Problems · by component
2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser air bags problems
45 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser cite air bags, 9% of all 523 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
45
9% of all complaints
Crashes
33
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
36
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE AIR BAG SENSOR WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. AN UNKNOWN DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT, NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.”
“UPON STARTING VEHICLE ALL WARNING TEST LIGHTS SUCH AS AIRBAG,OIL PRESSURE ETC. COME ON AS NORMAL,BUT OFTEN THE RED "AIRBAG" LIGHT STAYS ON INDEFINITELY OR GOES OFF THEN BELLS AND "AIRBAG" RED LIGHT REAPPEAR AND STAY ON 5 TO 10,SECONDS THEN GO OFF EVERY FEW MINUTES FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN I AM IN 1000 TO 1500, LOW ROOMS LIKE WHEN I'M SLOWING TO MAKE A STOP.YESTERDAY, THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYED ON THE ENTIRE 20 MINUTE TRIP. I TOOK CAR IN FOR REPAIR ON MY OWN $ BUT PROBLEM RETURNED. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AT ALL,HIGHWAY AND STREET SPEEDS BUT MOSTLY WITH DECELERATION TURNING THE AIRBAG OFF. VERY DANGEROUS. WHY HAVEN'T YOU PUT THE PT CRUISER ON THE AIRBAG RECALL LIST? I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2002 AND AM,THE SOLE OWNER.”
“TAKATA RECALL THIS VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A T-BONE ACCIDENT IN WHICH DRIVERS SIDE BACK SEAT TO REAR HATCH WAS T-BONED. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT IMPACT. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WAS PRISTINE WHITE WITHOUT ANY FRAY WHEN DEFLATED. THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG WAS FULL OF GUN SHOT RESIDUE AND BAG FRAYED. THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT WAS BURNED (BELT WAS CHARRED) ONTO DRIVERS CHEST AND THERE WAS AN APPARENT PUNCTURE WOUND LEFT OF CENTER CHEST AND MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER WAS DECEASED. THIS HAPPENED JAN 27, 2019. I'M WAITING ON CERTIFIED REPORTS FROM LA COUNTY CORONER AND CHP. DUE END MARCH, EARLY APRIL. *DSY”
“TAKATA RECALL: I WAS DRIVING NORTH, TURNING RIGHT ON A 20 MPH CURVE, WHEN SOMEONE HEADING SOUTH, TURNED LEFT ON THE CURVE, WENT OVER THE LINE AND HIT ME HEAD ON. WHEN I CAME TO, I HEARD MYSELF SCREAMING THAT I WAS ON FIRE! ( BUT MY CAR WAS NOT ON FIRE.) THEN I DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING UNTIL I WOKE UP IN THE HOSPITAL. I WAS COVERED IN THIS HOT POWDERY SUBSTANCE AND I HAD BURNS WHERE EVER MY SKIN WAS SHOWING. I HAD CUTS EVERYWHERE AND DARK MARKS IN MY SKIN FOR YEARS. I HAD CORNEAL SCRATCHES AND IRRITATED EYES TOO, ALONG WITH DISLOCATED JAW, SEAT BELT INJURIES AND A FEW OTHER INJURIES. MY TMJ SPECIALIST REALIZED I HAD METAL IN MY FACE, LOOKING AT MY MRI. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE MRI, MY FACE SWELLED UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE, MY RIGHT EYE WAS SWOLLEN SHUT AND MY FACE HAD A HUGE BUMP WHERE THE METAL FESTERED UP FROM THE MRI, THE ER LANCED IT OPEN, FOUND PARTICALS BUT DIDN'T DO A BIOPSY, JUST THREW IT AWAY. I NEVER HAD FACE SURGERY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND IT WAS TOO HIGH ON MY CHEEK TO BE FROM DENTAL WORK. I HAVE DOCUMENTS ON ACCIDENT REPORTS, DRS DOCUMENTS, X RAYS, MRI'S SHOWING THE BLOOM OF METAL HIDING MY BROKEN JAW. I HAVE PICTURES TOO OF ME AND DEPLOYED AIRBAGS.…”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND METAL FRAGMENTS STRUCK THE CONTACT'S FACE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.”
Showing 6 of 45 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.