Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
080300608/25/20060803006A10021239Powertrain control module initialization. *kb03/23/2007
210090310/02/2005210180510003524Automatic transmission diagnostic teardown procedure. various models including the 2004 ram truck, durango, sebring convertible, cherokee, vision, neon, and voyager. *tt *sc10/22/2003
210010207/01/2002635719Some vehicles may have a transaxle that will not move or slips in reverse or first gear. *tt10/30/2002
210060103/16/2001211699621898Automatic transmission fluid usage atf+4. *tt *mj10/03/2001
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)
080150503/02/200510013731Powertrain control module initialization. *sc04/26/2005
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY
2710/01/200210000330The transaxle low/reverse accumulator cover o-ring on certain vehicles may become dislodged. *tt02/24/2003
0202010/23/200210000329Delayed transaxle engagement after initial start up. *tt02/24/2003
0201208/21/200202012635706Some vehicles may experience a slipping or no drive condition in reverse or first gear. *tt10/30/2002
0201208/05/200202007635704Some vehicles may experience a slipping or no drive condition in reverse or first gear. *tt10/30/2002
POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT
030060409/15/200410010478Front hub/half shaft click/pop sound. *tt11/29/2004
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
060010502/19/200510012813Transmission gear rattle sound at idle. *tt03/31/2005

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
POWER TRAIN
12/01/2004
 Tl-the contact owns a 2002 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stopped accelerating. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and the transmission was replaced. the failure recurred approximately seven years later. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and the contact was advised to replace the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. kmj
12/01/2004
 Tl-the contact owns a 2002 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stopped accelerating. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and the transmission was replaced. the failure recurred approximately seven years later. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and the contact was advised to replace the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. sm.
01/03/2005111/23/2001
 Crack in windshield down underneath the rubber the crack grew and grew. *bf the gear shift broke, and the rear passenger tire went flat. *jb
 Speedometer is in a cavern & when going toward the sun it is almost impossible to the speed
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
02/21/2011141145
 Chrysler customer assistance center (kmm7261775v12890l0km)us customer service - chrysler brand site brief description: transmission failed without warning 2002pt comments: i am very blessed to be able to send this email due to the fact as a pt 2002 owner and a very happy one just had the scare of my life.while driving at 65 mph my transmission locked up causing my pt cruiser to lift the back wheels off the ground and threw me into the windshield lucky for me i had my safety belt on.now here i am stuck on a major highway with no reverse and no gears.i was lucky enough to have it towed to a goodyear dealer who said the transmission is shot.this place does all my work and i have records to prove with this car has been service and well taking care of.my concern is now the transmission place says it will cost 2800.00 dollars to fix.i would like some kind of response from chrysler.there response was we dont care and will not help
03/20/20071
 Was driving along and the transmission went out at about 35,598.00 miles . the brakes make a god awful noise i have had them checked they say nothing is wrong but i don't believe them the brain box went out the same time as the tranmission. the dashboard on top has cracked for no reason the car is garage kept it pulls to the right for no reason they say and it has started making rattling noises from the passenger side the trunk lid shocks are given out and the car just turned to 40,000.00 miles i think they make them to break at a certain tine and no one will do anything about theses problems i think my next car might be a toyota at least they don't fall apart so easy because i baby this car like its the only one i will ever own if chrysler wanted to do the right thing they would take this lemon back and give me a new one free of charge and i would do the chrysler adversement all over it for them as long as it looks good . because i have no money for another new automobile have a family to take care of and im not allowed to work anymore this would be a great thin tanks for listening. *tr
03/03/200880267109/16/2002
 The transmission from my pt cruiser exploded on i95 near kingsland ga while coming back from a trip on 3/3/08. it has a excellent maintainance record on this car. all services where done when due by a chrysler dealership in hinesville ga, where i purchased this car new in 2002. i have never had any indications that there was anything wrong with my transmission. it never made any strange noise, leaked transmission fluid, skipped gears..and just like that it exploded. it had a complete tune up performed on pt cruiser sept 2007. i had to have it towed to the nearest chrysler dealership in kingsland ga. transmission needed to be replaced with a cost of $3,484.66 a transmission should not have exploded with 80267 miles. i feel overall there is a problem with pt cruisers transmissions and this should be covered under warranty. *tr
02/20/200895000202/20/2008
 Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chrysler pt cruiser. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle hesitated and never switched from second gear. the engine just kept revving. the contact drove to a safe area and shut off the vehicle. the vehicle made a sound as if it failed completely. the vehicle was towed to a dealer and they stated that they did not have enough time to get an accurate diagnosis. the vehicle still has not been repaired. the current mileage was 97,000 and failure mileage was 95,000.
02/29/200886623108/12/2007
 While driving, the automatic transmission slipped out of gear, rendering the vehicle useless and endangering the driver. towed to repair shop. estimate to rebuild the transmission $2,134.20. the vehicle has 86,632 miles and was purchased used at 77,000 miles. *tr
05/01/200775000202/01/2002
 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.
08/09/2007100100108/10/2001
 Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chrysler pt cruiser. while driving into a parking space between 5 and 10 mph, there was a clicking sound. she exited the vehicle and discovered the transmission on the ground. goodyear towed the vehicle to a goodyear dealer and they stated that the bolts separated in half and released the transmission. the headlight switches and a bracket near the timing belt were also damaged. daimler chrysler stated that her warranty expired and that she would be responsible for the repair costs. the contact has the bolts and failed parts. the vehicle was repaired by goodyear. the current mileage was 100,146 and the approximate failure mileage was 99746. the dealer information was not available. updated 01/11/08. *lj
12/06/200626000103/07/2002
 Transmission failed without warning; vehicle was towed to the dealer, who eventually determined that a new one had to be installed. vehicle had about 26,000 miles at the time. replacement transmission is leaking.
11/13/200645550108/26/2001
 I own a 2002 pt cruiser and have always taken good care of it, by having it always serviced at the dealers and nowhere else. i love this car but just recently i have started have some problems with it. first my a/c started to sometimes blow hot air instead of cold and that stopped and then it seems like when i come to a stop with the a/c on it acts like it is going to stall. now the transmission started making a noise when i go from reverse to drive. so i took it to a dealer to get it fixed and they are telling me i need a new transmission and it will cost me about $3200.00. my car has 45,000 miles on it. i would think that if it has always been serviced by a chrysler dealer that this should have been preventable? can anyone help? thanks for your consideration. *nm
04/27/2006306/09/2002
 The transmission went out at under 34,000 miles. although i was still under warranty i was charged $100 for something that i do remember being a defect that i had to bring into the dealership for them to repair within the first 2 months i had the vehicle. why then must i pay for a known defect? *jb
04/04/200656000105/20/2005
 Transmission of 2002 pt cruiser failed @ 56,000 miles needing complete rebuild. fluid pump disintegrated spreading metal shards throughout transaxle. *nm
01/29/200523477108/16/2002
 Noticed a large amount of fluid under car in the morning. after investigation, determined it was transmission fluid. the fluid level in car was very low. since it was aspecial fluid, i could not buy it at the local parts store. took a chance and drove it to the dealer. mechanic determined that it was defective solenoid pack and cooler lines. parts replaced, ok since. if it had happened on the highway, it would have been a catastrophic transmission failure and possibly fire. *jb
10/30/200531000207/01/2002
 Subject: 2002 pt cruiser brakes / transmission i do not know if you are the proper person to bring up some safety issues with the chrysler pt cruiser but it is my sincere hope that maybe you could direct this to someone who can. about two months ago, i had my brakes services at a local shop that i have been dealing with for 10 years. when i was younger, i used to do much of the work to cars myself, and once in a while i do an audit of the work he does. as always, he does a great job. recently i was driving back from lake tahoe on i80. this is mostly full of mountains with very steep grades and a lot of sheer cliffs. i had a full car load of human and personal property so i would conceder it to be close to the max weight of the car. i placed the automatic transmission from over-drive to the next lowest gear during the steep grades. we did not slow down at all! i discovered to my horror that the next lowest transmission speed was third. so i dropped it down again to the next lower gear and it was first gear. since our speed was 55 miles per hour, it did not engage at all. thank goodness it did not. so i applied the abs front discs and rear drums. by the time we got down from this area, i totally burned out the brakes. i have driven other cars from california to texas to florida with similar loads, but never with a transmission with no second gear. i have never burned new brakes up in a similar fission and required one new disc. i do not think that they
07/20/20021
 2002 pt cruiser jumps at stop lights and the transmission shifts with jerks from 1st to third gears. *mr the consumer was told that the transmission could not be fixed. *sc
04/02/200592500304/18/2002
 Hello. i tried copying and pasting my letter into this box however, my letter is too long. therefore, i am completing this online form and then will mail in my entire letter, documentation and the like to your mailing address along with a copy of this online form. the complaint is regarding my 2002 chrysler pt cruiser, vin# 3c8fy68b72t317273 and it is relating to the fact chrysler refuses to repair my vehicle under the current and active nhtsa recall # 01v288000 (instrument cluster problem). today, 8/5/05 i will mail my letter detailing the entire problem but i am submitting this portion online to get the process started. thank you for your time and attention. sincerely, eric calderaro. *nm the vehicle was in motion when a pop noise was heard caused by a spark within the dash above the speedometer. white smoke had come billowing out of the instrument cluster. the overhead lights in the headliner did not work properly. the circuit board was burned. other problems: transmission fluid leaked and squeaks were coming from the rear suspension. the sway bushings had worn out and were replaced. *sc
12/31/200442000109/17/2003
 Transmission failed without warning. car came to an immediate stop as if the brakes were locked. traffic behind me had no warning of such a rapid descent in speed due to no brake lights, i had not pressed the brake pedal in other words. no accident resulted but we were lucky in that aspect.*ak
02/11/2005500001
 While driving 30 mph transmission failed. as a result, the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the cause has yet to be determined. *ak
05/27/200472000202/02/2002
 Bought a new 2002 pt cruiser. automatic transmission went completely bad at 37,000 miles and again at 72,000 miles. chrysler repaired the first time under the standard warranty. the second time, i paid $100.00 since i have a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.*ak
02/23/200438000104/11/2003
 After 38,000 miles the transmission pump went out. the dealer stated the warranty ran out at 36,000 miles and there is no drive train warranty. it will cost me 1,6000 dolars to replace. never will i buy from chrysler again! *ak
10/27/200344600108/01/2001
 2002 pt cruiser limited edition - automatic transmission failed after only 44,000 miles. repair is $2,500.00. *ak
04/08/200338007102/02/2002
 Automatic transmission failed at 38,007 miles. in service 14 months.*jb
04/04/2002302/01/2002
 In three instances on the interstate highway the pt cruiser will downshift into first gear where it will remain after the check engine light appears. this has happened all times when driving, in excess, of 45mph. after the problem, the pt cruiser can be driven, but is limited to crawling along at 15 - 20mph. we have taken the car to 2 different dealerships for repair, however the problem has not been corrected. currently, this is the 34th cumulative day in the shop, and a total in 37 days in the last 3 months.*ak
03/19/2002112/01/2001
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)
05/22/2009124000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chrysler pt cruiser. since may of 2009, the vehicle has been stalling without warning. the most recent failure occurred while driving 30 mph. after the first occurrence, the contact took the vehicle to a repair shop. the mechanic replaced the powertrain control module with a used one, but the failure was not corrected. the powertrain control module has been replaced twice. the dealer will replace the powertrain control module for the third time for free; however, the part will not be available until two weeks. the current and failure mileages were 124,000.
01/09/200665000103/16/2003
 At 24,000 miles transmission went our completely. now at 65,000 miles transmission is leaking and needs a transmission solenoid pack replaced. engine compartment smokes and smells hot. found tsb#0801505 and nhtsa #10013731 on file but dealer can not tell me anything. found several web site listing this same complaint some with catastrophic failures on the road. *jb
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
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES
10/15/200217572204/08/2002
 Consumer states: had 2 brand new transmissions installed, and it still leaked transmission fluid. no lights came on, first time it was on the highway when transmission went completely out. second time it wasn't shifting properly. consumer took it to the dealer, and dealer put in another transmission.*ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
08/16/2004475862
 Vehicle was towed to the dealer after it made a loud noise. consumer pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle would not go into reverse. consumer contacted manufacturer, and was told that vehicle had to have a bench inspection. consumer was told that transmission had not been serviced properly, and assistance was declined. consumer showed manufacturer paper work which indicated proper service. currently, consumer was told that the vehicle was a second owner vehicle, and assistance was denied again.*ak while driving on the highway at 65mph the trasmission locked up with no warning. the vehicle swerved and lost all power. *tc
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - FLOOR SHIFT
11/01/2002
 Consumer state that the shifter lever button does not have to be depress to change between reverse, neutral or drive. while driving the lever was tapped into reverse. consumer is very concerned about safety regarding issue. mr