2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Suspension Problems

2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE FUEL LEAK LOCATION ON THE INLET NOZZLE FUEL TANK. *SMD THE DEALER STATED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, CRACKED TRIM AROUND A/C UNIT, TRUNK WILL NOT STAY OPEN, FRONT BRAKES NEED REPLACING, AND REAR SHOCK NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, AND THE ROAD HAD A NATURAL "BUMP" IN IT, CAUSING A SLIGHT BIT OF LIFT WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE SWAYED FROM SIDE TO SIDE, AND I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN, AND COUNTER STEER IN ORDER TO KEEP IT IN MY LANE. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC TODAY, AND THE RIGHT LOWER MOTOR MOUNT IS BROKEN. I JUST REPLACED THAT SAME MOUNT LESS THEN 6 MONTHS AGO. MY MECHANIC SAID THEY KNOW OF A CRUISER THAT HAD 8 FRONT RIGHT MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED. THERE IS AN ENTIRE SITE ON THE INTERNET DEDICATED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD MAJOR ISSUES WITH MOTOR MOUNTS GOING OUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN ON THEIR CRUISERS. *TR

AFTER COMING FROM THE STORE I NOTICE A BIG SPOT OF OIL ON THE GARAGE FLOOR,I WIPE IT UP WENT INSIDE THE HOUSE THE NEXT DAY I WENT ON SOME ERRANDS CAME BACK TO THE HOUSE AND SOME MORE OIL, AT THIS POINT CALL MY LOCAL PARTS HOUSE HE CAME UP WITH A BAD FRONT OIL SEAL. SO I WANTED TO DID FURTHER INTO THIS, AND FOUND A LOT OF DODGE, CHRYSLER, OWNER HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM.I PULL UP AND COPY THESE PROBLEM'S SOME P/T OWNERS SAID THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE THEM TO CHANGE THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE THRUST BEARING WAS TO FAR OUT OF SPECS.AND PUSHING THE FRONT SEAL OUT AND CAUSING LEAK. IF THIS WOULD HAPPEN AT HIGH SPEEDS,THIS WOULD HAVE A TERRIBLE TERRIBLE PROBLEM. I THINK CHRYSLER KNOWS ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE ONE CHRYSLER TECH DID SAY HE KNOWS THE 2.4L HAS A CRANK SEAL ISSUE ON A HANDFUL OF THE VEHICLE. NOW OUR P/T ONLY HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT AND THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE. MOST OWNER THAT I'VE READ ABOUT HAS MILEAGE NO MORE THAN 110.000.AND SOME HAVE HAD THE SEAL REPLACE TWO-THREE TIMES. I THINK CHRYSLER NEEDS TO STEP UP TO PLATE AND ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM NOW WE ARE STUCK WITHOUT A CAR. THIS COULD COST IN THE THOUSANDS,THIS PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE ADDRESS LONG AGO.THE HOLE UNDER CARRIAGE IS SOAK WITH OIL. *TR

THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ARE SHOT AND DANGEROUS. SEVERAL THOUSAND OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

MY PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE STARTED MAKING A THUMPING NOISE WHEN I WOULD TURN. THE NOISE WOULD COME FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. LIMPED IT TO LES SCHWAB AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE STRUTS AND SOME PLATE THING THAT GOES ON TOP. I WILL HAVE TO $750.00 OUT OF POCKET. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

HEARD THUMPING NOISE ON RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE AND NEW TIRES WORE OUT PREMATURELY. MECHANIC INVESTIGATED AND FOUND FRONT END SEALED BEARINGS WERE COMPLETELY SHOT. SINCE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY IT COST US $800 TO REPAIR. BASED ON THE OTHER COMPLAINTS WE HAVE FOUND, THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO RECALL. *TR

I HAVE OWNED A 2005 PT CRUISER FOR ONLY TWO MONTHS AND IT HAS ONLY 53,000 MILES ON IT. TODAY I FOUND OUT THAT BOTH THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND WILL COST 565.00. FROM WHAT I AM READING,THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND MAYBE SHOULD BE MADE A RECALL!! THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF NOT FOUND AND CORRECTED. ONE OF MINE WASN'T EVEN MAKING ANY NOISE BUT THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF PLAY IN THE TIRE. VERY DANGEROUS!

THUMPING NOISE FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF BRAKES IN A SHORT DISTANCE (30 MILES) WHEEL BEARING FAILURE WHICH DAMAGED AXEL AND DESTROYED BRAKES' BRAKES AND AXEL AND BEARING REPLACED ON DRIVERS SIDE - NOW PASSENGER SIDE IS DEFECTIVE TOO AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT - CAR HAS ONLY 30K MILES- BEARINGS ARE SEALED TYPE,CANNOT BE RELUBED, CAR IS 2005 CHRYSLER P T CRUISER CONVERTIBLE. *TR

DEFECT FOUND DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECK AT DEALERSHIP LEFT FRONT STRUT DEFECTIVE & BADLY LEAKING AT 14,050 MILES FLUID LEAKING ONTO BRAKES / OILY SUBSTANCE VISIBLE ON OUTSIDE WHEEL DEALER STATED UNKNOWN CAUSE W/SUCH LOW MILEAGE COULD NOT DETERMINE SUSPECT ORIGINAL PART DEFECT AT TIME OF PURCHASE DEALER EXPECTS CUSTOMER TO COVER COSTS IN EXCESS OF $300 TO REPAIR CUSTOMER CONTENDS ORIGINAL PART DEFECTIVE & COSTS SHOULD BE ABSORBED BY CHRYSLER/DEALER. *TR

LEFT SIDE FRONT WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. I REGRET NOT HAVING SAVED THE BROKEN BEARING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT SLOW SPEED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AND WAS SIGNALED BY A VARY LOUD CRUNCHING SOUND. IT WAS SUDDEN AND SEVERE ENOUGH THAT WE DETERMINED IT NEED IMMEDIATE REPAIR. WE CONSIDER OURSELVES LUCKY THIS OCCURRED AS WE PULLED OFF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. OUR PREVIOUS SPEED HAD BEEN ABOUT 60 MPH. THIS CAR HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN SERVICED AT THE CHRYSLER DEALER WITH IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING FELT LIKE CAR WAS GOING OVER MINI-SPEED BUMPS. TOOK IT TO TIRE STORE AND FOUND OUT IT WASN'T THE TIRES AND THEY RECOMMENDED THE DEALERSHIP. AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME IT WAS THE LEFT-FRONT BEARING AND I SHOULDN'T BE DRIVING ON IT AT ALL BECAUSE THE WHEEL COULD FALL OFF. HAD IT REPAIRED THERE. PICKED UP VEHICLE A WEEK LATER AND STEERING STILL DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. TOOK IT BACK AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT KNUCKLE NEEDED REPAIRED. ALSO HAD IT DONE THERE BECAUSE I WAS VISITING FROM OUT OF TOWN AND NEEDED WORK COMPLETED TO GET BACK HOME. LESS THAN 9 MTHS LATER AND CAR SOUNDS LIKE AN AIRPLANE. LIVING ON DIFFERENT COAST SO WENT TO A RECOMMENDED MECHANIC. INFORMED LEFT FRONT BEARING NEEDS REPAIRED. *TR

2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE 5 SPD MANUAL. HAVE BEEN VERY UNSATISFIED W/ CAR'S PERFORMANCE. BEARINGS IN BOTH FRONT AXLES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 61,000 MILES B/C OF SIGNIFICANT WEAR, MAKING CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SQUEAKED WHEN I TURNED OR JUST DROVE STRAIGHT, AND STARTED MAKING THUMPING NOISE IN AXLE AS I DROVE. ALSO, ROOF HAS A MINOR LEAK INTO TRUNK WHEN IT RAINS HARD; CANNOT FIND THE SOURCE WHERE IT IS LEAKING. *TR

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ARE SHOT WITH JUST 56,000 MILES. *TR

WHEEL VIBRATION AND LOOSE STEERING THEN GRINDING NOISE; FOUND BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARING BAD ON 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER - MILEAGE IS 15, 600; WAITING FOR REPAIR AT DEALER - ESTIMATE OF $500 - $600 TO REPAIR PLUS ALIGNMENT COSTS. *TR

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ON BTH SIDES FAILED AFTER 40K MILES, LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS FAILED AT 30K MILES. *TR

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR MORE THAN ANY OTHER NEW VEHICLE I'VE OWNED. I HAD AC COMPRESSOR PROBLEMS STILL UNDER WARRANTY... I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY AT 36700 MILES. NOW, BOTH FRONT WHEEL HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLIES ARE SHOT, AND WILL BE REPLACED AT 43,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW, AND IT IS MY 3RD AND LAST CHRYSLER PRODUCT. I HAD AN 2002 PT, THIS 2005 CRUISER, AND I'VE GOT AN 2006 CRUISER THAT IS STARTING TO SHOW SIGNS OF WHEEL BEARING ISSUES. *TR

AFTER ONLY 35.5K MILES THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT BOTH FRONT HUBS AND BEARINGS NEED REPLACEMENT. AN ONLINE SEARCH REVEALED MANY MANY OWNERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. UNSAT! *TR

RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING IS BAD AFTER ONLY 20,000 MILES ON MY PT CRUISER. I HAVE JUST READ 65 COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHRYSLER-PT-CRUISER/TIL09OD8D72ERULQA/P2 HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM BEFORE A RECALL IS DONE ON THIS. THIS IS CRAZY! *TR

CAR ONLY HAS APPX 55,000 MILES - BROUGHT CAR IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND TO FIX SLOW LEAK IN TIRE, WAS ADVISED THAT FRONT WHEEL BEARING HAS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A PART THAT SUPPOSEDLY SHOULD GET AT LEAST 85K WORTH OF USE BEFORE REPLACEMENT AND IS PART OF A COMPLETELY SEALED SYSTEM IN THE PT, SO THIS IS A RATHER DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE ($400) REPAIR FOR SUCH A "YOUNG" CAR.*CN

MY 2005 PT CRUISER STARTED MAKING NOTICEABLE NOISES FROM THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE. THE DEALER HAS NOW TOLD US THAT THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T KNOW THE ACTUAL MILEAGE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT IS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. THERE IS A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT ON THE NHTSA DATABASE FOR THE SAME MODEL YEAR, FOR THE SAME FRONT BEARING ISSUE, BUT I DID NOT CHECK OTHER YEARS. WHILE RESEARCHING ONLINE TO SEE IF OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS, I FOUND THE FOLLOWING LINK WHICH CONTAINS MANY INCIDENCES OF PT CRUISER FRONT BEARING FAILURES WITH RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE: HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHRYSLER-PT-CRUISER/TIL09OD8D72ERULQA *TR