Electrical System. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports12 fire reports12 injury reports

Service Brakes, Electric complaints

1 reports

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134,335 miles · Jun 27, 2010

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingExterior Lighting

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I OWN A 2005 PT CRUISER; I HAVE 134,000 MILES ON THE CAR, AND KEEP IT SERVICED REGULARLY. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH SAFETY FACTORS CONCERNING THIS VEHICLE SINCE OCTOBER 2009. DECEMBER 2009 MY TIMING BELT WENT OUT ON INTERSTATE. I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 70 MPH. I HAD IT REPAIRED BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, WHICH INCLUDED A NEW WATER PUMP. I CONTINUED TO HAVE OVERHEATING ISSUES, AND CONTINUED TO HAVE DIAGNOSTICS AND NOTHING COULD BE IDENTIFIED AS THE PROBLEM. FEBRUARY 2010: I HAD TO HAVE VALVES SEALS REPAIRED DUE TO THEM LEAKING OIL ONTO THE ENGINE WHICH WAS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. THIS WAS DONE BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC. APRIL 2010: I CONTINUED TO HAVE OVERHEATING ISSUES. I WAS ALSO NOW HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES WHERE MY TAILLIGHTS WERE CONTINUOUSLY BLOWING THE BULBS COMPLETELY OUT, TO WHERE THE BULBS WOULD BE BROKEN AND I WOULD HAVE NO LIGHTS AT ALL ON THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE, THERE WERE TIMES THIS WOULD OCCUR AT NIGHT WHICH WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. MAY 2010: I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE BACK TO CHRYSLER DEALER; AGAIN NOTHING COULD BE RESOLVED. JUNE 2010: BROUGHT THE CAR BACK FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE DEALER KEPT THE VEHICLE ALL DAY. THE DEALER CONCLUDED THAT THE COOLER SENSOR AND SENSOR PLUG NEEDED REPLACED, AND TAIL LIGHT RECEPTORS WERE CHANGED OUT. JUNE 2010: ALTERNATOR WENT OUT AND IT WAS REPLACED, AND ALSO INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY. WHEN TRAVELING I SET MY CRUISE CONTROL ON 55. THE CRUISE CONTROL TOOK OVER MY ACCELERATION AND IN NO MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 115+ MPH, I COULD NOT TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I FINALLY PULLED THE E-BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR, AND HAD TO PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, THEN INTO PARK. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR INTO PARK THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. I FEEL THESE ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. THESE SAFETY ISSUES ARE OF A SERIOUS NATURE. YOUR TIME IN LOOKING INTO THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10340305

Official recalls

07V149000 · Visibility:glass, Side/rear

Apr 4, 2007

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR QUARTER GLASS ATTACHING FASTENERS MAY PULL THROUGH THEIR MOUNTS AND ALLOW THE GLASS TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE GLASS SEPARATES WHILE DRIVING, IT COULD STRIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE OR INJURE A PEDESTRIAN.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR QUARTER GLASS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

04V481000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Oct 8, 2004

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL REVISED BRAKE TUBES. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

04V268000 · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections

Jun 3, 2004

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA07004 · Rear Quarter Panel Glass Separation

Opened Feb 16, 2007 · Closed Apr 5, 2007

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:glass, Side/rear

DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC) WILL RECALL MODEL YEAR 2005 AND 2006 PT CRUISER VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM 5/17/05 THROUGH 9/1/05 TO CORRECT A POTENTIAL DEFECT IN THE REAR QUARTER PANEL GLASS THAT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.DCC WILL INSPECT THE REAR QUARTER PANEL GLASS AND REPLACE IF NECESSARY.DCC WILL BEGIN NOTIFYING OWNERS IN MAY 2007. VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO AND AFTER THE ABOVE BUILD DATES ARE NOT AFFECTED.A CHANGE MADE BY THE ASSEMBLY PLANT IN MAY 2005 THAT MODIFIED THE GLASS ATTACHMENT LED TO THE POTENTIAL FOR GLASS SEPARATION.IN SEPTEMBER 2005, SUBSEQUENT CHANGES TO THE PROCESS WERE MADE TO CORRECT THIS.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.SEE RECALL 07V149 FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

PE04028 · Engine Compartment Fires

Opened Mar 15, 2004 · Closed Jun 18, 2004

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:power Steering Fluid

PE04-028 WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE SEVEN COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE ON MY 2002 PT CRUISER VEHICLES.ON JUNE 3, 2004, DAIMLERCHRYSLER (DCC) NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN MY 2001-2005 PT CRUISER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH NATURALLY ASPIRATED 2.4L ENGINES AND AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES (RECALL 04V-268).THE NOTIFICATION IDENTIFIED VARIATION OF THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE ROUTING, WHICH ALLOWED THE HOSE TO CONTACT THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER, AS THE FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THIS DEFECT.CONTACT BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER CAN CAUSE HOSE DAMAGE AND POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE, WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A FIRE. (NOTE: THE FAILURE DATA IN THIS RESUME IS LIMITED TO MY 2001-2003 VEHICLES PER DCC'S PE04-028 INFORMATION RESPONSES.)THIS CONDITION WAS LIMITED TO VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES AS VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS HAVE SUBSTANTIAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER AND THE POWER STEERING HOSE DUE TO A SMALLER TRANSAXLE DESIGN.THIS CONDITION ALSO DOES NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT VEHICLES WITH TURBO ENGINES, WHICH HAVE A DIFFERENT POWER STEERING HOSE ROUTING THAT PROVIDES SUBSTANTIAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER AND HOSE.DAIMLERCHRYSLER WILL INSTRUCT OWNERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY INSPECTED AND RELOCATED, OR REPLACED, AS NECESSARY, AND TO CONFIRM THE TORQUE OF THE HOSE FASTENER AT THE STEERING GEAR END.

Additional source detail variants (4)

Steering

Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections

Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:power Steering Fluid

Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System