2009 Chrysler Pt Cruiser

The contact owns a 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the front driver's side seat erroneously rolled backwards, and the driver was unable to reach the brake pedal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted regarding the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 87,000.

SPORADIC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER POWERS ON AND OFF ILLUMINATING ALL LIGHTS. WHEN CONDITION OCCURS IT IS VASTLY DISTRACTING UNABLE TO DETERMINE VEHICLE SPEED ACCURATELY. WHEN THE ISSUE IS PRESENT THE ENGINE WILL TYPICALLY SHUT OFF. THIS SEEMS LIKE AN INCREDIBLY BAD CONDITION TO ALLOW IN A VEHICLE AND CONTACTING CHRYSLER LED TO NO SOLUTION FOR RESOLVING. INTERNET SEARCH SUGGESTS THIS IS NOT A ONE OFF SITUATION AND EXISTS ACROSS SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. CHRYSLER DOES HAVE A RECALL NOTICE "01V288000" FOR MODEL YEAR 2001 WHICH APPEARS TO BE VERY SIMILAR IN NATURE. DUE TO THE HIGHLY DISTRACTING NATURE OF THIS CONDITION AND FREQUENCY OF SIMILAR OWNER REPORTS IT SEEMS PARTICULARLY EGREGIOUS THAT A RECALL NOTICE DOES NOT EXIST.

WHILE RUNNING AT 45 MPH ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, THE GAUGES WENT TO ZERO, AND THE MOTOR STARTED STUMBLING. TRYING TO NURSE IT HOME, I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHERE THE PREVIOUS THINGS HAPPENED AGAIN BUT ALSO THE MOTOR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THIS LEFT ME STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY 4 LANE HIGHWAY. ENGINE FINALLY RESTARTED WHERE I DROVE IT HOME. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED AND I SEE WHERE ONLINE THIS HAS BEEN COMPLAINED ABOUT OVER AND OVER. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO THROW THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AT IT AND CHRYSLER DOESN'T CARE.

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, ALL THE LIGHTS ON DASH ILLUMINATE WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST STARTED, SOMETIMES FLASHING ON AND THEN OFF WHEN DRIVING. IF DRIVING, SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL EITHER ACCELERATE OR SLOW DOWN. BECAUSE THE SPEEDOMETER GOES BACK AND FORTH, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST I'M GOING. IF I SLOW DOWN WHEN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT OR TO MAKE A TURN, THE CAR HAS CUT OFF. LOOKING ONLINE, THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM OF PT CRUISER OWNERS, YET I'VE NEVER SEEN A RECALL. DIAGNOSTICS RAN A FEW TIMES AND NO READING SHOWS UP. ONLY TOLD, IT APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE.

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 2016. THE ODOMETER READING WAS 74,000 MILES AT THAT TIME. IT FUNCTIONED WITHOUT PROBLEMS UNTIL MARCH 2018. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 2 MILES AND THEN WAS PARKED FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS. I STARTED THE CAR AND DROVE ABOUT 2 BLOCKS AT ABOUT 25 MPH WHEN ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON, THE GAS GAUGE WENT TO EMPTY AND I FELT A LOSS OF POWER. IT RECOVERED AFTER A FEW SECONDS. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 1 MINUTE LATER. I COASTED TO A STOP SIGN AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I TURNED IT BACK ON ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER AND DROVE ON. I TURNED ONTO A BUSY STREET AND AFTER DRIVING A FEW BLOCKS IN TRAFFIC THE POWER LOSS HAPPENED AGAIN. IT RECOVERED ON ITS OWN AFTER ABOUT 5 SECONDS. I GOT OFF THE BUSY S STREET AND ONTO A SIDE STREET. IT HAPPENED AGAIN AFTER DRIVING A FEW BLOCKS AND DID NOT RECOVER. I COASTED INTO A PARKING SPOT AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES I STARTED THE CAR AND DROVE ABOUT 1.5 MILES TO MY HOUSE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAR SPENT SEVERAL WEEKS IN A REPUTABLE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE. I THEN DROVE THE CAR FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT HAS STARTED DOING IT AGAIN. I DO NOT BELIEVE I CAN SAFELY DRIVE IT ON A BUSY STREET OR A FREEWAY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR TURNED ON AND OFF BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. ALSO, THE HORN DID NOT WORK DUE TO THE AIR BAG INDICATOR THAT WAS WIRED INTO THE HORN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT CALLED HILLTOP CHRYSLER DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT IF THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE HORN OR AIR BAG, THE REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000. *TT *TR

I WAS IN A HWY. ALL OF A SUDDEN, ALL THE GAUGES LIGHT UP AND I LOST POWER. I PUSH THE GAS PEDAL BUT NO ACCELERATION. I MANAGED TO PARK ON THE SIDE. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THE CAR AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED JUST 3 WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ONE MONTH LATER. IT HAS BEEN NOW ONE WEEK LATER. I AM AFRAID IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. IT IS A VERY SAFETY HAZARD SINCE I ALWAYS TRAVEL ON A BUSY HIGHWAY.