← New search

2006 Chrysler Pt Cruiser

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2006 Chrysler Pt Cruiser do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 202.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

306 reports with mileage · 43 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 138 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

35 crash reports5 fire reports21 injury reports

Interior Lighting complaints

3 reports
Clear category filter
109,000 miles · May 26, 2011
Exterior LightingInterior LightingVisibility

2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2006. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS I NOTICED INTERMITTENTLY THE CAR WOULDN'T START WHICH SEEMED TO BE THE BATTERY. IT STARTED AFTER JUMPING AND WOULD BE FINE FOR 4 MONTHS OR MORE. SINCE THEN I HAVE PINPOINTED IT TO LEAVING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION FOR JUST 2 MINUTES. THOUGHT…

Read full complaint

2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2006. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS I NOTICED INTERMITTENTLY THE CAR WOULDN'T START WHICH SEEMED TO BE THE BATTERY. IT STARTED AFTER JUMPING AND WOULD BE FINE FOR 4 MONTHS OR MORE. SINCE THEN I HAVE PINPOINTED IT TO LEAVING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION FOR JUST 2 MINUTES. THOUGHT THIS WAS WEIRD SINCE MY BATTERY WAS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD WHEN THIS FIRST START. RECENTLY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, TURNING SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS DO NOT WORK. I CHECKED ALL FUSES, THEY ARE GOOD. I READ ONLINE ABOUT THE TOTAL INTEGRATED POWER MODULE THAT REPLACED THE 2006 INTERIOR FUSE BOXES. I READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN I FOUND OUT MY TURNING SIGNALS WERE NOT WORKING I THOUGHT THEY WERE THE FUSES AND HAD NO IDEA MY HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING AS THEY WORKED WHEN I CHECKED THEM AFTER THE TURNING SIGNALS WERE NOT WORKING. THAT NIGHT, I STARTED DRIVING HOME AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT ON A VERY DARK ROAD WITHOUT NOTICE. MY SON AND I WERE IN SERIOUS DANGER AND THE ONLY THING WE COULD DO WAS TURN ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. THINK GOD THEY WORKED. THE BASIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS ON A CAR SUCH AS THE ABOVE SHOULD NEVER GO BAD WITHOUT NOTICE AND WITHOUT AN EASY FIX. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER HAS NOT PUT OUT A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ALSO THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN ON INSIDE THE VEHICLE EXCEPT IF I OPENED THE DOOR. YOU COULD NOT TURN THEM ON IF THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. I AM SURE IT HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS AS IT COULD HAVE THE NIGHT OURS WENT BAD. I HOPE THAT THE NAPA CHRYSLER CAN FIX MINE AS THE SERVICE MANAGER DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WITH THE TIPM WAS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10402798

105,000 miles · Jul 7, 2010
Electrical SystemEquipmentExterior Lighting

I HAVE 2006 PT CRUISER AND I AM HAVING TONS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SOMETIMES THE STEREO WILL NOT WORK.BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON AND RUN THE BATTERY DOWN. IF YOU HAVE THE DOME LIGHT ONE AND PUT YOUR BLINKER ON TO THE RIGHT THE LIGHT GOES OUT DOESN'T DO IT ON THE LEFT, THE IGNITION SWITCH SOMETIMES HANGS UP AND WILL NOT TURN STUCK FOR…

Read full complaint

I HAVE 2006 PT CRUISER AND I AM HAVING TONS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SOMETIMES THE STEREO WILL NOT WORK.BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON AND RUN THE BATTERY DOWN. IF YOU HAVE THE DOME LIGHT ONE AND PUT YOUR BLINKER ON TO THE RIGHT THE LIGHT GOES OUT DOESN'T DO IT ON THE LEFT, THE IGNITION SWITCH SOMETIMES HANGS UP AND WILL NOT TURN STUCK FOR A LITTLE BEFORE I CAN GET IT TO TURN OVER AND START, THEN THE AC SPOUSE HAD TO REWIRE IT BECAUSE THE COMPRESSOR WASN'T KICKING ON AND OFF, I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED A CHRYSLER AND AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE IF CHRYSLER IS NOT WILL TO HELP REPAIR THE VEHICLE I WOULD NOT OWN ANOTHER, MY HUSBAND IS OUT OF WORK AND I CANT AFFORD TO REPAIR ALL THE ISSUES THIS CAR HAS..... THIS COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10341892

36,000 miles · Apr 23, 2008
Exterior LightingInterior Lighting

MY 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE THE TIME OF THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY RAN OUT. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DASH AND HEADLIGHTS DIMMING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE CHILDREN AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THAT. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS BEING USED IT IS AS IF T…

Read full complaint

MY 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE THE TIME OF THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY RAN OUT. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DASH AND HEADLIGHTS DIMMING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE CHILDREN AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THAT. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS BEING USED IT IS AS IF THERE IS SHORT IN THE SYSTEM CAUSING THE AC TO GO FROM COLD TO HOT REPEATEDLY. THIS OCCURS WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AND WHILE SITTING STILL AT INTERSECTIONS OR PARKING LOTS. I LIVE IN TEXAS AND IT IS HOT THIS SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM IN A VEHICLE WITH 36,000 MILES. THE RADIO WHICH IS MANUFACTURER INSTALLED ALSO TURNS ON AND OFF AND SOMETIMES WILL ONLY CLICK LOUDLY. THE ENGINE SEEMS TO SHIFT RATHER HARD AT TIMES EVEN THOUGH MY FLUID LEVELS ARE OKAY. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED A RED LIGHT AND THE AC STARTED BLOWING COLD AND THEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO SMOKE. VEHICLE HAD STALLED WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH. THIS DOES NOT SEEM SAFE AND THERE SEEMS TO BE MANY WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. I AM NOW HAVING TO BRING THE CAR TO THE SHOP SINCE AT FIRST I WAS NOT SURE IF THE AC WAS JUST GOING OUT AT RED LIGHTS SINCE I WAS SITTING STILL AND I THOUGHT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN HOW THE CAR WAS MADE. BUT SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS STARTED HAVING AC TROUBLE WHILE TRAVELING AND THERE HAVE BEEN THE OTHER STALLING AND SMOKING ENGINE PROBLEMS THIS WEEK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10225509

Official recalls

1

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.

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

2

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.

PE06046 · Rear Quarter Panel Glass Separation

Opened Oct 20, 2006 · Closed Feb 16, 2007

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

ODI HAS RECEIVED REPORTS THAT THE EITHER THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL GLASS FALLS OFF THE VEHICLE.SOME REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE GLASS FELL OFF THE VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION AND STRUCK A FOLLOWING VEHICLE.IN SOME CASES DAMAGE TO THE FOLLOWING VEHICLE WAS REPORTED.THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA ARE CONCENTRATED WITHIN A PARTICULAR BUILD DATE RANGE FROM MAY TO JUN OF 2005 FOR MY 2005 VEHICLES AND JULY TO SEP OF 2005 FOR MY 2006 VEHICLES.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE) IS UPGRADED TO EA07-004.