IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR TRUNK INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LOCKS FAILED TO RELEASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 202.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →115Owner complaints
Model-year median: 202
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 115 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Electrical System: 45 reports
- Air Bags: 24 reports
- Engine: 15 reports
- Power Train: 10 reports
- Exterior Lighting: 7 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Pt Cruiser years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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
120–25K
2325–50K
2750–75K
1675–100K
15100–150K
2150K+
95 reports with mileage · 20 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 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 15 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 reports6 fire reports10 injury reports
Latches/locks/linkages complaints
2 reportsMY INFANT NEPHEWS AND MY NIECE WERE IN CAR SEATS IN THE BACK, I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 2 MONTHS. I HAVE NOTICED THE CAR LOCKING ITSELF WHILE I DRIVE, BUT THIS TIME IT LOCKED ITSELF AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE CLICKER (REMOTE) OR THE KEY TO UNLOCK UNTIL MY NEPHEWS WERE PANICKED (ABOUT SEVEN/TEN MINUTES THAT TIME) IT OPENED AND…
Read full complaint
MY INFANT NEPHEWS AND MY NIECE WERE IN CAR SEATS IN THE BACK, I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 2 MONTHS. I HAVE NOTICED THE CAR LOCKING ITSELF WHILE I DRIVE, BUT THIS TIME IT LOCKED ITSELF AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE CLICKER (REMOTE) OR THE KEY TO UNLOCK UNTIL MY NEPHEWS WERE PANICKED (ABOUT SEVEN/TEN MINUTES THAT TIME) IT OPENED AND I GOT THEM OUT, BUT IT UPSET ME SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED WITH MY PASSENGERS AND THIS MORNING, IT LOCKED ME IN FROM THE INSIDE AND NOTHING WOULD RELEASE THE LOCKS, NOT THE DOOR NOT THE REMOTE, NOT THE MANUAL. I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND THEY ARE BEING TOLD ITS THE RKEM, THIS IS A HAZARD AND A HALF, I WAS ABOUT READY TO BUST THE WINDOWS FOR MYSELF (I WAS LOCKED IN FOR ALMOST TWENTY MINUTES/HAD TO KEEP RESTARTING THE CAR TO GET AIR IN, BECAUSE IT WAS HOT. I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW THIS WOULD NOT BE A RECALL ITEM. *JB
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.