CAR LOOSES POWER, DASH LIGHTS TURN ON AND OFF, OCCASIONALLY TURNS COMPLETELY OFF WHILE DRIVING. ALL POWER TURNS OFF INCLUDING THROTTLE AND BRAKING POWER. ALL LIGHTS IN CAR DASH LIGHT UP AND FLICKER WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND HAPPENS EVERYDAY AND EVERYTIME CAR IS DRIVEN. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS.
2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 202.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Pt Cruiser years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
95 reports with mileage · 20 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 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
115 reportsTHE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND CHIMES ALL THE TIME. NO ONE EVEN HAS TO BE SITTING IN THE SEAT. GOES OFF ALL THE TIME. THE AIR BAG WILL NOT WORK IF IT IS IN A CRASH. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED
PASSENGER SEATBELT LOCKS UP, WILL NOT PERFORM, I AM 75 & WIFE IS 71, DANGER FOR OUR LIVES....
CAN NOT SHIFT INTO PARK TO START CAR, AND GO INTO GEARS ON 2008 AUTOMATIC, ONCE CAR STARTS AND ENGINE IS WARM NO PROBLEM SHIFING
THERE ARE A FEW ISSUES WITH MY CAR AND THE LOCAL DEALER SAYS THEY MAY BE RELATED. STALLING WHILE DRIVING: THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN 2-3 MONTHS. FIRST TIME I WAS ON A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP SLOWING TO STOP. NOT SURE OF MY SPEED, BUT I NOTICED IT STALLED AS I WAS ALMOST TO THE LIGHT. I STOPPED AND THE CAR STARTED UP FINE. THE SEC…
Read full complaint
THERE ARE A FEW ISSUES WITH MY CAR AND THE LOCAL DEALER SAYS THEY MAY BE RELATED. STALLING WHILE DRIVING: THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN 2-3 MONTHS. FIRST TIME I WAS ON A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP SLOWING TO STOP. NOT SURE OF MY SPEED, BUT I NOTICED IT STALLED AS I WAS ALMOST TO THE LIGHT. I STOPPED AND THE CAR STARTED UP FINE. THE SECOND TIME WAS 1-2 MONTHS LATER IN JAN. 2017. I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN ABOUT 30 MPH AND SHIFTED (AUTOMATIC) FROM 3RD TO DRIVE. I PUSHED THE GAS TO SPEED UP AND REALIZED THE CAR HAD STALLED. ONCE AGAIN IT STARTED BACK UP JUST FINE. MALFUNCTIONING INSTRUMENT CLUSTER: THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM SINCE PROBABLY 2011 OR 2012. THE DIALS ON THE GAUGES WILL SWING BACK AND FORTH WILDLY. DASH LIGHT WILL FLASH ON AND OFF. SOMETIMES THE CLUSTER MAKES A POPPING SOUND LIKE IT IS POPPING POPCORN INSIDE THERE. TROUBLE STARTING: FOR A FEW YEARS NOW (POSSIBLY MATCHING THE TIMING OF THE CLUSTER PROBLEM) IT CAN TAKE 2-3 TRIES TO START THE CAR. THIS IS INTERMITTENT. I DON'T HEAR A SOUND THAT IT IS STRUGGLING TO START, IT JUST DOES NOTHING WHEN I TURN THE KEY. HORN MALFUNCTIONING: THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED A FEW TIMES, BUT WHEN I GO TO GIVE A QUICK HONK, IT STICKS AND SOUNDS LIKE I'M GIVING SOMEONE A LOOOONG HONK. THE STALLING WHILE DRIVING IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY RISK. THE LOCAL DEALER SAID I SHOULD GET THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACED WITH A REFURBISHED ONE BECAUSE IT COULD BE CAUSING THE STALLING. "ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS CAN CAUSE STRANGE THINGS TO HAPPEN" I WAS TOLD. I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW AND HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. OTHER THAN FOR TIRES, I ONLY TAKE IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER. IT HAS ONLY 54,000 MILES. IT IS A GREAT CAR, UNTIL NOW. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE MY TODDLER SON IN IT FOR FEAR OF AN ACCIDENT. I SPENT $700 ON MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS A MONTH AGO AND NOW THE DEALER WANTS ME TO SPEND ABOUT $550 ON SOMETHING THAT MAY TAKE CARE OF THE STALLING. *TR
PASSENGER SAT IN SEAT DRIVING LESS THEN MILE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON ONCE PASSENGER GETS OUT SEAT LIGHT GOES OFF. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE DEPLOYMENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,770.
THE ENGINE WILL NOT TURN OVER, ALL OTHER POWER SEEMS TO BE ON. TAKEN TO MECHANIC AND IT WILL START. HAD IT FOR A FEW DAYS AND IT DID THE SAME THING. I HAD TO PAY FOR TWO TOWS SO FAR, AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT IT TURNS ON FOR THEM. I'M SEVENTY YEARS OLD AND AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR, BECAUSE IT MIGHT DO IT AGAIN WHEN I'M FURTHE…
Read full complaint
THE ENGINE WILL NOT TURN OVER, ALL OTHER POWER SEEMS TO BE ON. TAKEN TO MECHANIC AND IT WILL START. HAD IT FOR A FEW DAYS AND IT DID THE SAME THING. I HAD TO PAY FOR TWO TOWS SO FAR, AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT IT TURNS ON FOR THEM. I'M SEVENTY YEARS OLD AND AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR, BECAUSE IT MIGHT DO IT AGAIN WHEN I'M FURTHER AWAY FROM HOME. I LIVE ALONE AND DRIVE THE CAR ALONE. EACH TIME THE CAR WAS PARKED.
WHEN PASSENGER IS SEATED IN FRONT PASSENGER SEAT . AIRBAG LIGHT TURNS ON AND CHIMES UNTIL PASSENGER EXITS VEHICAL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER ON A DIRT PATCH, WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND SMOKE ENTERED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE PADS MELTED, WHICH CAUSED …
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER ON A DIRT PATCH, WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND SMOKE ENTERED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKE PADS MELTED, WHICH CAUSED THE SMOKE TO RISE FROM BENEATH THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 72,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration