Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 0900105 | 12/10/2005 | 0900105A | 10013774 | Cylinder head bolt re-torque procedure. gpop - issue review system. *tt | 04/26/2005 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 1802404 | 06/01/2004 | 10008426 | Idle fluctuation and or malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination diagnostic trouble codes p0300, p0301, p0302, p0303 or p0304. *tt | 07/30/2004 | |
| 0900704 | 03/02/2004 | 10006455 | Irregular engine snapping sound. *tt | 05/03/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||||
| 0700104 | 03/16/2004 | 10006459 | Accessory drive belt squeaking/chirping sound. *tt | 05/03/2004 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 06/20/2012 | 85000 | 1 | |
| Engine light came on, it acted like it was misfiring. car shut off at around 60mph. drifted off road and restarted and went a mile or so and it shut off again we kept doing that until we got home. the next day we took it to our mechanic it ran fine on the way there, around 15 miles. he put it on his computer, it read bad injectors so he replaced them. then he took it for a ride and it acted like it was misfiring again he put it back on his computer and it read bad coil so he replaced the coil pack,plugs and plug wires. it ran fine for about 4 months . until now 10/30/2012. . took back to mechanic, he replaced o2 sensors. ran for 2wks. same thing again! once again took back to mechanic . he put it on his computer once again and it read fine. he said we should take it to our chrysler center. although we couldn't ask for a better running car (when it is running right) ,this car is very dangerous to be on the road shutting off in traffic. i would hate to have to replace it. please fine answer to problem. *tr | |||
| 06/20/2012 | 85000 | ||
| Engine light came on, it acted like it was misfiring. car shut off at around 60mph. drifted off road and restarted and went a mile or so and it shut off again we kept doing that until we got home. the next day we took it to our mechanic it ran fine on the way there, around 15 miles. he put it on his computer, it read bad injectors so he replaced them. then he took it for a ride and it acted like it was misfiring again he put it back on his computer and it read bad coil so he replaced the coil pack,plugs and plug wires. it ran fine for about 4 months . until now 10/30/2012. . took back to mechanic, he replaced o2 sensors. ran for 2wks. same thing again! once again took back to mechanic . he put it on his computer once again and it read fine. he said we should take it to our chrysler center. although we couldn't ask for a better running car (when it is running right) ,this car is very dangerous to be on the road shutting off in traffic. i would hate to have to replace it. please fine answer to problem. | |||
| 05/25/2012 | 124000 | 1 | |
| While driving the engine will sputter and die. when pulling up to a stop light the check engine light will come on and the engine will immediately die. while driving on the freeway at 65mph the engine will suddenly die. sometimes it will start up again right away, but most of the time it takes a few minutes to start back up, while people are honking and having to go around my car. most of the time the car will run rough after re-start, but will run normally after sitting overnight, until the next time it dies. many other pt owners are experiencing the same thing. very dangerous and scary! four mechanics have tried to figure out the problem. no luck. have replaced the ecm and just about every sensor and replaceable engine part. no luck. this is occurring in other chrysler vehicles, too. it seems like no one has found an answer to the problem. this is a very dangerous situation and chrysler should figure out the problem and provide a fix. *tr | |||
| 05/25/2012 | 124000 | ||
| While driving the engine will sputter and die. when pulling up to a stop light the check engine light will come on and the engine will immediately die. while driving on the freeway at 65mph the engine will suddenly die. sometimes it will start up again right away, but most of the time it takes a few minutes to start back up, while people are honking and having to go around my car. most of the time the car will run rough after re-start, but will run normally after sitting overnight, until the next time it dies. many other pt owners are experiencing the same thing. very dangerous and scary! four mechanics have tried to figure out the problem. no luck. have replaced the ecm and just about every sensor and replaceable engine part. no luck. this is occuring in other chrysler vehicles, too. it seems like no one has found an answer to the problem. this is a very dangerous situation and chrysler should figure out the problem and provide a fix. | |||
| 01/23/2005 | 5000 | 1 | |
| Consume too much oil since got the new car. lost about 1 qt every 3k. now at 65k, lost 1 qt about every 1k miles. *tr | |||
| 01/23/2005 | 5000 | ||
| Consume too much oil since got the new car. lost about 1 qt every 3k. now at 65k, lost 1 qt about every 1k miles. | |||
| 08/01/2012 | 90000 | 1 | |
| My car started overheating, so we have replaced the thermostat, fan fuses, and it is still overheating. my cousin has the same car only a 2002 which it overheated and caused the head to blow. there are many many many complaints on line however i am not seeing very many people with the complaints on this site. just doing a search on line for pt cruiser overheating problems there are tons of them. why would there not be a recall on something that is a known issue? i have a 2001 dodge caravan that has never had any serious problems, with 200,000 miles on it. this car has 90k on it and there is a list of things that the previous owner had repaired, like double what the car was originally purchased for i have about $10,000.00 worth of repair bills, that's a little like a lemon car. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2012 | 90000 | ||
| My car started overheating, so we have replaced the thermostat, fan fuses, and it is still overheating. my cousin has the same car only a 2002 which it overheated and caused the head to blow. there are many many many complaints on line however i am not seeing very many people with the complaints on this site. just doing a search on line for pt cruiser overheating problems there are tons of them. why would there not be a recall on something that is a known issue? i have a 2001 dodge caravan that has never had any serious problems, with 200,000 miles on it. this car has 90k on it and there is a list of things that the previous owner had repaired, like double what the car was originally purchased for i have about $10,000.00 worth of repair bills, thats a little like a lemon car. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 03/20/2010 | 69482 | ||
| Replaced the leak detection pump on march 20, 2010 and again on october 26, 2011 | |||
| 10/07/2011 | 119000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated the vehicle was loosing oil from the engine block. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who discovered that the crankshaft seal failed and was causing the vehicle to loose oil. the contact stated the vehicle would consume one and a half quart of oil between oil changes. the contact believed the failure was a manufacturing defect. the failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 122,000. | |||
| 03/20/2010 | 69482 | ||
| Replaced the leak detection pump on march 20, 2010 and again on october 26, 2011 | |||
| 10/07/2011 | 119000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated the vehicle was loosing oil from the engine block. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who discovered that the crankshaft seal failed and was causing the vehicle to loose oil. the contact stated the vehicle would consume one and a half quart of oil between oil changes. the contact believed the failure was a manufacturing defect. the failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 122,000. kmj | |||
| 03/20/2010 | 69482 | ||
| Replaced the leak detection pump on march 20, 2010 and again on october 26, 2011 | |||
| 10/07/2011 | 119000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated the vehicle was loosing oil from the engine block. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who discovered that the crankshaft seal failed and was causing the vehicle to loose oil. the contact stated the vehicle would consume one and a half quart of oil between oil changes. the contact believed the failure was a manufacturing defect. the failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 122,000. kmj | |||
| 10/07/2011 | 119000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated the vehicle is loosing oil from the engine block. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic and it was found the crankshaft seal has failed and is causing the vehicle to loose oil. the contact stated the vehicle looses a quart and half of oil between oil changes. the contact feels this is manufacturer defect. the failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 122,000.rl | |||
| 05/01/2010 | 24000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. while driving at approximately 70 mph the vehicle stalled and the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle was pulled over and upon restart drove as normal but the check engine light continued to illuminate. the vehicle was taken directly to an authorized dealer. the failure recurred several times during this drive. he was unsure if the authorized dealer performed any repairs. the failure began to recur intermittently. the vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the crank sensor was replaced. the failure continued to recur and the vehicle was again taken to an authorized dealer where the cam shaft sensor was replaced. the failure continued to recur so the vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the pmc was replaced. the failure has not recurred. the failure mileage was 24,000 and the current mileage was 26,000. sm. | |||
| 12/07/2009 | 121040 | 1 | |
| While driving down the freeway, my 2004 chrysler pt cruiser lost all the oil out of my engine. this caused my engine oil light immediately came on and i pulled off the freeway. after putting 2 pints of oil into the engine, i drove home only to find out that again my engine had no oil in it after roughly 50 miles of driving. i put 3 pints of oil in a day later and turned over the engine and found that my oil was leaking out of the engine gasket seal. i contacted chrysler, and the informed me that engine gasket repairs are not covered for vehicles over 120,000 miles. leaking oil in this manner is a major fire hazard, and i'm lucky that my vehicle did not catch fire while driving home. i noticed online, that many other pt owners have complained about these types of engine failures consistently. i cannot pay the 2800 dollars for this repair, the car will sit until chrysler loses this lawsuit. *tr | |||
| 08/02/2007 | 19000 | 12 | 05/29/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. while driving 17 mph the vehicle would stall when coming to a stop. he stated that it would rough idle as if it was going to cut-off. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. the current mileage was 21,400 and the failure mileage was 19,000. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Customer wants to know if a recall be opened**cc the consumer stated her vehicle stalls while she is driving and has a rough idle. *jb | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 30000 | 200 | 01/18/2004 |
| Tl* - the contact stated that after driving the2004 chrysler pt cruiser approximately 50 mph, the oil gauge reads empty and needed to refilled every two weeks. the contact also stated that the vehicle heated up very quickly and the engine got very hot. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 59 | ||
| The consumer pt cruiser trip meter constantly reset itself, when this happens the dash lights flash on and off, gas gauge drops to empty and the bells start beeping. *bf the mechanic sprayed static guard in it that time to resolve the issue, but this did not work. the consumer was told that the problem was with the cloth seats and to get out and grab the metal bar. the gear shifter knob would come off, there was a grinding noise in the rear due to the brakes, it was hard for the consumer to get out of the vehicle at time because the lock and tumblers were sticking, the engine would knock intermittently during acceleration and would only get 12.9 miles to the gallon and would run rough intermittently, and the gauges would quit working at times. *sc | |||
| 09/23/2004 | 1 | 09/23/2004 | |
| On september 23,2004 i purchased a 2004 pt cruiser. from the first day, i have had nothing but trouble with the dealer and the cruiser itself. two days after i bought the car i noticed that the car had numerous of dents in it so i had the dents repaired. i get the car back and the men who pulled the dents had punctured a wire and my inside light and my trip odometer wasn't working. in the mean time i noticed that the car was running rough. idling too high and bouncy on take off. at that time i took it back to get that fixed and they said the reason for the rough idle was a loose vacuum hose. the next day the car was running worse. i took it back and the said that it is the nature of the car and that it is normal for the car to run rough and idle high. i wanted to exchange my car for a different pta cruiser or a different car and i was told that i signed on the line to purchase it so i was stuck with the car. now i have to take the car back to get the recall fixed on it. i think the 2004 pt cruiser engine needs to be recalled. i am not satisfied with the car at all.*ak | |||
| 03/24/2004 | 16 | 0 | 02/10/2004 |
| Pt cruiser idles rough and shakes and pulsates. feels like you're standing in a brisk wind while it idles. dealer told me it's the nature of the beast then on 2nd. service for same problem told me daimlerchrysler knows about defect and doesn't have a fix to address the problem. pcm and 02 sensors dealer stated. looking at lemon law rights at this point. both want to blame the other for non repairability. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 08/15/2007 | 3 | ||
| Stalling at stop, running rough at low speeds and idle, missing at high speeds. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||
| 08/15/2007 | 3 | ||
| Stalling at stop, running rough at low speeds and idle, missing at high speeds. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 10/10/2005 | 1 | 02/13/2004 | |
| Wife, driving into regular parking spot @ work. speed 10 -15 mph. applied brake and the vechile lungedforward. striking the curb. damage appeared minimal. but was quite extensive underneath. but there was quite a lot of damage to the engine subframe and underside of front, not visable externally. cause....we think. a baby bottle rolled from the back seat and lodged under the brake pedal. in the pt cruiser, there is a clear passage under the drivers seat. we are sure that this was the cause of our incident. i have installed a hardboard stop under the drivers seat to prevent a reoccurance. passenger side has a storage drawer and thus is not a problem. has there been other incidents where the cause could be an object rolling from the rear passenger area and getting jamed under the brake pedal? *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 01/01/2010 | 67232 | ||
| 2004 chrysler pt cruiser uses excessive oil. | |||
| 12/05/2008 | 55000 | 1 | |
| I took my 2004 chrysler pt cruiser in to have the motor mounts replaced at 55,000 miles, which is one of my complaints, the shody construction of these mounts is insane. when investigating the mounts my mechanic spotted a coolant leak which he traced to a crack in the engine block itself. the level of corrosion from the leak indicated the crack had been there for a substantial period of time. dealer denied any warranty service for the defect. at 32,000 miles the rotors needed to be replaced due to cheap material construction, the rotor were actually bowing due to the cheap metal used in the manufacturing of these parts. the manufacturer denied warranty service for this as well. overall the 3 major complaints i have are for shody motor mounts, inferior front rotor construction, and defects in engine components leading to a cracked block. *tr | |||
| 09/22/2005 | 3 | 02/21/2004 | |
| Since sept. 22, 2005, i have had an ongoing problem with my 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. the engine light comes and and the car sputters and stalls. i have had to have it towed 3 times and it has been to the chrysler dealer 3 times and is there right not since monday october 3, 2005. i bought it in february 2004 and it is still under warranty. the cam sensor has been replaced twice, i was told it had a short that was fixed but the problem still happened. this last time the service manager said the crankshaft was replaced and the problem still occurred! it's like they are rebuilding my car but no one seems to know what the problem is. i feel this car is too new to be going through this. i have missed work because of it. been stranded on the street and freeway (very dangerous). have lost sleep and am very depressed and stressed about it. i feel this is a case for the lemon law if there ever was one. *nm | |||
| 05/11/2005 | 5 | 05/28/2004 | |
| At 10 months old, pt cruiser gt engine light came on. dealer replaced plugs and wires. 2 weeks later light came on again. took dealer 2 weeks to order head gasket. dealer lapped the intake and exhaust valves and replaced head gasket. next day, engine light was back on. dealer replaced the waste gate solenoid. dealer called and said car was ready to be picked up. before i got there, dealer called me back to tell me the engine light was back on. dealer then determined that a vacuum hose had slipped off causing the engine light to go on. prior to 12 months, car was out of service 15 days, officially at the dealer 5 times. all for the engine light coming on. dealer is supposedly working with chrysler to get the car bought back. | |||
| 04/10/2004 | 300 | 20 | 03/27/2004 |
| I purchase my 2004 pt cruiser in march 2004. within a week after delivery, i noticed the engine would start to shudder and the vehicle would lose power. took it back to the chrysler dealer and they said they could not find any problem. the engine eventually started shutting down completely when coming to a stop, and also chugs and loses power going up hills. i am afraid to attempt passing other cars because it will stall or lose power under accelleration. took the car in on numerous occasions, and they did see the problem. dealer tried replacing the cam sensor and tweaking the computer, but the problem is still there and getting worse. this is a dangerous defect and i am apprehensive about driving the vehicle. | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 8529 | 100 | 05/01/2004 |
| Within a few months of purchasing the new 2004 pt, the engine began to idle very rough. before, i could sit at a red light in drive and never feel the car vibrate. now anytime i start the engine or am driving down the road it vibrates and runs very rough. the engine light would also come on and i was able to get the computer code p0303 from the odometer (using the key on/run, off trick). p0303 is a misfire in cylinder number 3. i have taken it to the dealer 6 times now and i still have the same problem!!! it still runs very rough but the engine light does not come on anymore. they keep telling now they cannot do anything if the engine light does not come on. but it still runs very rough! sometimes the light flashes when i start the engine. the dealer has blamed/replaced everything from bad gas, spark plugs, cables and now they want to replace the motor mounts! i researched nhtsa and found there is already a tsb on this exact problem and apparently many other owners have the exact same problem. this is based on multiple internet forums on the pt cruiser. people as do i love the car i but this problem must be fixed. *jb | |||
| 12/03/2004 | 100 | 8 | 01/26/2004 |
| I have had problems with my automatic 2004 pt cruiser since i have purchased the vehicle in january of 2004. the car has been in the shop for weeks at a time due to the car stalling while i am driving which is extremely dangerous since the power steering locks, and this action can potentially cause me to lose control of the car. the car is currently in the shop due to it stalling and driving rough. every time i take the car to the chrysler service department it seems like they find an issue but it is the wrong issue. last time they told me the car was fine and nothing was wrong with it and the next day the car stalled while i was driving. i have rented pt cruiser rental cars to verify that all pt cruiser do not run rough and stall and the rental cars run like a dream compared to my car. if the troubles with the car do not change and the car cannot be fixed i would like out of the deal. i am very scared to drive my new car due to a potential accident.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 05/08/2006 | 22000 | 10 | 07/21/2004 |
| 2004 pt cruiser began to idle rough, sometimes shaking the whole vehicle. it seemed like it wanted to stall, but never did. it was always worse after a car wash or during damp, or humid weather. i used carbon cleaners in the gas, took it on the turnpike, as suggested by the dealer, but it continued. after several months, the engine light came on so i took it in. they said carbon had built up in the engine and it was not covered by the warranty because it was caused by the gasoline. i have always used 87 octane (as suggested in the manual) and most of the time used 2 gas stations. when i talked to the dealer as they were repairing it, he said it is a common problem with the pt cruiser. i only have 23,000 miles on the car. it is parked every night in a heated/cooled /dry garage. i have regular oil changes and follow the maintenance b schedule faithfully. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 11/02/2008 | 60950 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser convertible. immediately after placing fuel in the vehicle, it began smoking. while driving 45 mph, the rpm's increased to approximately 6,000. when the contact eased up on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stopped smoking and the rpm's returned to normal. the vehicle was driven to the dealer and they performed a diagnostic. the mechanic stated that the turbo was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the vin was not related to any recalls; therefore, they were not liable for the repairs. the current mileage was 61,000 and failure mileage was 60,950. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 12/20/2004 | 21132 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 pt cruiser that has 20,000 miles, and already needs a tuneup..car runs rough..i took it in and the dealer said they could not replace but 1 spark plug, and i have to pay for the other 3...what good is the waranty..i buy new cars all the time never had this problem..did i get rip off. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 02/21/2004 | 1 | 02/21/2004 | |
| Exhaust pipes are located somewhere under the carriage. driver is concerned with carbon monoxide poisoning when vehicle is idling. *ak the consumer would like to have the tail pipe extended past the bumper. *nm | |||