2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser engine and engine cooling problems

“AFTER GETTING OUT OF MY CAR AND NOTICING A OIL LEAK ON THE DRIVEWAY, I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILED FRONT CRANK SEAL. VEHICLE IS MAINTAINED WITH NORMAL MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES EVER 3000 MILES. IT ONLY HAS SLIGHTLY OVER 47000 MILES AND A MAJOR MECHANICAL PROBLEM.. WELL, I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY CANT HELP.. I HAD IT REPAIRED AND ABSORBED THE FULL COST MYSELF..THEN AS OF THIS WEEKEND 12/27/13 I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN...CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY WON'T HELP AT ALL I'M READING ABOUT THIS BEING A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2.4 ENGINES ISN'T IT TIME WE HOLD OUT MANUFACTURES RESPONSIBLE??? TO AT LEAST ABSORB SOME OF THE COST FOR PARTS FAILING WAY TOO SOON IN THEIR EXPECTED LIFE...IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON A LONG TRIP I MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN MUCH WORSE SHAPE...VEHICLE WAS 4 QUARTS LOW WHEN I FINALLY ALERTED THERE WAS ANOTHER LEAK.”

“I PURCHASED MY NEW 2007 PT CRUISER FROM HAYES CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP, INC. IN LAWRENCEVILLE, GA ON JANUARY 27, 2007, WITH 32 MILES ON CAR. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND RETURN IN THREE WEEKS FOR A NEW CAR CHECK AND LIST MY CONCERNS REGARDING THE CAR. AT THIS TIME IN INFORMED THE SERVICE STAFF THAT THE CAR DID NOT ACCELERATE WHEN ENTERING THE FREEWAY AND PASSING OTHER CARS. THE SERVICE STAFF RETURNED MY CAR TO ME INDICATING THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AGAIN THE SERVICE STAFF TOLD ME THEY DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SEVERAL TIME AFTER MY INITIAL RETURN EACH TIME THE SERVICE STAFF DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. EACH SERVICE VISIT I INFORMED THE SERVICE STAFF THAT THE CAR STILL DID NOT ACCELERATE. ON A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE I SPOKE TO A NEW SERVICE STAFF EMPLOYEE, TOLD HIM OF MY CONCERN AND DISSATISFACTION WITH THE CAR. AFTER WAITING FOR OVER AN HOUR, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD FINALLY FOUND THE PROBLEM (69K PLUS MILES, 3 YEARS LATER) THE ENGINE HAD MISFIRED CYLINDERS. I WAS TOLD THAT APPARENTLY ALL THIS TIME THE COMPUTER IN THE CAR AND THE ENGINE WERE…”

“DEALER LOOKED AT THE OIL LEAK AND THE TECH INFORMED ME THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT SEAL WAS LEAKING AND THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAY WITH THE CRANK. SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2.4 LITER MOTOR THAT CHRYSLER HAS IGNORED TO REPORT A RECALL. THERE IS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. CHRYSLER HAS KNOWN IT HAS AN ENGINE FLAW AND REFUSES TO CORRECT THEIR MISTAKE. I UNDERSTAND REPLACING THE SEAL WON'T FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE PLAY WITH THE CRANK SHAFT, THE SEAL WILL START LEAKING AGAIN. AN OWNER WITH A PT CRUISER UNDER WARRANTY REPORTED THAT CHRYSLER REPLACED THE SEAL SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT FIXING THE PROBLEM. IF THE CRANK HAS TO MUCH PLAY, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE CRANK HAS EATEN INTO THE BLOCK. THE SHORT BLOCK MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. NOT CHEAP BY ANY MEANS. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE THEY WOULD NOT OFFER ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF AND LOOKS BRAND NEW. THE ENGINE SHOULD GO ANOTHER 100,000 MILES. THIS IS A LEMON ENGINE! *KB”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WHEN SHE CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE OIL WAS POURING OUT OF THE CRANK SHAFT AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS SHAKING AND SPINNING, AS A RESULT THE FRONT SEAL WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE LONG ENGINE BLOCK HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000.”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THE PISTON RING IN THE ENGINE HAS BURNED OUT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN OIL STARTED LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PREVIOUSLY NOTICED A OIL PUDDLE IN THE DRIVEWAY OF HIS HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED THAT DETERMINED THAT THE SHORT BLOCK IN THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE STALLED AND CAUSED A CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,112.”