Reliability & cost of ownership
Chrysler Pt Cruiser Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Chrysler Pt Cruiser? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Chrysler Pt Cruiser problems by model year
25 recall entries and 2521 owner complaints on file across 10 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Pt Cruiser | 0 | 22 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2009 Pt Cruiser | 0 | 97 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2008 Pt Cruiser | 0 | 115 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2007 Pt Cruiser | 0 | 149 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 Pt Cruiser | 1 | 349 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 Pt Cruiser | 5 | 187 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 Pt Cruiser | 3 | 217 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 Pt Cruiser | 4 | 257 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2002 Pt Cruiser | 5 | 510 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 Pt Cruiser | 7 | 618 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Chrysler Pt Cruiser, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system558 complaints
- engine and engine cooling248 complaints
- air bags226 complaints
- suspension222 complaints
- exterior lighting220 complaints
- steering220 complaints
- power train213 complaints
- engine193 complaints