CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2006 is the worst year for PT Cruiser engine complaints. Having an engine light on is annoying, but it's the complaints about the engine shutting-off while driving that really have us concerned.

1.9

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
87,541 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser engine problems

engine problem

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2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #55

Aug 012021

PT Cruiser

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

all of the dash board instrument cluster lights turn on breifly, car speed starts to drop, lights on dash turn back off, [ all except seat belt lights] then car seems to restart itself and will reaccelerate.all this happens while we are driving in traffic at highway speeds, this is not good and could result in a very serious incident, not only for us but for othe

- Streamwood, IL, USA

problem #54

Mar 012015

PT Cruiser

  • 65,000 miles
Engine lights come on randomly. Idle speeds inconsistent. Windshield cracked straight across we had no idea what happened until we read an article about Chrysler’'s defective totally integrated power modules problems titled “Chrysler tipms causing power problems

- Antioch, CA, USA

problem #53

Jun 012017

PT Cruiser

  • 135,000 miles
No headlight, high beam or low beam or turn signal right side. This began about 6/2017 when replacing bulbs did not work. A few months later the horn also stopped working. Fuel gauge stopped reading and sometimes reads full then drops toward E then may show half. Never a constant reading anymore. All fuses and relays test good. Tipm appears to be in good shape, no visible damage or defects to circuit boards. No good voltage to head lamps or turn signal (meter shows 11.5 volts, but appears to be a potential and not a good voltage. Cannot light a bulb but still shows the voltage on the meter), grounds meter good to chassis. Wiring harness appears good with no indication of damage. Runs very rough and engine light codes a cylinder 3 misfire. Runs smooth under acceleration but very rough on idle and sometimes stalls when stopping or at red lights. I have spent several hundred dollars already on timing belts, alternators, injectors and other maintenance procedures. Dealers wont look at it without several hundred dollars to run diagnostics again and again. I suspect tipm and PCM to be defective units throughout Chrysler products. You cannot drive at night because I cant get the lights to work. Car is currently parked because it is unusable and unsafe to drive.

- Sciota, PA, USA

problem #52

Mar 112019

PT Cruiser

  • 72,100 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car is hanging up in a lower gear may gear 2 and the engine is raising. The engine light is on. It has done this a few times while driving the car. Sometimes the engine light goes off and it runs like a great vehicle but then it will hang up and get stuck in a lower gear! I have been driving inner city when this happens and afraid to take it on the highway.

- Jonesboro, AR, USA

problem #51

May 042012

PT Cruiser

  • miles
Engine lights come on randomly. Idle speeds inconsistent. Windshield cracked straight across

- Antioch, CA, USA

problem #50

Jul 032018

PT Cruiser

  • 65,329 miles
While driving, the motor shut off and then started again within a few seconds. I was almost rear ended when turning a corner. This has happened several times.

- Mishawaka, IN, USA

problem #49

Feb 012018

PT Cruiser 4-cyl

  • 144,385 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Chrysler PT CRUISER. The contact stated that the engine failed and the engine indicator remained illuminated. Also, the vehicle rode roughly while driving. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine oil, water pump, and fuel pump leaked. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 144,385.

- Olivehurst, CA, USA

problem #48

Oct 172017

PT Cruiser

  • 100,000 miles
Vehicle acceleration without depressing the gas pedal. While driving on a 2 lane highway vehicle began to accelerate. I tried pushing the gas pedal numerous times to stop the acceleration, but to no avail. I tried shifting the automatic shifter from D (drive ) to 3rd gear, but still the vehicle continued to accelerate. I applied the brakes with a full amount of pressure, vehicle was still revving upwards.. I could smell burning brakes. I was finally able to slow down where the road was level, still with full pressure on the brakes. I shifted the gears from 3rd to neutral and then park to stop the revving, but it continued and I shut the car off. I started the vehicle a few moments later and the revving now longer occurred. I was on an isolated highway in the back country. Had I been in the city the results could have been deadly. This same type of acceleration (Toyota vehicle) happened to a family locally and they crashed and all perished in the resulting fire.

- Boulevard, CA, USA

problem #47

Jul 042016

PT Cruiser

  • 130,000 miles
Right side headlight assembly inoperative. No high beam, low beam, or turn signal / flasher function. Replaced bulbs several times and all test good in other fixtures such as driver side lamp assembly. Engine is throwing "cylinder 3 misfire detected". plugs, wires replaced with no repair.

- Saylorsburg, PA, USA

problem #46

Feb 092017

PT Cruiser

  • 60,091 miles
When driving vehicle the steering capability occasionally seizes and vehicle cannot be turned for a few moments. This is very dangerous since it can happen at a turn in the road. Also, at stop lights the car tries to jolt forward. Again this is occurs at inconsistent times. Additionally the car dies in idle when the temperature outside rises above 60 degrees. The check engine light came on and when code was read it stated the cooling system was in need of repair. Upon further investigation into the issue we found the fan worked but was not being switched on. So we replaced the fan switch. Immediately it blew the switch. The mechanics cannot identify the issue. While additional codes just get thrown into the pile. After some research I found that I am not the only one experiencing this issue. I check often to see if something has been recalled or if anyone has found a solution that provides lasting change but I have not found any advice or solution that actually fixes the issue. These issues are reoccurring so I am stating the last occurrence which was just this morning.

- Longview, WA, USA

problem #45

Jun 162016

PT Cruiser 4-cyl

  • 118,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Can not go over 45-50 mph without check engine light coming on. Unable to stay in cruise control on highway at 70 mph more than 1/2 mile than it pops out of cruise completely and check engine comes on. Shakes when heat or air condition comes on. Steering wheel pushes to the right while driving.

- Conyers, GA, USA

problem #44

Dec 122016

PT Cruiser 4-cyl

  • miles
For all you Chrysler PT CRUISER lovers! problem solved today! dashboard lights repeatedly go on and off, engine stalling while driving or idling, I have a 2006 and have been plagued with this issue for a few years now. Dealer mechanics are idiots who go for the big ticket items and hope that solves the problem. This problem for me, was caused by a faulty key ignition module, in the steering wheel. Internal parts are loose and fail to keep an electrical connection. A $60-90 retail part. Easily replaced by anyone who can use a torx screwdriver. You will get a new key to start the car with but it does not include a skip anti-theft rf module, so just keep the old key on the chain to open your car doors with. Now, how about Chrysler man up and fix all these including providing new rf keys so I don't need to keep 2 on my chain. My original complaint: NHTSA id number: 10823650 tipm already replaced 1X for same issues occurring again now, a few years later and for at least the last 8 months from this posting, occurring more and more frequently now and last time occurring was Feb 01, 2016. All dash / engine status lights come on for no reason, then off seconds later, occurring anytime while engine is running. Engine stalls - sputtering, power steering and breaks fail to work properly during this time, fuel level gauge wildly fluctuates and smell of gas is noticeable, all causing a dangerous situation when at highway speeds. Head lights and interior lights randomly go bright or dim for a fraction of a second. Dealership unable to diagnose as it does not stay broke long enough for their techs to diagnose with their equipment even after having the car for 2 full days, despite this problem seen visually by dealer and on video recording. Suspect tipm / ECM, integrated voltage regulator is at fault...

- Wpb, FL, USA

problem #43

Jul 022016

PT Cruiser

  • 100,000 miles
After 5 months of ownership, I have been experiencing recurrent problems with my 2006 Chrysler PT CRUISER stopping while driving and failing to start. I have had my fuel pump replaced, alternator replaced, timing belt and water pump replaced, transmission replaced, and radiator replaced. Despite these parts being replaced, my car continues to randomly stop while driving and then does not start. These items were replaced as they were "thought" to be the problem but obviously they are not the problem. These repairs have been costly and they have not fixed the problem. Moreover, this is a serious safety issue, as the last time my car stopped while driving, I was in the middle of an intersection making a left turn. I had my children in the car. This was extremely terrifying and substantially dangerous. No check engine light comes on so the mechanic is not able to pin point the exact problem of why my car shuts off while driving and then fails to start. Also, at times, my lights shut off and turn on along with the wipers randomly but not when the car has shut off. The light problem happens independently of the car shutting off. It shuts off without warning. When I try to start the car, it will sometimes turn on after multiple attempts but then the car will sputter a bit and then car shuts off completely. I had my car towed many times when the car did not start after several attempts.

- Apple Valley, CA, USA

problem #42

Jun 172014

PT Cruiser

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chrysler PT CRUISER. While driving various speeds, the vehicle lost power and multiple warning lights on the instrument cluster illuminated. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate. In addition, the vehicle previously stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on multiple occasions, but it was unable to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact was unsure if the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Green Cove Springs, FL, USA

problem #41

Jun 152016

PT Cruiser

  • 70,000 miles
On 6/15 it was necessary for me to take this vehicle on the road. I should have known better since it's issues have been increasing in severity with each drive. I can no longer drive on the highway and local driving which necessitates stopping at traffic lights and stop signs is challenging to say the least. Becoming increasing difficult to start; engine bucks when attempting to accelerate from a stop and continues to do so while driving. It continues to stall without warning and my mechanic cannot even get my dashboard to function; none of my gauges are operational and of course I have no interior lighting at all. I have read so many similar complaints and find it difficult to understand why Chrysler has not been forced to address the issues with these vehicles beyond offering a kit for purchase which will not guarantee acceptable results. I urge everyone filing and/or reading these complaints to take some action. Contact the dot, speak with a lawyer, be a voice and continue to be a voice until someone, somewhere takes action on our behalf. I'm not able to trade this car; who would want it; still paying down my loan on it and pray every time I leave the house that I will be able to return home safely. What a disgrace this is.

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #40

Jun 062016

PT Cruiser

  • 70,000 miles
Car engine shuts off without warning while driving and/or while making turns, or after coming to a stop and steering freezes; engine revs up and down while driving and cannot accelerate; difficulty restarting; interior light blinks and all dashboard gauges suddenly ceased working; replaced rear quarter glass, broken fastener caused car to flood.part recall no. G01 and I had it replaced. Car has been inspected by mechanics and issues cannot detected nor fixed.

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #39

May 172016

PT Cruiser

  • 127,000 miles
Have replaced crank shaft seal 3 times and each time the seal is blown. Dealers are aware of this issue and provide a kit $787 plus $2,000 to install) that replaces the faulty design of the crank shaft, crank shaft bearings, connecting rod bearings, and timing belt and the dealers do not gaurantee that replacing these will resolve the issue. Spoke to Chrysler customer complaint line and there is nothing that Chrysler has been willing to do as of this date unless enough consumers file a complaint. Reading online, there are tens of thousands of consumers with the same issue. The issue is common in all 2.4L size engines in various makes, models and years including Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler. Chrysler apparently corrected this design flaw in their engines in later years beyond 2007, however, have not offered a solution for prior years. I highly recommend posting this issue (as thousands of others have done) on related auto mechanical websites pertaining to this known mechanical flaw with the engine design.

- Hamilton, OH, USA

problem #38

May 102016

PT Cruiser

  • 120,000 miles
2.7 liter engine right exhaust camshafft failed. When I attempted to get a replacement I was told that due to the high numbers of failures the part is on a serious backlog. The cam failed while driving locally and the vehicle had to be towed.

- White City, OR, USA

problem #37

Apr 212016

PT Cruiser

  • 107,000 miles
Electrical dash board, gauges - RPM, gas, temp, go around up and down wildly causes sudden deceleration. All trouble lights come on, battery, seat belt, oil, air bag and go on then off. I had this happened 7 yrs ago and dealer would not repair until dash board was not working. Then dash board completely stopped working and dash board was replaced under warranty. Now it is acting up again. Reading all the complaints. There are over 10 complaints from all over the county about the same issue. Today I was able to finally take video/picture of the trouble lights coming on and off. The dials and lights were going on and off going all the way around and all the way back down again. There are so many complaints about this unsafe issue.

- Menifee, CA, USA

problem #36

Apr 142016

PT Cruiser

  • 6 miles
When randomly driving all the lights on the dashboard go crazy, the fuel gauge goes to empty even when it's a full tank, the car loses power and the engine starts to stall... it's very scary because where I drive there are busy highways and I'm scared too death I'm going to get killed or kill someone.

- Port Richey, FL, USA

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