2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRSYLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CROSS MEMBER FRAME HAD RUSTED OUT. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V387000 (SUSPENSION). THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

"TAKATA RECALL " IN MY PT CRUISER THE ENGINE DROPPED DOWN IN THE CAR AND THE FRONT AXLE BAR AND FRAME WAS BROKEN AND THE WHEELS COULD NOT TURN OR CONTROL THE CAR I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET TRYING TO TURN INTO A ICE CREAM SHOP THE CAR IS STILL DOING A SUDDEN JERKING WHEN DRIVEN AND AFTER PAYING A LOT OF MONEY TO GET IT STARTED AND FIXED I AM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AND NO MONEY TO GET ANOTHER.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL HARD TO THE RIGHT. WE WERE DRIVING SLOW IN TOWN, HAD THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED A WRECK WOULD HAVE BEEN UNAVOIDABLE . GOT THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND TOOK A LOOK AT IT . FOUND THE FRONT SUB FRAME (TO WHICH THE STEERING GEAR, LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND SUCH ARE BOLTED TO) HAD RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT IT CRACKED , ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. THIS ALLOWED THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM TO SHIFT BACKWARD CAUSING THE DEATH PULL TO THE RIGHT.

I FILED A CLAIM WITH CHRYSLER ABOUT THE RUSTED OUT ENGINE CRADLE AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE IT. *TR

I BOUGHT A CAR FROM NORTH COAST AUTO MALL AND IT HAD A LOT OF SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. THEY ENSURED ME THAT THEY WOULD FIX THESE ISSUES IF I BOUGHT THE CAR. AFTER BUYING THE CAR, THEY HAVE HAD ME IN AND OUT OF THEIR SHOP 4 OR 5 TIMES TO WHICH THEY ONLY LUBE THE PARTS OR LIE TO ME CLAIMING THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN FIXED. I FEEL THAT THIS BUSINESS PRACTICE IS UNSAFE AND MISLEADING. THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLACED A CONTROL ARM TO WHICH GOODYEAR LATER (WHEN I WAS BUYING TIRES) INFORMED ME THAT MY CONTROL ARMS WERE BAD. I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THIS. NORTH COAST SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS THEY ARE SELLING UNSAFE CARS, CLAIMING TO REPAIR ISSUES AND THEN PUTTING ME IN AN UNSAFE CAR. 30 CLAIMS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT SIMILAR ISSUES VIA THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION AND THE...

WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT MY CAR SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT. I HAD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT WHILE I STOPPED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A GARAGE AND UPON INSPECTION THEY FOUND THE CROSSMEMBERS UNDER THE ENGINE WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND BROKEN. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS 13 YEARS OLD IT ONLY HAS 56,000 MILES AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN STORED IN A GARAGE.

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MILES AN HOUR, THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSS-MEMBER BROKE AS A RESULT OF SEVERE RUST. THIS CAUSED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO STEER TOWARDS THE DITCH CREATING A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD. THE RUST WAS CAUSED BY WATER DRAINING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER ONTO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE CROSS-MEMBER. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT PART FROM CHRYSLER BUT SO FAR THE OUTLOOK FOR DELIVERY HAS CHANGED FOUR TIMES AND IS CURRENTLY ESTIMATED FOR 12/25/2013 (2.5 MONTHS AFTER THE CAR BECAME INOPERABLE). NOT ONLY DOES CHRYSLER IGNORE THE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS COMMONLY REPORTED DESIGN FLAW, THEY ARE PROVING TO BE INCAPABLE AT PROVIDING REPLACEMENT PARTS. THIS IS EVIDENT AS I AM ONE OF 28 CAR OWNERS WHO ARE WAITING FOR THIS PART FROM CHRYSLER, AND THERE IS HIGH DEMAND FOR THIS PART FROM JUNKYARDS. *TR

UPON INSPECTION DURING A REPAIR FOR ANOTHER PROBLEM IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER KNOWN AS THE K-FRAME IS SEVERELY CORRODED AND WILL LIKELY NOT PASS ANOTHER SAFETY INSPECTION. THE REST OF THE UNDERNEATH OF THIS CAR IS RELATIVELY RUST-FREE AND THIS IS A LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE FOR ITS AGE. IF THIS PART FAILS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, ETC. WILL ALL DROP AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. *TR

I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN FROM A MAIN ROAD ONTO A SIDE STREET. WHILE THE CAR WAS TURNING, I HEARD A CLUNK AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS JERKED FROM MY HANDS. THE CAR PULLED HARD TO THE RIGHT AND CRASHED INTO THE CURB. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE SERVICE TECH SHOWED ME THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND THE K FRAME WAS CRACKED ALL THE WAY THRU. IT'S TO RUSTED TO BE WELDED AND I WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISER AND DODGE NEON, SINCE THEY USE THE SAME FRAME. THE TECH ALSO TOLD ME I WAS LUCKY THAT I WASN'T MOVING AT HIGH SPEED OR THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, THEY ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF REPLACEMENT PARTS, AND THEY BASICALLY IGNORE ANY COMPLAINTS. *JB

THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSS-MEMBER IS SEVERELY RUSTED AND WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT BEFORE THE CAR WILL PASS INSPECTION. THE CAR WAS IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE WHEN MY MECHANIC POINTED OUT THAT THE ONLY RUSTED PART ON THE VEHICLE WAS THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSS-MEMBER AND THAT IT WAS BORDERING ON UNSAFE. THIS CAR HAS RELATIVELY LOW MILES AT 76K AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION OTHERWISE. THIS RUSTED PART COULD FAIL WITH NO INDICATION THAT DANGER WAS IMMINENT AND CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING AND ULTIMATELY A VEHICLE CRASH AT ANY SPEED. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2001 PT CRUISER AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. REPLACED MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH BUT DID NOT HELP. HAD TO RE-WIRE THE LIGHTS TO MAKE THEM WORK. ALSO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE HAS SOMETHING LOOSE. POSSIBLY BUSHINGS?? I'VE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE LIGHTS. WHAT IS IT GONNA TAKE TO GET A RECALL IN PLACE? WE GOT A TICKET FOR IT. *TR

FRONT SUSPENSION................AFTER FRONT END ALIGNMENT CHECK .....BOTH SIDE OF NEW TIRES WORE OUT...LEFT AND RIGHT....A CHECK LATER BUSHINGS WORE OUT AFTER 4,000 MILES...................REPLACE BUSHINGS AND ALIGNMENT RECHECK. *TT

K-FRAME ENGINE CRADLE RUSTED THROUGH. THIS CAR IS GARAGED 90 % AT HOME AND AT WORK. THE REST OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BODY IS RUST FREE. REPORTED TO CHRYSLER 1 YEAR AGO. NO RESPONSE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS WERE REPLACED AT MILEAGE 86,795 AND THEN AT MILEAGE 103,000. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE DRIVERS FRONT WHEEL DID NOT FEEL SECURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO A MECHANIC SHOP WHO INDICATED THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS SWAY BAR LINK FOR $1200. THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD GOODYEAR EAGLE TIRES, 205/55 R16 EAGLE LS. AT 31,000 MILES THE CAR WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT, AND HE TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND FOUND THAT THE BELTS ON THE TIRE SEPARATED, CAUSING THE TREAD TO SHIFT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT 41,000 MILES THE BACK OF THE CAR BEGAN SWAYING SIDEWAYS TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BELTS ON THE TIRE SEPARATED AGAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TREAD WAS FINE, THE BELT IN THE TIRE WAS FAULTY. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD A SLIGHT OIL LEAK. THE DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION SOLENOID PACK. UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BUT THE STEERING WHEEL STILL VIBRATED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NLM

CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT AND VIBRATION. DEALER HAS SWITCHED TIRES FROM FRONT TO BACK, SIDE TO SIDE, AND HAVE REPLACED 4 ORIGINAL TIRES AND 7 ADDITIONAL TIRES. DEALER STILL CLAIMS IT IS A TIRE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH VEHICLE. VEHICLE STILL HAS A PULL AND VIBRATION. STEERING COLUMN SQUEAKS. STEERING COLUMN REPLACE, LUBED AND STILL HAVE A SQUEAK. *TS *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***763033

VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT WHEN ACCELERATING, VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. *AK *YD

CAR FISHTAILED WHEN A SUDDEN TURN IN STEERING TO AVOID A COLLISION THREW IT OUT OF CONTROL. I HAD TOTAL CONTROL OF MY FACULITIES AND PROCEEDED TO TURN THE FRONT WHEELS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SKID. AFTER SKIDING LEFT, RIGHT, AND LEFT I HIT A WALL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. THERE WAS NO TENDENCY TO ROLL OVER. THIS CAR SHOULD NEVER OF FISHTAILED UNDER THESE ORDINARY TRAFFIC SITUATION. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CAR.. MY THOUGHT ARE THAT THEIR IS NO WEIGHT IN THE REAR OF THE CAR SO IT JUST BREAKS AWAYAND FISH TAILS.*AK