NHTSA Complaint #10195556 — 2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER

WE OWN A 2003 PT CRUISER. IT HAS MANIFESTED THREE SEPARATE PROBLEMS, ALL OF WHICH ARE SIMILAR TO COMPLAINTS I HAVE FOUND FROM OTHERS ON THE INTERNET: FIRST, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON. THE DEALER SAID WE NEEDED TO CLICK THE GAS CAP. WE DID THAT, BUT THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. SECOND, THE FOG LIGHT SWITCH FAILED SUCH SO THAT THE LIGHTS TURNED ON WITHOUT THE SWITCH BEING TOUCHED. WE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM ONLY AFTER THE BATTERY HAD BEEN DRAINED, STRANDING MY WIFE AT WORK. I "FIXED" THIS PROBLEM BY PULLING THE FUSE ON THE FOG LIGHTS. I HAVE READ COMPLAINTS IN WHICH THIS FAULTY SWITCH HAS ACTUALLY STARTED FIRES. THIRD, WE HAVE THE INFAMOUS INTERMITTENT STARTING"PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACED THE STARTER AND THE BATTERY. I CHECKED ALTERNATOR FUNCTION AND INTEGRITY OF ALL CABLE CONNECTIONS TO THE STARTER. THEN I READ OTHERS' COMPLAINTS AND HAVE FOUND THERE IS NO AVAILABLE SOLUTION. THE PROBLEM BECAME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT, AND NOW THE VEHICLE IS DEAD IN THE DRIVEWAY. OUR VEHICLE HAS ONLY 54,000 MILES ON IT, AND WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD EXPECT MANY MORE MILES FROM IT. WE ARE AFRAID TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER AND HAVE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF FRUITLESS DIAGNOSTICS DONE ON IT. WE STILL OWE $1,800 TO CHRYSLER FINANCIAL FOR THE CAR. IT PAINS US TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON A VEHICLE THAT IS A LUMP IN OUR DRIVEWAY. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE, ASSUMING THE MANUFACTURER HAS FOUND A SOLUTION. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF WARRANTY, THE PROBLEM BEGAN TO OCCUR LONG BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION, BUT WE COULD NOT GET IT TO REPEAT FOR THE DEALER. IS THERE A "SECRET WARRANTY" FOR THIS ISSUE? WE CANNOT FIND A FULL-TEXT TSB TO FIND OUT. *AK