Problems · by component

2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser exterior lighting problems

25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser cite exterior lighting, 10% of all 256 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
25
10% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the exterior lighting

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ROOT OF THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE FOG LAMP SWITCH, WHICH DIFFUSED THE SMOKE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FOG LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. AN UNKNOWN CHRYSLER DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 27, 2018Electrical system, Exterior lightingFire reportedODI 11114205
“CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD AT CAR WASH AT NIGHT LEAVING ME AND MY YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTER STRANDED UNTIL WE COULD GET A JUMP. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE BATTERY NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS NOR ANY LIGHTS BEING LEFT ON IN INTERIOR. HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE OTHER DAY THE FOG LAMPS WERE ON BUT THE SWITCH WAS NOT TURNED ON. IT WAS DRAINING THE SYSTEM. HAD TO PULL THE FUSE TO FOG LAMPS IN ORDER TO STOP THE DRAINAGE. THIS HAS LEFT ME STRANDED WITH SMALL CHILDREN FORCING RELIANCE UPON STRANGERS IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. NOW THE FOG LAMPS ARE INOPERATIVE UNTIL A FIX CAN BE FOUND, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A POTENTIAL COLLISION IF DRIVING IN FOGGY CONDITIONS WHICH COULD PROVE FATAL DUE TO IT BEING A CONVERTIBLE. THIS IS A GT TURBO EDITION...UPDATED 09/28/15 *BF *CN”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 5, 2015Electrical system, Exterior lighting, EngineODI 10746283
“FRONT TIRES KEEP GOING FLAT AND I AM TOLD BECAUSE CAR HEAVY IN FRONT. I AIR THEM ONCE EVERY 2-4 WEEKS. FRONT LAMPS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH AND HARD SEEING AT NIGHT. CAR PURCHASED FROM BELLEVUE, WA FORD WHICH JUST BURNED DOWN FEW WEEKS AGO AS A USED CAR AND WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 21, 2015Exterior lighting, WheelsODI 10717802
“I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT ALL THE ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. ON MARCH 29TH MY FOG LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF EVEN WHEN IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. I WENT ON LINE AND SAW SEVERAL "BLOGS" ABOUT THIS ISSUE - I AM AN OLDER WOMEN WITH MINIMAL KNOWLEDGE OF THESE THINGS SO I WENT TO A PARTS STORE THAT WAS OPEN AND THE CLERK PULLED THE #8 FUSE OUT - FOR THE FOG LIGHTS SO MY BATTERY WOULD NOT RUN DOWN BEFORE SERVICE/REPAIR WAS OPEN ON MONDAY- THE MECHANIC STATED HE COULD FIX IT AND ALSO THAT THE DEALERSHIP JUST TOOK IN A USED CRUISER AND THE FOG LIGHTS DID NOT WORK - THEY FOUND THAT SOMEONE HAD TOOK THE FUSES OUT FOR THAT CRUISER ALSO - IS THIS A DEFECTIVE ISSUE- APPEARS NOW ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS BEEN IMPROVED. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE COMPUTER AND AGAIN SEEMS OTHER CRUISER OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE ALSO - THIS IS A LOT OF EXPENSE AND WITH THE LOAN ON THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO NOW GET A DIFFERENT CAR AS THIS DOES SEEM TO BE A LEMON - BUT I HAVE TO KEEP IT TILL I CAN AFFORD TO GET A DIFFERENT CAR - WITH ALL THESE ISSUES - NO ONE WILL WANT THIS ONE EITHER. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 2, 2014Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Service brakesODI 10576880
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ICON ILLUMINATED INDEPENDENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ACTIVATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TURN SIGNAL HANDLE. THE CONTACT DEACTIVATED THE FUSE BUT LATER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE WINDOW CONTROL SWITCH ON THE DASHBOARD CONSOLE. THERE WAS ALSO AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHEN BEING DRIVEN AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 24, 2013Exterior lightingFire reportedODI 10549341
“FOG LIGHTS GOING ON/OFF WITHOUT ACTIVATION BY DRIVER. AFTER MOTOR WAS SHUT OFF FOG LIGHTS CONTINUE TO STAY ON. TRYING TO CONTROL FOG LIGHT FUNCTION THRU MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH NOT SUCCESSFUL. HAD TO PULL FOG LIGHT FUSE FROM FUSE PANEL. PT CRUISER WEBSITES CONFIRM THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH ON MOST MODEL YEARS OF PT CRUISERS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 5, 2012Exterior lightingODI 10464231

Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Exterior lighting

Free remedy

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Exterior lightingReported Apr 7, 2009NHTSA 09E012000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.