2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser engine and engine cooling problems

“2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE FUEL LEAK LOCATION ON THE INLET NOZZLE FUEL TANK. *SMD THE DEALER STATED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, CRACKED TRIM AROUND A/C UNIT, TRUNK WILL NOT STAY OPEN, FRONT BRAKES NEED REPLACING, AND REAR SHOCK NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR”

“I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, AND THE ROAD HAD A NATURAL "BUMP" IN IT, CAUSING A SLIGHT BIT OF LIFT WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE SWAYED FROM SIDE TO SIDE, AND I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN, AND COUNTER STEER IN ORDER TO KEEP IT IN MY LANE. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC TODAY, AND THE RIGHT LOWER MOTOR MOUNT IS BROKEN. I JUST REPLACED THAT SAME MOUNT LESS THEN 6 MONTHS AGO. MY MECHANIC SAID THEY KNOW OF A CRUISER THAT HAD 8 FRONT RIGHT MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED. THERE IS AN ENTIRE SITE ON THE INTERNET DEDICATED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD MAJOR ISSUES WITH MOTOR MOUNTS GOING OUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN ON THEIR CRUISERS. *TR”

“GOING OVER A SPEED BUMP MY UNDERBODY SCRAPPED THE BUMP. WHEN I GOT HOME I HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF RADIATOR FLUID UNDER MY CAR THE NEXT MORNING. A FEW DAYS LATER THERE WAS STILL SMALL AMOUNTS OF LIQUID UNDER MY CAR. JACK FURRIERS REPAIR SHOP SAID THE OIL COOLER WAS DAMAGED AND HAD A SMALL HOLE FROM THE FINS BEING BENT. REPAIR IS QUITE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE CHRYSLER HAS CHANGED THE STYLING OF THE PART AND IT HAS TO BE REPLACED WITH THE NEW PART. THE NEW PART I WAS TOLD WOULD BE BEING PUT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE FIRST PLACE TO BE SAFER FROM THE TYPES OF DAMAGES I GOT. SHOULD BE A RECALL COVERED REPAIR. THE CAR COULD OVERHEAT AND CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS. *TR”

“I AM SO UNHAPPY WITH THIS CAR, IT HAS GIVEN ME NOTHING BUT HEADACHES. I HAVE HAD FRONT END BEARING PROBLEMS TO ELECTRICAL, BUT THE WORST PROBLEM IS THE ONE I HAVE RIGHT NOW. MY CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AS WE SPEAK, AND I AM BEING TOLD THAT CHRYSLER MAY NOT COVER THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS VARIOUS LEAKS,THE OIL HAS LEAKED INTO THE SPARK PLUGS, AND OTHER AREAS THAT THEY ARE NOT CERTAIN OFF, THEY SUGGESTED ONE IS COMING FROM THE HEAD GASKET A PART OF THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEMS STARTED ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, FIRST IT WANTED TO STOP ON ME AT EVERY LIGHT, SECOND THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON, THIRD THE OIL LIGHT. I WOULD TAKE IT TO MECHANICS AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, IT WAS GETTING WORSE AND I WOULD REPLACE PARTS THAT WERE GOING BAD, BUT STILL THE PROBLEM WAS THERE. WHEN I WENT TO CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME WE CAN'T SEE THE PROBLEM, BUT I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD NOT LEAVE UNTIL THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM. I AM WAITING THE STATUS ON THIS MATTER FROM CHRYSLER EXTENDED WARRANTY. I SUGGEST YOU RECALL THIS CAR, IT HAS SOME SERIOUS ISSUES RELATING TO THE ENGINE, MY PERSPECTIVE OF THIS VEHICLE IS THE LIFE SPAN LASTS 70,000,MILE BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS.GET WORSE. *TR”

“RECENTLY, I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF OIL FORMING UNDER MY CAR WHEN IT WAS PARKED BRIEFLY. A CHECK OF OIL SHOWED THAT IT WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL, BUT WELL WITHIN RANGE. TOPPED UP OIL AND STARTED ENGINE, AND STEADY STREAM OF OIL WAS SEEN TO BE COMING FROM CRANK OIL SEAL. THE DAY BEFORE THIS CAR DID NOT DRIP A DROP OF OIL. MECHANIC FOUND SEAL WAS IN TACT, BUT COMPLETELY LOOSE FROM ENGINE. HAD SEAL REPLACED BY CERTIFIED MECHANIC, AND IN LESS THAN 15 MILES THE OIL LEAK RETURNED. AFTER SEEING MULTIPLE SIMILAR ACCOUNTS ON INTERNET, HAD THE MECHANIC OPEN THE ENGINE AND FOUND THE CRANK END PLAY TO BE WELL OVER .020" AND THE THRUST BEARING WIPED ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO THE CRANK THRUST FACE. ODDLY CHRYSLER SEEMS TO ONLY INSTALL THE THRUST BEARING ON ONLY THE TOP HALF IN THIS DESIGN. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THE THRUST BEARING FAILS, THE CRANKSHAFT THEN WALKS INTO THE BACK OF THE SEAL AND KNOCKS IT OUT. FORTUNATELY, I NOTICED THE PUDDLE, BEFORE THIS FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS COULD HAVE EMPTIED THE OIL IN MINUTES AND SEIZED UP THE ENGINE AT SPEED. THIS IS CLEARLY A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW THAT CHRYSLER IS AVOIDING TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR. NO ENGINE SHOULD HAVE THIS SORT OF…”

“THE PT CRUISER 2005 TURBO WAS PURCHASED NEW AND CURRENTLY HAS 68,296 MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE WE WERE DRIVING. WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED CERRITOS DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP (CERRITOS, CA) AND GLEN E. THOMAS (SIGNAL HILL,CA} AND BOTH SERVICED VEHICLE. NEITHER DEALERS FIXED THE PROBLEM.THE LAST TIME WE PAID A SERVICE TECHNICIAN ALMOST $100 TO JUST RIDE AROUND WITH US TO SEE IF VEHICLE WOULD STOP. AGAIN NOTHING WAS DONE. AFTER FINALLY BRINGING THE CAR BACK 6 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, WITHIN A 12 WEEK PERIOD, THEY TOLD US TO CONTACT THE CORPORATE DIVISION AT CHRYSLER BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT SERVICE OUR VEHICLE. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE WAS IN SEPTEMBER 2011( WHICH PUT OTHERS LIFE IN DANGER) WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 MILES/HR. THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF, AGAIN WITHOUT ANY WARNING. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON A REGULAR BASIS, FOR FEAR OF RISKING THE LIVES OF OTHERS AND OURSELVES. WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING A RECALL BECAUSE WE KNOW OF OTHER OWNERS WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR”