Sporadic instrument cluster powers on and off illuminating all lights. When condition occurs it is vastly distracting unable to determine vehicle speed accurately. When the issue is present the engine will typically shut off. This seems like an incredibly bad condition to allow in a vehicle and contacting chrysler LED to no solution for resolving. Internet search suggests this is not a one off situation and exists across several model years. Chrysler does have a recall notice "01v288000" for model year 2001 which appears to be very similar in nature. Due to the highly distracting nature of this condition and frequency of similar owner reports it seems particularly egregious that a recall notice does not exist.
2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser electrical problems
60 complaints (62% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 51,000.
- owner complaints
- 60
- of this car's complaints
- 62%
- typical mileage
- 51,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Wiring1
- Horn1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chrysler PT Cruiser electrical problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser electrical
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
While running at 45 MPH all the warning lights came on, the gauges went to zero, and the motor started stumbling. Trying to nurse it home, I stopped at a red light where the previous things happened again but also the motor completely shut off. This left me stopped in the middle of a busy 4 lane highway. Engine finally restarted where I drove it home. This is the 3rd time this has happened and I see where online this has been complained about over and over. I can not afford to throw thousands of dollars at it and chrysler doesn't care.
While driving all the warning light come on engine stalls even at freeway speeds. Car has to stopped, key turned off and restarted and the errors clear. It has done since it was new.. It has been researched by dealer while in for service. Never fixed it is still doing it..
Intermittently all dash lights come on and all gauges begin fluctuating and the car will begin to sputter and sometimes dies and then it doesn't do it again for miles
More often than not, all the lights on dash illuminate when the car is first started, sometimes flashing on and then off when driving. If driving, sometimes the car will either accelerate or slow down. Because the speedometer goes back and forth, I have no idea how fast I'm going. If I slow down when approaching a red light or to make a turn, the car has cut off. Looking online, this appears to be a common problem of pt cruiser owners, yet I've never seen a recall. Diagnostics ran a few times and no reading shows up. Only told, it appears to be an electrical issue.
I purchased the vehicle in december of 2016. The odometer reading was 74,000 miles at that time. It functioned without problems until march 2018. The car was driven about 2 miles and then was parked for about 5 hours. I started the car and drove about 2 blocks at about 25 MPH when all the dashboard lights came on, the gas gauge went to empty and I felt a loss of power. It recovered after a few seconds. It happened again about 1 minute later. I coasted to a stop sign and turned off the engine. I turned it back on about 30 seconds later and drove on. I turned onto a busy street and after driving a few blocks in traffic the power loss happened again. It recovered on its own after about 5 seconds. I got off the busy s street and onto a side street. It happened again after driving a few blocks and did not recover. I coasted into a parking spot and turned off the ignition. After about 5 minutes I started the car and drove about 1.5 miles to my house without incident. The car spent several weeks in a reputable local repair shop. They could not replicate the problem, so could not diagnose. I then drove the car for about 2 months without incident. It has started doing it again. I do not believe I can safely drive it on a busy street or a freeway.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chrysler pt cruiser. The contact stated that the air bag indicator turned on and off by itself while driving 20 MPH. Also, the horn did not work due to the air bag indicator that was wired into the horn. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The contact called hilltop chrysler dealer and was advised that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The dealer stated that if there was a failure with the horn or air bag, the repairs would be at the contact's expense. The failure mileage was 77,000. *tt
I was in a hwy. All of a sudden, all the gauges light up and I lost power. I push the gas pedal but no acceleration. I managed to park on the side. I turned off the engine and restarted the car again. This happened just 3 weeks after I bought the car. It happened again one month later. It has been now one week later. I am afraid it is going to happen again. It is a very safety hazard since I always travel on a busy highway.
My vehicle shuts off randomly while driving 2 MPH and while on the highway going 65 MPH. Very scary, do not feel safe in my own car. Fear for the safety of my family.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 chrysler pt cruiser. While driving 65 MPH, all the warning lights illuminated, the gauge readings fluctuated, and the vehicle stalled. The failures recurred multiple times. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle had "an electronics problem." the contact did not know what parts needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred multiple times. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Questions about the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser electrical
Does the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 60 complaints about the electrical of the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser, 62% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser electrical problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 51,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser electrical?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Chrysler PT Cruiser have the most electrical problems?
The Chrysler PT Cruiser model years with the most electrical complaints are 2006 (138 complaints), 2002 (97 complaints) and 2001 (78 complaints).
Other 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems
Engine 30Acceleration 14Airbags 7Transmission 7Steering 6Driver assistance 5Seats 5Lights 4Wheels 4Seat belts 3Suspension 3Tires 2Brakes 1Fuel system 1Locks 1Visibility 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history