There are 28 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiserin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ENGINE STARTS AND RUNS, BUT AS SOON AS I PUT IT INTO ANY GEAR BUT PARK, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY DIES. IT WILL RESTART, BUT AGAIN DIES WHEN PLACED IN A GEAR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT. HE CHECKED FOR CODES AND THIS IS THE CODE THAT CAME UP (P0601). IT HAS 83500 MILES. HE SAYS IT NEED A NEW COMPUTER. THIS INITIALLY STARTED BACKING INTO TRAFFIC, THE CAR JUST QUIT. I STARTED IT BACK UP AND WENT TO PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT AGAIN QUIT. THIS HAPPENS OVER AND OVER, UNTIL SOMEONE PUSHED ME OUT OF THE STREET. CAR IS NOW PARKED UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED.
CHRYSLER CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER (KMM7261775V12890L0KM)US CUSTOMER SERVICE - CHRYSLER BRAND SITE BRIEF DESCRIPTION: TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING 2002PT COMMENTS: I AM VERY BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO SEND THIS EMAIL DUE TO THE FACT AS A PT 2002 OWNER AND A VERY HAPPY ONE JUST HAD THE SCARE OF MY LIFE.WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH MY TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP CAUSING MY PT CRUISER TO LIFT THE BACK WHEELS OFF THE GROUND AND THREW ME INTO THE WINDSHIELD LUCKY FOR ME I HAD MY SAFETY BELT ON.NOW HERE I AM STUCK ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH NO REVERSE AND NO GEARS.I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A GOODYEAR DEALER WHO SAID THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT. THIS PLACE DOES ALL MY WORK AND I HAVE RECORDS TO PROVE WITH THIS CAR HAS BEEN SERVICE AND WELL TAKING CARE OF. MY CONCERN IS NOW THE TRANSMISSION PLACE SAYS IT WILL COST 2800.00 DOLLARS TO FIX. I WOULD LIKE SOME KIND OF RESPONSE FROM CHRYSLER. THERE RESPONSE WAS WE DONT CARE AND WILL NOT HELP. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE BACKING OUT OF TRAFFIC, THE LINKAGE ARM HAD COME OFF OF THE TRANSMISSION WHICH WERE HELD ON BY BUSHINGS. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS HOME. THE MANUFACTUER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED HE WILL DO THE REPAIRS HIMSELF. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. SINCE MAY OF 2009, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STALLING WITHOUT WARNING. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE WITH A USED ONE, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE FOR THE THIRD TIME FOR FREE; HOWEVER, THE PART WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL TWO WEEKS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 124,000.
THE TRANSMISSION FROM MY PT CRUISER EXPLODED ON I95 NEAR KINGSLAND GA WHILE COMING BACK FROM A TRIP ON 3/3/08. IT HAS A EXCELLENT MAINTAINANCE RECORD ON THIS CAR. ALL SERVICES WHERE DONE WHEN DUE BY A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN HINESVILLE GA, WHERE I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW IN 2002. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY INDICATIONS THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH MY TRANSMISSION. IT NEVER MADE ANY STRANGE NOISE, LEAKED TRANSMISSION FLUID, SKIPPED GEARS..AND JUST LIKE THAT IT EXPLODED. IT HAD A COMPLETE TUNE UP PERFORMED ON PT CRUISER SEPT 2007. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN KINGSLAND GA. TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH A COST OF $3,484.66 A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT HAVE EXPLODED WITH 80267 MILES. I FEEL OVERALL THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH PT CRUISERS TRANSMISSIONS AND THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
WHILE DRIVING, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, RENDERING THE VEHICLE USELESS AND ENDANGERING THE DRIVER. TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. ESTIMATE TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION $2,134.20. THE VEHICLE HAS 86,632 MILES AND WAS PURCHASED USED AT 77,000 MILES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND NEVER SWITCHED FROM SECOND GEAR. THE ENGINE JUST KEPT REVVING. THE CONTACT DROVE TO A SAFE AREA AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE MADE A SOUND AS IF IT FAILED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING INTO A PARKING SPACE BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MPH, THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND. SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THE TRANSMISSION ON THE GROUND. GOODYEAR TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A GOODYEAR DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE BOLTS SEPARATED IN HALF AND RELEASED THE TRANSMISSION. THE HEADLIGHT SWITCHES AND A BRACKET NEAR THE TIMING BELT WERE ALSO DAMAGED. DAIMLER CHRYSLER STATED THAT HER WARRANTY EXPIRED AND THAT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE CONTACT HAS THE BOLTS AND FAILED PARTS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY GOODYEAR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,146 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99746. THE DEALER INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ
TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING; VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO EVENTUALLY DETERMINED THAT A NEW ONE HAD TO BE INSTALLED. VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 26,000 MILES AT THE TIME. REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING.
I OWN A 2002 PT CRUISER AND HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN GOOD CARE OF IT, BY HAVING IT ALWAYS SERVICED AT THE DEALERS AND NOWHERE ELSE. I LOVE THIS CAR BUT JUST RECENTLY I HAVE STARTED HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH IT. FIRST MY A/C STARTED TO SOMETIMES BLOW HOT AIR INSTEAD OF COLD AND THAT STOPPED AND THEN IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN I COME TO A STOP WITH THE A/C ON IT ACTS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL. NOW THE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING A NOISE WHEN I GO FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. SO I TOOK IT TO A DEALER TO GET IT FIXED AND THEY ARE TELLING ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND IT WILL COST ME ABOUT $3200.00. MY CAR HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT. I WOULD THINK THAT IF IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY A CHRYSLER DEALER THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTABLE? CAN ANYONE HELP? THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *NM
THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT UNDER 34,000 MILES. ALTHOUGH I WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY I WAS CHARGED $100 FOR SOMETHING THAT I DO REMEMBER BEING A DEFECT THAT I HAD TO BRING INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO REPAIR WITHIN THE FIRST 2 MONTHS I HAD THE VEHICLE. WHY THEN MUST I PAY FOR A KNOWN DEFECT? *JB
TRANSMISSION OF 2002 PT CRUISER FAILED @ 56,000 MILES NEEDING COMPLETE REBUILD. FLUID PUMP DISINTEGRATED SPREADING METAL SHARDS THROUGHOUT TRANSAXLE. *NM
AT 24,000 MILES TRANSMISSION WENT OUR COMPLETELY. NOW AT 65,000 MILES TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING AND NEEDS A TRANSMISSION SOLENOID PACK REPLACED. ENGINE COMPARTMENT SMOKES AND SMELLS HOT. FOUND TSB#0801505 AND NHTSA #10013731 ON FILE BUT DEALER CAN NOT TELL ME ANYTHING. FOUND SEVERAL WEB SITE LISTING THIS SAME COMPLAINT SOME WITH CATASTROPHIC FAILURES ON THE ROAD. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH TRANSMISSION FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK
NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF FLUID UNDER CAR IN THE MORNING. AFTER INVESTIGATION, DETERMINED IT WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE FLUID LEVEL IN CAR WAS VERY LOW. SINCE IT WAS A"SPECIAL" FLUID, I COULD NOT BUY IT AT THE LOCAL PARTS STORE. TOOK A CHANCE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT IT WAS DEFECTIVE "SOLENOID PACK" AND "COOLER LINES". PARTS REPLACED, OK SINCE. IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND POSSIBLY FIRE. *JB
CRACK IN WINDSHIELD DOWN UNDERNEATH THE RUBBER THE CRACK GREW AND GREW. *BF THE GEAR SHIFT BROKE, AND THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WENT FLAT. *JB
TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. CAR CAME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP AS IF THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED. TRAFFIC BEHIND ME HAD NO WARNING OF SUCH A RAPID DESCENT IN SPEED DUE TO NO BRAKE LIGHTS, I HAD NOT PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL IN OTHER WORDS. NO ACCIDENT RESULTED BUT WE WERE LUCKY IN THAT ASPECT.*AK
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY SEVEN YEARS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AFTER IT MADE A LOUD NOISE. CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE HAD TO HAVE A BENCH INSPECTION. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION HAD NOT BEEN SERVICED PROPERLY, AND ASSISTANCE WAS DECLINED. CONSUMER SHOWED MANUFACTURER PAPER WORK WHICH INDICATED PROPER SERVICE. CURRENTLY, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS A SECOND OWNER VEHICLE, AND ASSISTANCE WAS DENIED AGAIN.*AK WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH THE TRASMISSION LOCKED UP WITH NO WARNING. THE VEHICLE SWERVED AND LOST ALL POWER. *TC
BOUGHT A NEW 2002 PT CRUISER. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WENT COMPLETELY BAD AT 37,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 72,000 MILES. CHRYSLER REPAIRED THE FIRST TIME UNDER THE STANDARD WARRANTY. THE SECOND TIME, I PAID $100.00 SINCE I HAVE A 100,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY.*AK
Showing 1–20 of 28 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026