Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 02001A | 03/15/2002 | 002001 | 634137 | Subject regarding coolant outlet rubber plug leak for pt cruiser diesel, this is a revision to correct a part number and add a picture of the part for identification purposes. *slc | 09/27/2002 |
| 02001 | 03/13/2002 | 634134 | Subject regarding coolant outlet rubber plug leak for pt cruiser diesel. *slc | 09/27/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 1802004 | 05/04/2004 | 10007938 | Flash: engine sag or rough idle or veichle surge at engine speeds around 3000 rpm. *mj | 07/16/2004 | |
| 0900704 | 03/02/2004 | 10006455 | Irregular engine snapping sound. *tt | 05/03/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 1802701 | 11/23/2001 | 628186 | Some vehicles may exhibit moderate to severe high way speed 45-60 mph vehicle surge. *tt | 03/06/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 1100103 | 01/31/2003 | 10000904 | Loss of power, squealing / aspiration sound, malfunction indicator lamp illumination. *tt | 04/03/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/07/2012 | 185000 | 1 | |
| I unlocked my car doors with remote, and drove to the store, it was dark out so i had my head lights on. when i came out of the store and tried to unlock my car, it would not work. so i manually unlocked the doors with my key. it was very cold weather at that time and my heater would not work as well then i turned on my car to go home, and my lights would not come on. and so i was towed home. the next day i took it in to a chrysler repair shop and they did a quick check on it and said that it might be the electrical and they would have to go through the entire electrical to find the problem. they checked everything out without tearing the entire car apart and said that they could not find a problem with it. there went $100.00 of my money to find out that they could not find the problem. i don't know what else to do to get the car repaired with out having to spend $1,000.00 plus.... which is a quote by the chrysler repair. i have not been able to drive my car at night, due to no lights and now that we have hot 90 to 101 degree weather, i can not drive my car during this period of time due to not being able to use the air conditioner or to roll my windows down. i have spent over $3,000.00 in repairs for my car and i have only had it for just two years. there is one thing after another with my car, the problems are having to replace parts and sometimes having to replace those same parts a year later when they have just ran out of the warranties. i have service records for all of these problems and it is almost 2 inches thick. i am on disability and it took me over a year to save the enough money to buy this car and i have no more money to fix it again... and i have to take it through deq here in oregon and it will not pass their test due to exhaustion problems with the emissions leaking as well. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2008 | 88000 | 1 | |
| 2002 pt cruiser, was serviced about 3-4 mos prior, running fine, all of a sudden smoke was coming out of the inside of the car vents, i pulled over when i exit the car, i saw smoke and heard something ignite in the hood. there was no warning of anything was wrong with the car, there were no warning lights, there was no stalling of the car, nothing. *tr | |||
| 11/17/2007 | 65000 | 3 | |
| We purchased a 2002 chrysler pt cruiser with a 4 cylinder engine. after we had it a few month the check engine light came on. we were told it was just needing to be reset. in november of 2007 we took it to puckett dodge in south boston, va for the check engine light and no power. we were told it was the exhaust valve on cylinder #3. we paid them 1700+ to fix it and since january it has been coding on the obd cylinder mis fire on #3. we took it back yesterday and since the miles were over the warranty we would need to pay to have this problem fixed again. we are both retired and just don't have the money to fix a recurring problem that chrysler should have done right the fist time. maybe the dealership did all they could do and it is just a bad engine but we don't have the time nor the money to help them solve this before it becomes and epidemic. *tr | |||
| 07/21/2007 | 48500 | 4 | 05/18/2006 |
| 2002 pt cruiser, regularly maintained and with 50, 000 miles on it currently had an episode of overheating. when checked, one of the soft plugs (freeze plugs) had rusted through and all the coolant had leaked out. plug was replaced, correct coolant put in, ran fine for 2 weeks. overheated again, stopped driving it and had the radiator flushed and new cap installed. driving home (30 minutes) overheated worse than before flush and new cap. new mechanic says needs a new radiator (leaking and clogged) and the #1 cylinder has water in it so the head must be replaced. the mechanic said this is the 2nd 2002 they've seen in 2 weeks, and he's done 5 others this year. and this is not a large city - and only one mechanic. may forums seems to be filling with messages about this overheating issue and the warping of the aluminum heads. poorly designed and out of warranty? *jb | |||
| 07/06/2007 | 35770 | 1 | 06/06/2002 |
| Fire in engine department. *tr | |||
| 04/21/2007 | 65000 | 2 | 09/30/2001 |
| Bought a 2002 pt cruise new. before the 3 year warranty ran out the water pump had to be replaced and at the 36,000 mark the head gasket had to be replaced. now at just over 60,000 the water pump again had to be replaced. now i noticed it is starting to run on the hot side. i am so afraid it is the head gasket again. *tr | |||
| 06/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| Www.ptcruiserproblems.com my pt cruiser consumes oil at the rate of a quart or more every thousand miles. after several failed repair attempts ferman reacquired it from him, replacing it with a new one from the lot. i purchased my 2002 pt cruiser touring limited on 5/20/2002 with only 4,780 miles from: ferman automotive http://www.fermanauto.com. my pt cruiser excessive oil consumption problem was discovered about the time of the first oil change. it consumed about one quart of oil every 500 miles. the first actual attempt at repair ferman made was to replace the valve cover gasket, this failed. second repair attempt was replacing the engine they told me. they only replaced the short block, and this also failed. i sent a vehicle defect notification to the manufacture and one to the state to start the lemon law process. chrysler corporate office sent the regional lead technician to oversee the last repair attempt. ferman tore down the engine and informed me that they found nine bad valve seals. ferman replaced the entire head. they also replaced the valve cover, there is a known issue. some 2001 pt cruisers have a defective valve cover that causes the pcv valve to suck in oil. i drove about 370 miles and checked the oil to find it consumed a quart of oil! there is also a secondary issue with the a/c. the a/c has a persistent mildew odor that the dealer has not resolved. they have treated the a/c with an anti-mildew agent several times yet it still returns. i and many others suffer with trying to resolve the mildew odor problem also. i am currently still performing another oil consumption test. the oil consumption has varied only slightly and still continues. i have contacted an attorney and i am working with him to hopefully resolve this soon. chrysler stated they will replace or purchase my vehicle back from me, if the oil consumption continues. please contact me. www.ptcruiserproblems.com webmaster@ptcruiserproblems.com | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 31000 | ||
| May 17, 2003 was the most recent episode. the car has been in for service 5 times for overheating. they've been unable to satisfactorily fix the problem or admit it's a defect. i've lodged complaints with chrysler corporate, but they refuse to replace the vehicle. the only resolution they're willing to offer is extended coverage, which won't keep my car from overheating every time i attempt a trip longer than 30 minutes. | |||
| 10/19/2003 | 24000 | 1 | |
| 202 pt cruiser - engine fire - car totalled - reported to chrysler and got a letter saying they were checking into it - notified the general manager at the dealership - notified the service manager at the dealership - tried to chrysler several times by e-mail, fax and phone - as of today i am still waiting to hear from them. saw an article in the sac bee this weekend about other engine fires - want to report this one - want chrysler to make this right - please help. i have a fire department report and pictures. thanks, wendy donom. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2002 | 525 | 08/24/2002 | |
| Shortly after the odometer reached 500 miles, the engine began idling roughly and missing. concern about engine failure causing accident. returned to 2 separate dealers. both stated the computer showed no problem, but service reps admitted having other complaints. both noted chrysler refused to acknowledge any problem. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 01/02/2011 | 60000 | ||
| Premature water pump and timing chain failure 2002 pt cruiser | |||
| 09/25/2009 | 123000 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2002 pt cruiser, i was stopped and noticed flames coming from under the hood. i got out and within a minute the car was fully engulfed. the car was completely destroyed. i have pictures of the car after the damage. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 102700 | 1 | |
| Can was due for inspection the check engine light was on the car failed for emissions but the code that was given was for a power steering sector shortly after that on my way to work the car just stopped running as i was driving down the road i pulled over try a few times to start it but it would not start had the car towed to a garage i told that it was the timing belt which i had replaced 2 weeks later drove car for about 30 or 35 mins when i shut the car off i heard the water in the engine boiling there was not warning lights or anything to show that the car was over heated i had to have the car towed again and have not been able to drive it and will not drive it until i cae see about having it repaired again this it getting to be very expensive and is costing me time at work because im a one car owner living in a rural area with not many transportation options. *tr | |||
| 12/16/2006 | 75000 | 100 | 02/06/2001 |
| Pt cruiser overheating at idle. no repairs help. *tr | |||
| 09/05/2007 | 2 | ||
| My car overheats just when going slow changed radiator cap thermostat cleaned radiator still overheats. *jb | |||
| 12/15/2006 | 46000 | 1 | 01/14/2005 |
| Tl* - the contact has a 2002 pt cruiser. the contact's pt cruiser stalled while driving 45 miles an hour. there were no indicator or service lights. the contact checked the vehicle for leaks and the hoses for damage. she did not smell any fluids and no visible damage was apparent. the dealer informed the contact today that the fuel pump is in the transmission and it was damaged. the mileage at the time of the incident is 40,000. the contact is not the original owner of the vehicle. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||
| 03/02/2008 | 1 | 07/04/2006 | |
| Cracking dashboard and the cooling fan assembly has failed. *tr | |||
| 09/23/2005 | 46300 | 5 | 10/09/2001 |
| The car began repeatedly overheating requiring ac to be turned off. the cooling fan has ceased working and an entire assemble needed to be purchased. in discussing this with two separate garages, they indicated this was a common problem that they see frequently and should have been a subject of recall. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 07/12/2008 | 71300 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chrysler pt cruiser. while driving 55 mph, the contact noticed smoke under the hood of the vehicle. she then noticed flames under the hood through the dashboard of the vehicle. the engine turned off, which forced the contact to coast the vehicle to a stop. the passenger of the vehicle injured her nose and wrist while attempting to exit the vehicle. the driver was not injured. the vehicle was diagnosed by the manufacturer and they stated that the failure was not caused by a vehicle defect. the fire department extinguished the fire and a police report was filed. there were no warnings prior to the failure. the current and failure mileages were 71,300. | |||
| 05/01/2007 | 75000 | 2 | 02/01/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated that the steering wheel vibrated and she heard a rattling sound coming from underneath the vehicle while it was stationary. she felt that a failed motor mount caused the failure. as of november 8, 2007, the dealer had not completed an inspection. the failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 85,000. updated 03/13/08. *lj the solenoid pack was leaking. the fog lights were inoperative. | |||
| 08/15/2006 | 44000 | 1 | 07/21/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55mph, the temperature gauge went to the highest level. the contact pulled over and turned off the engine. the vehicle could not be restarted. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop who determined that the engine was completely blown out. updated 09/13/06. *jb | |||
| 06/22/2004 | 36000 | 1 | |
| During an inspection, the dealership informed the consumer that the head gasket had failed. the problem was not resolved. *ak *sc *jb | |||
| 05/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Upon parking the vehicle engine exploded, burning the vehicle completely. there were no injuries. there is an investigation which is posted on nhtsa website regarding the engine.*ak pe04028_cat | |||
| 20900 | 1 | 11/19/2001 | |
| Consumer stated vehicle lost power while in a busy intersection. when the accelerator was pressed, the consumer was almost rear ended. *ph *scc *jb | |||
| 05/20/2003 | 0 | 05/20/2002 | |
| I purchased my 2002 pt cruiser touring limited on 5/20/2002 with only 4,780 miles from: ferman automotive, 11025 north florida ave., tampa, fl united states 33612, (813)371-9700, http://www.fermanauto.com, salesman: rick martino service rep: eric flannigan; service mgr: chris weatley; warranty mgr: tom sawyer. my pt cruiser excessive oil consumption problem was discovered about the time of the first oil change. it consumed about one quart of oil every 500 miles. the first actual attempt at repair ferman made was to replace the valve cover gasket, this failed. the second repair attempt was replacing the engine they told me. they only replaced the short block, and this also failed. i sent a vehicle defect notification to the manufacture and one to the state to start the lemon law process. the chrysler corporate office sent the regional lead technician to oversee the last repair attempt. ferman tore down the engine and informed me that they found nine bad valve seals. ferman replaced the entire head. they also replaced the valve cover, there is a known issue with some 2001 model pt cruisers have a defective valve cover that causes the pcv valve to suck in oil. i drove about 370 miles and checked the oil to find it consumed a quart of oil! i located and contacted the previous owner mr. bennett on 4/13/2003. i found out that he had purchased the pt cruiser at ferman automotive brand new. mr. bennett had the exact same oil consumption issues. after several failed repair attempts and continued contact with the chrysler corporate office the dealer contacted him and replaced his vehicle with a brand new one from the lot. i contacted ferman and the chrysler corporate office informing of this matter. i have done research online to find that i am not the only one with oil consumption issues with the pt cruiser. there are many others struggling with their chrysler dealers on this same issue. *nlm | |||
| 01/25/2003 | 1 | 01/28/2002 | |
| I was in my car, parked in my driveway, when the entire front of my car burst into flames. the occupant compartment was quickly involved in fire. i exited my car and attempted to put the fire out with a garden hose. the flames shot underneath my car and up the back end. i called 911. i received burns on the top of my head and smoke inhalation damages to my lungs. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2002 | 10000 | 1 | 05/01/2002 |
| Consumer advised the engine is consuming excessive amounts of oil during normal operation. within 1k miles consumed 1.5 quarts and within 3k miles consumed 2.5-3 quarts. consumer is concerned that engine may seize while driving due to excessive consumption. dealer advised consumer vehicle has no oil leaks and that consumption is normal. ts *jg | |||
| 03/22/2002 | |||
| When pulling dip stick there was no oil, vehicle was brand new, within 326 mile a quart of oil was gone. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 01/23/2006 | 35689 | 1 | 05/17/2002 |
| I had a very alarming incident on january 23, 2006. after filling the fuel tank and traveling approximately 20 miles i smelled a strong gasoline odor. i stopped the vehicle and looked to be sure the fuel cap was in place. it was so i attempted to re-start the engine. after several attempts the engine started but ran quite roughly. i again stopped the engine to check the source of the gasoline odor. when i looked at the rear of the vehicle gasoline was running over the edge of the fuel tank shield. i decided that the vehicle should not be started again because of the risk of fire or explosion. i had to have the vehicle towed to the dealers service center. i was told the fuel line was broken. i asked that the fuel line be saved for me. i have it and it is broken on the end.*jb | |||
| 12/15/2005 | 37000 | 1 | 09/20/2001 |
| My 2002 pt cruiser has been maintained properly, including oil changes, for the entire time that i have owned it. in spite of this, it has developed engine problems that appear to be related to the forming of sludge in the engine. the oil consumption on the car has been approximately a quart per 1000 miles ever since the 36000 mile service. i feel that there is some inherent design problem that has led to the premature wearing out of the engine and the loss of power in this automobile. i think that this is unacceptable, regardless of the mileage, in the space of 4 years time. *nm | |||
| 09/30/2002 | 8730 | 3 | 05/17/2002 |
| On sep30, 2002 and jan 31,2003, the bottom motor mount broke on our 2002 chrysler pt cruiser. on oct 9, 2003, the bottom and upper motor mounts failed causing major damage to the engine compartment.*ak | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| While driving, vehicle was stuck on rail road tracks, when consumer was able to move vehicle from tracks, there was undercarriage damage and right front tire damage, vehicle shut off and both air bags deployed, consumer sustained severe damage to face and chest and was knocked unconscious and is receiving physical therapy, prior to purchase of vehicle, consumer informed dealer that plastic from the airbag was partially sticking out of the steering wheel, but dealer assured consumer this was ok, consumer is also concerned there may be a recall on vehicle. *tt | |||
| 12/02/2001 | |||
| On three occasions while traveling at highway speed of 55 to 80 mph a bell alarm would go off, and within 5 minutes or less vehicle would shutdown. vehicle been towed to dealer shop and repairs were made. but the, problem was still occurring. feel free to provide any further information concerning this matter.*ak | |||
| 11/10/2001 | |||
| While driving 60 mph abs brake and traction control system lights came on, and then vehicle stalled. vehicle has not been taken to dealer. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 06/22/2006 | 22299 | 1 | 03/22/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving the vehicle there is a chemical smell which gave contact headaches and an occasional sore throat. the dealership inspected the vehicle and determined there was not a defect in the vehicle. *ak the front end of the vehicle was out of alignment. there was excessive wind noise when the windows were rolled up. the speakers made a loud noise. the rear seat backing was replaced. updated 07/25/06. *jb | |||