NHTSA Complaint #10407380 — 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE

TOOK 2005 PT CONVERTIBLE FOR OIL CHANGE, MECHANIC INFORMED ME I WAS VERY LOW ON POWER STEERING FLUID, HE REFILLED IT. GRADUALLY BEGAN NOTICING WHINING/GROANING SOUND WHEN TURNING, THE TIGHTER THE TURN THE WORSE THE SOUND. SOUND INCREASINGLY BECAME MORE FREQUENT. RETURNED TO MECHANIC (A DIFFERENT ONE) AND HE SAID I WAS OUT OF STEERING FLUID. I INFORMED HIM THAT IT HAD BEEN FILLED ABOUT A MONTH AGO. GOING FROM MEMORY HERE...HE CHECKED FOR LEAK AND FOUND NONE, AND REFILLED. PROBLEM CONTINUED TO INCREASE UNTIL THE POWER STEERING STOPPED COMPLETELY AND I COULD BARELY TURN THE CAR. RETURNED TO PREVIOUS MECHANIC TO FIND THAT THE HOSE HAD POPPED OFF. HE REATTACHED. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER WHEN TURNING LEFT I HEARD AN ODD SOUND, CAN'T REALLY DESCRIBE. WITHIN A WEEK THE GROANING WAS BACK, HOSE HAD POPPED OFF AGAIN, AND FLUID RAN OUT IN A MATTER OF DAYS. THE MECHANIC AGAIN REATTACHED AND SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY THE EQUIPMENT IS ARRANGED UNDER THE HOOD, CAUSES SOMETHING TO RUB AGAINST THE POWER STEERING HOSE, CAUSING IT TO DETACH. THIS ORDEAL WAS REPEATED 3 TIMES WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PIN DOWN THE TYPE OF MOVEMENT THAT CAUSED THE HOSE TO COME OFF...TURNING LEFT WHILE AT AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. THROUGH-OUT ALL THIS (I AM NOT GOOD WITH CARS AND AM A GIRL) I ENDED UP NEEDING TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN. I WISH I HAD THOUGHT TO CHECK INTO THIS SOONER AS I SEE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. *TR