Problems with 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chrsyler pt cruiser. while driving at any speed, the front end of the vehicle made a loud noise. the contact stated that the cross member frame had rusted out. the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 16v387000 (suspension). the dealer was notified, but the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Takata recall in my pt cruiser the engine dropped down in the car and the front axle bar and frame was broken and the wheels could not turn or control the car i am lucky to be alive the vehicle was in motion on a city street trying to turn into a ice cream shop the car is still doing a sudden jerking when driven and after paying a lot of money to get it started and fixed i am still having problems with this car and no money to get another.

While driving the vehicle pulled the steering wheel hard to the right. we were driving slow in town, had this happened at highway speed a wreck would have been unavoidable . got the vehicle towed home and took a look at it . found the front sub frame (to which the steering gear, lower control arms and such are bolted to) had rusted to the point that it cracked , on the right hand side. this allowed the right lower control arm to shift backward causing the death pull to the right.

I filed a claim with chrysler about the rusted out engine cradle and they refused to replace it. *tr

I bought a car from north coast auto mall and it had a lot of suspension problems. they ensured me that they would fix these issues if i bought the car. after buying the car, they have had me in and out of their shop 4 or 5 times to which they only lube the parts or lie to me claiming that the car has been fixed. i feel that this business practice is unsafe and misleading. they claimed to have replaced a control arm to which goodyear later (when i was buying tires) informed me that my control arms were bad. i was surprised to hear this. north coast should be investigated as they are selling unsafe cars, claiming to repair issues and then putting me in an unsafe car. 30 claims have been made about similar issues via the better business bureau, the federal trade commission and the ohio attorney general. i feel that they should be investigated for safety reasons. *tr

Upon inspection during a repair for another problem it was discovered that the front suspension crossmember known as the k-frame is severely corroded and will likely not pass another safety inspection. the rest of the underneath of this car is relatively rust-free and this is a low mileage vehicle for its age. if this part fails going down the highway the engine, transmission, etc. will all drop and cause the vehicle to lose control. *tr

While driving at 30 miles an hour, the front suspension cross-member broke as a result of severe rust. this caused the right front wheel to steer towards the ditch creating a significant safety hazard. the rust was caused by water draining from the air conditioner onto the passenger's side of the cross-member. i have attempted to order a replacement part from chrysler but so far the outlook for delivery has changed four times and is currently estimated for 12/25/2013 (2.5 months after the car became inoperable). not only does chrysler ignore the numerous reports of this commonly reported design flaw, they are proving to be incapable at providing replacement parts. this is evident as i am one of 28 car owners who are waiting for this part from chrysler, and there is high demand for this part from junkyards. *tr

I was making a right hand turn from a main road onto a side street. while the car was turning, i heard a clunk and the steering wheel was jerked from my hands. the car pulled hard to the right and crashed into the curb. the car was towed to the repair shop and the service tech showed me the engine cradle was completely rusted out and the k frame was cracked all the way thru. it's to rusted to be welded and i was told this is a common problem with the cruiser and dodge neon, since they use the same frame. the tech also told me i was lucky that i wasn't moving at high speed or the results could have been fatal. he also told me that chrysler is aware of this problem, they are completely out of replacement parts, and they basically ignore any complaints. *jb

While slowing down to stop for a red light my car suddenly veered to the right. i had to turn the steering wheel to the left to keep the car straight while i stopped. i had the car towed to a garage and upon inspection they found the crossmembers under the engine were completely rusted and broken. i bought the car new and although the car is 13 years old it only has 56,000 miles and has always been stored in a garage.

The front suspension cross-member is severely rusted and will require replacement before the car will pass inspection. the car was in for routine service when my mechanic pointed out that the only rusted part on the vehicle was the front suspension cross-member and that it was bordering on unsafe. this car has relatively low miles at 76k and is in excellent condition otherwise. this rusted part could fail with no indication that danger was imminent and cause loss of steering and ultimately a vehicle crash at any speed. *tr

I bought a 2001 pt cruiser and within a couple of weeks the headlights stopped working. replaced multi function switch but did not help. had to re-wire the lights to make them work. also it sounds like the passenger side front tire has something loose. possibly bushings?? i've seen several complaints about the lights. what is it gonna take to get a recall in place? we got a ticket for it. *tr

Front suspension................after front end alignment check .....both side of new tires wore out...left and right....a check later bushings wore out after 4,000 miles...................replace bushings and alignment recheck. *tt

K-frame engine cradle rusted through. this car is garaged 90 % at home and at work. the rest of the undercarriage and body is rust free. reported to chrysler 1 year ago. no response.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chrysler pt cruiser. the lower control arms were replaced at mileage 86,795 and then at mileage 103,000. while driving 35 mph the drivers front wheel did not feel secure and the vehicle was taken in to a mechanic shop who indicated that they had to replace the lower control arm bushings sway bar link for $1200. the dealer nor the manufacturer were not notified. the failure mileage was 103,000 and the current mileage was 105,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chrysler pt cruiser. whenever the contact drove the vehicle at various speeds, she would hear a clunking sound coming from the front end. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the lower control arms and the bushings needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 59,000. updated 08/28/09. *lj the radiator needed to be replaced. the fog light would come on with no warning. a neew multi-function switch was needed. updated 09/02/09.*jb

-steering wheel began shaking while driving car and steering became very loose. pulled into a pep boys and was told that the front control arms and bearings needed to be replaced (the car had 75k miles). i was told that this was a very common defect with

The front wheel bearings are squealing and need replaced. the dealer said that it was normal... they expect to replace them all at about 50,000 miles. they quoted $550 per axle, the bearings are $60 if not from the dealer!!! should be no reason for wheel bearings to be "typical replacement" items! 2001 chrysler pt cruiser, 55,000 miles, garage stored. *tr

I have had to replace the entire front "engine cradle", also known as the "k-frame" or "front sub-assembly". it is the structural steel framework bolted to the underbody that the lower control arms attach to. the steering rack is bolted to the top of it. the lower engine torsion connector is mounted to it. the reason? total rust out! the right wheel hub and lower control arm broke away from the k-frame because of rust. the car was being driven slowly at the time, and that was a good thing, because the car could barely be driven after. no accident occurred. *tr

Control arm bushings worn out at 37000 miles. excessive tire wear and difficult steering. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chrysler pt cruiser. while driving between 10-20 mph, the contact heard a rattling noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the dealer replaced the rear lower control arms. when the contact left the dealer, she heard a noise coming from the front end when the vehicle came to a stop. the dealer stated that the motor mount needed to be replaced. there were no warning indicators. the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 116,280. updated 12/13/07 *tr

Front control arm bushings are worn out at less then 40000 miles. *ak

The front hubs and bearings on the 2001 pt cruiser needed to be replaced at 54000 miles. i was told by the dealer this was a potentially dangerous condition. after some research online i discovered that many pt owners had the same problem, sometimes repeatedly. this may be related to a design defect and should be investigated.*ak

Premature failure of front lower control arm bushings. this vehicle had 37,000 miles with both right and left bushings failed. without replacement, this can lead to additional suspension wear and in an extreme case, loss of control. bushings of this type in typical vehicles lasts the life of the vehicle. according to my independent garage this component shows an inordinately high failure rate, as evidenced by their experience in replacing them in many pt crusiers. they see them at a rate of one every two weeks, and this was an independent garage, not a chrysler dealership. this problem was caught at pennsylvania annual state inspection.*ak

Tl* - the contact stated that he had goodyear eagle tires, 205/55 r16 eagle ls. at 31,000 miles the car was pulling to the left, and he took it to a dealer and found that the belts on the tire separated, causing the tread to shift. the contact stated that at 41,000 miles the back of the car began swaying sideways to the left and right, and it was determined that the belts on the tire separated again. the contact stated that the tread was fine, the belt in the tire was faulty. *ak the vehicle had a slight oil leak. the dealer replaced transmission solenoid pack. updated 03/19/07. *jb

2001 pt cruiser with under 40,000 miles. dealer checked rattling noise in rear and reports rear axle is shot. repair costs about $2,000.00. chrysler offered to provide parts. dealer labor is about $600.00. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated during an annual inspection the dealership determined the front control arm bushing was cracked. there was not a noticeable problem while driving the vehicle. an independent repair shop replaced the front control arm. updated 6/19/2006 - the consumer feels that the rubber of the bushing poorly bonds to the steel outer ring causing failure. *nm

At 62,000 miles, there was a clunking noise in my 2001 pt cruiser. when taken to the dealer was told the lower control arms/bushings were bad. of course, my car was over warranty. quote $750.00 + tax. had replaced, now at 75,000 miles 1 year later, took my pt in for annual inspection.....yep, lower control arms/bushings bad & needing replaced again. quote this time $582.00 + tax. should this be a yearly thing? i have normal driving on paved roads...avoid pot holes. this needs to be addressed! i love my cruiser by a trade in might be happening!*jb

On my 2001 pt cruiser both lower control arm bushings pulled loose from the arm which caused the car to shake violently while my wife was driving. when i took the car into the repair shop they brought me out to the car and showed me the damage to the control arms. oddly enough there was another pt cruiser in the next bay that had the very same problem. the owner of the repair shop told me he had put control arms on at least 40 pt cruisers in the past year. i asked him if he had notified chrysler about the problem and he said he had contacted them on behalf of his customers and chrysler insisted that there was no problems with the lower control arms. my pt cruiser has 60,000 miles on it and the car that was next to mine had 34,000 miles on the odometer. as a result of this condition the front tires on my car were destroyed due to violent shaking of the front end. my wife thought the tires were falling off. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 chrysler pt cruiser. while driving over a bump at approximately 20 mph, the control arm bushing failed. the contact heard a loud clunking noise prior to the failure. the vehicle began jerking and swaying across the road, which caused great steering difficulty. the vehicle was driven to an authorized dealer. the mechanic stated that the failure was related to the control arm bushing. the control arm bushing was replaced. the failure has occurred a total of 4 times. the contact was very concerned of the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was 36,000 and current mileage was 50,000.

Dt*: the contact stated the rear front bushing on the control arm fractured. the vehicle was making a humming sound when turning to the right. the bushing fracture was discovered by an independent mechanic during normal routine maintenance. the local dealership was contacted; however they have been unsuccessful in getting the part from the manufacturer. *nm

Front control arm bushings were replaced in feb of 2005 3 months they were replaced again and now november the noise that caused them to be replaced is present again. 2001 pt cruiser touring 60,000 miles. *jb

Dt: the consumer's wife was driving when the vehicle began to pull hard to the left. she then decided to take the vehicle to a garage for an inspection. this happened without any previous incidents. the mechanic discovered that both lower control arms failed. the mechanic suggested that she should not drive the vehicle until it was repaired. the mechanic noted that this was a common problem in these vehicles. the mechanic replaced both lower control arms. there have been no further problems since the replacement. *ak (11/23/05) *sc

Dealership found cause of noise in steering. problem was caused by lower front control arm bushings being broken (not worn). further failure could lead to loss of control of vehicle. *jb

Lower control arm bushings need replacement already at 29000 miles, on 2001 pt cruiser. this premature failure is a safety risk and appears to be common on this vehicle (admitted by dealer), yet is out of warranty. should warrant a recall notice and free repair.

Dt: the consumer stated the front end of the vehicle did not respond to a quick turn in either direction. the consumer took the vehicle the to dealership for an inspection and discovered that both front tie rod ends were worn and would not pass inspection. in addition the control arm had lost a bushing which created a knocking noise. the consumer has replaced tie rod ends as well as the control arm bushing. dealer noted this was a common problem with the pt cruiser and this was a design flaw. the consumer contacted the manufacturer and they denied there was an issue with the pt cruiser and that all cars have grease fittings called "zirks" since repairs no problems as of yet. this failure occurred 32,191 miles. chrysler did say they would reimburse $150 for the tie rods ends but that was all. *jb

Bell crank connecting watts links. bushing wears out before 40k miles creating loud clunking noises at rear suspension. and this suspension is highlighted on chrysler web site as a feature, not a failure. repair is $315.05, part available. should at least be under warranty. many failures noted on owner forums. also own second pt at 30k miles and it is showing (hearing) symptoms.

Severe clunking noised under the front end of my 2001 pt cruiser at 60k miles. dealer notified that both lower control arm (bushings) had failed and needed to be replaced. luckily, i purchased an extended warranty so the out of pocket cost was $100 deductible and $70 front end alignment. why should control arm bushings fail so early? i believe this is a safety issue and since i found many pt owners on the web experiencing similiar suspension failures, daimler chrysler should cover all the cost.

While driving at 45 mph rear suspension failed, causing the vehicle to sway unexpectedly. consumer managed to stop vehicle.*ak

The rear bushing on both sides were separated where the rubber bushing were torn apart completely causing the steering to drift side to side. *bf *sc *jb

A knocking noise was coming from the front of the vehicle. the consumer was able drive to the dealer. the mechanic informed the driver that the left and right upper ball joints needed to be replaced. please fill in additional information. *jb *nm

The lower control arm bushings are separating from the rubber. this can cause loss of vehicle control, rattles, severe front end vibration. some of the members of the national pt cruiser club have had this occur as low as 5000 miles. currently my pt has 75.000 miles and the problem is occurring. i am a 25 year employee of the auto industry. and there is no way that these type of bushings should be having this separation problem. a recall and manditory repair is in order, before a owner has a vehicle accident due to the vehicle loosing steering control.*ak

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- while changing my front rotors & pads (at 27k miles), and with the suspension hanging, i noticed that the rear bushing on each control arm had separation. i first noticed thi

The bushings where the lower control arms are fastened to the crossmember mine, metal on metal concerning steering/suspension. *bf the consumers lower control arms were totally disintegrated. *sc *jb

Over the last year i have had to spend over $900 in corrosion related repairs to my 2001 chrysler pt cruiser. i spent $124 to replace wheel hub covers, $150 to replace a corroded bell housing, and $650 to replace bushings which are coming out of the lower control arms. all of these items are related to design defects in the pt cruiser.*ak

Chrysler pt cruiser lower control arm bushings are defective and dc will not do anything about it. this is a potential safety issue.*ak

Lower control arm bushings separating from the rubber. only 13,000 miles on vehicle. *ak

Dt: consumer's vehicle was involved in a minor accident. was in a small accident. took vehicle to a repair shop, a repair shop, and they referred him to a dealership. they said that the bushing has been forced out of the control arm. previously, the steering wheel shimmied and rattled back and forth. the consumer had the accident repair work done. but not the bushing and the control arm. this problem occurred for about a year. *ak

I have a 2001 pt cruiser with 46,000 miles on it, i have to replace lower control arms on both sides because the bushings have seperated from the bubber. i have had cars with over 200,000 miles on them and never had this problem. i feel that a recall is in order before some one gets hurt due to loss of steering control.*ak

Upper & lower control arm bushings failure. *ak

Rear suspension bushings wore out at 40,000 mi and now again at 75,000 causing the rear end to bounce and sway uncontrollable at high speeds (45-65 mph). indication of worn bushings: loud clunking noise in rear end. *tr