I was driving my 2004 limited PT Cruiser when the check engine light came on. I called my father and he said I should be fine, and when I got home he would look at it. Well on my way home the cruise control shut off. The accelerator was hard to press so I was going about 45 down the highway. Then my lights started to flicker (it was about 10 at night) every time I started to slow down the car acted like it was going to die. And I had to drop my friend off at her house, well she jump out of my car while it was moving just so my car wouldn't die. My speedometer stopped working so I didn't know how fast I was going. It took me 15-20 minutes to go home from my friends house who only lives 6 miles away. When I got home it was about 11:30-12 at night. My mother tried starting the car and it wouldn't go.

So I took it the mechanic and he replaced the timing belt, all plugs and wires, a few different pumps, fixed a vacuum hose, then it started to work fine. Until me and my family went out to dinner. We go to leave the restaurant and we didn't even get out of the parking lot before it died 3 times, it was riding so rough I thought the car was going to start on fire. So now it's sitting at my mechanics, he doesn't know what's wrong with it. Until then I'm car-less. Does anyone else have this problem?

Fellow PT Cruiser Owners, Mechanics and Others.....

I read your posted complaints about power cutting out, and feel mine is heading in that direction! I've experienced "sputtering" and the feeling that the car was going to stall out at the intersection, and when I pressed on the gas - the car wouldn't go forward! Nothing happens. The car wouldn't move. I had to slowly accelerate on and off the gas for about 20 seconds before it got going again. Meanwhile, I had to wave the drivers behind me to "go around". I was freaked out. It did finally "catch" enough gas, then took off again......whew!

When I brought it to my mechanic in March, he said it was the Oxygen sensors, and replaced them. My car ran fine after that......for about ONE WEEK. Then I experienced that hesitation and no acceleration forward when pressing on the gas! I was SO angry, it was happening again! So, off it went to the mechanic again two weeks ago. He put it on the diagnostic machine, and said it was the Oxygen sensors, and replaced them AGAIN. (That didn't seem right to me.) Well, the "check engine" light went on again only after ONE week, and it's doing that same hesitation issue again. Luckily, it hasn't "died completely" requiring a tow, but I'm very worried it will get there.

If anyone knows a mechanic that works mostly on PT Cruisers in SAN FRANCISCO, I'd be grateful to know about them. My mechanic said he "hates working on them", because of the way it's laid out under the hood, but he'll do a good job for me. I love the car, but feel Chrysler made a very flimsy product. What a shame. These are smart-looking, practical cars and I love mine....it's a 2004 and only has 58K miles on it.

Any positive input as to why my car is repeatedly doing this hesitation, almost stalling, then slowly giving it enough gas to get going again......especially going up small hills., I'd be so grateful. I feel it will only get worse unless I fix it very soon. (Oh, in March a mechanic also replaced the Cam sensor(s), too.)

Help please! Thank you!