2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser engine and engine cooling problems

“CAR STOPPED AT RED LIGHT. ENGINE DIED AND SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THEN FLAMES SHOT OUT. DRIVER COULD NOT GET DOOR OPEN AT FIRST THEN AFTER SHORT TIME LOCKS RELEASED AND DRIVER WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE. FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED FLAMES AND SAID FIRE APPEARED TO BE STARTED BY FLUID LEAKAGE. THIS MODEL HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO RECALL DUE TO FIRES. CAR HAD RECALL FIX ON 9/23/04. IT NOW APPEARS THE RECALL FIXES WERE NOT PERMANENT AND THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM CAN RECUR. IT IS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING. ATTEMPTS TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. CHRYSLER STONE WALLED AND FALSELY RIGGED THEIR RESPONSE PROCEDURE SO AS TO AVOID ANY RESPONSIBILITY. CHRYSLER REFUSED TO ALLOW ME TO SPEAK WITH ANY PERSON IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY. THE CLERKS I SPOKE WITH STATED THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH ME. FINALLY AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE AT CHRYSLER, AND AFTER MORE THAN ONE MONTH FROM ORIGINAL CONTACT, A LETTER DATED MAY 13, 2015 WAS RECEIVED FROM CHRYSLER STATING THEY HAD TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO CONTACT US AND THE CLAIM WOULD BE DROPPED IF WE DID NOT RESPOND IN 10 DAYS. THIS QUITE SIMPLY IS A LIE! NO ATTEMPT WAS EVER MADE TO…”

“I WAS DRIVING MY 2003PT CRUIZER AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY WATER GAUGE WENT INTO RED ,HAD TO PULL OVER LATER ON CHANGED THERMOSTAT AND FLUSHED RADIATOR,RAN FINE FOR A DAY THEN OVERHEATING AGAIN FOLLOWING DAY SEEMS TO BE NOTHING WRONG NO LEAKING,JUST HAD TRANI.FIXED 2 MONTHS,HUSBAND DROVE CAR AGAIN AFTER ABOUT SEVEN MILES CAR STARTED OVERHEATING AGAIN,WENT TO RED HAD TO PULL OVER FOR CAR TO COOL DOWN,WHAT IS GOING ON,DOES CHRYSLER HAVE ANY RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM? *JS”

“I AM HAVING OVERHEATING PROBLEMS. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER OWNERS OF PT CRUISER WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES. IT OVERHEATS AT IDLE AND WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE NOT FOUND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM YET. I HAVE HAD IT PRESSURE TESTED AND THE THERMOSTAT CHANGES AND IT IS STILL OVERHEATING TO DANGEROUS LEVELS. *KB”

“WHEN STARTING CAR IN MORNING, IT MADE A VERY UNFAMILIAR SOUND THEN THE SOUND DISAPPEARED. AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE THE CAR WAS PARKED. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, WE HEARD TWO LOUD THUDS AS IF SOMETHING HAD FALLEN TO THE PAVEMENT. WE SAW NOTHING UNDER THE CAR, BUT AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD TWO MOTOR MOUNTS WERE BROKEN AND ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY DISLODGED. MECHANIC TOLD US THIS WAS HIS THIRD REPAIR OF THIS TYPE BECAUSE THE MOTOR WAS TOO HEAVY FOR THE TYPE OF MOTOR MOUNTS CHRYSLER USED IN THE PT CRUISER. PLEASE CALL OWNERS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED BEFORE OFFICIAL RECALL DAMAGES CHRYSLERS IMAGE. *TR”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE MOTOR MOUNTS BOLT FRACTURED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LEAN ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE AXLE. AS A RESULT, THE CV BOOT FRACTURED FROM THE CONSTANT FRICTION OF THE ENGINE LEANING ON THE AXLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED IN A CRASH THEREFORE, THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED IN A CRASH BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES PREVIOUSLY BUT NONE OF THE REPAIRS REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,700. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ UPDATED 1/4/11 *CN”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE EXHIBITED HESITATION WITH A SLIGHT LOSS OF POWER. THE FAILURE WAS SPORADIC. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SIX TIMES FOR DIAGNOSIS PERTAINING TO THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. A MOBILE COMPUTER WAS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE TO POSSIBLY DETECT FUTURE FAILURE OCCURRENCES. WHEN THE ENGINE FAILURE RECURRED, THE MOBILE COMPUTER WAS UNABLE TO PROJECT AN ACCURATE READING. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THE OXYGEN SENOR BE REPLACED HOWEVER HE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE REPAIR WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. UPDATED 01/14/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED BOTH OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. UPDATED 02/23/11”