I have a 2003 pt cruiser, I have 53,000 miles on this car, and the control arms need to be replaced. I have gone to the chyrsler forums, and there is a lot of complaints by alot of owners of chrysler having the same exact problems. Some with less miles than mine. Chrysler needs to step up to the plate and recall this part. Thanks, darlene smith
2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser suspension complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 35 of 35, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Lower front control arm bushings and front wheel bearings went bad at 38,000 miles. 2 water pumps went bad on the car and car only has 38,000 miles on it. Camshaft sensor went bad with only 25,000 miles on it. Oil pan on engine started leaking when car had 17,000 miles on it.
I own two pt cruisers, both have had control arm bushing failures at 45k miles. This is a known problem to chrysler, all over internet, failures at earlier mileage as well. They do nothing. $650/car to replace control arm.
I just found a recall on my pt cruiser on the web and I haven't gotten a notice to date. I took my car back to the dealer many times to complain about the problem and I think they knew about the recalls. My problems with my car are problems related to the recall issues.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. The contact continued to hear a clunking noise and stated that the vehicle would "get away from her" while driving various speeds on the highway. The dealer repaired the tire, but an independent mechanic stated that control arm bushings and tie rod end repairs were common. The dealer offered to repair the vehicle at the cost of more than $600. They also stated that a front end alignment would be needed following the repairs. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 65,000. Updated 11/17/08 *cn updated 11/24/08.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the contact felt roughness and vibrating. The vehicle was not operating properly. There were no prior warnings. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and it was discovered that the front end control arm bushings failed. The vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. The failure mileage was 39,300 and current mileage was 39,330.
2003 pt cruiser gt 2.4l 96k miles started to notice tire tread problems at 40k. Thought it was a bad alignment from ntb and they did another alignment for now charge. 10k later and I am having tires replaced again! Also hear alignment problems and knocking coming from the front end. Took it in and service tech recommended alignment and front driver side bearing be replaced. He add the bushings on the driver side control arm was going bad but not necessary for immediate replacement. I had the front bearing replaced and alignment done. Front drivers side bearing went bad again but on both sides in the front at 88k. Now I am being told from the chrylser dealer that hub and bearing in the front on both sides need to be replaced. 600 bucks. Just spent 500 on new tires and I still hear knocking on control arm. Long story short....the lower control arms will need to be replace on both sides (front), followed by hub and bearing on both sides (front), followed by an alignment of the vehicle. Doing research online, there are hundreds of specific complaints dealing with the control arm bushings and/or bearings going bad at 15,000 miles and up on the 03 gt pt cruiser 2.4l. Chrysler does nothing for the consumer in every case hence the complaints to forums and to say the least, this should be addressed daimler chrysler and fixed by their expense.
Pt cruiser lower control arm bushings need replacing at 60k miles. Have been told by mechanic that this is a common problem with this model and could cause loss of control of vehicle, added wear to brakes and tires, scraping of front end of car on pavement.
I just found out that I have to replace both the right and left front hub bearings on my 2003 pt cruiser. The dealership is charging me $600 to do the job. I have 69k miles on the car and chrysler says it is normal wear and tear and is not covered under the 7/70k warranty....so I searched the internet and to my surprise I found out I am not the only pt cruiser owner with this problem....I searched for front hub bearings for a pt cruiser and found many complaints about the defective bearings....the bearings are supposed to be a sealed bearing and never require maintenance....this is a safety issue and needs to be addressed by chrysler by issuing a recall and pay to fixed the problem...and repay the customers who had to have the bearings replaced.... The dealership even stated to me that it was a safety hazard and the bearings needed replacement....with only 69k miles on the car and others with fewer miles this should not happen on a new car...myself and my family was not injured by an accident , but I wonder how many people have been injured from this defect???....any help would greatly be appreciated....thank you michael g kelly
Both front bearings failing in 2003 pt cruiser...have been getting progressively worse over the past year.
I read on the internet that a great deal of owners of chrysler pt cruisers have had problems similar to mine. My 2003 has only 50,000 km. (not miles) and I have to replace the wheel bearings. This seems much too soon to replace such an item.
Front wheel bearings failed at 71,000 miles.
2003 chrysler pt cruiser with defected control arm bushings. Consumer stated that the bushings are wearing prematurely. *kb the consumer stated he has had problems with the transmission, steering column, front bearing and water pump.
I went to have my brakes checked and was told my right and left lower control arm bushings were broken. I took the car to the dealership (towed in because the transmission went out) and the bushings were replaced. The mechanic said he has very seldom seen bushings in the suspension break with only 60,000 miles on the car. My car is a 2003 chrysler pt cruiser. I complained numerous times about the transmission but was not acknowledged until the car was inoperable. I am quite happy that the mechanic who does my brakes noticed the control arms. I asked chrysler to check them while my transmission was being repaired, if not, they would never have checked. The suspension is of course, not covered by the warranty any longer. Repair costs were nearly $600.
Pt cruiser lower control arm bushings shot with only 32000 miles. This is a common problem. A defect in the bushing material is suspect and failure can lead to loss of control.
I have a 2003 pt cruiser that just went out of power train warranty 7k miles ago-with no warning, no hesitation, lack of power, my transmission went out taking the converter, pump and torque converter-leaving me stranded in the middle of a busy intersection! I was not able to move in 1,2,3,d or r-now I am stuck with a $2643.50 bill. My right front tire constantly vibrates, been to shop numerous time to resolve but no body can find anything-tires are fine, cv joint, nothing can be found. I am absolutely terrified to drive this car anymore-my seat belt unbuckles by itself, possibly leaving me with no restraint in the possibility of a wreck. I am filing complaints with chrysler, bbb, district attorneys office, nhts, lemon law and anything else I can find-
Dt*: the contact stated a knocking sound is heard when the vehicle is placed into reverse, or when a stop, and then placed into park. The sound is coming from the driver's side of the vehicle. The vehicle stalls after each start and has to be restarted. The dealership determined the lower control arms and the skim model in the computer was defective and needs to be replaced. Updated 07/05/06.
Dt*: the contact stated a noise was coming from the front end while driving straight. An independent repair shop determined the right front wheel bearing needed to be replaced. Updated 2/28/2006 -
Rear bushing on front-right and left lower control arm of suspension failed at approximately 65,000 miles, causing slop in control arm, wheel camber to vary during operation and auto to tend to wander on road (along with the sound of metal-to-metal contact in the suspension). Dc dealer refused to cover replacements as a defective bushing (out of warranty) and advised me on 1/20/06 that the part is currently unavailable - on back order - 7,500 units on order from supplier. I am very concerned that this is a potentially wide-spread failure of this bushing with the resultant loss of steering control due to camber changes during operation. - I have also been informed that this failure can lead to damage to the watts linkage in the drive train, and excessive wear of tires.
Rear bushing on front-right lower control arm of suspension failed at approximately 35,000 miles, causing slop in control arm, wheel camber to vary during operation and auto to tend to wander on road (along with the sound of metal-to-metal contact in the suspension). The bushing was replaced by dealer under warranty at that time. At 64,000 miles 1/10/06) the rear bushing on front-left lower control arm of suspension failed causing similar problems. I then inspected the rear bushing on the right side that was replaced at 35,000 miles and determined that it is showing indications of beginnings of another failure. Dc dealer refused to cover left side as a defective bushing (out of warranty) and advised me on 1/16/06 that the part is currently unavailable - on back order - 7,500 units on order from supplier. I am very concerned that this is a potentially wide-spread failure of this bushing with the resultant loss of steering control due to camber changes during operation.
2003 pt cruiser sway arm link bar broke.*mr the vehicle was 2231 miles over the warranty when this occurred. The dealer told the consumer that this failure likely occurred due to a design flaw.
2003 pt cruiser was purchased new in 03 and shortly after had to have transmission work done. Now I have front end groaning noises that, after 5 visits to the dealer, cannot be fixed. Car sounds like an antique when going over bumps. Car also does not handle well and feels unsure. Galeana chrysler in columbia, sc has tried 5 times (as of 9/8/04) to fix problem, has verified a problem, but cannot locate it. To date, struts, strut mounts, tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, and greasing has been replaced or taken place...all to no avail.
The front end of my 2003 pt cruiser is set too low. Even with care, the underside of the front bumper snags on parking bumpers. It has now caused the entire front section (from the headlights forward) to crack in the side area and is now flopping back and forth. Is this a design flaw or, or is this supposed to be an an acceptable height on this front end.
I purchased a 2003 pt cruiser gt, after trading in my 2002 pt cruiser touring edition. My '02 had a rear stabilizer bar my '03 does not. It is listed on the window sticker, it is shown in the 2003 factory service manual, it is shown in the 2003 parts manual. My 2003 has a lot more body roll than the 2002 did. Chrysler states they upgraded the "twist beam" and external bar was not needed, and if installed could be dangerous, and void suspension warranty, according to the service and general manager of antwerpen motor cars in maryland. If this is true why would chrysler offer parts for sale? I am concerned of other short-cuts that may have been taken to save money. A top heavy vehicle like the pt needs to control body roll for safety and comfort of occupants. Like I stated, I owned a 2002 model year and "upgraded" to a 2003. Thanks.
The complaint involves a missing part, the real stabilizer bar. This model states on the window sticker that a rear stabilizer bar is included. This car does not have a real stabilizer bar. The dealer said that he could install one for $520. Chrysler would not reimburse the dealer because they claim that they beefed up the real axle and that is their stabilizer bar. I contend that this is misleading the public, particularly an informed public that knows what a stabilizer bar is. They continue to produce this model with this misleading information on the window stickers. I ask why do they show a rear stabilizer bar in their parts computer that the dealer located and offered to install for $520 if what they claim is true. The service manager agreed that this was misleading but refused to absorb the costs. Other owners with same model report that their cars are missing this part as well. I hope that you can correct this situation by requiring chrysler to install the part at no cost to the owners. Dt
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