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Chrysler PT Cruiser Owners: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Thought it was only Honda with automatic transmission problems the last few year. Did the dealer tell you or your colleague what part(s) failed?
  • jrb03jrb03 Member Posts: 1
    My wife spilt her frappacino in our Ford Escape and the car reeked. Could not get the odor out. Lysol did not do it. Then I sprayed Febreze a couple of times, and odor is gone. Maybe it would work for your problem?
  • hartmtj21hartmtj21 Member Posts: 1
    Good Morning. I have a 2003 PT Cruiser GT. I absolutely love it!! I have had it for 6 months and it now has 9000 miles on it. So you can tell I drive it a lot. Anyway, I made a few road trips this summer and after each trip my car has a tendency to smell like dead bugs. This smell is only distinct when the outside vents are on or when the air conditioning is running. I think it must come from the bugs hitting the grill. I wash the car and spray it down but the smell is still there at times. Any suggestions on how to prevent this issue during road trips and smell afterwards. Thanks Everyone.
  • norrmanndonorrmanndo Member Posts: 81
    I always turn my air conditioner off for the last couple of blocks before I get to my destination (unless it's just a short errand stop). That way it blows the humidity off the coils. This worked for my old vehicle that had mold when I got it. If I didn't turn it off early, it would stink the next time I got in. Some people recommend spraying lysol onto the coils, but I haven't needed to. My PT hasn't ever developed mold so it's not a problem. But once it's there, it will grow every time it stays wet for a period of time in hot weather.
  • craigmricraigmri Member Posts: 243
    flyer,

    The Aamco shop replaced a laundry list of parts this time. Torque converter to a bunch of rings, seals and other stuff that I'm unfamiliar with. I partially feel that the Transmission industry is a scam.

    The first time it blew up the chrysler dealer said it was the planetary gears.

    Craig
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    The air intake for cabin air is behind the window washer tank near the windshield. I use the Chrysler cabin pollen/air filter (fits behind the washer tank).

    There are several A/C smell remover products on the market, but I've found using Lysol works for me. I've heard Febreze works too, but I haven't tried it.

    With the system fan on one of the two lowest speeds (in the white) and all of the other knobs turned full left try spraying into the air intake behind the window washer tank.

    You should also make sure the A/C evaporator drain is open (car leaves a water puddle on the ground when you park after using the A/C).

    Note: On some of my cars I found that the angle the car was parked at changed how well the drain worked. On some, if the car wasn't on flat ground the water inside the A/C system would not completely drain. This would cause mold/mildew to form inside the A/C system, causing the smell.
  • mariannemarianne Member Posts: 1
    Hi! Please...
    I bought my PT Cruiser 2,0 Limited (2002) for about six months ago. But to my disappointment there is a howling sound that appears once in a while, but every time I leave it to my dealer they can´t hear it or find out whats wrong. It´s quite a loud howling-sound that appears mostly in a speed of 60-70 km/h, (I don´t know how many miles per hour that is... maybe it´s about 35-40 miles/h) and when i slightly turn the steering-wheel to the left. Please, does anyone know what it could be... Marianne - Sweden
  • lv1001lv1001 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 PT Cruiser that I bought in Oct of 2002. For all of 2003, things were fine. But in February of this year, I started to have engine bucking as I was driving and then the car would feel like it was going to stall out. I brought it into the dealer and they replaced the spark plugs and wires. It drove ok until June and the same thing started happening. Once again, they replaced the spark plugs and also reprogrammed the computer. Now it's November and you guessed it, it's happening again. And I'm out of warranty now!!! I am bringing it in tomorrow for service and I'm at my wits end. Any ideas from you guys about what else they should look at?
  • azspyder1azspyder1 Member Posts: 10
    I just bought a 03 Turbo PT 7000 miles and all the bells and whistles. (my other car is a Corvair ragtop Spyder) Am very imprssed with the instant acceleration-as my Spyder is sluggish under 3000 rpm. BUT the PT is very noisy-sound is coming from the cars rear and not power related, as it continues even out of gear when coasting. . Is that normal or perhaps rear wheel bearings. Pls comment if you can. Tedinaz
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Have an 03 PT GT. Not normal. However, the OE tires on the 03 GT tend to cup on the outside. This can cause noise if bad enough. Also the OE tires get rather noisy as they wear. If your car has an after market dual exhaust check it too.

    My GT is not quiet in general, but there is nothing extra coming from the rear of the car.

    A Corvair - wow. Long time since I had one. I liked the four carb one better around town, but the turbo was nice on the open road. If memory serves, the turbo had a long pipe leading to it and some people used to insulate that pipe to get more power and faster response.
  • car2starcar2star Member Posts: 5
    Re: my posting #102 above.

     

    I took my car back to selling dealer twice. They rotated tires and the problem was reduced, but still there. When I reached the mileage for freeway driving, I would reach 69 and 73 mph and the car felt as though it would vibrate itself apart. Of course, the dealer could find nothing wrong. I took it to a Goodyear dealer, and they used the "load force balancer" described by another post above and found 3 out of 4 tires out of round. They were replaced under Goodyear warranty. What a difference! If you have this problem, take it to a tire dealer, don't put up with this nonsense!!
  • mdcruiser1mdcruiser1 Member Posts: 9
    I got this new thing that just started tonite on my 03 Limited, 35K miles. When I turn the wheel, the steering almost grinds. I checked the fluid, it was a little low so I added some. The noise is still there, though I only drove about a mile after adding the fluid. I am taking it in tomorrow to see what's going on. Also, I recently had the serpentine belts replaced. Maybe they did something to mess it up? We will find out.. but was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience.
  • tcsmpsitcsmpsi Member Posts: 31
    You say you added power steering fluid. Was it low? Also, I hope that it wasn't "power steering fluid". The system requires the ATF+4 fluid, which I have only been able to find through dealer. Adding other fluid will gum up the system.

     

    Also, there has been a recall on many PTs power steering systems.

     

    I have had my 03 power steering system replaced through the recall program.
  • mdcruiser1mdcruiser1 Member Posts: 9
    It was a half bottle low, and it was not fluid from the dealer. I made an appt. to take it already because I was concerned about a leak.

     

    I had the recall done that involved 430,000 cars, but that was the only one so far.
  • pardner3pardner3 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

     

    Can you let me know what steps you took to have Chrysler to repair your car? I have a 2001 Limited Edition and the engine blew at 39,664 miles. It was determined that there was some internal engine problems that caused my spark plug to explode and the engine to go. I have sent letters to customer service and to EVERYONE on the board of directors in Germany. All they came back and said was "sorry, you are out of warranty". I took very good care of the car, service when scheduled, and expected a bit more consideration. I got the car as a XMAS present last year and am now looking at paying $3000.00 to get it repaired in just over a year.

     

    Please, any advice you can offer is appreciated. I've learned that Chrysler is not very good at standing behind their product. :(

     

    Thanks,

     

    Nicole

    2001 PT
  • tedinaztedinaz Member Posts: 8
    My PT Turbo, ('03 7000miles)gets less than 20mpg with very conservative driving. I'm at 5000+feet elevation and the car was bot from a sea level dealer. Do you think low level (no pun intended) delivered cars have too rich a mixture at higher elevations?
  • mdcruiser1mdcruiser1 Member Posts: 9
    Has anyone noticed that in the topic of this post that 'Chrysler' is misspelled?? Just wondering...
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    It's amazing how many times I have apparently read that and not noticed! We tend to see what we expext to see when we read. It applies to hearing also! My teenage son never hears "clean your room," he hears "your room is clean!" LOL

     

    PS. one word was intentionally misspelled above..how many noticed? ;-)
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Have 03 GT also. Average mpg for 18,000 miles is almost 18 mpg. Engine and fuel control electronics adjust for altitude. Cruisers are heavy for their size and the GT model does not have high EPA mpg numbers. Ours is also driven conservatively and gets about 25% less mpg than our Avalon. Long freeway drives are in the 23 mpg range (25 is the best I've seen) and local stop and go driving is in the 15 mpg range.
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    You should get a prize. You're right, Chrysler is misspelled.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Uhh..no it's not...now. ;-)
  • idntnvuidntnvu Member Posts: 254
    (I also posted this under the PT Cruiser forum)

     

    Hi all, my sister is considering an older PT cruiser, and I was wondering what problems have been had and are common with the PT? What are things to look for when test driving a used one? I appreciate any feedback.

     

    idntnvu
  • vandrusvandrus Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 5 speed PT Cruiser and this winter have had lots of frost on the front and driver's windows. Dealership says door gasket may not be tight. Anyone else have this problem? It must be a warranty covered situation, right?
  • vandrusvandrus Member Posts: 2
    I have another question:

    I'm at the end of the original service contract (3/36,000)and would like to know if anyone knows about any repair trends. I have a 2002 PT cruiser, 5 speed and the only problems so far are computer related:

     

    - at 4,000 miles the windows wouldn't go down until I had shut off the engine and restarted. No diagnostics were done.

     

    - at 20,000 miles the airbag light came on for a 24 hour period in zero degree weather and shut off on it's own. No diagnostics were done.
  • charlesf1charlesf1 Member Posts: 52
    Would someone please tell me how to remove the speaker grill on top of the dash?

    Thank you
  • wheelmanwheelman Member Posts: 52
    Nicole, Since the PT is out of warranty about the only way you can receive compensation for repairs would be through a class action suit which would prompt Daimler Chrysler to issue a large scale recall. Best to monitor recalls /complaints at NHTSA.gov The following url takes you to the Office of Defects Investigation >> http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/

     

    Wheelman
  • njptnjpt Member Posts: 1
    Do any other PT Cruiser owners have problems with rodents building nests in the car? It's happened to us twice now.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Welcome to Edmunds Forums!

     

    This problem is not necessarily more prevalent in one make/model over another. If you do a keyword search (to your left) using the words "mice" and "rodents", you will find a few archived topics that discuss this dilemma.
  • norrmanndonorrmanndo Member Posts: 81
    The vents on the defrost setting that blow to the side window are somewhat small. You need to turn the adjustable vents toward the side window and set the vent control so that it blows out of the side front vents for a minute or so. Usually the defrost setting is enough to keep this from happening, but if not, just use the other adjustable vents for a little while.
  • thatgirlthatgirl Member Posts: 2
    Most dealerships sell something called "friggie fresh" to spray into the ducts. Almost all R134A using vehicles get this probelm.
  • jmilliganjmilligan Member Posts: 2
    I have had the same problem with our local dealer. I would not let them work on a Radio Flyer wagon! I took my car to a local Toyota dealership where I know a lot of the mechanics, and within 4 hours, the vibration was gone, and it has been smooth saling ever since. I am sure my PT got a lot of funny looks while on the rack next to a bunch of Camrys!
  • jmilliganjmilligan Member Posts: 2
    I asked a local dealer about this product, they had it. It was pricey (about $20) but it worked!
    We will see about long term, but at least it didnt have the "hospital smell" of Lysol!
  • ptricanptrican Member Posts: 1
    My inside door handle in the drivers door broke. After inspecting it, I found out that the part that broke holds the long rod that controls the outside handle and the small rod that control the inside handle. It is a black piece that holds a blue clip and a yellow clip behind the panel in the drivers door. I'm currently stationed in Germany with the Army and the Germans told me that I need to order the complete panel because that part is attached to the panel. Please I need your help because I have to open my window to be able to open the door from the outside. Thanks
  • purplebugpurplebug Member Posts: 24
    I will be purchasing a new PT GT this year with a strong desire to get the Dark Plum one. However, if I can save more money getting another color because it will be in stock; does anyone know of a great car painter in NJ to redo the car in the color I want? Thanks in advance.
  • volvodan1volvodan1 Member Posts: 188
    Get a Plum. $4-5 large would be the starting point for a factory quality paint job, and that still ain't a factory paint job. You'd pay for the paint, then pay later because it's been re-painted.

    You "might, maybe" save a buck or two getting one in stock. If they don't have it, it won't cost that much to go get.

    I don't know what else to say except find a new one that's already the color you want.
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    They are correct. The inside remote handle (what you pull on to open the door from the inside) is part of the panel. Not much labor to replace the panel, maybe 30 minutes or so. I've taken mine off twice.
  • andy27andy27 Member Posts: 5
    I just bought a 2005 PT Cruiser Limited, and just went on a road trip to Phoenix from California. I noticed that once the car reaches cruising speed(in my case between 80-83 mph) there is a pretty significant vibration in the steering wheel. If I reduce or increase my speed, vibration seems to subside, although upon changing speeds again it seems to come back. Anyone know what this could be? This is a brand new car with less then 1000 miles on it, so I am surprised at its freeway behavior.
    Also, I wasnt expecting it to get "Honda Civic like" gas milage, but was disappointed at the fact I only got 19 MPG on the freeway. I think my GMC Sierra gets better freeway milage!!
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    There are a few things that cause vibration in the steering wheel. Wheel balance is a frequent cause, though the vibration get worse as speed increases. There can also be alignment problems as well as wheel and tire run out problems. Sounds like a dealer warranty fix is in order.

    Cruisers don't get great mpg. The mpg on ours increased about 10% at around 3000 miles and continued to improve another 5% over the next several thousand miles. Even then, the mpg is poor. Our 03 GT automatic gets 22-23 mpg at high freeway speeds (75+) with A/C on. Overall, our PT GT gets only about 1 mpg better than our MDX. The best tank I have seen is 25 (twice). Non-turbo Cruisers get much better mpg.
  • andy27andy27 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the input on the vibration. I'll have the dealer check it out at my first oil change.
    As far as the gas goes, hopefully it improves over time, but even if it doesn't the positives about this car far outweigh the negatives! The thing is a blast to drive!
  • budmanptcbudmanptc Member Posts: 2
    To clean dusty wheels, try Windex window spray. The dust comes off easier with this than anything I've tried, its cheap, and new dust buildup seems to be a lot less.
    Most of these commercial wheel cleaners are really smoke and mirrors. All vapor and no substance.
  • budmanptcbudmanptc Member Posts: 2
    Mine did that after the first rotation. Rebalancing the wheels did the trick. Be sure they use the proper weights (the dealer, Sam's, & Costco).
  • hojohojo Member Posts: 6
    Agree with everyone about poor gas mileage. My best with my 2002 PT with auto is 25. My other 4 cylinder cars have averaged 35 mpg or better. A friend's transmission just went out at 40k miles ($2,600) - that has me worried. If you want better acceleration, try Bosh Platinum +4 spark plugs (Big difference, but I'd like to smack the engineer who designed the air intake manifold attached to entire top of the engine, turning a 10-minute job to a 3-hour job). My engine malfunction light came on at 37k miles and the dealer has ordered a new PCM (computer). I thought it was just a smog reset or something. I replaced my original battery last week and now the power door locks, keyless entry & alarm system do not work. I find no reference to resetting any of this and the fuse is fine. Anyone have a clue?
  • lindainpalindainpa Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 PT Cruiser and just recently have been having a problem with the key. Once inserted in the ignition, it won't move. You have to keep playing with it, and then it finally clicks. We were out of town last weekend and it took almost 1/2 hour of playing before we could start the car. Sometimes it's just 3 or four tries. Took it to the dealer today and they said it was the remote and we had to buy a new remote and get our key re-keyed. OK, we did. It did the same thing tonight after class. Now what? Anybody experienced anything like this??? Thanks!!
  • charlotte7charlotte7 Member Posts: 144
    Hi all,

    I've loved the look of the PT Cruisers for quite a while, and am considering trading in my 04 Subaru Outback for one (the Outback has had a host of problems--I'm one unhappy Subaru buyer).

    My two main concerns are cargo space and mileage. I have a 70-lb German Shepherd and without taking her to the dealership with me, it's hard to tell if she would fit in the back with the rear seats up or if I'd have to put the seats down. Any Cruiser owners with dogs want to weigh in?

    Also, one of the things I'm dissatisfied with my Outback is the mileage. It doesn't run well on anything but 89 or 93 octane, and it gets 16 mpg in city driving. This is a 163 hp 4-cylinder engine, and this is honestly about the same I got with my 95 Z-28, which was a lot more fun to drive! Can you run your Cruisers on 87 octane without ferocious pinging?

    City commuters, what kind of mileage are you getting? I drive about 10 miles roundtrip each day, which isn't much, and I make a few more short trips in the evenings for classes, etc. I usually only do highway driving on the weekends.

    Thanks!
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Don't buy a Cruiser if mpg is a major concern. Cruisers are heavy for their size and have a lot of air drag at higher speeds. Both of these cost mpg. Our GT gets about 14-16 mpg in local driving. The non-turbo models usually do a little better. In 20K miles our Cruiser has averaged only 18 mpg (mostly local driving) with high speed freeway driving giving about 22-25 mpg

    We love our Cruiser (03 GT). Our 85 pound dog rides in the back seat. While there is room for the dog in the way back, the seats are tall relative to the floor, so it is like a big open top box. If this is where the dog must ride be sure to try before you buy. If your dog is like mine, the cargo area, with both back seats up (so people can sit in the back), will not be a happy place.
  • sisusisu Member Posts: 2
    You may have to get a new ignition. I had the same problem with an '82 Accord & the dealer couldn't seem to figure out what the problem then either. Finally told them to replace the whole thing on the steering wheel.
  • peach1peach1 Member Posts: 2
    May be the gas cap wasn't put on correctly. Just a thought.....had that problem myself, and thought I'd pass that bit along.
  • jonmicjonmic Member Posts: 1
    Got a 2001 Cruiser. When we unlock the passenger door, and lately the driver door, the horn starts going off. It stops with the key in the ignition. I have yet to get an owners manual, and would like to be able to get into my car quietly to go get one. Please help!!!
  • chatterboxpcchatterboxpc Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2005 PT Cruiser and a 120 pound Lab . My lab will fit great with the seats taken out or folded down . On a return trip ( purchased way too much junk ) I even left the seats up and she fit Ok back there but not as comfortable as she would have liked to be . I also use regular gas and do not get any pinging . I do however have a motor problem I will address in another message.
  • chatterboxpcchatterboxpc Member Posts: 2
    When my 2005 PT Cruiser got 2000 miles on it I discovered an oil leak . After many many hours at my dealer and many many loaner cars while Chrysler among other things replaced first the head gasket then the head . Then it really started leaking oil .By now it had only 6500 miles on it .The dealer said it had a busted block ! I demanded another car and held my ground .It had been worked on 7 times. :lemon: Chrysler wanted to completly redo the motor. I did get my replacement identical car ( I had to pay only for the mileage on the first one) . It has just under 2000 miles and much to my shock ......I discovered an oil leak under it today...... I just left my car with my dealer (again) and they said they have reports that the 2005 PT Cruiser sometimes needs retorked .This would be the head bolts are not properly torked or tightened to specs . Once the motor has heated to running temp ........it may already have damage to the aluminum head. Everyone please ...if you do not park in a garage ...put cardboard or something under your car and check for an oil leak , it is near the front left ( drivers side ) and very minor at first but this could really cause problems later on down the line .....like after the warranty runs out .
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