RoadVitals

2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Nov 23, 2019
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 115 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

AirbagsDriver assistance
Filed Nov 23, 2019

THE AIRBAG SIGN FOR PASSENGER 2 TURNS ON AFTER A WHILE OF DRIVING, SPEEDING PROBLEM WHEN WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE THE CAR TAKES FOREVER TO SPEED UP

NHTSA ID
11281931
Incident
Nov 15, 2019
Mileage
72,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed May 10, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE TRANSMISSION MADE A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MARX AUTO CENTER (132 ROCKDALE AVE, SOUTH DARTMOUTH, MA 02748, (508) 997-2377), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

NHTSA ID
11093247
Incident
Apr 11, 2018
Mileage
35,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 10, 2015

AT 9 O'CLOCK A.M. I WAS DRIVING TO THE HOSPITAL TO PICK MY GIRLFRIEND UP EVERYTHING WAS WORKING FINE BUT WHEN I WAS LEAVING THE HOSPITAL WITH HER THE GAUGES WERE GOING CRAZY SO MY GIRLFRIEND TOLD ME TO GO TO AUTO ADVANCE TO HAVE MY CAR CHECKED OUT. ON MY WAY TO AUTO ADVANCE THE GAGE WERE GOING CRAZY AGAIN AND THE CAR SHUT THANK GOD THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN. THE A GUY AT AUTO ADVANCE CHECKED THE BATTERY AND THE POSTS. HE SAID THAT THE BATTERY AND THE POSTS ARE FINE. SO HE RAN A TEST ON MY CAR AND SAID NO CODES ARE SHOWING UP. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. *TR

NHTSA ID
10682632
Incident
Feb 10, 2015
Mileage
88,409 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Sep 2, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ID
10630133
Incident
Jun 2, 2014
Mileage
50,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalEngine
Filed Apr 2, 2014

I BOUGHT THIS PT CRUISER FROM A LOCAL DEALER, THE FIRST TIME IT TURNED OFF I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND THOUGHT IT JUST STALLED FROM NOT BEING WARMED UP. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN A LOCAL ROAD DOING 50 MILES PER HOUR WHEN I BUMPED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WITH MY KNEE. THE CAR TURNED OFF. LUCKILY IT WAS A STRAIGHT ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO GUIDE THE CAR TO A STOP THEN RESTART IT. THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES MORE, ALL WITH BUMPING MY KNEE AGAINST THE IGNITION KEY. IT INSTANTLY TURNS THE CAR OFF. WITH THE GM RECALL IN THE NEWS I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION SINCE I DON'T HAVE A GM CAR BUT DECIDED TO LOOK WHEN I HEARD IT INVOLVED THE IGNITION TURNING THE CAR OFF. I SAW THAT IT IS SIMILAR YET NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT MY IGNITION SO I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT. I HAVE NOTIFIED CHRYSLER OF THIS PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING. I KNOW THAT MANY PARTS ARE USED ACROSS BRANDS AND THESE PARTS MAY BE THE SAME. I AM WORRIED I MAY BUMP MY KNEE ON A WINDY ROAD WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND NOT BE ABLE TO RECOVER STABILITY AND STEERING IF IT TURNS OFF. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS IMMEDIATELY!! *TR

NHTSA ID
10576950
Incident
Nov 10, 2013
Mileage
53,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Oct 17, 2013

WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, DASHBOARD LIGHTS START FLICKERING, GAUGES START BOUNCING. SOMETIMES THIS IS ALL THAT HAPPENS, OTHER TIMES IT'S AS IF THE CAR STALLS AS I HAVE NO ACCELERATION. A COUPLE OF TIMES, THE ENGINE HAS SHUT ITSELF OFF. IN RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE, I FIND DOZENS AND DOZENS OF INSTANCES OF THIS SAME THING HAPPENING WITH PT CRUISERS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10548320
Incident
Apr 1, 2013
Mileage
75,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalVisibility
Filed Aug 18, 2012

IN APRIL 2012 MY AIR CONDITIONER STARTED TURNING TO WARM AIR WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ACTING AS IF IT WANTED TO CUT OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. ON AUGUST 6, 2012 I RETURNED TO THE DEALER WITH SAME PROBLEM, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE LINE, AND IF MORE PROBLEMS BRING IT BACK. ON AUGUST 8TH THE AIR CONDITIONER NOT ONLY TURNED WARM THE CAR CUT OFF. AS LONG AS I'M RUNNING STEADY ON THE HIGHWAY IT WORKS FINE.I ACTUALLY HAVE TO TURN THE AIR OFF AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR NOT RUN IT AT ALL AROUND THE CITY,I RETURNED AGAIN TO THE DEALER TO NO AVAIL. I WENT ON LINE TO JUST ANSWER TODAY, CHRYSLER EXPERT INFORMING ME THAT POSSIBLY THE ELECTRIC COOLING FAN NEEDS REPLACING WHICH IS COMMON IN PT CRUISER.I AM CONCERNED IT WILL CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS TO MY CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10471398
Incident
Apr 10, 2012
Mileage
52,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 7, 2010

FOLLOWING AN OIL CHANGE AND AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT AT A VALVOLINE EXPRESS SHOP, THE TECHNICIAN USED AN AIR HOSE TO BLOW OUT DEBRIS (SEEDS, NUTS, ETC.) FROM THE AIR FILTER BOX. APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE AFTER LEAVING THE SHOP, THE GAS PEDAL ON THE CAR WENT LOOSE, AND THE ENGINE KEPT REVVING, STEADILY INCREASING THE SPEED OF THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR BY BRAKING HARD AND EVENTUALLY SWITCHING TO NEUTRAL, AND PULLED THE CAR SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AS THOUGH I HAD THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. WHEN I CONTACTED THE VALVOLINE SHOP, THEY SENT OUT A MANAGER AND TECHNICIAN TO CHECK THE CAR. THEY QUICKLY FOUND THAT ONE OF THE "NUTS" FROM THE AIR FILTER BOX HAD BECOME STUCK IN THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CARS ACCELERATION. AFTER REMOVING THE OBSTRUCTION, THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND BRING IT SAFELY TO A STOP, THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT UNDER OTHER CONDITIONS (HEAVY TRAFFIC, HIGHER SPEEDS, ETC.). IT SEEMS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY MECHANISM THAT RECOGNIZES WHEN THE BRAKE IS BEING APPLIED WHILE THE THROTTLE IS WIDE OPEN, AND ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO REGAIN CONTROL. ALSO, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT REMOVING DEBRIS FROM THE AIR FILTER BOX SHOULD BE DONE WITH A VACUUM RATHER THAN A HIGH PRESSURE AIR HOSE WHICH ESSENTIALLY BLOWS THE DEBRIS THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, POTENTIALLY CAUSING PROBLEMS LIKE THIS ONE. THE AFFECTED VEHICLE WAS A 2008 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER TOURING WITH 50,000 MILES , AND WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10334965
Incident
Jun 5, 2010
Mileage
50,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .