Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
SUSPENSION
08E033000FEDERAL-MOGUL CHASSIS PRODUCTS E (Equipment)690305/22/2008MFRCHRYSLER GROUP LLC04/14/200804/17/2008
Defect SummaryFederal mogul is recalling 6,903 aftermarket ball joint assemblies shipped between november 9, 2007 and march 26, 2008, which may have been packaged with incorrect nuts. the part numbers packaged with incorrect nuts are: k7147, k7329, k8683, and 104353. these parts were made for use on the various vehicles listed above.
Consequence SummaryThe nuts included in the packaging for these ball joint assemblies are missing the intended prevailing torque (self-locking) feature. if the incorrect nut was to become loose, the joining members may loosen leading to a separation of the ball joint. this may result in loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryFederal mogul will notify owners and replace the parts free of charge. the recall began on may 22, 2008. owners can contact federal mogul at 877-489-6659.
NotesThis recall only pertains to aftermarket ball joint assemblies and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by the vehicle manufacturers.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SUSPENSION
06/01/201049500
 Could not ask for a better car, but once it got close to 50,000 miles the transmission went out, thank god it was under warranty, then wheel bearing, control arm, motor mount, sway bar bushing, rack and pinon, almost everything in the front of this car has been replaced. when contacting chrysler they say there has been alot of recalls for the front end supension but my vin number did not fall under it. things that should of not worn out this soon has worn out, i just had to do the bushing in the lower control arm after replacing the whole control not over 2 years ago. i have max out 2 firestone credit cards trying to keep my car on the road. love the design but hate that i just can not depend on this car... ps i am the only onwer of this car and it has less than 82,000 miles on it today 06/19/2012.
12/01/201150000
 My pt crusier has had to have all of the front end replaced, car started acting up at 50,000 miles and i now how almost 81,000 and i have replaced everything in the front end except the cv joints, which i hope does not need after i send this. i just had to have the rack and pinion done. when speaking with crysler directly they state that the pt cruiser has had a lot of recalls due to front end, but i am told that my vin number does not fall in the mix. i am the only owner of my pt cruiser. i have replaced parts on my car starting back in 2010 early 2011.
08/04/2011
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated that the front driver
08/04/201167432
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated the front driver side wheel bearings have ben replaced twice and the front driver side is currently being replaced. the contact has taken the vehicle to the dealer and was not given a reason for the failure. the contact feels this is a safety issue. the failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 67,432.rl
07/20/2007440001
 On 04/26/07 my pt cruiser was into dealership (not same as where i bought car). tech said excessive play in front bearings & may need hubs replaced. i bought car 07/28/06 from daytona chrysler in auto mall. i paid to have bearings replaced, later in 2007, @ dealership in st. augustine, fl. & other one replaced in 2008 or 2009. the one replaced by dealership in st. augustine is making noise again! *tr
03/01/200827000108/16/2004
 Wheel bearing on 2004 pt cruiser with 28,000 went bad. *tr
SUSPENSION - FRONT
01/20/2010720001
 My 2004 pt cruiser needs the front hub assembly replaced again after approximately 40,000 miles. the bearings are shot and you have to buy a whole assembly rather than an individual bearing. i've spoken to numerous owners and they too have this problem is there a chance of a recall?? *tr
10/19/20091
 04' pt cruiser - bought new and i am now having the front bearing and hubs replaced for the 4th time. less than 38,000 miles on the car. bought new tires yesterday to then be told that the bearing s are bad. rather ticked off as this is causing me to take time from work and to arrange a ride to pick up the car once repaired. *tr
09/19/20091
 2004 chrysler pt cruiser - this is the 3rd repair to control arms in 5 years. i learned of the latest issue through a state car inspection. the control arms collapsed and now the mechanism is using the car frame for support. *tr
05/24/2009652691
 Have had to replace rt frt wheel bearing 3 times, starting @ approx 35k miles & now only 65k miles. wheel bearings should last much longer. it has only been 3 mo & 10k since last time replaced. *tr
07/07/2008400001
 Vehicle only had 40k miles and both front wheel bearings are bad. these vehicles are notorious for front wheel bearing failure. this could result in diminished or no steering control. safety or defect recall should be considered by chrysler. *tr
05/06/200752437308/01/2005
 Starting in the fall of 2006 when making a left turn it made a grinding, squealing noise. it was very loud. thought it needed brakes, and had it checked . they were fine. then, it felt like the tire was bad on the passenger's front. took the car to dealer in mid march 2007 to have the tire checked and it was a loose axle instead. that stopped the squealing for the time being. just recently we thought the rotors needed turned because the vibrations and noises had started again. on 5-06-07 my son was killed when he went off the right side of the road and supposedly overcorrected and rolled several times. after further investigation into the crash it was discovered that half of the front passenger rotor broke off with a bubble defect in the metal. there appeared to be an old crack across the rotor along with the brake that severed it. not sure what was going on, but there' was obviously a problem with the front ends and if it saved a life it was worth checking into. *ak
10/05/200613604110/18/2004
 My 2004 pt cruiser not steering correctly and front end noises not normal. dealer on second test replaced both front hubs and bearings because of worn out bearing seats mileage 15,468. *nm
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM
02/06/20082799812/31/2004
 Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. the contact stated that the lower control arm bushings and front suspension make noise while driving various speeds. it feels as if he is driving over bumps and a stone pavement. the dealer stated that he must pay for the repair so the contact took it to a mechanic shop for repair. the failure mileage was 27,998. updated 03/12/09. *lj updated 03/16/09. *jb
01/05/200856000105/01/2006
 Experienced front driver side wheel bearing and hub failure - replaced at cost of $350. inspection during this repair revealed that the front lower control arm bushings had deteriorated and were in need of replacement as well - put off $600 repair until later date. 56,000 miles 2004 pt cruiser limited. *cn
SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB
02/01/2008420001
 Loud grinding/growling noise, thumping sound when driving. gets louder when accelerating. replaced tires 6/08 thought it was that. found out its the front wheel bearings and hubs. *tr
01/10/200828560106/22/2004
 While driving my 2004 chrysler pt cruiser, i started hearing a grinding noise coming from the front end of the car. in just a matter of days i could tell it was getting louder. i thought it might be the brakes but i just had the front brakes replaced 6,000 miles earlier. i took it to the mechanic where i had the brakes done and after checking the car he told me the problem was the left front wheel bearings. it cost me $556.23 to replace the front left hub and the bearings on both front wheels. after the repair, he showed me the old hub and bearings. the part was broken and several of the bearings were missing. he said if i had continued to drive the car in that condition, it was very likely the front left wheel would fall off, possibly causing serious injury or death. this is a serious safety issue and i believe chrysler needs to issue a recall for this problem. there is only 28,560 miles on this vehicle. there is no way a car with this many miles should be having this kind of problem. *tr
01/05/200856000105/01/2006
 Experienced front driver side wheel bearing and hub failure - replaced at cost of $350. inspection during this repair revealed that the front lower control arm bushings had deteriorated and were in need of replacement as well - put off $600 repair until later date. 56,000 miles 2004 pt cruiser limited. *cn
06/11/200718400204/30/2007
 Less than 19,000 miles on the 2004 chrysler pt cruiser and the wheel bearings on front went bad. the driver's side was so bad i did not drive it further than a block from work , the closest place. they charged me $313.00 to fix the driver's side. the next day, i found outt he car was still under warranty ,bought it second hand. i took it to the dealership, and they confirmed the passenger's side was also going bad and replaced it and the damaged hub. chrysler will not reimburse me the $313.00 because it was not fixed at a dealership. the driver's side hub was not replaced, and they will not cover this under warranty either. this should be under warranty as well. a car with less than 19,000 miles should not have bad wheel bearings already. the driver's side was so bad that the wheel could have seized or fallen off and caused a serious injury or death to myself and/or others on the interstate. all four tires have some kind of defect, and the front tires have worn unevenly due to the damaged wheel bearings. chrysler will not replace front tires under warranty. *ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING
11/30/2008698851
 Both front wheel bearings failed at less than 70,000 miles, causing excessive wear on tie rod ends, that could have led to tie rod failure and loss of vehicle control. this 2004 pt cruiser was maintained under the chrysler maintenance schedule which brings into question why both front wheel bearings should fail at this low a mileage. either the scheduled maintenance was done improperly at some point in time, or the bearing assemblies were defective. at this time there are no service letters that address the parts maintenance or replacements due to wear, normal or otherwise. *tr
02/01/2008420001
 Loud grinding/growling noise, thumping sound when driving. gets louder when accelerating. replaced tires 6/08 thought it was that. found out its the front wheel bearings and hubs. *tr
05/12/2008357801
 My 2004 pt cruiser on the way back from florida just out of the blue, started making horrible front end noise and started shaking violently. i made it to our local dealer only to discover that the both front wheel bearings went bad. it had 36,274 miles on it. the dealer wouldn't do anything about it, so i called chrysler and they wouldn't do anything about it. i researched the problem and thousands of people are having the same problems, some resulting in crashes. in my opinion since this problem is so wide spread there should be a safety issue recall. thanks, for your time. john palmer *tr
04/12/200833600111/01/2007
 Replacing both front wheel bearings on 2004 chrysler pt cruiser limited turbo at 33900 miles. noise started at 33600 miles. way too early to have to replace bearings on any vehicle under normal driving conditions. i looked up pt cruiser wheel bearings on google and found a forum on topix.com and discovered that there are so many other pt owners with the same issue. my mechanic told me that the wheel assembly is really loose due to the bearing failure. i have never owned another vehicle that needed bearings replaced before 100,000 miles. i believe chrysler should be responsible for their product and do a recall of the bearing-hub-knuckle joint assembly. *tr updated 10/17/08. *jb
04/12/2008750001
 Front wheel bearing replace two times. *tr
01/10/200840000204/01/2005
 2004 pt cruiser, multiple wheel bear failures in less than 80k miles 1st at approx 40k and second at approx 80k. both times left side front wheel bearing. *tr
11/15/2007310001
 Front passenger side wheel bearing is bad. started about 31,000 miles. i took the car to the dealer thinking it's covered under the 7 year, 70,000 mile powertrain warranty! as i read the warranty, it states every thing is covered. but the dealer says it a wear part! i don't understand why a wheel bearing goes bad this early and why they don't cover it as a powertrain part? and the price to repair it is over 600.00. i just can't stand to bring myself to pay for this, as if i could afford it . and after some research i'm finding out that alot of consumers are getting screwed by the manufacturer because of a defect in the design and weight issue of the frame and body style. *tr
02/05/200838000111/24/2004
 Both front wheel bearings on my wife's 2004 pt cruser with less than 40k miles went bad. *tr
01/10/200828560106/22/2004
 While driving my 2004 chrysler pt cruiser, i started hearing a grinding noise coming from the front end of the car. in just a matter of days i could tell it was getting louder. i thought it might be the brakes but i just had the front brakes replaced 6,000 miles earlier. i took it to the mechanic where i had the brakes done and after checking the car he told me the problem was the left front wheel bearings. it cost me $556.23 to replace the front left hub and the bearings on both front wheels. after the repair, he showed me the old hub and bearings. the part was broken and several of the bearings were missing. he said if i had continued to drive the car in that condition, it was very likely the front left wheel would fall off, possibly causing serious injury or death. this is a serious safety issue and i believe chrysler needs to issue a recall for this problem. there is only 28,560 miles on this vehicle. there is no way a car with this many miles should be having this kind of problem. *tr
01/05/200856000105/01/2006
 Experienced front driver side wheel bearing and hub failure - replaced at cost of $350. inspection during this repair revealed that the front lower control arm bushings had deteriorated and were in need of replacement as well - put off $600 repair until later date. 56,000 miles 2004 pt cruiser limited. *cn
12/31/200735000105/01/2007
 Purchased 2004 chrysler pt cruiser, used with 31k miles in may, 2007. in about july/august 2007, noticed a grinding noise when making a right turn. it gradually got worse and became noticeable when the car was going straight as well. it felt like the front end was out of alignment. on examination at dealer, they have informed me that both front wheel bearings are bad and must be replaced. *tr
06/19/200636884106/15/2006
 Front wheel bearings failure before 40,000 miles on odometer. *tr
09/20/200740318108/08/2005
 Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. while driving 45 mph, the contact heard an extremely loud noise. he inspected the undercarriage and noticed that the inner wheel bearing failed on the front driver side wheel. the contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer and no repairs were made. the current and failure mileages were 40,318.
06/11/200718400204/30/2007
 Less than 19,000 miles on the 2004 chrysler pt cruiser and the wheel bearings on front went bad. the driver's side was so bad i did not drive it further than a block from work , the closest place. they charged me $313.00 to fix the driver's side. the next day, i found outt he car was still under warranty ,bought it second hand. i took it to the dealership, and they confirmed the passenger's side was also going bad and replaced it and the damaged hub. chrysler will not reimburse me the $313.00 because it was not fixed at a dealership. the driver's side hub was not replaced, and they will not cover this under warranty either. this should be under warranty as well. a car with less than 19,000 miles should not have bad wheel bearings already. the driver's side was so bad that the wheel could have seized or fallen off and caused a serious injury or death to myself and/or others on the interstate. all four tires have some kind of defect, and the front tires have worn unevenly due to the damaged wheel bearings. chrysler will not replace front tires under warranty. *ak
05/15/200753000207/15/2005
 The wheel bearing are worn out on a new car. there is a problem with the pt cruisers. the frame is the same as a dodge neon, but the pt cruiser body is 600 pounds heavier causing added stress on the wheels. *tr
04/11/200733000105/11/2006
 I have owned a 2004 pt cruiser for less than one year. i bought it with 28000 miles, on it, and at about 33000 miles heard a bang. it was still under warranty the dealer didn't find anything wrong with it, but the sound continued. i took it back to dealer, but it was out of warranty by a few days. since that time we have changed brakes, rotors, etc. i finally took it to dealer and discovered it was the bearings. i thought that was a little odd since the vehicle hasn't been driven much. i researched the net, and found a forum with many people experiencing the same problem. in fact, one person even experienced a fatality. as for me, i have lost control going around a bend, and have since changed my driving behavior. please review the following link, and note all of the complaints: http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/chrysler-pt-cruiser/til09od8d72erulqa . there was a design issue since the brakes tended to outlive the bearings. if many owners experienced the same problems and it became too costly what remedies will chrysler provide? *ak
03/26/200517000106/27/2004
 When shifting from first to second gear vehicle stopped moving and would not shift into gear. vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed consumer hat the clutch and bearing needed to be replaced. consumer was concerned that the parts wore out with less then 17,500 miles.*ak