There are 50 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiserin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TAKARA RECALL. WHILE CHANGING UPPER AND LOWER MOTOR MOUNT I NOTICED SUB FRAME ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS ROTTED AND AFTER I PUT MOUNTS IN THE CAR PULLS WHEN ACCELERATING
ENGINE CRADLE, OR FRONT SUBFRAME, IS RUSTED TO THE POINT I'VE STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR. I'M IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING A REPLACEMENT BUT CHRYSLER NO LONGER MAKES THE PART! NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO THIS POINT BECAUSE OF MY CAUTION BUT THE FRONT END WAS STARTING TO MAKE POPPING NOISES WHEN I STARTED OUT FROM A DEAD STOP. THE PROBLEM IS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I UNDERSTAND FROM READING ARTICLES, MANY OTHER PTS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. FOR YEARS, I HAVE TRIED TO PRIME AND SPRAY OIL ON THE PART TO EXTEND IT'S LIFE. TIME HAS COME.... *TR
NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE (AS FAR AS I KNOW) BUT I WANT IT TO GO ON RECORD FROM WHAT ALL PT CRUISER OWNERS HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH. DASHBOARD CRACKED AND VENT GRIDS CRUMBLED WHEN DOING A REGULAR CLEANING (DUSTING WITH CLOTH). I JUST WANT TO BE NOTED THAT I FOUND OUT THAT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF PT CRUISERS HAVE THIS ISSUE. I DO NOT THINK IT IS FAIR TO CUSTOMERS TO HAVE NO PROTECTION FROM SUCH POOR QUALITY MATERIALS. MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE MADE LIABLE FOR SUCH THINGS. *TR
LOUD CRACKING SOUNDS WHILE DRIVING THEN THE DASH STARTED OPENING UP IN TWO PLACES, ONE THROUGH THE VENT FAN ALL THE WAY TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE OTHER FROM THE VENT TOWARD THE GLOVE BOX. CHRYSLER AND MY DEALER CLAIM THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM ALTHOUGH MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB AND THIS SITE? ALSO MANY ON THIS SITE SAID THEY CONTACTED CHRYSLER. HAVE MADE APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE AT MY COST SINCE IT DOESN'T SEEM SAFE TO DRIVE A CAR THAT'S SPLITTING DOWN THE MIDDLE, AND CHRYSLER AND THE DEALER CLAIM NO RESPONSIBILITY. MY CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, USED SUN SHADES AND ONLY HAS 35,585 MILES, LIVING ON THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST WHERE THE WEATHER IS MILD ALL YEAR AROUND. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS DEFECTIVE MATERIAL THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD REPLACE. *TR
DASHBOARD CRACKED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. *TR
2002 PT CRUISER MOTOR MOUNTS KEEP GOING OUT. I HAD MY MOUNTS REPLACED 6 MONTHS AGO. THEN WITHIN 2 MONTHS THEY WENT OUT AGAIN. NOW THEY ARE MAKING NOISE AGAIN. THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. IF THESE MOUNTS ALL FAIL, THE ENGINE CAN FALL ON TO THE AXLE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN? *TR
WHILE DRIVING HEARD A LOUD CRACK AND THE DASH ON THE CAR CRACKED ABOUT 16 INCHES, SO FAR HAVE ONLY PUT DUCT TAPE ON IT TO HOPEFULLY KEEP THE CRACK FROM GOING ANY FURTHER. IT HAS CRACKED FROM THE LEFT SIDE, JUST UNDER THE WINDOW TO ALMOST THE CENTER VENT ON THE DASH. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AT 5 MPH THE SUB FRAME UNDERNEATH THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BROKE. HE COULD NOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE OR DRIVE IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED IT AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE MAIN CROSS MEMBER/SUB FRAME DETERIORATED AND CAUSED THE ENTIRE FRONT END TO COME APART. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED BUT IT WAS DENIED DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE. THEY OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,100. THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE WAS MAKING A TURN, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A SUDDEN HALT. WHEN HE EXITED THE VEHICLE, HE DISCOVERED THE FRONT WHEEL WAS LEANING TOWARD THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THE CHRYSLER DEALER. UPON INSPECTION, CHRYSLER DENIED THE CONSUMER CLAIM STATING THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 11/10/10
CAR'S PLASTIC DASHBOARD SUDDENLY CRACKED IN THE CENTER AND PIECES FELL INTO THE CENTER VENT. DASHBOARD NOW HAS SHARP EDGES FROM THE CRACKS, WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY IN THE EVENT OF COLLISION. DO TO THE NATURE OF THE DAMAGE I DON'T BELIEVE THE DASHBOARD COMPLIES WITH FOLLOWING: 571.201 STANDARD NO. 201; OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT. *TR
2002 PT CRUISER 55,000 MILES DASH CRACKED IN THE MIDDLE. *TR
DASHBOARD ON MY PT CRUISER -2002 JUST STARTED CRACKING FIRST A THE WINDSHIELD LIKE A HAIR LINE CRACK - THEN DEFROST VENT INVOLVED - NOW IT HAS A HOLE IN THE VENT - AND NOW JUST THIS WEEKEND ANOTHER HAIRLINE CRACK STARTING AT THE AIR VENT AND GOING NOW TO THE CONSOLE. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY DASH? THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD WITH THE AIR BAG JUST DOWN BELOW. NO WRECK INVOLVED. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 PT DASH STARTED CRACKING AT CENTER VENT CRACKED 2 WAYS NOW IS A LARGE CRACK AN VERY SHARP EDGES ON PIECES NO WRECKS , HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF .THE CAR HAS VERY LOW MILES ON IT . THIS UPSETS ME ON THE PROBLEM WITH IT . I NEED IT FIXED. *TR
DASHBOARD IN 2002 PT CRUISER HAS CRACKED DOWN THE MIDDLE AND HAS BEGAN TO SEPARATE INTO PIECES. THIS INCLUDES THE CENTER DEFROST VENT. PER THE JUNE 18, 2007 MIAMI HERALD YOU HAD 9 COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF 2002 MODELS AND 12 FROM 2001 OWNERS. THIS WAS OVER 2 YEARS AGO. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS MANY MORE COMPLAINTS THAT PROBABLY HAVEN'T BEEN FILED WITH THE NHTSA. CHRYSLER DENIES RESPONSIBILITY. VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS ( E.G. COVERKING) HAVE ALREADY STARTED MAKING DASH COVERS FOR THE PT CRUISER SPECIFICALLY TO COVER CRACKED DASHES; BUT I CANNOT USE ONE AS THESE COVERS DO NOT INCLUDE THE CENTER DEFROST VENT WHICH HAS BROKEN INTO PIECES AND FALLEN INTO THE VENT. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DASH COVER. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ENOUGH CARS SURELY TO INITIATE A DEFECT INVESTIGATION. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE DASHES! *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS COMPLETELY CRACKED AND HOUSES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 100,000.
DASHBOARD HAS CRACKED FROM CENTER WINDSHIELD REGION TO THE AIR VENT. THE GRILL ON THE AIR VENT HAS CRACKED AND BROKEN. *TR
2002 P T CRUISER BY CHRYSLER THE DASH BOARD IN MY CAR STARTED CRACKING. I AM HOLDING IT TOGETHER WITH TAPE. I AM FEARFUL OF THE PLASTIC CAVING IN AND CAUSING ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. WHEN I REPORTED THIS TO CHRYSLER CORP., USING THEIR 800 NUMBER THEY WERE RUDE AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT HELP. I HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THIS DEFECT TO BE CORRECTED? BONITA SMITH *TR
2002 PT CRUISER: DASHBOARD CRACKED IN CENTER FROM FRONT WINDOW TO INSIDE EDGE, RUNNING ACROSS VENT,REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF DASHBOARD.*TR
I HAVE A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER AND, I NOTICED A SMALL CRACK IN THE DASHBOARD, AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER THE SMALL CRACK IS NOW BIGGER AND ALMOST TO MY A/C VENTS AND THE VENT IN THE DASHBOARD IS CRACKING BADLY. I FEEL THAT SOMETHING MIGHT FAIL BECAUSE OF THIS. *TR
2 CRACKS IN MY 2002 PT CRUISER DASHBOARD SUDDENLY APPEARED AND ARE EXPANDING. *TR
DASHBOARD HAS CRACKED IN ABOUT 5 DIFFERENT PLACES AND FALLING IN. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 50 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