2001 Chrysler Pt Cruiser

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SHE WOULD HEAR A CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND THE BUSHINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,000. UPDATED 08/28/09. *LJ THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FOG LIGHT WOULD COME ON WITH NO WARNING. A NEEW MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS NEEDED. UPDATED 09/02/09.*JB

ENGINE NOISE FOLLOWED BY EXHAUST FUME SMELL IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE "FLEX" PART OF THE EXHAUST PIPE BEFORE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THEY SAID THE WHOLE FLEX PART AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS ONE PART AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (COST ABOUT $1400). THE CAR WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION UNTIL THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPAIRED. TOOK VEHICLE FOR A SECOND OPINION AND THE MECHANIC SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE PT AND THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD RECALL THE CARS. I HAD THE PART REPLACED SO THAT THE CAR WOULD PAST INSPECTION AND BE LEGAL TO DRIVE. *TR

MY 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER HAS BURNED A QUART OF OIL APPROXIMATELY EVERY 900 MILES OF DRIVING SINCE IT WAS NEW. IT CURRENTLY HAS 96,000 MILES ON IT AND STILL ONLY GETS 900 MILES TO A QUART. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT CHRYSLER TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BURN LESS AS I DROVE IT. IT NEVER DID. AS A RETIRED MECHANIC, I CAN SAY I HAVE NEVER PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM EITHER DIRECTLY OR VICARIOUSLY WITH A CUSTOMERS CAR THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW. THOUSANDS OF OTHER PT OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS EXACT SAME OIL BURNING PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE PERTAINING TO THE FUEL SYSTEM. AFTER THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE ENGINE AND ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SHUT OFF WHILE IDLE AS WELL AS DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 70 MPH, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND CAUSED AN 18-WHEEL VEHICLE TO SWERVE OVER THE MEDIAN TO AVOID CRASHING INTO HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROLLER MODULE. ON JULY 10, 2007, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME FAILURES. THE ETAX RELAY AND THE CONTROLLER SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON AUGUST 30, 2007. THE FLASH CONTROLLER WAS REPLACED AND THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS REPROGRAMMED; HOWEVER, THE REPAIRS DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURES. ON DECEMBER 28, 2007, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER DUE TO TRANSMISSION HESITATION. THE MODULAR ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,780 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 62,000. UPDATED 10/16/08 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE PERTAINING TO THE FUEL SYSTEM. AFTER THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE ENGINE AND ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SHUT OFF WHILE IDLE AS WELL AS DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 70 MPH, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND CAUSED AN 18-WHEEL VEHICLE TO SWERVE OVER THE MEDIAN TO AVOID CRASHING INTO HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROLLER MODULE. ON JULY 10, 2007, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME FAILURES. THE ETAX RELAY AND THE CONTROLLER SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON AUGUST 30, 2007. THE FLASH CONTROLLER WAS REPLACED AND THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS REPROGRAMMED; HOWEVER, THE REPAIRS DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURES. ON DECEMBER 28, 2007, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER DUE TO TRANSMISSION HESITATION. THE MODULAR ENGINE CONTROLLER WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,780 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 62,000. UPDATED 10/16/08. *LJ UPDATED 10/17/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER OF 2007 AND THE WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILURES. IN APRIL OF 2008, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND CALIPERS. RECENTLY, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSTIC INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THE PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS THAT APPLIED TO HER VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,551.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHENEVER THE CONTACT APPROACHES A STOP OR BEGINS TO DECELERATE, THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, HE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE IDLED ROUGHLY WHILE AT A STOP. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 134,000. UPDATED 07/31/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE POWER STEERING FAILED. UPDATED 08/05/08

THERE IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH 2001 TO 2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISERS OVERHEATING TO THE POINT OF DISABLING THE CAR, AND SOMETIMES DAMAGING THE CAR BEYOND REPAIR. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION THREAD HAS OVER 250 PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THEM HAVE HAD SATISFACTORY SOLUTIONS. HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHRYSLER-PT-CRUISER/T3QTLFA0VL7R6IS09 THE ABOVE LINK IS ONE THREAD OUT OF MANY DOZENS OF SIMILAR DISCUSSIONS ON MANY DOZENS OF WEB SITES OUT THERE. AND THEN THERE ARE ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT TURNED TO THE WEB FOR HELP AND ADVICE... THIS IS A SERIOUS AND ONGOING PROBLEM THAT CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ADDRESS. PEOPLE'S CARS ARE BEING COMPLETELY RUINED WITH NO CHANCE OF REPAIR, AND CHRYSLER WILL NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM. *TR

THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED AND A FOUL PUNGENT ODOR WAS COMING OUT OF THE BLOWER. SINCE IT WAS THE END OF SUMMER AND THE COST TO FIX IT WAS SO MUCH, WE WAITED UNTIL THIS YEAR TO REPAIR IT. THE BLOWER WAS USED DURING THE WINTER WITH THE SAME FOUL ODOR BLOWING OUT OF IT. THE CAUSE OF THE SMELL WAS INVESTIGATED AND NOTHING WAS FOUND. THE FAN WAS REPLACED BUT THAT DID NOTHING. THEY (THE DEALER REPLACED THE FAN AGAIN BUT NOTHING. WE HAD TO SPRAY DISINFECTANT IN THE CAR ON A DAILY BASIS TO ELIMINATE THE ODOR. AS A CONSEQUENCE, I GOT A SEVERE UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION. FINALLY, THE DEALER SAID WE NEEDED AN EVAPORATOR WHICH THEY REPLACED. THE CAR HAD LESS THEN 50,000 MILES. WE REALIZED AFTER THIS WAS REPLACED THAT THE ODOR WENT AWAY AND THE AIR WAS SO COLD THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WORKED WELL FROM THE FIRST DAY THAT WE HAD IT. WHEN WE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT NOT THROWING OUT COLD AIR (WHEN IT WAS NEW), WE WERE TOLD THAT IT IS BECAUSE IT IS A 4 CYL. CAR. NOW I FIND THAT I AM LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. THEY SAID IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING, SO IT WAS REPLACED. STILL LEAKING........NOW THEY WANT TO TRY THE WATER PUMP. WHAT'S NEXT? *TR