NHTSA Complaint #10147767 — 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER

WHILE DRIVING IN CITY I NOTICED A KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE. I PULLED OVER AND SAW OIL POURING OUT OF FRONT OF ENGINE. I SHUT ENGINE OFF. AT NO TIME DID OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT COME ON. CALLED AAA AND HAD CAR TOWED TO NEAREST CHRYSLER DEALER. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS BLOWN CAMSHAFT SEAL. REPLACED SEAL BUT WHEN RUNNING ENGINE STILL MADE KNOCKING SOUNDS. WAITED FOR ENGINE SPECIALIST TO COME BACK FROM VACATION. HE SAID ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND HE WOULD CONTACT CHRYSLER. CHRYSLER INSISTED ENGINE BE TORN DOWN TO IDENTIFY SOURCE OF PROBLEM. PROBLEM WAS CRANKSHAFT THRUST BEARING BROKEN IN HALF ALLOWING CRANKSHAFT TO MOVE LATERALLY FORCING OUT CRANKSHAFT SEAL, HENCE ALL THE OIL, AND MORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. I REQUESTED A "CRATED" ENGINE BE INSTALLED. DEALER SAID NONE AVAILABLE. AT PRESENT WAITING FOR DELIVERY OF CYLINDER HEAD. CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 20 DAYS. MILEAGE AT TIME OF INCIDENT: 3,541 MILES. FORTUNATELY THIS FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHERE THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. *JB