISDIAGNOSED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME THE DEALER FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE A FAULTY IGNITION COIL. *SLC
VIBRATION PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED NATIONWIDE HTTP://WWW.PTCRUIZER.COM/CGI-BIN/FAQ.PL?PROFILE=PT+TERRY. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205/55R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/55R16 )
WHILE DRIVING ON A DARK ROAD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DISAPPEARED WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES IT WAS HARD FOR HEADLIGHTS TO COME ON. DID GO OUT ONE TIME ON THEIR OWN. HAD NOT BEEN TO DEALER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING OIL WAS BLOWING THROUGH TAIL PIPE IN MASSIVE QUANTITIES. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP WANTED OWNER TO LEAVE VEHICLE TO BE CHECKED, BUT DID NOT WANT TO GIVE OWNER A LOANER VEHICLE. OWNER WAS NOT ABLE TO LEAVE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
DURING A RAIN STORM AND WHILE DRIVING ON THE CENTER LANE OF A THREE LANE HIGHWAY I TURNED ON MY SIGNALS AND MY WIPERS AND THE FUSE BLEW BECAUSE BOTH ARE ON THE SAME CIRCUIT. THIS DOES NOT GIVE A DRIVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGNAL TO OTHERS WHILE TRYING TO PULL OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE HE CAN DOT SEE DUE TO THE RAIN. I THINK THE SIGNALS SHOULD BE SHARED WITH THE RADIO CIRCUIT. THAT WAY WHEN THE FUSE BLOWS AND YOU NO LONGER HEAR YOUR RADIO THAT MEANS YOU NO LONGER HAVE SIGNAL LIGHTS EITHER. OR PUT EACH IMPORTANT DEVICE ON ITS OWN FUSED CIRCUIT.
WHILE PARKED VEHICLE SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND ROLLED DOWN DRIVEWAY INTO A MAIL BOX. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK *ML
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser → · Every PT Cruiser year → · How the figures are calculated →