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 multifunctional light switch on PT CRUISER is defective. Over 500 PT CRUISER owners have reported that suddenly the front & back fog lights come on & do not shut off even when the motor & all other switches are turned off. Obviously there is a short in the switch which could result in head lights suddenly being turned off when driving at night. This failure has been constant forcing me & others to remove the fuse controlling the fog lights so that the battery does not drain down after the vehicle is shut down. I and others have encountered extreme difficulty in obtaining a replacement part.
Found 2002 PT CRUISER with dead battery on occasion, no consistency. Replaced battery (7.75 years old, 90K miles) after 3rd instance over 2 months, issue resolved for about 2 weeks. Car parked in hot parking lot, fog lights were dim when approaching car. Car would not turn over to start, had it jumped. Upon returning home, went to turn off car, fog lights would not turn off. Fiddling with light switch would make them go off temporarily, then right back on. Found turning left blinker in on position kept fogs off. Researching issue, found the following forum: www.topix.com/forum/autos/Chrysler-pt-cruiser/tf81khbdldvt92ah2 where hundreds of people have experienced the same issue. Waiting to hear from Chrysler on replacement part, as all online sources say it is back ordered 30-60 days.
Multifunction switch for headlights and fog lights fails. Lights erratic, safety problem big time at night. Thousands of complaints of the problem since 2001 can be viewed on line under various posts and threads. Obviously a manufacturing defect that the company needs to address. Since the company is now run by the government, should I call the white house?
I purchased my 2002 Chrysler PT CRUISER a few years ago now. I have sent Chrysler many letters about these problems. The most recent incident was very scary. I bought the car at about 31,000 miles. About a month later my paint started peeling off of the front bumper and my dash started to crack. Mind you I keep my car garaged and it is washed and waxed regularly by a shop that I have used for years with no problems. I went back to the dealer I bought it from and they were gone. So I contacted my next closest dealer. They said they could not do anything for me. About a month after that my cpu went out which was covered under the extended warranty that I purchased. They had to replace it twice before it finally lasted more than a day. Then my dash completely crumbled. It cracked from the windshield to the front in the center and on both sides. I wrote a letter and email with no answer. I then contacted Chrysler by phone and the lady told me to F% off and hung up on me. So I gave up. Obviously I was not going to get anywhere with them. Then about 3 months ago my check engine light came back on. I took my car to a friend who is a licensed mechanic and he scanned it on the computer and said it was my cpu again! I took it to the dealership and was told my warranty had expired. So I wrote another letter because this repair was going to be $1400 dollars. No response. But the scariest was about 2 weeks ago I was driving with my 13 month old niece in the car and smoke started coming from the left hand side of my steering column. I almost had got in a wreck trying to get us to safety. The smoke stopped so I figured whatever it was done for now. We were on the side of the road in a not so desirable neighborhood at night so I decided to take my chances with the car. We headed off on our way and my headlights started flickering. I parked the vehicle at home and the next morning my fairly new battery was dead. My flood lights would not turn off and had been on all night.
Fog lamps stayed on when 2002 PT CRUISER was turned off. After dissembling of the switch box the internal switch had arched enough that it welded itself together causing the plastic to melt and smoke. I used a real relay to rewire the circuit with a switch on the dash. This is in addition to rebuilding the front suspension and now I have a oil leak. Great car from Chrysler. I only have 74,000 on the car.
I own a 2002 PT CRUISER touring edition and recently I have been coming out to my car to find the battery dead, I have a newer battery so this baffled me until I realized today that there is a short of some kind in the multi switch for the headlights and fog lights that caused the fog lights to remain on eventhough everything else was turned off. The following link shows may others are having the same issue and like others until I find out why this is happening I have pulled the fuse for my foglights.townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.F0F6957. this is dangerous if there is a short in these switches it can cause a fire and given the massive amt of people all over car forums having this issue why has noone issued a recall on these switches?
Multifunction switch felt like it had additional friction when turning lights on. In the first instance the head lights and fog lights were not coming on when they should. First unit was replaced at the dealership. Second instance the switch did not have any precursor indication of failure, all lights from switch just stopped working one day. Second unit is being replaced at dealership. Part only lasts ~18 months.
Multi function switch, lights just quit working, very dangerous. I have never had a car were something as basic as the headlights quit working. All lights failed, interior, headlights, dash lights, tail lights.
2002 Chrysler PT CRUISER, the multi-function switch, which controls the fog-lights, headlights, and interior panel is faulty. It shorts out, causing smoke, or the fog lights come on when the car is parked, and drains the battery of all power. Driving down the road, the light comes on indicating the fog lights are on, when they have not been activated, then there is a burning smell coming from the steering column, you have to turn the lights on, turn on the blinkers or stop to get this problem to subside. Chrysler has had this problem with thousands of the multi-function switches that have the fog-light option. Please issue an immediate recall before a fire occurs which means the loss of someone's' life. This can be prevented by immediate action on the governments part. The multifunction switch is faulty, very weak.
Multi-control turn signal lever issue. Fog lights stay on, even with car off. Drains battery. 'very touchy', short? had to pull fuse to temporarily remedy situation.
Multi function switch shorted out causing lights to remain on. Leaving my wife unable to attend her chemo therapy session on time, due the need to get car jump started. After several days mis function was notice, brought to dealer and repaired by same at no charge.
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