CarComplaints.com Notes: Chrysler has taken the boring small car frame of the Neon, grafted a 1930s-era roadster body on top and named it the PT Cruiser. While the new look may appeal to some, the vehicle has unfortunately also inherited many of the same problems as the Neon.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
140,137 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owned a 2001 Chrysler PT CRUISER. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed white smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle then became engulfed in flames. The contact exited the vehicle and rushed away from the scene. The contact stated that the vehicle exploded. The fire department was contacted and extinguished the fire. It was not indicated if a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage yard. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent a technician to inspect the vehicle. No further assistance was offered. There were no injuries. The failure mileage was 107,000. The VIN was not provided.
Fuel line was chafing against the air conditioning service port causing a leak in the fuel line. Fuel was spraying in the engine compartment. Extreme fire hazard.
I first sent this complaint on Mar 7, 2014 and received an email reply acknowledging it, but since haven't heard anything. Is my complaint being taken seriously? it is a serious complaint as follows: On Feb 5, 2014, my 2001 PT CRUISER shut down while it was being driven down a busy street. It didn't make a sputter or a sound, it just died. Luckily, it coasted long enough for me to pull off onto a quieter street and up against a curb. We had it towed to the automotive shop the explanation for the motor shutting down was alarming. The automotive tech reported the crankshaft position sensor needed replacing. As I understand, when this sensor goes bad, the engine automatically shuts down. With no warning. I had gas in my pt. I don't think people know about this; the tech said most cars that are 'newer' (as far back as 2002, at least) have this sensor. This is a serious safety concern and appears to be widespread. I looked through every page of my 2001 PT CRUISER owner's manual and didn't find any indication that there would be a problem like this or that the crankshaft position sensor should be tested regularly, if it could be tested, that is. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would be doing the public a lifesaving service to look into the danger of this failed design, not to just replace them in all cars with a new one, but with one that is not designed to fail at the risk of the drive and anyone else in the vicinity when a moving car decides to just shut down. With no warning. There is not a time frame for this part to fail, but cars that are around my cruisers may be ready to give out. Please look into this dangerous situation. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
On Feb 5, 2014, my 2001 PT CRUISER shut down while it was being driven down a busy street. It didn't make a sputter or a sound, it just died. Luckily, it coasted long enough for me to pull off onto a quieter street and up against a curb. We had it towed to the automotive shop the explanation for the motor shutting down was alarming. The automotive tech reported the crankshaft position sensor needed replacing. As I understand, when this sensor goes bad, the engine automatically shuts down. With no warning. I had gas in my pt. A car can shut down completely while in motion" with no warning? I am mortified that this is possible! is it really possible" but, evidently, it is true, since that's what the tech is replacing. I am thankful that it didn't happen 2 days earlier when I had my elderly mother in the car on the watterson expressway. I don't think people know about this; the tech said most cars that are 'newer' (as far back as 2002, at least) have this sensor. This is a serious safety concern and appears to be widespread. I looked through every page of my 2001 PT CRUISER owner's manual and didn't find any indication that there would be a problem like this or that the crankshaft position sensor should be tested regularly, if it could be tested, that is. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would be doing the public a lifesaving service to look into the danger of this failed design, not to just replace them in all cars with a new one, but with one that is not designed to fail at the risk of the drive and anyone else in the vicinity when a moving car decides to just shut down. With no warning. There is not a time frame for this part to fail, but cars that are around my cruisers may be ready to give out. Please look into this dangerous situation. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2001 Chrysler PT CRUISER. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, a strong odor of gasoline fuel emitted inside of the vehicle. The failure occurred thirty minutes after refueling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where they noticed a large amount of fuel leaking from the fuel tank return line. The mechanic installed two clamps as a temporary repair. The failure persisted and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was awaiting diagnosis. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number 02V214000 (fuel system, gasoline) but was advised that the VIN was not included in the recall campaign. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- North Pruro, MA, USA