Electrical System. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports12 fire reports12 injury reports

Fuel System, Other complaints

1 reports

Clear category filter

28,000 miles · Feb 21, 2010

Fuel System, Other

Read full complaint

IN 2006 I PURCHASED A 2005 PT CRUISER WITH 12000 MILES, IT RAN GREAT UNTIL MAY,2009 WITH APPROX. 28000 MILES, WHEN IT STARTED SPITTERING AND SPUTTERING UPON ACCELERATION AND WOULD NOT EXCEED A SPEED OF 25 FOR 15 TO 25 SECONDS, SOMETIMES LONGER. I FOUND THIS OUT ON A 275 MILE ROUND TRIP UP US HWY 40 AFTER STOPPING TO GET GAS. UPON REENTRY TO HWY 40 WITH CARS TRAVELING 70-85 MPH, MY CAR JUST WOULD NOT GO. I FELT MY LIFE AS WELL AS MY HUSBANDS WAS IN GRAVE DANGER. I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY FLASHERS ON AND STAYED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD UNTIL IT RETURNED TO NORMAL SPEED. THEN WHILE GOING UP HILLS, OR STOPPED FOR RED LIGHTS, STOP SIGN OR SLOWING DOWN TO YIELD, IT WOULD AGAIN, SPITTER & SPUTT AND BACKFIRE. UPON MY ARRIVAL BACK HOME I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS IN NEED OF A TUNE UP (ATL ESS THAN 20000 MILES), AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER IT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, WHICH I BELIEVED WAS A UNLIMITED 5 YR/50,000 MILES, COSTING IN EXCESS OF $300.00/WHICH I DID NOT AND DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO GET REPAIRED., BUT STILL FEEL THIS IS A DANGER FACTOR FOR ANYONE RIDING IN IT. (WHICH I SELDOM HAVE ANYONE WITH ME EXCEPT MY HUSBAND OCCASIONALLY.) THE PT CRUISER IS STILL THE SAME EVEN THOUGH I HAVE ADDED GAS TREATMENTS AND FUEL INJECTOR CLEANERS TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS SEVERE, AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. THE CAR TO DATE ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 35000 MILES AND IS STILL ACTING UP, AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ON. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO A TRUSTED LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT IT IS A TUNE UP PROBLEM OR THE FUEL INJECTORS, AND THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY THAT WAS STILL IN EFFECT AT THE TIME. (WHAT IS THE WARRANTY WORTH? (NOT LIFE OR LIMB.) I MIGHT ADD THAT IF I HAD KNOWN OF THIS WEB SITE OR HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED I WOULD HAVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE "PEOPLES RIGHTS AND SAFETY." *TR

NHTSA ODI #10312461

Official recalls

07V149000 · Visibility:glass, Side/rear

Apr 4, 2007

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR QUARTER GLASS ATTACHING FASTENERS MAY PULL THROUGH THEIR MOUNTS AND ALLOW THE GLASS TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE GLASS SEPARATES WHILE DRIVING, IT COULD STRIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE OR INJURE A PEDESTRIAN.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR QUARTER GLASS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

04V481000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Oct 8, 2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS), 2.4L HIGH OUTPUT TURBOCHARGED ENGINE, AND 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSAXLE, MAY EXHIBIT INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE TUBE AND THE TRANSAXLE HOUSING.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: CONTACT BETWEEN THE BRAKE TUBE AND THE TRANSAXLE HOUSING OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO PERFORATION OF THE BRAKE TUBE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A LOSS OF BRAKING FORCE IN THE LEFT FRONT/RIGHT REAR CIRCUIT OF VEHICLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL REVISED BRAKE TUBES. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

04V268000 · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections

Jun 3, 2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.4L NON-TURBOCHARGED ENGINES AND AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES, THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE MAY CONTACT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER, POTENTIALLY DAMAGING THE HOSE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RELOCATE, OR REPLACE AS NECESSARY, THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND CONFIRM TORQUE OF THE HOSE FASTENER AT THE STEERING GEAR END. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

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

EA07004 · Rear Quarter Panel Glass Separation

Opened Feb 16, 2007 · Closed Apr 5, 2007

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:glass, Side/rear

DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION (DCC) WILL RECALL MODEL YEAR 2005 AND 2006 PT CRUISER VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM 5/17/05 THROUGH 9/1/05 TO CORRECT A POTENTIAL DEFECT IN THE REAR QUARTER PANEL GLASS THAT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.DCC WILL INSPECT THE REAR QUARTER PANEL GLASS AND REPLACE IF NECESSARY.DCC WILL BEGIN NOTIFYING OWNERS IN MAY 2007. VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO AND AFTER THE ABOVE BUILD DATES ARE NOT AFFECTED.A CHANGE MADE BY THE ASSEMBLY PLANT IN MAY 2005 THAT MODIFIED THE GLASS ATTACHMENT LED TO THE POTENTIAL FOR GLASS SEPARATION.IN SEPTEMBER 2005, SUBSEQUENT CHANGES TO THE PROCESS WERE MADE TO CORRECT THIS.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.SEE RECALL 07V149 FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

PE04028 · Engine Compartment Fires

Opened Mar 15, 2004 · Closed Jun 18, 2004

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:power Steering Fluid

PE04-028 WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE SEVEN COMPLAINTS ALLEGING THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE ON MY 2002 PT CRUISER VEHICLES.ON JUNE 3, 2004, DAIMLERCHRYSLER (DCC) NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN MY 2001-2005 PT CRUISER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH NATURALLY ASPIRATED 2.4L ENGINES AND AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES (RECALL 04V-268).THE NOTIFICATION IDENTIFIED VARIATION OF THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE ROUTING, WHICH ALLOWED THE HOSE TO CONTACT THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER, AS THE FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THIS DEFECT.CONTACT BETWEEN THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER CAN CAUSE HOSE DAMAGE AND POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE, WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A FIRE. (NOTE: THE FAILURE DATA IN THIS RESUME IS LIMITED TO MY 2001-2003 VEHICLES PER DCC'S PE04-028 INFORMATION RESPONSES.)THIS CONDITION WAS LIMITED TO VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES AS VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS HAVE SUBSTANTIAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER AND THE POWER STEERING HOSE DUE TO A SMALLER TRANSAXLE DESIGN.THIS CONDITION ALSO DOES NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT VEHICLES WITH TURBO ENGINES, WHICH HAVE A DIFFERENT POWER STEERING HOSE ROUTING THAT PROVIDES SUBSTANTIAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER AND HOSE.DAIMLERCHRYSLER WILL INSTRUCT OWNERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING HOSE ASSEMBLY INSPECTED AND RELOCATED, OR REPLACED, AS NECESSARY, AND TO CONFIRM THE TORQUE OF THE HOSE FASTENER AT THE STEERING GEAR END.

Additional source detail variants (4)

Steering

Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections

Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:power Steering Fluid

Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System