CAN NOT GO OVER 45-50 MPH WITHOUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. UNABLE TO STAY IN CRUISE CONTROL ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH MORE THAN 1/2 MILE THAN IT POPS OUT OF CRUISE COMPLETELY AND CHECK ENGINE COMES ON. SHAKES WHEN HEAT OR AIR CONDITION COMES ON. STEERING WHEEL PUSHES TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING. *TR
2006 Chrysler Pt Cruiser
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2006 Chrysler Pt Cruiser do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 202.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Pt Cruiser years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
306 reports with mileage · 43 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 138 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
55 reportsFOR ALL YOU CHRYSLER PT CRUISER LOVERS! PROBLEM SOLVED TODAY! DASHBOARD LIGHTS REPEATEDLY GO ON AND OFF, ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING OR IDLING, I HAVE A 2006 AND HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH THIS ISSUE FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. DEALER MECHANICS ARE IDIOTS WHO GO FOR THE BIG TICKET ITEMS AND HOPE THAT SOLVES THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM…
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FOR ALL YOU CHRYSLER PT CRUISER LOVERS! PROBLEM SOLVED TODAY! DASHBOARD LIGHTS REPEATEDLY GO ON AND OFF, ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING OR IDLING, I HAVE A 2006 AND HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH THIS ISSUE FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. DEALER MECHANICS ARE IDIOTS WHO GO FOR THE BIG TICKET ITEMS AND HOPE THAT SOLVES THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM FOR ME, WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY KEY IGNITION MODULE, IN THE STEERING WHEEL. INTERNAL PARTS ARE LOOSE AND FAIL TO KEEP AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. A $60-90 RETAIL PART. EASILY REPLACED BY ANYONE WHO CAN USE A TORX SCREWDRIVER. YOU WILL GET A NEW KEY TO START THE CAR WITH BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE A SKIP ANTI-THEFT RF MODULE, SO JUST KEEP THE OLD KEY ON THE CHAIN TO OPEN YOUR CAR DOORS WITH. NOW, HOW ABOUT CHRYSLER MAN UP AND FIX ALL THESE INCLUDING PROVIDING NEW RF KEYS SO I DON'T NEED TO KEEP 2 ON MY CHAIN. MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT: NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10823650 TIPM ALREADY REPLACED 1X FOR SAME ISSUES OCCURRING AGAIN NOW, A FEW YEARS LATER AND FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 8 MONTHS FROM THIS POSTING, OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY NOW AND LAST TIME OCCURRING WAS FEB 01, 2016. ALL DASH / ENGINE STATUS LIGHTS COME ON FOR NO REASON, THEN OFF SECONDS LATER, OCCURRING ANYTIME WHILE ENGINE IS RUNNING. ENGINE STALLS - SPUTTERING, POWER STEERING AND BREAKS FAIL TO WORK PROPERLY DURING THIS TIME, FUEL LEVEL GAUGE WILDLY FLUCTUATES AND SMELL OF GAS IS NOTICEABLE, ALL CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HEAD LIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS RANDOMLY GO BRIGHT OR DIM FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND. DEALERSHIP UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE AS IT DOES NOT STAY BROKE LONG ENOUGH FOR THEIR TECHS TO DIAGNOSE WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT EVEN AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR 2 FULL DAYS, DESPITE THIS PROBLEM SEEN VISUALLY BY DEALER AND ON VIDEO RECORDING. SUSPECT TIPM / ECM, INTEGRATED VOLTAGE REGULATOR IS AT FAULT... *TR
AFTER 5 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING RECURRENT PROBLEMS WITH MY 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER STOPPING WHILE DRIVING AND FAILING TO START. I HAVE HAD MY FUEL PUMP REPLACED, ALTERNATOR REPLACED, TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP REPLACED, TRANSMISSION REPLACED, AND RADIATOR REPLACED. DESPITE THESE PARTS BEING REPLACED, MY CA…
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AFTER 5 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING RECURRENT PROBLEMS WITH MY 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER STOPPING WHILE DRIVING AND FAILING TO START. I HAVE HAD MY FUEL PUMP REPLACED, ALTERNATOR REPLACED, TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP REPLACED, TRANSMISSION REPLACED, AND RADIATOR REPLACED. DESPITE THESE PARTS BEING REPLACED, MY CAR CONTINUES TO RANDOMLY STOP WHILE DRIVING AND THEN DOES NOT START. THESE ITEMS WERE REPLACED AS THEY WERE "THOUGHT" TO BE THE PROBLEM BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. THESE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COSTLY AND THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. MOREOVER, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE LAST TIME MY CAR STOPPED WHILE DRIVING, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION MAKING A LEFT TURN. I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THIS WAS EXTREMELY TERRIFYING AND SUBSTANTIALLY DANGEROUS. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON SO THE MECHANIC IS NOT ABLE TO PIN POINT THE EXACT PROBLEM OF WHY MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING AND THEN FAILS TO START. ALSO, AT TIMES, MY LIGHTS SHUT OFF AND TURN ON ALONG WITH THE WIPERS RANDOMLY BUT NOT WHEN THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF. THE LIGHT PROBLEM HAPPENS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CAR SHUTTING OFF. IT SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN I TRY TO START THE CAR, IT WILL SOMETIMES TURN ON AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS BUT THEN THE CAR WILL SPUTTER A BIT AND THEN CAR SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY. I HAD MY CAR TOWED MANY TIMES WHEN THE CAR DID NOT START AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ILLUMINATED. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHIC…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ILLUMINATED. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, BUT IT WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
ON 6/15 IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER SINCE IT'S ISSUES HAVE BEEN INCREASING IN SEVERITY WITH EACH DRIVE. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND LOCAL DRIVING WHICH NECESSITATES STOPPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS IS CHALLENGING TO SAY THE LEAST. BECOMING INCREASING …
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ON 6/15 IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER SINCE IT'S ISSUES HAVE BEEN INCREASING IN SEVERITY WITH EACH DRIVE. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND LOCAL DRIVING WHICH NECESSITATES STOPPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS IS CHALLENGING TO SAY THE LEAST. BECOMING INCREASING DIFFICULT TO START; ENGINE BUCKS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP AND CONTINUES TO DO SO WHILE DRIVING. IT CONTINUES TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING AND MY MECHANIC CANNOT EVEN GET MY DASHBOARD TO FUNCTION; NONE OF MY GAUGES ARE OPERATIONAL AND OF COURSE I HAVE NO INTERIOR LIGHTING AT ALL. I HAVE READ SO MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND FIND IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHY CHRYSLER HAS NOT BEEN FORCED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES WITH THESE VEHICLES BEYOND OFFERING A KIT FOR PURCHASE WHICH WILL NOT GUARANTEE ACCEPTABLE RESULTS. I URGE EVERYONE FILING AND/OR READING THESE COMPLAINTS TO TAKE SOME ACTION. CONTACT THE DOT, SPEAK WITH A LAWYER, BE A VOICE AND CONTINUE TO BE A VOICE UNTIL SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE TAKES ACTION ON OUR BEHALF. I'M NOT ABLE TO TRADE THIS CAR; WHO WOULD WANT IT; STILL PAYING DOWN MY LOAN ON IT AND PRAY EVERY TIME I LEAVE THE HOUSE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN HOME SAFELY. WHAT A DISGRACE THIS IS.
CAR ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AND/OR WHILE MAKING TURNS, OR AFTER COMING TO A STOP AND STEERING FREEZES; ENGINE REVS UP AND DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND CANNOT ACCELERATE; DIFFICULTY RESTARTING; INTERIOR LIGHT BLINKS AND ALL DASHBOARD GAUGES SUDDENLY CEASED WORKING; REPLACED REAR QUARTER GLASS, BROKEN FASTENER CAU…
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CAR ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AND/OR WHILE MAKING TURNS, OR AFTER COMING TO A STOP AND STEERING FREEZES; ENGINE REVS UP AND DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND CANNOT ACCELERATE; DIFFICULTY RESTARTING; INTERIOR LIGHT BLINKS AND ALL DASHBOARD GAUGES SUDDENLY CEASED WORKING; REPLACED REAR QUARTER GLASS, BROKEN FASTENER CAUSED CAR TO FLOOD.PART RECALL NO. G01 AND I HAD IT REPLACED. CAR HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY MECHANICS AND ISSUES CANNOT DETECTED NOR FIXED.
HAVE REPLACED CRANK SHAFT SEAL 3 TIMES AND EACH TIME THE SEAL IS BLOWN. DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND PROVIDE A KIT $787 PLUS $2,000 TO INSTALL) THAT REPLACES THE FAULTY DESIGN OF THE CRANK SHAFT, CRANK SHAFT BEARINGS, CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS, AND TIMING BELT AND THE DEALERS DO NOT GAURANTEE THAT REPLACING THESE WILL RESO…
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HAVE REPLACED CRANK SHAFT SEAL 3 TIMES AND EACH TIME THE SEAL IS BLOWN. DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND PROVIDE A KIT $787 PLUS $2,000 TO INSTALL) THAT REPLACES THE FAULTY DESIGN OF THE CRANK SHAFT, CRANK SHAFT BEARINGS, CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS, AND TIMING BELT AND THE DEALERS DO NOT GAURANTEE THAT REPLACING THESE WILL RESOLVE THE ISSUE. SPOKE TO CHRYSLER CUSTOMER COMPLAINT LINE AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT CHRYSLER HAS BEEN WILLING TO DO AS OF THIS DATE UNLESS ENOUGH CONSUMERS FILE A COMPLAINT. READING ONLINE, THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS COMMON IN ALL 2.4L SIZE ENGINES IN VARIOUS MAKES, MODELS AND YEARS INCLUDING JEEP, DODGE AND CHRYSLER. CHRYSLER APPARENTLY CORRECTED THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR ENGINES IN LATER YEARS BEYOND 2007, HOWEVER, HAVE NOT OFFERED A SOLUTION FOR PRIOR YEARS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND POSTING THIS ISSUE (AS THOUSANDS OF OTHERS HAVE DONE) ON RELATED AUTO MECHANICAL WEBSITES PERTAINING TO THIS KNOWN MECHANICAL FLAW WITH THE ENGINE DESIGN.
2.7 LITER ENGINE RIGHT EXHAUST CAMSHAFFT FAILED. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO GET A REPLACEMENT I WAS TOLD THAT DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBERS OF FAILURES THE PART IS ON A SERIOUS BACKLOG. THE CAM FAILED WHILE DRIVING LOCALLY AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED.
ELECTRICAL DASH BOARD, GAUGES - RPM, GAS, TEMP, GO AROUND UP AND DOWN WILDLY CAUSES SUDDEN DECELERATION. ALL TROUBLE LIGHTS COME ON, BATTERY, SEAT BELT, OIL, AIR BAG AND GO ON THEN OFF. I HAD THIS HAPPENED 7 YRS AGO AND DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR UNTIL DASH BOARD WAS NOT WORKING. THEN DASH BOARD COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING AND DASH …
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ELECTRICAL DASH BOARD, GAUGES - RPM, GAS, TEMP, GO AROUND UP AND DOWN WILDLY CAUSES SUDDEN DECELERATION. ALL TROUBLE LIGHTS COME ON, BATTERY, SEAT BELT, OIL, AIR BAG AND GO ON THEN OFF. I HAD THIS HAPPENED 7 YRS AGO AND DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR UNTIL DASH BOARD WAS NOT WORKING. THEN DASH BOARD COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING AND DASH BOARD WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW IT IS ACTING UP AGAIN. READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS. THERE ARE OVER 10 COMPLAINTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. TODAY I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY TAKE VIDEO/PICTURE OF THE TROUBLE LIGHTS COMING ON AND OFF. THE DIALS AND LIGHTS WERE GOING ON AND OFF GOING ALL THE WAY AROUND AND ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN AGAIN. THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS UNSAFE ISSUE.
WHEN RANDOMLY DRIVING ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD GO CRAZY, THE FUEL GAUGE GOES TO EMPTY EVEN WHEN IT'S A FULL TANK, THE CAR LOSES POWER AND THE ENGINE STARTS TO STALL... IT'S VERY SCARY BECAUSE WHERE I DRIVE THERE ARE BUSY HIGHWAYS AND I'M SCARED TOO DEATH I'M GOING TO GET KILLED OR KILL SOMEONE.
Official recalls
107V149000 · 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.
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
2EA07004 · 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.
PE06046 · Rear Quarter Panel Glass Separation
Opened Oct 20, 2006 · Closed Feb 16, 2007
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:glass, Side/rear
ODI HAS RECEIVED REPORTS THAT THE EITHER THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL GLASS FALLS OFF THE VEHICLE.SOME REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE GLASS FELL OFF THE VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION AND STRUCK A FOLLOWING VEHICLE.IN SOME CASES DAMAGE TO THE FOLLOWING VEHICLE WAS REPORTED.THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA ARE CONCENTRATED WITHIN A PARTICULAR BUILD DATE RANGE FROM MAY TO JUN OF 2005 FOR MY 2005 VEHICLES AND JULY TO SEP OF 2005 FOR MY 2006 VEHICLES.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE) IS UPGRADED TO EA07-004.
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