NHTSA Complaint #10507400 — 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER

SINCE NOVEMBER 2012, MY 2006 PT CRUISER'S DASHBOARD HAS OCCASIONALLY GONE CRAZY WITH ALL GAUGES (SPEED, GAS, ETC) GOING CRAZY AND BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH, ALL LIGHTS (ENGINE, AIRBAG, BRAKE, ETC) LIGHTING UP AT THE SAME TIME. AT THAT TIME, IT DID NOT AFFECT THE ENGINE. ON MARCH 15, 2013, THE CAR DIED SUDDENLY WHILE PULLING OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE GAUGES AND LIGHTS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN GOING CRAZY. THE CAR RESTARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED IMMEDIATELY. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT RECREATE THE ISSUE AND DID A COMPUTER UPDATE. AFTER PICKING THE CAR UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON MARCH 22, 2013, AGAIN THE GAUGES AND LIGHTS STARTING GOING OFF AND THE CAR STARTED TO STALL AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. WHEN STOPPED, THE CAR WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATE AND IT THREATENED TO QUIT NUMEROUS TIMES. I HAD TO PUT MY WARNING LIGHTS ON TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE TRUCK BEHIND ME. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE CAR HOME AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING WEEK. AFTER ANOTHER WEEK, THE MECHANIC WAS FINALLY ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS AND GAUGES BUT DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE STALLING OR INTERMITTENT LACK OF ACCELERATION. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP AND HE IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. HE SUGGESTS REPLACING THE DASHBOARD CLUSTER BUT IS NOT SURE IF THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER READING OTHER CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS THAT REPLACING THE DASHBOARD CLUSTER DID NOT REMEDY THE SAME PROBLEM IN OTHER PT CRUISERS, I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE CHRYSLER RESPONDING TO THIS ISSUE THAT MANY 2006 PT CRUISER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TOO PREVALENT TO IGNORE AND HAVING A CAR DIE SUDDENLY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC IS A DANGEROUS THING. *TR