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.
I replaced my vehicles battery 2 days ago(Nov 12, 2019)(very old battery and with the cold in Massachusetts it needed to be changed). Now with a properly functioning battery the voltage regulator in PCM (not alternator) is signaling alternator to raise charging voltage intermittently to as high as 17.1volts, but has been frequently bouncing between 14.1V -16.7volts. This increase of voltage to a unsafe level causes all electrical accessories that are in connected to the charging system and are operational to flash/ flicker. Extremely distracting at night with headlights and dashboard flashing/ flickering. After a lot of research I found out the PCM needs to be reprogrammed with the proper updated firmware in order to fix the factory weak parameters. I spoke with a service manager today(Nov 14,2019) at my local Chrysler dealership (central Jeep Chrysler Dodge Ram Fiat @ 56 boston providence tpke, norwood, MA 02062) about the problem and asked to have my PCM reprogrammed since only that specific model car manufactures service shop will have the capability and PCM firmware to repair it. The manager refused to do any work on my car since he said, "I wont touch cars older than 10years and close to 100,000miles". then asked if I was even a customer at that specific location, saying no again after I said I wasn't. there is no other option than the factory dealership to fix a factory flawed PCM, which makes the risk of my battery exploding due to the increased regulated voltage very likely. This problem isn't new to Chrysler since they have issued several tsb(s) in my specific vehicle and this exact problem: 18-112-16 18-026-03 rev.a 18-016-03 18-020-04
There was an electrical fire where the radio cup holders and the shifter. Car is undriveable due to the damage. My car was stationary at the time. The radio kept turn on and off. I heard cracking when I went into work. When I came out I say there was a whole lot of damage. I did get the car started and was able to get it home, but it's not drivable since the car died as I was pulling into my driveway. When I went to put it into park it was like park was not an option. Amd the car kept moving so I put the E break on.
I don't truly know what's happen to it N if it's been fixed but I do know that prior it would have uncontrollable speed control N steering problems N gps N video N auto recording N radio frequencies.
Vehicle was parked. Turned off. Multifunction switch that had been replaced previoulsy malfunctioned again. Fog lights just came on out of nowhere luckily I turned around and noticed it. When I opened my car door I noticed the switch was smoking. After some quick thinking I pulled the fuse. If I had not thought of this I belive it would have caught my car on fire and the ones parked next to it. I have had the fuse pulled for a year. Flash forward to my current state in va and it's inspection time. I failed for a faulty function switch. The guys replaced the switch first stoplight I come to no signal. Took it back to garage they said switch was bad out of the box. After this epidemic this will be the 4th multifunction switch that I know of installed on this car. How in the world has this part not been recalled yet. Please do something!
The contact owns a 2003 Chrysler PT CRUISER. After the vehicle was started, the check engine and air bag warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and an independent mechanic on multiple occasions where the catalytic converter, cpu, spark plugs, and fuel cap were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 151,000.
- Lake Elsinore, CA, USA
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The contact owns a 2003 Chrysler PT CRUISER. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and then caught fire without warning. The contact did not disclose if a police report was filed or not. The details of who extinguished the fire were unknown. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 201,561.
The wiring harness melted, which caused the multifunction switch to burn out and running tail lights to not work properly. Replaced multifunction switch and burning smell came from steering column. Pulled new multifunction switch and noticed melted connectors.
Stop at a red light and was hit from behind by another car going over 30 miles per hour. It pushed us into another vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. My husband and son got whip lash.
Battery went completely dead after only two years. Had the battery replaced and now the dashboard lights and the headlights flicker terribly and even more when on high beams.
The contact owns a 2003 Chrysler PT CRUISER. The contact stated the airbag and the check light engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the battery was replaced numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electrical system needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000 and the current mileage was 100,000. The VIN was not available.
2003 Chrysler PT CRUISER. Consumer writes in regards to ignition problems. The consumer stated she had a problem with the radio going out, whenever she hit a bump in the road. It turned out, after several service appointments, that the ignition key has been knocked out of place and the electricity was off.
Low voltage light came on, lost all power on the highway.I had to hit the shoulder quickly. I then tested code with key (3 clicks off/on) got code P0622 and P2403..towed to a shop, to find out the wires from alternator to the computer shorted out, it's a known problem, wiring harness runs along cv shaft and rubs against a bolt near the frame, thus shorting out the charging system and burning out the computer. So now the bill for repairs are almost $650 and lucky we got off the highway in time, almost got hit by a semi cause we lost power so quick. I am glad we didn't get killed. If Chrysler and the government knows this is a problem why is there no recall.....or a safety warning.
I've had this vehicle approx. 2 years. At an earlier time I had used the fog lights twice with no incident. Later and prior to 12/17/13 the fog light indicator appeared on the instrument panel, the fog light switch wasn't even turned on but the light came on by themselves. I jiggled the switch and the lights and indicator went out, after that the fog lights wouldn't work at all. On 12/17/13 I went out to my garage to find the fog lamps on. The headlights were off, the car not running, the keys weren't even in the ignition. The lights just came on by themselves. I managed to turn them off (for the night) only to find when I got to work the next morning I couldn't shut them off. I drove the car home, finally pulled the fuse for the fog lamps and returned to work. I've also had incidences where the headlights will dim slightly and then illuminate fully. According to some of the forums I've read, there are a lot of people having this problem. Some people also report burning wires and dead batteries. I wish they would file a complaint. Thank you.
About 3 three years ago the headlights started flickering and the radio light would totally go out. Now the fog lights are coming on with the car turned off. I am taking the car to a mechanic - hopefully they can fix the issue.
2003 turbo PT CRUISER issue with engine over heating light coming on engine was not over heating. A week later running lights and foglamps started coming on while car is off and sitting. Checked a site that said it was a problem in the turbo 2003 and 2004 turbo cruisers and the issue will get worse. My car is not included in the recall.
1. I generally drive our 2003 Chrysler PT CRUISER with the fog lights on during the day, and the headlights at night. This means I was turning the fog light switch on the turn signal unit several times a day. 2. beginning early in 2009 I experienced times when the fog lights would not turn off with the switch without a lot of cycling, or the fog lights would turn themselves on when the door closed. The vibration of the vehicle made that happen. Then, when trying to get the fog lights to turn off, the switch began to smoke. Turning off the car cleared that, so I stopped using the fog lights. The turn signals and headlight portion of the switch worked fine. 3. I contacted the Chrysler dealership and was told they were out of the switch. I then contacted a local auto maintenance company I have used in the past and trust. They quoted me a better service price, and that the switch was backordered. There were over 5000 switches on backorder and it was six months after the order was placed before we received the switch and had it installed. My concern is two fold: 1. the 5000 may well have been the tip of the iceberg in terms of failures, and 2. if I had not been sitting there, would the lights, after coming on by themselves have cause the switch to actually catch the vehicle on fire? I thought that the brief time I was smoke should have been enough to blow the fuse, but it didn't.
High beams coming on without being turned on, at first once or twice a week then everyday it would happen then everytime using the vehicle, the high beams came on after I turned them off when getting out of my car upon returning to my car would not crank, the high beams where still on, had to get my car jumped started, removed the fuse and haven't had the high beams to come on again, but I need my high beams esp. For long distance driving through the mountains, there's a shortage somewhere between the fuse and high beams lights.
I purchased a 2003 Chrysler PT CRUISER in July 2008 in Oct we noticed lights flickering headlight switch started burning fog lights came on didn't work before took it Dodge new switch and 22 pin connector. New PCM reprogrammed it still same problem lights flicker and check engine light stays on.
This problem started in the spring of 2006. Although I didn't know it at the time, the fog lights came on by themselves while just sitting in the parking lot or at home. No warning, so I didn't know until I went to start the car and the battery was dead. Since this was intermittent, no lights on the dash advising me the fog lights were on and during daylight hours, I never noticed that the fog lights were on. After several times of this happening. This caused me to replace the battery. While replacing the battery I noticed that the original cables had inferior battery connector leads. The cables connectors were mostly eaten through causing me to have to replace them. (I noticed that when I got the new leads that the connectors were of a better material). Due to this not having any rime or reason as to why the battery kept going dead and no one had any idea why this was happening I simply had to wait until I discovered the cause. In Dec 2007 I went to start the car and sure enough the battery was dead. However this time when I jumped the battery the fog light on the dash stayed on and that is when I found the problem. I was unable to turn them off since the switch was already in the off position. My only recourse was to remove the fog light fuse. Since removing the fog light fuse I have had no further issues to date. I still do not know the cause or the cure so, I logged on to this site to look for a service bulletin or information to tell me that and here I am. The mileage on the vehicle when this whole stuff started was approx 36,000 and it now has 42000 miles on it.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Norwood, MA, USA