2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Structure Problems

ENGINE CRADLE, OR FRONT SUBFRAME, IS RUSTED TO THE POINT I'VE STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR. I'M IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING A REPLACEMENT BUT CHRYSLER NO LONGER MAKES THE PART! NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO THIS POINT BECAUSE OF MY CAUTION BUT THE FRONT END WAS STARTING TO MAKE POPPING NOISES WHEN I STARTED OUT FROM A DEAD STOP. THE PROBLEM IS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I UNDERSTAND FROM READING ARTICLES, MANY OTHER PTS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. FOR YEARS, I HAVE TRIED TO PRIME AND SPRAY OIL ON THE PART TO EXTEND IT'S LIFE. TIME HAS COME.... *TR

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE (AS FAR AS I KNOW) BUT I WANT IT TO GO ON RECORD FROM WHAT ALL PT CRUISER OWNERS HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH. DASHBOARD CRACKED AND VENT GRIDS CRUMBLED WHEN DOING A REGULAR CLEANING (DUSTING WITH CLOTH). I JUST WANT TO BE NOTED THAT I FOUND OUT THAT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF PT CRUISERS HAVE THIS ISSUE. I DO NOT THINK IT IS FAIR TO CUSTOMERS TO HAVE NO PROTECTION FROM SUCH POOR QUALITY MATERIALS. MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE MADE LIABLE FOR SUCH THINGS. *TR

LOUD CRACKING SOUNDS WHILE DRIVING THEN THE DASH STARTED OPENING UP IN TWO PLACES, ONE THROUGH THE VENT FAN ALL THE WAY TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE OTHER FROM THE VENT TOWARD THE GLOVE BOX. CHRYSLER AND MY DEALER CLAIM THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM ALTHOUGH MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB AND THIS SITE? ALSO MANY ON THIS SITE SAID THEY CONTACTED CHRYSLER. HAVE MADE APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE AT MY COST SINCE IT DOESN'T SEEM SAFE TO DRIVE A CAR THAT'S SPLITTING DOWN THE MIDDLE, AND CHRYSLER AND THE DEALER CLAIM NO RESPONSIBILITY. MY CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, USED SUN SHADES AND ONLY HAS 35,585 MILES, LIVING ON THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST WHERE THE WEATHER IS MILD ALL YEAR AROUND. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS DEFECTIVE MATERIAL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD REPLACE. *TR

DASHBOARD CRACKED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. *TR

2002 PT CRUISER 55,000 MILES DASH CRACKED IN THE MIDDLE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING HEARD A LOUD CRACK AND THE DASH ON THE CAR CRACKED ABOUT 16 INCHES, SO FAR HAVE ONLY PUT DUCT TAPE ON IT TO HOPEFULLY KEEP THE CRACK FROM GOING ANY FURTHER. IT HAS CRACKED FROM THE LEFT SIDE, JUST UNDER THE WINDOW TO ALMOST THE CENTER VENT ON THE DASH. *TR

CAR'S PLASTIC DASHBOARD SUDDENLY CRACKED IN THE CENTER AND PIECES FELL INTO THE CENTER VENT. DASHBOARD NOW HAS SHARP EDGES FROM THE CRACKS, WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY IN THE EVENT OF COLLISION. DO TO THE NATURE OF THE DAMAGE I DON'T BELIEVE THE DASHBOARD COMPLIES WITH FOLLOWING: 571.201 STANDARD NO. 201; OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT. *TR

DASHBOARD HAS CRACKED FROM CENTER WINDSHIELD REGION TO THE AIR VENT. THE GRILL ON THE AIR VENT HAS CRACKED AND BROKEN. *TR

DASHBOARD ON MY PT CRUISER -2002 JUST STARTED CRACKING FIRST A THE WINDSHIELD LIKE A HAIR LINE CRACK - THEN DEFROST VENT INVOLVED - NOW IT HAS A HOLE IN THE VENT - AND NOW JUST THIS WEEKEND ANOTHER HAIRLINE CRACK STARTING AT THE AIR VENT AND GOING NOW TO THE CONSOLE. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY DASH? THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD WITH THE AIR BAG JUST DOWN BELOW. NO WRECK INVOLVED. *TR

DASHBOARD IN 2002 PT CRUISER HAS CRACKED DOWN THE MIDDLE AND HAS BEGAN TO SEPARATE INTO PIECES. THIS INCLUDES THE CENTER DEFROST VENT. PER THE JUNE 18, 2007 MIAMI HERALD YOU HAD 9 COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF 2002 MODELS AND 12 FROM 2001 OWNERS. THIS WAS OVER 2 YEARS AGO. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS MANY MORE COMPLAINTS THAT PROBABLY HAVEN'T BEEN FILED WITH THE NHTSA. CHRYSLER DENIES RESPONSIBILITY. VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS ( E.G. COVERKING) HAVE ALREADY STARTED MAKING DASH COVERS FOR THE PT CRUISER SPECIFICALLY TO COVER CRACKED DASHES; BUT I CANNOT USE ONE AS THESE COVERS DO NOT INCLUDE THE CENTER DEFROST VENT WHICH HAS BROKEN INTO PIECES AND FALLEN INTO THE VENT. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DASH COVER. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ENOUGH CARS SURELY TO INITIATE A DEFECT INVESTIGATION. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE DASHES! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS COMPLETELY CRACKED AND HOUSES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 100,000.

I PURCHASED MY 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER A FEW YEARS AGO NOW. I HAVE SENT CHRYSLER MANY LETTERS ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT WAS VERY SCARY. I BOUGHT THE CAR AT ABOUT 31,000 MILES. ABOUT A MONTH LATER MY PAINT STARTED PEELING OFF OF THE FRONT BUMPER AND MY DASH STARTED TO CRACK. MIND YOU I KEEP MY CAR GARAGED AND IT IS WASHED AND WAXED REGULARLY BY A SHOP THAT I HAVE USED FOR YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY WERE GONE. SO I CONTACTED MY NEXT CLOSEST DEALER. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT MY CPU WENT OUT WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED. THEY HAD TO REPLACE IT TWICE BEFORE IT FINALLY LASTED MORE THAN A DAY. THEN MY DASH COMPLETELY CRUMBLED. IT...

DASHBOARD BEGAN CRUMBLING ABOUT 3-4 YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR (NEW) AND IS NOW IN TERRIBLE SHAPE AND MAY BE NEAR COLLAPSING. I HAVE NOT CHECKED INTO REPLACEMENT YET. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE WITH OTHER PT CRUISER OWNERS AND OTHER CHRYSLER-MADE CARS. *TR

THE DASH PAD "COVER" ON OUR 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER LIMITED HAS CRACKED AND BROKEN INTO NUMEROUS SHARP PIECES. THIS CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A CAR OF THIS AGE. WE HAVE OTHER CARS, OLDER AND NEWER THAT HAVE HAD NO ISSUES WITH CRACKING DASHBOARDS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. WE HAVE BECOME AWARE OF THIS DEFECT/SAFETY HAZARD OCCURRING ON MANY OTHER CHRYSLER PT CRUISERS. *TR

2002 P T CRUISER BY CHRYSLER THE DASH BOARD IN MY CAR STARTED CRACKING. I AM HOLDING IT TOGETHER WITH TAPE. I AM FEARFUL OF THE PLASTIC CAVING IN AND CAUSING ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. WHEN I REPORTED THIS TO CHRYSLER CORP., USING THEIR 800 NUMBER THEY WERE RUDE AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT HELP. I HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THIS DEFECT TO BE CORRECTED? BONITA SMITH *TR

2002 PT CRUISER: DASHBOARD CRACKED IN CENTER FROM FRONT WINDOW TO INSIDE EDGE, RUNNING ACROSS VENT,REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF DASHBOARD.*TR

2002 PT CRUISER: CRACKING DASHBOARD, IMPROPER MATERIALS USED IN CONSTRUCTION, REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF DASHBOARD. *TR

DASHBOARD CRACKED IN CENTER FROM FRONT WINDOW TO INSIDE EDGE, RUNNING ACROSS VENT, WHICH HAS FALLING INTO DASH IN PIECES; ALSO FREQUENTLY "SHORTS OUT" AND RADIO, INSIDE LIGHTS, DASH LIGHTS, ALL GO OUT MAKING NIGHT DRIVING DANGEROUS. *TR

2 CRACKS IN MY 2002 PT CRUISER DASHBOARD SUDDENLY APPEARED AND ARE EXPANDING. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER AND, I NOTICED A SMALL CRACK IN THE DASHBOARD, AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER THE SMALL CRACK IS NOW BIGGER AND ALMOST TO MY A/C VENTS AND THE VENT IN THE DASHBOARD IS CRACKING BADLY. I FEEL THAT SOMETHING MIGHT FAIL BECAUSE OF THIS. *TR

DASHBOARD HAS CRACKED IN ABOUT 5 DIFFERENT PLACES AND FALLING IN. *TR

DASHBOARD CRACKING ON 2002 PT CRUISER. WATCHING CRACK WORK IT'S WAY ALONG DASH.. ...TODAY HEARD A LOUD CRACK SOUND AND NOW DASH IS CRACKED IN HALF. I DO NOT SEE ANY RECALL INFO FROM CHRYSLER. I WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT DASH. THIS CAR IS GARAGED EXCEPT WHEN WORKING DURING THE DAY. PROBABLY NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM...BUT COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

CRACKING DASHBOARD AND THE COOLING FAN ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER THAT I HAVE HAD SINCE IT WAS NEW. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, I NOTICED THE DASHBOARD HAD TWO CRACKS RUNNING FROM EACH SIDE OF THE CENTER VENT TO THE WINDSHIELD. NOW THERE IS A LARGE CRACK RUNNING FROM THE CENTER OF THAT VENT TO THE FRONT OF THE DASH. THE DASH IN THIS CAR IS JUST A COVER, A PIECE OF PLASTIC. THE CRACK IS NOT LIKE THE CRACKS YOU USED TO GET IN A DASH THAT WAS FOAM COVERED METAL. THESE CRACKS ARE WHERE THE PLASTIC HAS COMPLETELY BROKEN THROUGH. IN A WEB SEARCH, I FOUND WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING ON A LOT OF THESE VEHICLES. *TR

DASHBOARD CRACKED STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE (NORTH TO SOUTH). *TR

THE DASHBOARD ON MY 2002 PT CRUISER HAS LITERALLY CRACK STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. I AM SURE THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF IT GETS ANY LARGER. *JB

MY 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER RECEIVED A CRACK ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CRACK SLOWLY GREW AROUND THE VENT AND STARTED TO COLLAPSE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE PIECES WILL FALL INTO THE WIRING UNDER THE DASH. CARMAX (WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR) AND CHRYLSER WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CAR IS ONLY 5 1/2 YEARS OLD. FOR MY SAFETY, I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF. *TR

I OWN A 2002 P/T CRUISER AND THE DASH OARD CRACKED RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE TOP OF THE CONTROL CONSOLE, ABOUT A FOOT LONG OR 15 INCHES LONG CRACK. THERE WAS NO VEHICLE ACCIDENT CAUSING THIS, OR ANY OTHER TRAUMA TO THE DASHBOARD. IT SIMPLY CRACKED IN THE 5 YEARS WE OWNED THE CAR.*AK

I OWN A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. I WAS AWARE CHRYSLER ONLY OFFERED A 3 YEAR WARRANTY ON MY CAR WHEN PURCHASED, SO I OPTED AND PAID EXTRA FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO COVER AN ADDITIONAL 2 YEARS. BASICALLY LAST MAY 2006, I NOTICED A CRACK APPEARED ON THE TOP DASHBOARD NEXT TO THE WINDSHIELD AND THE GRILL ON THE TOP DASH ALSO HAD A CRACK. I CALLED THE LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT A RECALL AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST ME. I EXPLAINED I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THEY THEN SAID THAT THIS WAS CONSIDERED MORE OF A COSMETIC ISSUE NOT ANYTHING THAT IS COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY POLICY. WE THEN CALLED THE MAIN CHRYSLER HEADQUARTERS OFFICE THEY CLAIMED THE SAME THING. SO TO THIS DAY I STILL HAVE THE CRACK ON THE TOP PART...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT NOTICED A CRACK IN THE DASHBOARD. AS YEARS WENT BY, THE CRACK GREW LARGER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND # OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 35,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. UPDATED 08/07/07. *JB

2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. CRACKED DASH. *MC *TR

THE DASHBOARD OF THE 2002 P.T. CRUISER HAD CRACKED IN TWO (2) PLACES, AND I FELT THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEFECT, AS A NEW DASHBOARD COST APPROXIMATELY $220.00 - PLEASE ADVISE. *AK

DASHBOARD FALLING APART. *TR

2002 PT CRUISER, DASHBOARD HAS CRACKS. *AK

DASHBOARD CRACKING IN 2002 PT CRUISER. *AK

DASHBOARD HAS CRACKED. *AK

2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER HAS DASH BOARD THAT IS SEVERELY CRACKED

PT CRUISER DASHBOARD IS CRACKING AND GROWING LONGER. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO BE SERVICED AT CHRYSLER AND SHOWED THEM THE CRACK THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANY OTHER CARS THEN GAVE A QUOTE FOR ME TO PAY AND FIX IT. HOWEVER THE LOCAL NEWS HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING AND THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE PT CRUISERS AND A DODGE TRUCK. *TR

I NOTICED THE CRACK IN THE DASHBOARD . AT THE END OF THE EVENING THE CRACK WENT FROM THE VENT ON THE DASHBOARD TO THE WINDSHIELD. ANOTHER CRACK OPENED ABOUT 3 INCHES TO THE LEFT AND CONTINUED CRACKING UNTIL IT WAS COMPLETELY CRACKED IN HALF . NOW ,THERE WAS A THIRD FISSURE STARTING. THE PIECES OF THE VENT WERE FALLING INSIDE OF IT. *AK

LARGE CRACK IN DASHBOARD, FROM WINDOW TO BOTTOM OF DASHBOARD THROUGH AIR VENT. ANOTHER CRACK WAS STARTING NEAR PASSENGER SIDE. *AK

THE DASHBOARD STARTED CRACKING LAST MONTH ON THE PT CRUISER AND APPEARED TO BE GETTING WORSE. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL MAKE DRIVING THE CAR DANGEROUS. SOME OF THE CRACKED VENT WAS ALREADY FALLING INTO THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE DASHBOARD AT WWW.PBASE.COM/ROD_OSTOSKI/IMAGE/78561344. ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL TV NEWS 6 PROBLEM SOLVERS AT ORLANDO, FLORIDA THIS WAS A WIDE SPREAD ISSUE. WE FELT THIS WAS A DEFECT OF THE CAR THAT SHOULD BE FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE'S DASHBOARD WAS CRACKED. THE MECHANIC AT THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 54,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

DASHBOARD ON THE 2002 PT CRUISER IS CRACKING DOWN THE MIDDLE AND VIBRATES BADLY WHEN DRIVING. CONCERNED THAT IT WILL COLLAPSE.*AK

DASHBOARD COLLAPSED ON 2002 PT CRUISER PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2006. APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AGO TWO CRACKS APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, THEN IN MARCH 2007 THE VENTILATION GRILL STARTED TO BREAK, AND THE DASHBOARD WAS NOW BASICALLY IN TWO HALVES. AS THE GAP IN THE DASHBOARD APPEARED TO BE GETTING LARGER. A TEMPORARY REPAIR WAS MADE USING SUPER GLUE TO HOLD THE DASHBOARD TOGETHER. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHYRSLER PT CRUISER. THE VEHICLE'S ENTIRE DASHBOARD BURST INTO SEVERAL PIECES. THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80 DEGREES. THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT REPAIR THE DASHBOARD DUE TO THE STATE'S CLIMATE. THE ENGINE SIZE IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 97,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THERE IS A CHEMICAL SMELL WHICH GAVE CONTACT HEADACHES AND AN OCCASIONAL SORE THROAT. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THERE WAS NOT A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. *AK THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THERE WAS EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE WHEN THE WINDOWS WERE ROLLED UP. THE SPEAKERS MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE REAR SEAT BACKING WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 07/25/06. *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE BRAKES WERE DEFECTIVE AND PERFORMED POORLY WHEN APPLIED. THE CONSUMER SUSPECTS THAT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT WORK ON THE BRAKES AT ALL. *AK THERE WAS A SCREECHING NOISE AND THE BRAKES WOULD SOMETIMES GO ALMOST TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOOR. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT ALWAYS LOCK, THE BRAKES WOULD RUB AND HESITATE TO STOP, THE A/C DID NOT GET COLD ON HIGH SETTINGS, THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD ELECTRONIC SYSTEM WAS OFF, THE FUEL, MPH AND THE RPM LIGHTS HAD COME ON, AT THE INSIDE TOP OF ALL FOUR DOORS, THE LINING WAS BULDGING IN AND OUT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT NEEDED SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE LOCKING, THE RIGHT SIGNAL HAD TO BE MANUALLY STOPPED, AND THE LEFT SIGNAL LIGHT DID NOT HOLD. THERE WAS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH THE ODOMETER READING. (THE CONSUMER FELT THAT IT DID NOT...