10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
93,180 miles

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problem #5

Aug 272019

PT Cruiser

  • 141,000 miles
It started with the dashboard lights and the middle stick lights (P, D, R, N++) I can't see at night what speed I'm going or my levels or anything bc the lights quit working, I had the battery replaced I've had the battery changed twice, I've had the thermostat changed twice but it still over heats not too long ago with both of my toddlers in the car on a 3 lane highway locked up on me couldn't use the steering wheel or brakes had to pull the emergency break it's just been repetitive I bought the car from my sister who's grandmother got tired of putting money into it it stutters sometimes like it's slow to shift into gear to accelerate it can happen anywhere. It was my first car it's never been wrecked, I never thought to check for any recalls, I bought it in July of 17. It's only had a total of 2 owners. It used to shake real bad I couldn't go over 55miles an hour but even 55 was iffy. The scariest thing for me was it locking up on a highway with an intersecting lane I had just had everything replaced for a second time before it started smoking and locked up and completely shut down my kids 3 & 1 were in the back all I could think to do was pull my emergency break I drifted and swerved until the car finally came to a stop luckily not wrecking or injuring anyone, just fear of driving I really trusted this car. I had to call the police to get ahold of a state trooper who gave me a couple days to move it given my circumstance and 45 min away from home, a stranger stopped to help and offered to give us a ride back to ironton from the West portsmouth highway he lived in portsmouth out of kindness moved my car to his house there after dropping us off that night to keep from getting it towed. Officer noted everything. I didn't think of anything until I just recently got another 2004 pt that started fire in the headlights and going through a lot of the same problems.

- Ironton, OH, USA

problem #4

Aug 012017

PT Cruiser

  • 106,000 miles
While driving, sometimes when driving, the car will jerk to the left or the right without probacation. Vechile accelerates without foot being on the pedal. One time I was at a stop light. My foot was on the brake, but the car lurched forward and the engine starting reving. I had to use both feet with extreme force to slow the car down. Finally, I just threw the car into park; once in park, the car kept reving. The pedal was not pressed.this has happened on three occasions. This makes for unsafe driving, and only due to my good driving skills did I avoid an accident. This has been occuring for the past three months.

- Gaithersburg, MD, USA

problem #3

Sep 142016

PT Cruiser

  • 170,400 miles
Vehicle accelerated on its own, up to 4,000rpm with my foot off the gas pedal. When I stomped on the brakes car would not slow down, engine continued to run at 4,000rpm. To save my life and others shifted car into neutral, pulled over and turned off ignition. After a minute or two restarted the car and same symptom were present, engine reviving to 4,000rpm, foot off the gas pedal, on the brake pedal as a precaution. Note that when this first happened the car was not in cruise control mode, simply driving around town running errands. This situation is scary because I do not know when, how, if it is going to happen again, totally unprovoked and non-sensical as to why it is happening, what triggers the problem. This has now occurred twice recently and because of this nightmare scenario I am hesitant, very very hesitant to drive the car. It is a danger to my, my wife's life and other people on the road we may accidentally plow into if the car decides to go into runaway mode of its own volition. Your consideration of a response would be greatly appreciated.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #2

Jun 172010

PT Cruiser 4-cyl

  • 48,500 miles
PT CRUISER on cruise control. Exit freeway and tap brake. Car begins to coast. As we approached stopped traffic the brake was applied again. Cruise kicked in again and instead of slowing we speeded up. Approximately 2:30 pm - no alcohol involved and no skid marks. Hit 5 other vehicles. My husband was driving and I was the passenger. I was very badly injured internally and had fractures to ribs, vertebra. And ankle. Seat belt and air bag saved my life but seat belt ripped my intestines and caused severe internal bleeding. My husband was in shock but without injury. It took 3 weeks to get a police report and on the report it stated that he had stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake. Not true -- not true. He yelled to me before the impact that the car was not stopping and I saw that he had the brake to the floor.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #1

Oct 102005

PT Cruiser 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Wife, driving into regular parking spot @ work. Speed 10 -15 mph. Applied brake and the vechile "lunged"forward. Striking the curb. Damage appeared minimal. But was quite extensive underneath. But there was quite a lot of damage to the engine subframe and underside of front, not visable externally. Cause....we think. A baby bottle rolled from the back seat and lodged under the brake pedal. In the PT CRUISER, there is a clear passage under the drivers seat. We are sure that this was the cause of our incident. I have installed a hardboard "stop" under the drivers seat to prevent a reoccurance. Passenger side has a storage drawer and thus is not a problem. Has there been other incidents where the cause could be an object rolling from the rear passenger area and getting jamed under the brake pedal?

- Lakewood, CA, USA