I accelerated to get up to highway speed and the gas pedal stuck going 65mph. I put both feet on the brake at full pressure and the car kept accelerating. I put into neutral and braked, then pull the E-brake and pulled over to the shoulder of the highway. Very dangerous, scary malfunction - the mechanic says the accelerator throttle and cable are broken. A search of the internet shows other people have had this happen in different years and models of PT CRUISER.

- Berkeley, CA, USA

Driving my vehicle on a highway, approaching the city, with cruise control on. Weather clear and sunny. Highway traffic was light. My speed was at around 70 mph. The driver apparently decided to exit the ramp as it was lined with vehicles. The driver pulled out of ramp and steered to left lane on highway, in front of me. I had to brake suddenly to avoid collision. My car suddenly skidded and spun around once, with rubber burning from tires. My vehicle nearly crashed against the rail as my car skidded for 2nd time to stop. No injuries or property damages. Inspected my car later at gas station. Did not detect any visual problems. Could not figure out why my car skidded and spun around on highway. After the shopping trip, I drove home with no incidents. As I pulled in home, there was smoke coming out of under hood. My car was inspected by two mechanics, from separate time and location, and I was told my cooling fan broke. Possible that the incident leaded the fan to shut down due to mechanical error, the first mechanic said. Cost to replace the cooling fan and labor can run as high as $400. Also, the airbag light, on dashboard, stays on most of time.

- Sierra Vista, AZ, USA

Without warning, the engine turns off and all power is lost. The ignition switch does not move. Once the care is stopped, you have to turn the key to the off position and then turn it back on. When put on the dealer's computer, the computer only says "there was a sudden loss of power." Dealer suggests putting in a new ignition but does not guarantee this will fix the problem. The car can no longer be trusted on the highway or interstate. I can only drive it in town at slow speeds so I won't cause a crash if it suddenly dies on me.

- Titusville, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2007 Chrysler PT CRUISER. The contact was driving 25 mph when the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle accelerated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a local repair mechanic where it was confirmed that the throttle control switch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and the VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 81,000 and the current mileage was 94,000.

- Clarksburg, MD, USA