Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Chrysler Pt Cruiser submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The clutch will not disengage every time and never fully disengages. I noticed my car had a recall for this problem in the past, so before doing the work, I called a dealer for Chrysler and was informed that the recall had already been performed. So I took it upon myself at my own expense to have the clutch replaced. It worked fine for a few months, but it started doing the same thing again.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CLUTCH DID NOT DISENGAGE WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V076000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT OUT INTO ANY GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS, WHO STATED THAT THE DUAL MASS FLY WHEEL WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WEREALERTED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.
CAR IS MANUAL TRANS, MY WIFE DRIVES IT AND HAS COMPLAINED FOR QUITE A WHILE OF CAR JUMPING I TOLD HER IT WAS HER, THE CAR NEVER DID IT FOR ME DURING TEST DRIVES. IN JANUARY SWITCHED CARS WITH HER IT TOOK 2 WEEKS FOR IT TO HAPPEN. COMING TO A STOP CLUTCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. HAS ALSO TRIED TO ENGAGE ON ITS OWN AT LIGHTS. WENT TO DEALER THEY SAID NO RECALLS ARE OPEN ON CAR AND RECALL FOR SAME PROBLEM WAS ALREADY DONE SO YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. SEEMS LIKE NEWER OF THE SAME PART WAS INSTALLED. CAR IS OFF THE ROAD AND I HAVE SAID MY SORRIES TO MY WIFE. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU. *TR
I SAW A STORY ON ABC NEWS CONCERNING DECELERATION ON BMW VEHICLES AND I HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE IN A CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. I WAS TRAVELING AT INTERSTATE SPEED AND EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN DECELERATION OF MY VEHICLE. IF SOMEONE WAS BEHIND ME I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM HER VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED OUT AND CAUSED THE AIR CONDITIONER TO FAIL. THE UNIT WAS REPLACED AT THE COST OF $1,583. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V268000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS); THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FAILED AGAIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, IN WHICH SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, THE THROTTLE BODY, THE RADIATOR, AND VARIOUS COMPONENTS IN THE POWERTRAIN AND STEERING UNIT. THE REPAIRS COST $4,000. TYPICALLY, THE FAILURES IMMEDIATELY RECUR AFTER THE REPAIRS ARE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER GAVE HER A SMALL REIMBURSEMENT OF $878. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,208 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,500.
2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER WITH DEFECTED CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BUSHINGS ARE WEARING PREMATURELY. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, STEERING COLUMN, FRONT BEARING AND WATER PUMP. *JB
THE LOCAL DEALER THOUGHT THAT THE SOUND FROM THE ENGINE WAS THAT THE TURBO WAS BLOWN. AFTER 2.5 WEEKS THEY THEN DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION PUMP HAD GONE BAD ALONG WITH SOME SORT OF SENSORS. SO THEN FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS PLUS THEY WORKED ON THAT PROBLEM. FOUR DAYS LATERAFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK, THE FRONT AXLE FELL OFF THE CAR!!!!! IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY OR TRAVELING ON A SURFACE STREET, I OR POSSIBLY OTHERS COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND THE MANUFACTURER WILL ONLY REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY???!! I'VE NOW BEEN WAITING ANOTHER 2.4 WEEKS FOR THE CAR AND I TRY TELLING THEM THAT IT IS UNSAFE AND I'M AFRAID TO GET BACK INTO THE CAR. IT HAS 7,777 MILE ON A CHRYSLER PT CRUISER 2003. IT HAS SPENT ALMOST 8 WEEKS OF IT'S SHORT LIFE IN REPAIR SHOP FOR ONE THING OR ANOTHER, AND NO ONE AT CHRYSLER WILL LISTEN OR HELP, THEY KEEP SAYING THE DM HAS MADE HIS DECISION, YEAH WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER COVERING UP FOR HIS MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ADMITTED TO ME THAT HE OVER TIGHTEN THE BOLTS WHEN HE PUT MY FRONT END BACK TOGETHER, AND NEVER EVEN APOLOGIZED FOR THE OVERSIGHT!!! IF POSSIBLE, I KNOW THE RECORDS DON'T REALLY SHOW ALL THE WORK PERFORMED OR A LIST OF ANY PARTS REPLACED (AT LEAST NOT ON MY COPIES ANYWAY), BUT COULD SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!!!??? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME PASTOR JIM JAROS PS I KEEP TELLING THEM (CHRYSLER IN AUBURN HILL, MI 800-992-1997) THAT THEIR NAME AND REPUTATION ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU HAVE, AND THEY TELL ME THAT I'LL HAVE TO SUE THROUGH THE LEMON LAW IN MY STATE. YEAH, I'M BELIEVIN' I'M GONNA STAY ALIVE TO TALK SEE THAT THROUGH, BUT I'M GOING TO BE PARKING THAT PT CRUISER IF AND WHEN IT'S READY!!! WOULD YOU PUT YOUR WIFE AND FAMILY IN THIS CAR? THE MECHANIC OR THE SERVICE UNDERWRITER JUST WALK AWAY AND THE SERVICE MANAGER STILL HAS NOT RETURNED MY PHONE CALLS, I'M FORCED TO CALL THROUGH CHRYSLER IN MI TO GET THE ANSWERS. I WILL ASK THEM TO SAVE THE PARTS IF POSSIBLE?*AK
I BOUGHT MY 2003 PT CRUISER TURBO OCT 13TH 2002, IN FEB 2003 I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE I HAD NOTICED RED FLUID LEAKING . I WAS ALARMED 2 C ATF LEAKING FROM A CAR WITH LESS THAN 9,000 MILES ON IT. ANYWAY I TOOK IT IN & THEY REPLACED THE SEAL & BEARING ON THE LEFT SIDE. ON MAY 28TH I TOOK IT TO A BODYSHOP 2 GET GHOST FLAMES PAINTED ON IT. JUNE 12TH CAME ALONG AND THEY CALLED ME TO COME SEE THE CAR FINISHED. IT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. I PROUDLY APPROVED OF THE WORK THEY COULD THEN BUFF AND DETAILED IT. ON JUNE 14TH AFTER BEING BUFFED OUT THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN TO THE DETAIL SHOP ON THE FREEWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FRONT LEFT TIRE SEIZED UP AND THREW THE CAR ACROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND INTO AN EMBANKMENT WHERE IT CAME TO REST.THE DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR AFTER COLLECTING HIMSELF. THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WAS BROKEN OFF, FLUID EVERYWHERE. UTAH HIGHWAY PATROL IMPOUNDED THE CAR UNTIL I COULD BE NOTIFIED. I GOT THE CALL FROM THE BODYSHOP OWNER, HE TOOK FULL RESPONSABILITY AND WAS WILLING TO DO WHATEVER TO MAKE MY CAR NEW "AGAIN". UPON INVESTIGATING THE DAMAGE HE NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FRONT AXLE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. HE LITTRIALLY HAD TO TAKE THE RIGHT SIDE APART AND USE A BAR TO POUND OUT THE LEFT SIDE. HE GOT 2 SECOND OPINIONS BEFORE CALLING ME 2 TELL ME THAT THE AXIL HAD SEIZED 2 THE BEARING INSIDE OF THE TRANNY. HE SUGGESTED THAT I CALL THE DEALER. FINIALLY ON THE 23RD OF JUNE THE DEALER CAME AND GOT MY CAR WHERE IT IS STILL SITTING UP TILL THIS CURRENT DAY. THEY FOUND $5500.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION/AXLE AND SUCH. THEY CALLED A ACCIDENT INVESTAGATOR THAT SHOWED UP JULY 2ND. I TOOK HIM TO THE ACCIDENT SITE WHERE AFTER 3 WEEKS YOU COULD STILL SEE THE SKID MARKS. THE INVESTIGATOR GATHERED ALL HIS INFORMATION AND WENT BACK TO CHRYSLER. I HAVE CALL NEARLY EVERYDAY. I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY FILE IS IN THEIR "LEGAL" DEPARTMENT. NO ONE IS TALKING. NOW 2 WAIT AND SEE WHAT CHRYSLER IS GOING TO DO. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .