2005 Chrysler Pt Cruiser Convertible

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS FAULTY AND CAUSED THE POWER STEERING FLUID TO LEAK OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER (JEFF WYLER CHRYSLER, 1117 STATE RT. 32, BATAVIA, OH) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY P.T. CRUISER WITH PROBLEM STARTING. IT HAS GONE ON FOR MANY YEARS. I WAS LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON ANY RECALLS. IT WAS SAID IT WAS THE STARTER, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED SPORADICALLY. I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THE CAR WONT START BUT THERE IS CONNECTION WITH THE BATTERY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD ITS THE MANUFACTURES ALARM HAVING A KILL SWITCH, THAT IT MAY BE ELECTRICAL, THE FOG LIGHTS DO NOT TURN OFF UNLESS THE FUSE IS PULLED AND IT DRAINS MY BATTERY. THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. I WANT TO KNOW IF CHRYSLER HAS HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR.SINCE THEY ARE NOT MAKING THEM ANYMORE. *TR

TOOK 2005 PT CONVERTIBLE FOR OIL CHANGE, MECHANIC INFORMED ME I WAS VERY LOW ON POWER STEERING FLUID, HE REFILLED IT. GRADUALLY BEGAN NOTICING WHINING/GROANING SOUND WHEN TURNING, THE TIGHTER THE TURN THE WORSE THE SOUND. SOUND INCREASINGLY BECAME MORE FREQUENT. RETURNED TO MECHANIC (A DIFFERENT ONE) AND HE SAID I WAS OUT OF STEERING FLUID. I INFORMED HIM THAT IT HAD BEEN FILLED ABOUT A MONTH AGO. GOING FROM MEMORY HERE...HE CHECKED FOR LEAK AND FOUND NONE, AND REFILLED. PROBLEM CONTINUED TO INCREASE UNTIL THE POWER STEERING STOPPED COMPLETELY AND I COULD BARELY TURN THE CAR. RETURNED TO PREVIOUS MECHANIC TO FIND THAT THE HOSE HAD POPPED OFF. HE REATTACHED. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER WHEN TURNING LEFT I HEARD AN ODD SOUND, CAN'T REALLY DESCRIBE. WITHIN A WEEK THE GROANING WAS BACK, HOSE HAD POPPED OFF AGAIN, AND FLUID RAN OUT IN A MATTER OF DAYS. THE MECHANIC AGAIN REATTACHED AND SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY THE EQUIPMENT IS ARRANGED UNDER THE HOOD, CAUSES SOMETHING TO RUB AGAINST THE POWER STEERING HOSE, CAUSING IT TO DETACH. THIS ORDEAL WAS REPEATED 3 TIMES WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PIN DOWN THE TYPE OF MOVEMENT THAT CAUSED THE HOSE TO COME OFF...TURNING LEFT WHILE AT AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. THROUGH-OUT ALL THIS (I AM NOT GOOD WITH CARS AND AM A GIRL) I ENDED UP NEEDING TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN. I WISH I HAD THOUGHT TO CHECK INTO THIS SOONER AS I SEE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. *TR

PCM CHIP IN 2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE IDENTIFIED BY CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AS BEING THE PROBLEM. PCM CAUSES MYRIAD OF ELECTRICAL & TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHICH CHRYSLER WON'T ADMIT TO. WHEN ANY ENGINE LIGHT OR OTHER ALARM INDICATOR GOES ON IN VEHICLE AND I BRING IT TO CHRYSLER-THEY SIMPLY SAY THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. THEN THE TROUBLES START. THE PCM CAUSES STALLING AT A RED LIGHT OR AT LOW SPEEDS--GOT REAR ENDED TWICE, VEHICLE NOT TURNING OVER/WON'T START, DRAINS BATTERIES (REPLACED IT 3 TIMES),(CAR WAS TOWED TO CHRYSLER BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T START) POWER STEERING MECHANISM LEAKS (REPLACED TWICE) CAUSES ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ON DASHBOARD, RADIO & CD PLAYER WONT WORK (CD IS STUCK IN PLAYER), CAUSES CAR LOCK/ALARM SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION (REPLACED TWICE) CAR LOCK/SYSTEM HAS LOCKED ME OUT OF MY CAR AND FOG LIGHTS/HEAD LIGHTS WON'T TURN OFF WHICH THEN DRAINS BATTERY. CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP "SUPPOSEDLY" REPLACED THIS PCM CHIP 1.5 YRS AGO AND THE REPAIR TOOK A MONTH AND A HALF WHILE I WAITED WITHOUT A LOANER CAR EVEN THOUGH MY CHRYSLER EXTENDED WARRANTY ALLOWED ME TO HAVE ONE! WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK I NOTICED THAT THE FOG LIGHT/HEADLIGHT INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON AND WENT BACK TO DEALER TO TELL HIM IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN AND HE INDICATED THAT I NOT EVER RETURN TO HIS DEALERSHIP. NOW 1.5 YEARS LATER, I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE AND IT'S THE PCM CHIP CAUSING THEM. I HAVE LOST MY JOB FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK WHILE THEY 'FIXED' MY CAR FOR A MONTH, LOST THOUSAND OF $$$ REPAIRING THIS VEHICLE, MY WARRANTY IS NOW EXPIRED, AM STILL FINANCING VEHICLE, BUT CAR WON'T START AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT STALLS WHILE DRIVING, ETC. THE CAR ISN'T WORTH 3K AND THE REPAIRS ARE IN THE THOUSANDS TO FIX ALL THE ISSUES. *TR CONSUMER WANTS AN UPDATE ON COMPLAINT. 1/27/10 *NJ UPDATED 02/01/10*JB