NHTSA Complaint #10102355 — 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER

PT CRUISER 2001 (CAR) WILL CONTINUE TO RUN WITH KEY OUT OF IGNITION. SAFETY ISSUE: CAR CANNOT BE STOPPED OCCURRENCES: HAS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 6+ TIMES SINCE PROBLEM INITIALLY BROUGHT TO DEALERS ATTENTION IN 2002 CHRYSLER SUPPORT: ESSENTIALLY NOT RESPONDING WITH CORRECT SOLUTIONS OVER THE LAST 24 MONTHS TO LOCAL DEALER WHO CANNOT RESOLVE THIS DEFECT DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS ON 3 OCCASIONS WITH DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS - HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR DEALER GAVE ME SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS THAT IF CAR DID THIS AGAIN, I COULD STOP IT BY REMOVING FUSE #11 - AFTER A SET OF RECENT SEQUENTIAL FAILURES ON 12/4/04 WHERE I USED THIS TECHNIQUE UNTIL I COULD CONTACT THE DEALER ON MONDAY MORNING; VEHICLE BATTERY DIED AND NEEDED TO BE RE-STARTED; RESPONDING MECHANIC ADVISE ME THE PROCEDURE FOR REMOVING FUSE #11 WAS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE ARCING IN THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND POSSIBLY A FIRE AND COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE ONBOARD COMPUTER. MOST RECENT EVENT OCCURRED ON 12/4/04 WITH KEY OUT OF IGNITION, CAR STILL RUNNING.- UTILIZED DEALER TECHNIQUE OF REMOVING FUSE #11, BATTERY DIED. *JB