I have heard since I was a kid the age old complaint about Chrysler Dodge about being a underdog bottom feeder & I for one had a few cars from their line's in the past that made me feel that they got a bum rap. When my wife & I needed a reliable car to haul my at then 2 year old son around I didn't listen to the what I felt were cork sniffer Jap car lovers warning & basically laughing at me for buying a PT Cruiser. Nice roomy little car & how bad could these be?

This company has been in business for such a long time surely they have found a way to build a competing quality product. Boy, oh boy was I ever wrong. For 10 grand I got 53000 miles & yesterday I sold the car for the cost of scrap metal which was 48 bucks. The car started burning oil then a short time later it got hot but the temp did come back down pretty much right away. When I checked it out the overflow tank was overfull & spilling on the ground.

I contacted a shop that I know with a reputation for honesty & they started to trouble shoot the problem. low compression on 2 & 4 cylinder with the overheating problem indicated a blown head gasket. I'm thinking still well that's life & I need the car so I approve a $1500 repair..A day goes by then they phoned me on Friday & say that a bunch of valves are burnt as well as a cracked head & for that repair I was looking at at least $2800 alone when I shouted STOP! That car has died.

I bought the car with 29000 miles on it thinking it was a wise decision. Apparently all those cork sniffing' Jap car lovers were very right. In closing I would like to say I see by the numerous complaint that my problem was not an isolated incident & that the company was well aware of what kinda' piece of shi$ they were selling us & yet kept flooding us with this garbage with absolutely no remorse.

Shame on you Chrysler for ripping your loyal customers off like this. I hope all you share holders that supported ripping the common man off in order to get a higher return fall off the Empire State building on a Bicycle with no seat. I will Never ever buy another product with that evil Penta star on it as long as I live & I will spread the word on what kinda garbage you sell. It will be a great day to me to see the North American public finally cut you off cause its gonna happen

Yours Truly A blue collar hard working family man Bruce Robert Kellett. Up Yours Chrysler!

1. I purchased a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser with over 100,000 miles. At the time I told the salesman that I was told by another PT Cruiser owner that the timing chain and water pump needed to be changed on these cars after 100,000 miles. His response was you won't have to change that in this car for at least another year. The day of purchase the mechanic added about a gallon of anti-freeze. The next day after purchase the cars horn stuck and the car started over-heating. I took it back to the dealership. They fixed the horn and poured about 1 gallon of anti-freeze in and said it had to 'circulate' thru. Within the next week the car continued to overheat every other day and it started leaking anti-freeze. My friend changed the thermostat and for at least 2 - 3 days it didn't overheat but it continued leaking. We took it back to the dealership to have them look at the problem. After waiting several hours for the 'main' mechanic who never showed. The mechanic on duty poured more anti-freeze and we left. The next day working with the head mechanic to have them change the thermostat again. A few days later it over-heated again. We took it to a shop near our home who determined it needed a heating coil. After paying $538 there. The car cont. to over-heat and stopped completely (about 50+ miles always). We had it towed to that shop for $130 it was then determined the engine needed to be replaced $1600. At that point I talked with Andres who assured me they could have it fixed for a better price. Talking with Laura of Southern Stars office their mechanic determined they would replace the WATER PUMP, TIMING BELT and repair HEADGASKET for $800. After finding a new engine (not repairing 1 part) would cost approx. $1500, I sought help with the finance company to help with repairs. They stated they do not do business with them anymore which I understand why now. My biggest problem is with the car dealership is the initial sales lie and no responsibility with what is obviously a lemon car.

   My nightmare in steps are:

   1 Sold lemon in need of water pump and timing belt

   2 Because of the repair needs the engine head gasket blew

   3 Customer service went from sales enticement to repair misdiagnosing to rude, obnoxious & insulting.

   At first repair - then strung along. Then I asked for a replacement car. Now I seek reimbursement for repair, rental car and towing charges of $2500 from auto dealership or Chrysler.

Bought the car back in early Oct. 2011. Brought it back to the dealership for my free oil change. They told me my head gasket was leaking, and that since I no longer had any warranties left, that they would fix it with 6 hrs of labor to the tune of $1300.

I said the equivalent of, "Ouch, thank you. I want a 2nd opinion." They reacted quite rudely, calling my local garage a "mom 'n pop shop" when I know it's affiliated with Bumper to Bumper. So I take it to them and they ask me, "How did they know it was the head gasket, without taking the timing cover off?"

Good question, and one I asked the dealership, who said their repair people used to work for Chrysler.

So...it was a guess. An educated guess, but still a guess.

My guys call me and tell me yes, it is the head gasket, and by the way, the bushings are worn out and you need a new wheel bearing.

$2900.

After paying over $9K which I need to pay off now.

So, I go back to the dealership and tell them everything. They seem concerned, but I quickly realize it's not for me. I start to work out a deal with them where they may even cover some of the costs if I can get the car to them.

My repair guys say, "Well, we don't want to give you even more costs to worry about, so we'll secure the vehicle to a flatbed and drive it there, instead of putting it back together and having them tear it apart again."

I asked the dealership if that's okay. At first, the dealership says yes. The next day, they say no.

"No, we already informed you what the problem was. You took it somewhere else anyway. We'd be happy to look at it after you get the head gasket replaced."

They lied to me. Do not go to Zimbricks in Madison, WI!

Meanwhile, my guys need $2900, of which they need half down before they do anything at all. Just good business sense there, sadly. They've let me drive the loaner while I try and save up. I only made my first payment to them today, toward the work they've already done. I work 3 jobs at the moment, and they're all part-time, not to mention the car payments, and other bills.

This is ridiculous, a true perfect storm and worst-case scenario. I didn't even have the car for 4 months before all this happened. All I wanted was something reliable to get me through Wisconsin winters. I've barely driven this thing through snow.

Is this car just one enormous design flaw? That many problems all at once? (And trust me, I'll complain about the other stuff, too.) The major part of the cost is just labor. My guys told me it takes that long (6 hrs for the head gasket alone, and 4 hours for the bushings, and 5 for the wheel bearing) because of how the engine in the Cruiser is built.

And to think I was so happy when I bought it. My old car needed a new engine. That would have been cheaper, actually.

January 19, 2011

C. Robert Kidder Chairman – Chrysler Group LLC P.O. Box 21-8004 Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8004

Complaint Ref #20327496

Dear Mr. Kidder:

As the father of six, a retired United States Air Force Technical Sergeant, a current High School Higher Mathematics teacher and the present owner of a 2007 PT Cruiser, I would like to express my complete dissatisfaction with both the reliability of the Chrysler 2007 PT Cruiser and the consumer relations division of your company.

On March 31, 2010 the Heater Core of my Chrysler PT Cruiser blew. I took the vehicle to a reputable auto repair shop to be fixed. When attempting to order the part from your local Chrysler dealer, the shop was told the part was on back order. I contacted the customer assistance number on your website. The representative indicated that, according to their system, there was only one available in all of North America – in fact it was not. After many days, multiple phone calls and much frustration, the backorder was finally filled and my car repaired and returned to me on April 13th, 2010.

On June 2, 2010 (just before our family’s 2,200 mile planned vacation) the Heater Core went out again. I took it back to the shop and they replaced it saying they were glad they had ordered a spare of the part.

On June 4, 2010, half way into our trip the Head Gasket blew; stranding us over 500 miles from both our destination and our home. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere for 5 days – virtually half of our vacation. The repair shop said that in all probability the Head Gasket blew from overheating caused when the Heater Core went out. While replacing the Head Gasket, they discovered the two Exhaust Valves for cylinder three were burnt and needed replaced. This explained a previously “unexplainable” cylinder three misfire code. Online suggests that this is a common unexplained problem of the PT Cruiser. The mechanic, a previous employee of a Chrysler Dealer’s Repair Shop, said there had been no other explanation for this other than “Manufacturer’s Defect”. On June 9, 2010 we gave up on our vacation and returned home.

On August 10, 2010 and again on October 15, 2010 the Heater Core blew . . . two more times!!! Each time it was replaced under the repair shop’s one year parts and labor guarantee. Because of the frequent reoccurrence, the repair shop checked the car’s electrolysis system to verify that nothing else was causing the problem.

On December 3, 2010 the Heater Core blew again! In the process of replacing it . . . yet again, the repair shop asked David Stanley Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge what was going on with these parts. Their only response was that it will once again be guaranteed, just like all the previous ones. I ask you sir, was this supposed to inspire confidence in the reliability of my vehicle?

I followed up with a visit to Norman Nobody Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, where I purchased the 2007 PT Cruiser (new), requesting the sales manager. After listening to my concern, your Chrysler representative first attempted to lay the blame on the repair shop(s), suggesting that, “Since they weren’t Chrysler/Jeep certified, maybe they didn’t know what they were doing.”

When I suggested that being out of stock nation wide might indicate a recurring problem with the heater core, your Chrysler representative’s response was, “That just tells me we have a lot of 07 PT Cruiser’s on the road.”

Finally, when I pointed out that this appeared to be an escalating, repetitive problem, he asked me how many miles the manufacturer’s warrantee was for – I told him 36,000 miles. He then asked, when I began having these problems – I answered, at about 48,000 miles. Your representatives response was, “Well, it worked fine while it was under warranty. What do you want me to do about it?”

Mr. Kidder, I have a large family and somewhat limited resources. When I bought a new 2007 PT Cruiser, I anticipated a reliability of more than 36,000 miles.

On January 17, 2010, the Heater Core blew . . . again. Now, David Stanley Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge is saying that they “can’t keep replacing these, even though the parts are obtained from here and we have not been able to get one to last three months”. The repair shop has no problem honoring their one year parts and labor, but they are upset at their loss of income for having to cover these “warrantee repairs”.

Again Mr. Kidder, when I purchased this 2007 PT Cruiser, I thought I was buying a reliable, affordable vehicle from a reputable company, for myself and my family; not a burden that would cost thousands in repairs, breakdown on an almost monthly basis, prevent us from venturing any measurable distance with any confidence, and introduce me to the epitome of Chrysler Customer Service. My one year parts and labor will expire soon, and because of my experience and the frequency of the part failing, I am tremendously concerned. I am currently unable to afford a new vehicle – what do you suggest I do?

Sincerely,

Michael P. Ellis 4720 Bomarc Dr Del City, OK 73115

Cc: Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer - Chrysler Group LLC Doug D. Betts, Senior Vice President, Quality – Chrysler Group LLC Brian Pritchard, Sales Manager – Norman Nobody Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge Joe Costello, Parts Department Manager – David Stanley Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Unit Central Oklahoma Better Business Bureau