NHTSA Complaint #10948893 — 2008 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER

THERE ARE A FEW ISSUES WITH MY CAR AND THE LOCAL DEALER SAYS THEY MAY BE RELATED. STALLING WHILE DRIVING: THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN 2-3 MONTHS. FIRST TIME I WAS ON A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP SLOWING TO STOP. NOT SURE OF MY SPEED, BUT I NOTICED IT STALLED AS I WAS ALMOST TO THE LIGHT. I STOPPED AND THE CAR STARTED UP FINE. THE SECOND TIME WAS 1-2 MONTHS LATER IN JAN. 2017. I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN ABOUT 30 MPH AND SHIFTED (AUTOMATIC) FROM 3RD TO DRIVE. I PUSHED THE GAS TO SPEED UP AND REALIZED THE CAR HAD STALLED. ONCE AGAIN IT STARTED BACK UP JUST FINE. MALFUNCTIONING INSTRUMENT CLUSTER: THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM SINCE PROBABLY 2011 OR 2012. THE DIALS ON THE GAUGES WILL SWING BACK AND FORTH WILDLY. DASH LIGHT WILL FLASH ON AND OFF. SOMETIMES THE CLUSTER MAKES A POPPING SOUND LIKE IT IS POPPING POPCORN INSIDE THERE. TROUBLE STARTING: FOR A FEW YEARS NOW (POSSIBLY MATCHING THE TIMING OF THE CLUSTER PROBLEM) IT CAN TAKE 2-3 TRIES TO START THE CAR. THIS IS INTERMITTENT. I DON'T HEAR A SOUND THAT IT IS STRUGGLING TO START, IT JUST DOES NOTHING WHEN I TURN THE KEY. HORN MALFUNCTIONING: THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED A FEW TIMES, BUT WHEN I GO TO GIVE A QUICK HONK, IT STICKS AND SOUNDS LIKE I'M GIVING SOMEONE A LOOOONG HONK. THE STALLING WHILE DRIVING IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY RISK. THE LOCAL DEALER SAID I SHOULD GET THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACED WITH A REFURBISHED ONE BECAUSE IT COULD BE CAUSING THE STALLING. "ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS CAN CAUSE STRANGE THINGS TO HAPPEN" I WAS TOLD. I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW AND HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. OTHER THAN FOR TIRES, I ONLY TAKE IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER. IT HAS ONLY 54,000 MILES. IT IS A GREAT CAR, UNTIL NOW. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE MY TODDLER SON IN IT FOR FEAR OF AN ACCIDENT. I SPENT $700 ON MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS A MONTH AGO AND NOW THE DEALER WANTS ME TO SPEND ABOUT $550 ON SOMETHING THAT MAY TAKE CARE OF THE STALLING. *TR