Model years Chrysler PT Cruiser
2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Complaints about this year name cruiser convertible far more often than the model's other years — 8% of them, about 21× the usual rate of 0.4%.
NHTSA opened a defect investigation into this model year.
| Complaints filed | 512 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 115 |
| Involving a crash | 30 |
| Involving a fire | 26 |
| Recalls | 5 |
| EPA combined | 21 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- convertible — 22.7% of this year's complaints, against 8.7% across the model's other years (2.6×). Owners wrote it as: convertible, cruiser convertible, type, fog light.
- bearing — 14.8% of this year's complaints, against 4.6% across the model's other years (3.3×). Owners wrote it as: bearing, front wheel, wheel bearing, http.
- bearings — 6.6% of this year's complaints, against 1.5% across the model's other years (4.5×). Owners wrote it as: bearings, shot, wheel bearings, axle.
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
Also unusual this year
- bearing — 9% of complaints, 16× usual
- tires — 13% of complaints, 5× usual
- front wheel — 7% of complaints, 17× usual
What owners wrote
WHILE PERFORMING AN OIL CHANGE, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,150.
I HAVE OWNED A 2005 PT CRUISER FOR ONLY TWO MONTHS AND IT HAS ONLY 53,000 MILES ON IT. TODAY I FOUND OUT THAT BOTH THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND WILL COST 565.00. FROM WHAT I AM READING,THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND MAYBE SHOULD BE MADE A…
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 08E033000 SUSPENSION Fixed free of charge.
- 09E012000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- 07V149000 VISIBILITY
- 04V481000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- 04V268000 STEERING
How this was worked out
Every year of the Chrysler PT Cruiser was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser? What happened to yours?
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