Chrysler / PT Cruiser / 2001
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems
Owners have filed 799 complaints about the 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser with NHTSA. Electrical system accounts for 10.3% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of engine and engine cooling at 9%.
Complaints799
Crashes48
Fires26
Injuries51
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Electrical system 10.3% · 82
Engine and engine cooling 9.0% · 72
Suspension 8.6% · 69
Structure 8.4% · 67
Steering 8.0% · 64
Wheels 7.8% · 62
Exterior lighting 6.9% · 55
Power train 6.3% · 50
Severity
Of those complaints, 48 describe a crash, 26 describe a fire and 51 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 9 model years of the Chrysler PT Cruiser in this data, 2001 draws the most complaints of any of them.
Filings have fallen off, 7 in the last three years against 24 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 58,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Electrical short / failure in the car horn (simultaneously affecting the lcd of the clock/radio). Issue stems from some electrical wiring in the steering column; not sure how the two are relates but when I bang on my steering wheel the lcd comes back and the horn is functional again. Potential safety hazard as it affects the horn and ability to avoid accidents. No known fix from manufacturer alarms me. Electrical system
I bought a 2001 PT Cruiser and within a couple of weeks the headlights stopped working. Replaced multi function switch but did not help. Had to re-wire the lights to make them work. Also it sounds like the passenger side front tire has something loose. Possibly bushings?? I've seen several complaints about the lights. What is it gonna take to get a recall in place? We got a ticket for it. Electrical system · reported at 230,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The contact stated that the radio and door locks would activate independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuse needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 90,000. Electrical system · reported at 40,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…