2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser: check engine light

Filed Oct 24, 2018 · Electrical, Engine · 120,000 miles · GA

While driving the engine will sputter and die. When pulling up to a stop light the check engine light will come on and the engine will immediately die. While driving on the freeway at 65mph the engine will suddenly die.

Filed Nov 22, 2014 · Airbags · 160,000 miles · VA · 1 injury

I have had the car tuned and inspected this past year and had mentioned that the air bag light came on sporadically. Like the "check engine light," it apparently meant nothing, I was told, as it was the original, never used, airbag. Yesterday as I was driving on a four-land highway there was a large explosion and the smell of cordite, as if I had been shot. My chest felt crushed, as if it had been hit, compressed, whatever...and the seat belts tightened, but the air bag did not deploy. I did not know what had happened. I thought I had been shot. No blood, no bullet hole. Chest hurt. Chest did not hurt because of a seatbelt, but the compression from the blast. I was in the right lane and just held the car steady, very disoriented and shaken. Chest hurt. I realized I was within a mile (a miracle) of one of the two chrysler dealerships that has worked on this car over the past 15 years, so I drove it in and stumbled, breathless, into the service area,, where they knew me at once by name. They knew I was shaken and was having trouble talking and walking. My chest had been hit very hard and I found out the air had been knocked out of my lungs. They have the car, had never seen this happen before. No one has worked on it yet. I am going over there today to ask them not to work on it until my lawyer decides if it is "evidence" for some new kind of air bag hazard. I have no car now. I want other drivers and owners to know that a ten-year-old car and ten-year-old airbag are dangerous. This car has never had an accident and this is the original airbag. My idea: airbags need to be rotated out and changed every few years so this does not happen.

Filed Apr 30, 2014 · Electrical, Engine · 145,000 miles · CA

Driving on freeway when all the engine lights on the dash light up, flicker, then go dead. Then the car loses power, including steering and brakes and cannot be controlled. It will start again later and will be ok for a few days or weeks when the problem re-occurs. Neither an independent mechanic nor chrysler can find the problem. It happens without warning at any speed and circumstance. I managed to get video during one such episode on surface streets. This is similar to the problem gm is having and should lead to a recall before anyone is killed. I can't in good conscience sell the car, and am afraid to drive it but have no choice. This has happened to many other pt cruiser owners and chrysler has turned a deaf ear to the problem.

Filed Nov 1, 2012 · Engine, Transmission · 85,000 miles · PA

Engine light came on, it acted like it was misfiring. Car shut off at around 60mph. Drifted off road and restarted and went a mile or so and it shut off again we kept doing that until we got home. The next day we took it to our mechanic it ran fine on the way there, around 15 miles. He put it on his computer, it read bad injectors so he replaced them. Then he took it for a ride and it acted like it was misfiring again he put it back on his computer and it read bad coil so he replaced the coil pack,plugs and plug wires. It ran fine for about 4 months . Until now 10/30/2012. . Took back to mechanic, he replaced o2 sensors. Ran for 2wks. Same thing again! Once again took back to mechanic . He put it on his computer once again and it read fine. He said we should take it to our chrysler center. Although we couldn't ask for a better running car (when it is running right) ,this car is very dangerous to be on the road shutting off in traffic. I would hate to have to replace it. Please fine answer to problem.

Filed Oct 12, 2012 · Electrical, Engine · 124,000 miles · CA

While driving the engine will sputter and die. When pulling up to a stop light the check engine light will come on and the engine will immediately die. While driving on the freeway at 65mph the engine will suddenly die. Sometimes it will start up again right away, but most of the time it takes a few minutes to start back up, while people are honking and having to go around my car. Most of the time the car will run rough after re-start, but will run normally after sitting overnight, until the next time it dies. Many other pt owners are experiencing the same thing. Very dangerous and scary! Four mechanics have tried to figure out the problem. No luck. Have replaced the ECM and just about every sensor and replaceable engine part. No luck. This is occurring in other chrysler vehicles, too. It seems like no one has found an answer to the problem. This is a very dangerous situation and chrysler should figure out the problem and provide a fix.

Filed Aug 30, 2010 · Engine, Transmission · 24,000 miles · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving approximately 70 MPH the vehicle stalled and the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle was pulled over and upon restart drove as normal but the check engine light continued to illuminate. The vehicle was taken directly to an authorized dealer. The failure recurred several times during this drive. He was unsure if the authorized dealer performed any repairs. The failure began to recur intermittently. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the crank sensor was replaced. The failure continued to recur and the vehicle was again taken to an authorized dealer where the cam shaft sensor was replaced. The failure continued to recur so the vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the pmc was replaced. The failure has not recurred. The failure mileage was 24,000 and the current mileage was 26,000. The crankshaft position sensors and power train control module were replaced. Updated 11/23/10

Filed Oct 17, 2009 · Electrical · 41,000 miles · GA

Engine light keeps coming on after being reset. Checked by mechanic, computer says problem is in "cruise control", & has been reset 3 times. & is on again!

Filed Jul 21, 2006 · Engine · 22,000 miles · PA

2004 pt cruiser began to idle rough, sometimes shaking the whole vehicle. It seemed like it wanted to stall, but never did. It was always worse after a car wash or during damp, or humid weather. I used carbon cleaners in the gas, took it on the turnpike, as suggested by the dealer, but it continued. After several months, the engine light came on so I took it in. They said carbon had built up in the engine and it was not covered by the warranty because it was caused by the gasoline. I have always used 87 octane (as suggested in the manual) and most of the time used 2 gas stations. When I talked to the dealer as they were repairing it, he said it is a common problem with the pt cruiser. I only have 23,000 miles on the car. It is parked every night in a heated/cooled /dry garage. I have regular oil changes and follow the maintenance b schedule faithfully.

Filed Oct 7, 2005 · Engine · CA

Since sept. 22, 2005, I have had an ongoing problem with my 2004 chrysler pt cruiser. The engine light comes and and the car sputters and stalls. I have had to have it towed 3 times and it has been to the chrysler dealer 3 times and is there right not since monday october 3, 2005. I bought it in february 2004 and it is still under warranty. The "cam sensor" has been replaced twice, I was told it had a short that was fixed but the problem still happened. This last time the service manager said the "crankshaft" was replaced and the problem still occurred! It's like they are rebuilding my car but no one seems to know what the problem is. I feel this car is too new to be going through this. I have missed work because of it. Been stranded on the street and freeway (very dangerous). Have lost sleep and am very depressed and stressed about it. I feel this is a case for the lemon law if there ever was one.

Filed Jul 19, 2005 · Engine · MI

At 10 months old, pt cruiser gt engine light came on. Dealer replaced plugs and wires. 2 weeks later light came on again. Took dealer 2 weeks to order head gasket. Dealer lapped the intake and exhaust valves and replaced head gasket. Next day, engine light was back on. Dealer replaced the waste gate solenoid. Dealer called and said car was ready to be picked up. Before I got there, dealer called me back to tell me the engine light was back on. Dealer then determined that a vacuum hose had slipped off causing the engine light to go on. Prior to 12 months, car was out of service 15 days, officially at the dealer 5 times. All for the engine light coming on. Dealer is supposedly working with chrysler to get the car bought back.

Filed Feb 13, 2005 · Engine · 8,529 miles · TX

Within a few months of purchasing the new 2004 pt, the engine began to idle very rough. Before, I could sit at a red light in drive and never feel the car vibrate. Now anytime I start the engine or am driving down the road it vibrates and runs very rough. The engine light would also come on and I was able to get the computer code p0303 from the odometer (using the key on/run, off trick). P0303 is a misfire in cylinder number 3. I have taken it to the dealer 6 times now and I still have the same problem!!! It still runs very rough but the engine light does not come on anymore. They keep telling now they cannot do anything if the engine light does not come on. But it still runs very rough! Sometimes the light flashes when I start the engine. The dealer has blamed/replaced everything from bad gas, spark plugs, cables and now they want to replace the motor mounts! I researched the federal safety agency and found there is already a tsb on this exact problem and apparently many other owners have the exact same problem. This is based on multiple internet forums on the pt cruiser. People as do I love the car I but this problem must be fixed.

Filed Feb 7, 2005 · Electrical · 1,620 miles · PA

One day after washing my pt cruiser, when I started the engine, it was idling so hard the car was jerking from side to side. I thought maybe after it ran awhile it would stop, so I backed out of the driveway. The engine light on the dashboard lit up and starting beeping, so I put the car back in the garage. I performed the test from the owners manual for the emissions, and the hard idle stopped. However, when I was driving the car later that same day, the car locks kept locking. At one point, they went berserk, locking constantly for about 30 seconds. One day later, the car seems to be running normally. I've heard of problems with sudden acceleration in chrylers after the car is washed. I'm concerned about the possible defect in the electrical system.