2005 Chrysler Pt Cruiser Convertible

MY CHRYSLER 2005 PT CRUISER, BOUGHT IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, SUDDENLY LOSES ITS POWER WHILE I AM DRIVING (TWICE ON THE HIGHWAY). THIS LOSS OF POWER RESULTED IN MY NEARLY BEING IN A REAR END COLLISION FROM A TRUCK COMING UP BEHIND ME! IT HAS BEEN TOWED TO 2 CHRYSLER DEALERS ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THEY CANNOT IDENTIFY OR FIX THE PROBLEM ALTHOUGH IT HAS HAD TWO ADDITIONAL FAILURES DOCUMENTED BY THEM. THIS LAST TIME THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR OVER TWO WEEKS. IT HAS A SERIOUS DRIVEABILITY ISSUE. THEY HAVE ALREADY REPLACED SEVERAL PARTS INCLUDING THE ENTIRE ONBOARD COMPUTER PRIOR TO THIS MOST RECENT BREAKDOWN. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A NEW CAR AND CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE TOOK THE INFORMATION OVER A WEEK AGO HAS NOT GOTTEN BACK TO ME. *NM

WITH ONLY 21,000 MILES MY 2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE BASE MODEL EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE MANUAL CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 100 MILES OF OPEN HIGHWAY AND WAS ENTERING A MORE URBAN SETTING WITH FREQUENT STOPS AND STARTS DUE TO TRAFFIC LIGHTS. AFTER ABOUT THE 5TH OR 6TH LIGHT MY GEAR SHIFT LEVER WOULD MOVE BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR. LUCKILY I HAD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN SAVANNAH GA. IT TOOK 3 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AND HOUSING HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH A MANUAL CLUTCH IS CLASSED AS A "CONSUMABLE" PART CHRYSLER AGREED TO SHARING HALF THE REPLACEMENT COST FOR THE PARTS DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAILURE. I DROVE MY FIRST PT CRUISER ( AN EARLY PRODUCTION 2001 MODEL ) OVER 86,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD A CLUTCH PROBLEM. I AM NOW 18,000 MILES INTO THE LIFE OF THE REPLACEMENT CLUTCH WITH NO SIGNS OF ANY PROBLEMS. *JB

ON THE INCIDENT DATE, I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 78 MILES AN HOUR (IDAHO FREEWAY SPEED LIMIT IS 75). THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED CAUSING THE TIRE TO COME COMPLETELY APART. IT WAS LITERALLY FILLED WITH ASH FROM THE RUBBER. THE TIRES ARE ON A 2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE TOURING EDITION AND HAD ONLY 19000 MILES ON THEM. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED WITH 36 OR MORE POUNDS OF AIR AND THE AIR PRESSURE HAS BEEN CHECKED MUCH MORE OFTEN THAN NORMAL DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ALWAYS LOOKED LOW. I HAD JUST CHECKED THE AIR IN THEM TWO DAYS BEFORE. ABOUT 15 MILES PRIOR TO THE TIRE EXPLODING, THE CAR HAD A VERY DISTINCT PULL TO LEFT WHICH I ATTRIBUTED INITIALLY TO WIND LOAD FROM THE SIDE OF THE CAR, APPARENTLY IT WAS NOT WIND. THESE TIRES ARE A DEATH TRAP WAITING TO HAPPEN. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING ON JUNE 8, 2005 WHEN HE HEARD A PING SOUND COME FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THEN THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. WHEN HE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THERE WAS A PUNCTURED MARK ON THE TIRE. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE TIRE. THE TIRE IS A GOODYEAR, SIZE I 205/50R17XL. THE CONTACT DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE PUNCTURE MARK DID NOT CAUSE THE TIRE TO GO FLAT. *AK UPDATED 11/16/2005 - THE TIRE WAS A GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A. ON OCT 7,2005 THE CONSUMER HEARD THE SAME PING NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AN FOUND THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT. IT WAS THE SAME BRAND AND MODEL TIRE AS THE FIRST FAULTY TIRE WITH THE SAME DOT NUMBER. *NM

AT FIRST THE ENGINE SURGES AFTER CAR STOPS AT INTERSECTION. SLIGHTLY AT FIRST AND THEN OCCURRENCE INCREASES AT SUBSEQUENT STOPS WITH GREATER SURGE. THEN ENGINE SURGES AND DIES AT STOPS UNTIL ENGINE DIES AND WILL NOT RESTART. THE LAST TIME THE ENGINE DIED AT 45 MPH AND WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING. TOOK CAR TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR AND DEALER CANNOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS, AS YOU CAN NEVER TELL WHERE OR WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO QUIT RUNNING.*JB