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Chrysler PT Cruiser (2005 and earlier)

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Comments

  • marshal1marshal1 Member Posts: 68
    What exactly is the southeast region? I'm guessing you either work in the car industry or are a LEO. I had actually considered reporting the dealership that pulled the bait and switch to the proper authorities. However, I've been buying cars for almost 20 years and dirty dealing just seems to be a part of the game. I've always managed to get a new car at a price I was happy with. I ended up buying a new Toyota Avalon from the same dealership that tried to pull the bait and switch with the PT cruiser on me and ended up paying close to invoice. Luckily, the dealership sold both Chrysler and Toyota products. I'm glad I went with the Toyota. It is far superior to any Chrysler product.

    Regarding #53. Fish, when you're ready to buy consider a Toyota. The workmanship, reliability and resale value are all outstanding. As for Jeeps, Consumer Reports gave the Grand Jerokee its worst rating ever in the area of reliabilty. Chrysler can barely give the Grand Cherokees away at this point. They are selling for thousands under invoice and the dealerships are still over stocked with them. I actually considered buying a Grand Cherokee until I researched reliability in Consumer Reports.
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    I was refering to the region where I work, for one of the internet services.

    And I have to agree, I'd prefer the Toyota myself, even though the PT Cruiser is pretty cool.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Thanks for the recommendation!! I actually owned a '93 Toyota Corolla back in '94 and I didn't have a single problem with it. Unfortunately, the only Toyota that has some excitement to it is the Celica. Since me and my wife are expecting our firts baby in August, a Celica is not a good option for a new car.

    Back to the PT cruiser: One thing the PT has going for it is it's looks. Time will tell about it's durability.
  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    Syracuse N Y Chrysler dealer advertising new
    2001 PT $17,960 plus tax & tag..in stock !!!
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    Since the PT cruiser falls into a several different vehicle categories, this discussion has been linked across three different message boards: Hatchbacks, Station Wagons, and Vans. Thanks for your participation. ;-)

    Pocahontas
    Host
    Hatchbacks/Station Wagons
  • kh60kh60 Member Posts: 2
    Just picked up my PT (cranberry limited) last week. Now there are 4 chrysler products at our house ; 88 plymouth sundance, 89 dodge caravan, 97 chrysler cirrus Lxi, 2001 PT cruiser.
    I think DC is on the right track and look forward to many more miles in DC products.
  • chas215chas215 Member Posts: 22
    Does anyone have some solid information about changes for 2002 and when 2002's will be available? I'm also considering Hyundai Santa Fe and new Honda CRV planned for 2002. Opinions are welcome. Thanks.
  • 300silverbulit300silverbulit Member Posts: 60
    chrysler.com the official site seems to have the 2002 cruiser information already in place. go to the "build your own" feature for the PT and it will give you a choice 2001 or 2002 model. The cruiser is my first choice but I think it will be out of my budget, the hyundai elantra GT hatchback looks good though.
  • chryslertmichryslertmi Member Posts: 10
    Here in Kansas City these cars are still selling for thousands over invoice and I can see why, this car is the best quality/design in decades. Even people who say they dislike the car seem to smile when confronted with one. Chrysler should create a signature horn for this vehicle. I don't know if I can hold out much longer! I want one!
  • ewl26ewl26 Member Posts: 1
    Considering some of the posts I've read, I must be a dunce, but I'm thinking of buying a PT Cruiser. Nevertheless, in checking out some listings on Auto Trader, and concomitant VINs, I've run across the designation LHD. What does that mean? I want a Limited Edition, but I'm not sure the LHD designation is indicative of that. Does anyone know?
  • tmundartmundar Member Posts: 70
    I don't know if LHD means anything special for the PT Cruiser, but I have seen the acronym used to indicate Left-Hand Drive (the steering wheel is on the left side) as opposed to RHD vehicles that are sold in the UK, Australia, and Japan. I could be full of it, though. :)

    Tom
  • veronicarhveronicarh Member Posts: 1
    Ouch! My first time on this board and I'm near tears for all the words I've read on Chrysler products. I've never owned anything but Chrysler product in my life! I've never had many of the problems described on this board either, and I can't believe that I'm just lucky. My first Chrysler product was a '69 Coronet,followed by 71 Challenger, 73 Dodge Ram Van, 73 Pickup, 78 Omni, 79 Newport all driven to death, and most with much more than 100,000 miles and we're now on our second mini-van, replacing our 86 with a 97, and yes, it held out for those 11 years, hauled lots of kids and cargo. Will I buy a CT Cruiser? You bet, I can't wait until I can get one, and maybe it's because I live in the Motor City we don't seem to have the over MSRP pricing, there are choices at the dealerships, just calling my name. No, I don't work for Chrysler either.
  • jxyoungjxyoung Member Posts: 156
    Got 5000 miles now and still love the car. Still amazed, when we start loading up, to see how much we can pack into this car and still haul 5 people.

    Checked mileage this tank and got 22.6 mpg. I have the Limited with auto and ABS. There are very few things that I would change on this car. I find the power very adequate.

    Wish list for future Cruisers:
    Full electric driver seat with 2 position memory.
    Wider stock rim so that I could put a wider set in the back for shows or special occasions.
    Daytime running lights.
    Automatic head lights. This is hard to get used to as my Chevy Silverados lights come on automatically.

    Any other ideas?

    Hey other owners lets get some reports on how things are going!
  • davidm8davidm8 Member Posts: 2
    I bought my red PT Limited in January at MSRP ($22,400) and absolutely love it. 4100 miles, ZERO mechanical problems. Not even a rattle. The only thing that's slightly dissappointing is the gas mileage. I haven't gotten better than about 21 so far, and as little as 18.5.

    If you're in the Philadelphia area, you definately want to buy from Videon Chrysler in Newtown Square (Route 3). These guys do not bump-up the price, they're straight forward with you about wait times, and they give you a free 1,000 mile check-up and your first oil/filter change. As an aside, their service department is pretty swift, too. They had me in and out on schedule and in a flash, and when my Voyager was recently stolen and recovered, they arranged towing, and did a nice quick repair job that came in under the insurance company's reimbursement cost. Very professional. AND NO, I swear I don't work for these guys! 'Just a satisfied customer.
  • sunny2001sunny2001 Member Posts: 8
    While I love my Cruiser LTD (auto) and was fortunate enough to pick it up for MSRP (new), I now have 2000 miles on it now and have yet to get 20 mpg, and that's 85% highway driving (I am a regular driver, nothing fancy) . Despite the posted ranges on the sticker of 17-23 city and 21-29 highway, how Chrysler can get away with posting the average of 20 city/25 highway escapes me....If anyone gets close to/over 25 at any time in one of these vehicles, I'd be shocked & want to hear about it.

    Has anyone noticed that oftentimes the rpm's go up to about 5000 before shifting to the next gear (perhaps this is one of the car's problems), or is this due to the weka engine (my only other complaint.....

    Last question - I'm missing my storage drawar beneath the passenger seat- Is this standard or must I pay extra for this option (I can't imagine, but...)?

    All said, I still love this car!
  • jxyoungjxyoung Member Posts: 156
    Yes the drawer is like I think a $35 option.

    What I cant figure out is how do you get the rims that come standard on the touring edition on the Limited edition? I went in for an oil change last week and asked them if they knew how. The guy took me back to the terminal and we started entering an order and do not know how to add those rims?? They are the chrome rims just like the Limited but with the dimples at the end of the spokes. I have seen people selling their Limited rims on the net and they have the upgraded rims??
  • herbeckgherbeckg Member Posts: 15
    Got my PT Cruiser 2 months ago.Still like it a lot,except the noisy sunroof.The wind deflector is the problem.Bad design.With it removed or tied down it is much quieter.
  • gampagampa Member Posts: 78
    Just read in Autoweek online that the PT Cruiser in Europe will get a 2.2 diesel in the spring of 2002.... what don't they think that there is a market here in the states?... just look at VW how there NewBeetles, Golfs, and Jetta's are flying out the show room doors... I hear that VW even increased production 25%.... Maybe not everyone would like to own an oil burner, but I would bet there are several of you who would like to have a PT Cruiser that gets 50 mpg.
  • herbeckgherbeckg Member Posts: 15
    I got the basic model with manual transmission.I'm getting 35 miles per imp.gal.with 80% highway driving.About 28 mpg US.My Honda Accord EX with a 2.2 Litre engine 36 miles per imp. gal. manual tran. same driving.I am very pleased.
  • golf12golf12 Member Posts: 1
    I'm thinking about buying a PT Cruiser. Was curious about the lack of power that I've been reading about. I don't expect a powerful beast but don't want something that really bogs down under a/c use, stop and go or cruising in some of the country areas of Md., Va. or Penn. For example, my son has a standard Ranger p/u. On flat ground, it's fine but under a/c or in the hills, it's a real unpleasant experience.

    thanks
    golf12
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    Your best bet would be to try the car out, if you can't find a demo, you might want to rent a cruiser for a couple of days. When I first drove the cruiser, I had the reaction that others complain of, that it's underpowered. Later driving caused me to revise my estimation. Although the car still felt like it was underpowered, I noticed that I was accelerating from a standstill more quickly than the surrounding vehicles. The car moves much more quickly than it seems to.
  • illini4illini4 Member Posts: 140
    This board is about as dead as they come. The previous message provides a response to a post that is over 2 months old!
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    That must be because those who have gotten the PT Cruiser are too busy driving them to waste time on the computer. As my wife won't let me drive it, I have one of two choices, to waste time on the computer or buy another PT Cruiser.
  • shellymeister1shellymeister1 Member Posts: 52
    Having owned the PT for over a year and a half,( I took delivery in April 2000) I think I qualify to give a fair assessment of the vehicle. It's great! This is not your typical Chrysler product. As far as power is concerned, it is slightly more than adequate when the A/C is off, and JUST adequate when it is on. The engine feels as smooth as a good V-6, and is surprisingly quiet at all speeds. The engine does sound a bit agricultural when cold, but it soon purrs as it warms up. You will be able to easily keep up with any traffic on the Highway, though the transmission is a little slow to kickdown. The handling is surprisingly good in the limited model, I think due to the very good Goodyear Eagle LS tires. The steering feels more European than American- which is to say- very good. If you would like more, please ask.........
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Thanks for your comments. Good notes... glad you're enjoying your PT Cruiser.

    To everyone- For more notes (monthly articles) on the PT Cruiser, don't forget to check out Edmunds long term road test of their 2001 PT Cruiser. Each month you'll find new information. Here's the review for September 2001. Look for other months/articles in the right hand column of the page. Hope this is helpful. Happy Motoring! ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • tomj5tomj5 Member Posts: 209
    I heard that the PT engine crank binds and won't rev up properly. After reading the comments it seems to be true.
    I had a ford like that many years ago and it was very difficult to figure out the problem. Finally the shop(I would rather give a wild cat an enema than deal with Ford) miked the shaft and found heavy scouring on the journals. The symptoms were: 1. Increasely poor gas milage 2. hard to start when engine was hot. 3. Batteries died frequently. 4. starter had to be changed often. 5. Tranny would shift weird with clunks.
    4. As milaged increased engine power faded.
    Ford laughed when I asked for a new engine!

    The PT would be great with a 3 diamond Mitsy engine, like the old days. American Manufacturers
    will not build good engines due to the "Screw the customer" approach of selling cars.
    No thanks, I'll pass on the PT!
    PS: I sold the ford to a poor smuck.
  • illini4illini4 Member Posts: 140
    I've never heard of anything remotely resembling the symptoms you describe regarding the PT Cruiser; in fact power and gas mileage are generally reported to increase with accumulated miles. The assertion that a typical PT Cruiser has a scoured crankshaft is preposterous. We are very happy with ours. I've had two Chrysler products with Mitsubishi engines and found them both to be lacking in durability.
  • shellymeister2shellymeister2 Member Posts: 115
    No PT Cruiser on the planet has the problem you have alluded to........where do you get your info...the National Enquirer? I also concur with Illini4. I had a number of Chrysler products equipped with Mitsubishi engines (both 4 & 6 cylindar) and they gave me much more grief than the subsequent Chrysler V-6's, which were trouble free!
  • tmundartmundar Member Posts: 70
    I suggest you reread the message. The symptoms that he is describing were on a Ford that he had. The only thing he says about the PT is that he "heard that the PT engine crank binds and won't rev up properly."

    I am not sure where he is getting that Mistubishi engines would be better. All Hyundais older than 5 or 6 years had Mitsubishi engines, and we all know how reliable those Hyundais were (I think Hyundai started manufacturing their own engines in 1996).

    Tom
  • illini4illini4 Member Posts: 140
    I don't think either shellymeister2 or I misread anything. After the quote you cited, tomj5 wrote "I had a Ford like that", clearly implying the alleged problem with the two vehicles was the same.
  • jasdmwjasdmw Member Posts: 118
    Just took a PT Cruiser for a test drive. Was a Voyager owner until March when I bought a Sienna. Guess Chrysler still has my address! Sent me a $50.00 cupon to test drive a new Caravan. Always could use 50 bucks, so down to the dealer I trundle. Sales guy doesn't care what I drive, not his nickle. So I select the PT to see what the craze is about. Only drove it for about 10 minutes, so can't offer a whole lot. But...

    Well, not to my surprise (as an ex and never to be again Chrysler owner), the thing is not very impressive. Very noisy engine! Seats are Ok, but felt very cramped. Owned a VW Golf TDI last year so I know what a small car can be like, but this thing feels very cramped in the drivers seat. Door closed on my kneecap. Can't see out the windshield, it's roof line is too low. Cost of Cool shape I guess. No doubt, it has an interesting look about it. But as has been said many times, if only Chrysler could build a car (or van) as well as Toyota, they'd kill the market.

    Now, where's my 50 bucks!
  • tmundartmundar Member Posts: 70
    Sorry, my bad. :)

    The written word can certainly be misunderstood. Looks like I misread your posts then. :) When I read your (illini4) post, it read like you thought that the symptoms had occurred on a PT Cruiser ("The assertion that a typical PT Cruiser has a scoured crankshaft is preposterous."). In shellymeister2's post, "No PT Cruiser on the planet has the problem you have alluded to...", I took "the problem" to mean the symptoms he described for the Ford instead of "the PT engine crank binds and won't rev up properly."

    After reading your response, and rereading the messages, I see that I made some incorrect assumptions when I read them originally. Sorry. :)

    Tom
  • illini4illini4 Member Posts: 140
    Thanks for responding -you're forgiven!
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    You must have driven a different kind of PT Cruiser. I am the proud owner (not driver, my wife won't let me drive it) of a 2002 Touring Edition. I am 6'3" and have ample room, both front and back seat. The seats are firm but are very comfortable on trips. I was surprised how comfortable they are after a period of hours.

    The engine is a bit noisy under accelleration, but the car cruises very quietly. It also has a very flexible interior and provides a tremendous amount of space for such a small car.

    The controls are a bit eccentric and take getting used to, but do fall readily to hand. I will say that Chrysler did listen to the comments of the early buyers. Two of the big complaints of about the 2001 model year were the lack of a passenger seat armrest and the rear window controls. For 2002 an armrest was added to the passenger seat and a set of rear window controls was added to the front console, a second set still remains at the back of the floor console.

    I'm sorry that you didn't like the car,
  • illini4illini4 Member Posts: 140
    The 2001 has rear window controls just below the front window controls also - at least mine does (Jun 01 build). I agree with your other comments, I find the Curiser to be roomy and the engine is very quiet at high way speeds. It is a bit noisy at idle and under acceleration.
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    There are apparently three versions of the PT Cruiser floating around now. It first came out in 2000 as a 2001. Midway through the extended model year, they came out with a later 2001, what the differences were, I can't tell; however the window switch may be one. All the reviews seem to be based on the early 2001 models and all comment on the odd window controls, the front windows on the dash, the rear windows on the rear of the console.

    All things said, I love my 2002 Touring, I'm sure I would love it more if my wife would let me drive it. :-D
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    I dropped by my local Chrysler Dealer yesterday, they have a 2001 on the lot that someone had apparently ordered and then didn't complete the transaction (when I first saw the car it had a new car sticker with the notation "made expressly for.." ) In any event the car is still there, sans sticker. It is apparently an early model 2001, the only window controls on the dash are for the front. You have two large switches flanking the rear window lockout switch, rather than the four smaller switches flanking the lockout switch. Forgive my repeating that but it's the first time that I can truly say that I have looked at the dashboard of a 2001.

    That said, I love my Inferno Red Touring Edition. I suspect I would love it more if my wife would let me drive it.
  • rhinetterhinette Member Posts: 1
    My hubby is a mechanic at a local beer distributor. This company has 4 2001 PT Cruisers, bought brand new, ranging in mileage from 25,000 to 36,000 miles. Just this week here are two discoveries: All 4 needed new front brake jobs. One was so bad it had to have the rotors replaced. Granted these are driven by salesmen, some of them fairly young and in all kinds of traffic. He was not too concerned about this being "early" for brakes due to the factors involved. But the second thing is bothering him. The lower A-frame bushings are tearing. If this is continues, it will cause severe toe-out (of one or possibly both tires depending on condition of bushing) and could cause loss of vehicle control. When he found the first, he called the other three in to check them. Same thing. When they took it to a local Chrysler dealer for repair (still under warranty), the service manager had never seen or heard of this before. We don't know if the Service dept will report this or not; don't know if this is a common problem or not. Checked AllData.com and no mention of this in TSBs or recalls. Am considering contacting DOT Safety and have them investigate as well as notifying D-C ourselves.

    For the record, we do not own a PT, but was trying to find out if anyone else has seen this. And if not, to let you all know that this needs to be checked on your own vehicles just to be on the safe side.

    Sue
  • 1994corsica1994corsica Member Posts: 8
    i just rented a pt cruiser for two days on the hawaiian island of maui. it was a fully loaded limited edition with a sunroof, chrome wheels and power everything. i was expecting a lot after reading the reviews and have come to the conclusion that they are all true. if i didn't have the itch for a sports car then i would probably buy one. it's a real head turner, it's comfortable, the fit and finish is really good for a car in it's price range, the sound system sounds nice and it has plenty of pick up although you wont confuse it for a camaro or wrx. i drove it to the top of haleakala (a dormant volcano)which goes from sea level to just over 10,000 feet in under 40 miles. it had no trouble going up the steep switchbacks. real cool car.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Consumer Reports highly recommends the PT Cruiser. First year reliability has been "MUCH BETTER THAN AVERAGE". The PT Cruiser is, without a doubt, one of the highest quality, if not the best reliability, products to ever come out of DCX in many years.

    Resale value appears to be in "Toyota/Honda" territory according to CR.

    Autoweek magazine just finished a long term review on the PT Cruiser and the car got high marks for quality and reliability which is unheard on a DCX product.

    Congratulations, PT Cruiser owners, you have one of the best cars out there...
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Thanks for the news! ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    I just caught the CR frequency of Repair results myself. I think it's the first time I have ever seen a listing with ALL red circles.

    All the early car reviews commented on how tightly the car seemed put together. That was also my impression based on 1.5 months of ownership. It's good to see that that initial impression is being upheld, a year down the road.
  • msu1msu1 Member Posts: 6
    I was at a car show and they had a PT DELIVERY.
    does anyone know when or if it will be available?
    MSU
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    From Edmunds' Long Term Road tests, here's their November review: 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser. Anyone else got some notes to share...? Thanks for your participation. ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    I can't attest to the long term condition of my 2002 touring edition as we only have 4.5K miles on it so far. I am impressed how easy it is to rack up the mileage on the car, I am also impressed how solid the structure of the car feels, it gives the feeling of quality.

    When I first drove the car (It is primarily my wifes car) I was bothered by two things. The first was reflections off the trim panel covering the passenger air bag, passing trees would reflect off the shiny panel and I would see movement out of my peripheral vision. I have gotten used to that. I was also troubled by a rattling sound from the passenger compartment. I discovered the source and Chrysler had nothing to do with it. My childs booster seat was rattling slightly when he wasn't riding in it.

    Early reviews focused on two complaints, the lack of a passenger armrest and the odd placement of the rear window controls. By 2002 both were corrected with a duplicate set of rear window controls placed on the dash and the addition of a passenger armrest.
  • big_guybig_guy Member Posts: 372
    I guess the reviewers of the early PT had never driven a Suzuki Sidekick. I had a '93 Suzuki Sidekick JLX and it also had the rear window controls on the center console betweem the fron seats. I actually quite liked it because I could easily reach down and open or close the rear windows without taking my eyes off the road. To each his own I guess . . .
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    The rear window controls are at the back end of the console, so they are actually behind the front seats. The driver would have to reach behind him and locate the switches by feel to open or close a rear window. The later 2001/2002 have a duplicate rear window control on the dash console, so that the rear passengers can open their windows using the rear control, the driver or front passenger can do so from the front console.
  • dmarzo1dmarzo1 Member Posts: 37
    Hi,

    My interest is piqued in the PT Cruiser. Fitzgerald's (www.fitzmall.com) seems to have several on sale up to $300 below invoice. I am sort of curious as to how these cars can go from selling well over MSRP earlier in the year to under invoice now. Is it the case of production finally catching up with demand? Has the novelty worn off? Or is there some other story? By the way, the particular one I am looking at is a 5-speed 2002 basic model with power package for around $17K.

    Would appreciate any comments.
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