CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE · model year

2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE

93 NHTSA complaints, 9 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2005CHRYSLERPT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE carries 93 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 9 crashes, 1 fire, 11 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE is electrical system with 17 filings, followed by suspension:front:wheel bearing (8) and exterior lighting (7). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 88 investigation files overlapping the 2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE, and 7 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

93
Complaints
9
Crashes
1
Fires
11
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

93 filings

Crashes Reported

9 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM17
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING8
EXTERIOR LIGHTING7
STEERING6
WHEELS5
TIRES4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING4
SUSPENSION4
ENGINE4
AIR BAGS4
TIRES:SIDEWALL3
SUSPENSION:FRONT3
SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB2
STRUCTURE:BODY2
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20191108TIRES

CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION - COOPER RESPONSE TOURING 205/55 R16 91H ON 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. TREAD DEPTH = 5/32, TIRES WERE NEW ON USED CAR PURCHASED IN 07/2014. NO DRY ROT OR VISIBLE CRACKING ON TIRES, 23K MILEAGE ON TIRES. IN 07/2018, TWO OF THE TIRES IN THE SET OF 4 WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE BEGINNINGS OF TREAD SEPARATION (WOULD NOT BALANCE). I AM A FORMER TIRE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER FOR A MAJOR US TIRE MANUFACTURER AND I HAVE ANALYZED HUNDREDS OF FAILED TIRES RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER. BASED ON MY ANALYSIS, I BELIEVE THAT THIS TIRE FAILED BY DELAMINATION OF THE TREAD DUE TO IMPROPER CONSTRUCTION OR CURING AND NOT DUE TO A TIRE PUNCTURE. SINCE 3 OF 4 OF THESE TIRES HAVE FAILED, I BELIEVE THAT THE ENTIRE BATCH MAY BE DEFECTIVE.

Mileage: 70,500

20190319STEERING

A HOLE WAS MADE IN THE POWER STEERING LINE. ALL THE FLUID DUMPED OUT. I WAS DRIVING FORWARD AND SUDDENLY IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE LINE SHOULD NOT BE RUN LIKE THAT. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT IN MORE FLUID AND IT ALL JUST POURED RIGHT OUT!

Mileage: 120,000

20180817STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS FAULTY AND CAUSED THE POWER STEERING FLUID TO LEAK OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER (JEFF WYLER CHRYSLER, 1117 STATE RT. 32, BATAVIA, OH) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

Mileage: 130,000

20160419CrashAIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE DID A NOSE DIVE AND FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. SOME OF THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED AND OTHERS WERE STUCK IN THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT AND TWO OTHER OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 06/15/16*LJ *TR

Mileage: 41,000

20151007CrashAIR BAGS

CAR STOP AT RED LIGHT HIT FROM BEHIND BY 2016 CAR DRIVEN BY GIRL JUST GOT LISCENSE CAR WAS DRIVEN INTO A ULITEY TRUCK AIR BAG NEVER ENGAGED WAS HIT WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO SEND TRUCK FORWARD ABOUT 2 FEET

Mileage: 1,000,000

20150923ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAR INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT START. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED SO MANY TIMES THAT THE INSURANCE RATE WENT UP AND WE PAID FOR REPAIRS THAT WE DID NOT NEED BECAUSE IT NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. REPAIRS INCLUDE (BATTERY, STARTER, IGNITION, SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES) WE NOW BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE TIPM. THE OTHER PROBLEMS WE ENCOUNTERED ARE WINDOW WON'T GO UP OR DOWN. DEALERSHIPS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM SO THEY CONTINUE TO CHARGE US FOR UNNECCESARY REPAIRS.

Mileage: 40,000

20150805ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD AT CAR WASH AT NIGHT LEAVING ME AND MY YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTER STRANDED UNTIL WE COULD GET A JUMP. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE BATTERY NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS NOR ANY LIGHTS BEING LEFT ON IN INTERIOR. HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE OTHER DAY THE FOG LAMPS WERE ON BUT THE SWITCH WAS NOT TURNED ON. IT WAS DRAINING THE SYSTEM. HAD TO PULL THE FUSE TO FOG LAMPS IN ORDER TO STOP THE DRAINAGE. THIS HAS LEFT ME STRANDED WITH SMALL CHILDREN FORCING RELIANCE UPON STRANGERS IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. NOW THE FOG LAMPS ARE INOPERATIVE UNTIL A FIX CAN BE FOUND, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A POTENTIAL COLLISION IF DRIVING IN FOGGY CONDITIONS WHICH COULD PROVE FATAL DUE TO IT BEING A CONVERTIBLE. THIS IS A GT TURBO EDITION...UPDATED 09/28/15 *BF *CN

Mileage: 48,000

20150805ENGINE

CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD AT CAR WASH AT NIGHT LEAVING ME AND MY YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTER STRANDED UNTIL WE COULD GET A JUMP. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE BATTERY NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS NOR ANY LIGHTS BEING LEFT ON IN INTERIOR. HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE OTHER DAY THE FOG LAMPS WERE ON BUT THE SWITCH WAS NOT TURNED ON. IT WAS DRAINING THE SYSTEM. HAD TO PULL THE FUSE TO FOG LAMPS IN ORDER TO STOP THE DRAINAGE. THIS HAS LEFT ME STRANDED WITH SMALL CHILDREN FORCING RELIANCE UPON STRANGERS IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. NOW THE FOG LAMPS ARE INOPERATIVE UNTIL A FIX CAN BE FOUND, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A POTENTIAL COLLISION IF DRIVING IN FOGGY CONDITIONS WHICH COULD PROVE FATAL DUE TO IT BEING A CONVERTIBLE. THIS IS A GT TURBO EDITION...UPDATED 09/28/15 *BF *CN

Mileage: 48,000

20150805EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD AT CAR WASH AT NIGHT LEAVING ME AND MY YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTER STRANDED UNTIL WE COULD GET A JUMP. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE BATTERY NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS NOR ANY LIGHTS BEING LEFT ON IN INTERIOR. HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE OTHER DAY THE FOG LAMPS WERE ON BUT THE SWITCH WAS NOT TURNED ON. IT WAS DRAINING THE SYSTEM. HAD TO PULL THE FUSE TO FOG LAMPS IN ORDER TO STOP THE DRAINAGE. THIS HAS LEFT ME STRANDED WITH SMALL CHILDREN FORCING RELIANCE UPON STRANGERS IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. NOW THE FOG LAMPS ARE INOPERATIVE UNTIL A FIX CAN BE FOUND, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A POTENTIAL COLLISION IF DRIVING IN FOGGY CONDITIONS WHICH COULD PROVE FATAL DUE TO IT BEING A CONVERTIBLE. THIS IS A GT TURBO EDITION...UPDATED 09/28/15 *BF *CN

Mileage: 48,000

20150327EXTERIOR LIGHTING

FOG LAMPS INTERMITTENT ON AND OFF WITH SWITCH OFF. DRAINED BATTERY AND SHORTED FUSE. *TR

20150327ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FOG LAMPS INTERMITTENT ON AND OFF WITH SWITCH OFF. DRAINED BATTERY AND SHORTED FUSE. *TR

20141128TIRES

DRIVING ON ENTRANCE RAMP TO HIGHWAY WHEN THERE WAS A VIOLENT SHUDDER. CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER (SEVERE VIBRATION). PULLED OFF ON EMERGENCY SHOULDER. THERE IS A LARGE HOLE IN TIRE SIDEWALL. SIDEWALL WAS SHREDDED. TREAD WAS NOT AFFECTED. 4500 MILES ON TIRES. TIRE WAS REMOVED AND SPARE TIRE WAS MOUNTED. *TR

Mileage: 82,137

20140916WHEELS:RIM

DEC 2013 HAD TO REPLACE RIM ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE 2014SEPT RIM CRACKED ON PASSENGER SIDE REAR.T. THE REAR PASSENGER RIM HAS BEEN CRACKED TWICE. TOTAL OF THREE TIMES RIM CRACKED.COMING HOME AND GOING TO GYM.FIRST TIME I HAD RIM REPAIRED SECOND TIME BOUGHT NEW RIM. THE THIRD NOTHING BUT TOOK OFF AND PUT DONUT TIRE ON. THE FIRST TIME I DON'T REMEMBER THE DATE.I BOUGHT 4 NEW TIRES. 2014. *TR

20140514AIR BAGS

THE PROBLEM I HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT OF MY 2005 PT CONVERTIBLE CRUISER HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 7 YEARS AND 6 ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE HAS AUTHORIZED THE NAPLETON DEALERSHIP IN LAKE PARK, FLORIDA, TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT TWICE: ONCE IN SEPTEMBER 2012, AND MOST RECENTLY IN MAY 2014. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMS THE SAME REPLACEMENT OF THE HARNESS BUCKLE APPARATUS EACH TIME, BUT THAT IS CLEARLY NOT THE UNDERLYING REASON THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AFTER EVERY ATTEMPT TO FIX IT. AFTER THE FOURTH ATTEMPT TO FIX IT FAILED BY A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY WITH THE ENTIRE WIRING SYSTEM OF THE CAR, BUT DURING THE 5TH AND 6TH ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE AIR BAG LIGHT, THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT SEEM WILLING TO LOOK INTO THIS AND ENDED DOING THE EXACT SAME REPAIR THAT HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED FOR 7 YEARS. MEANWHILE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE

Mileage: 39,400

20140514ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE PROBLEM I HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT OF MY 2005 PT CONVERTIBLE CRUISER HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 7 YEARS AND 6 ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE HAS AUTHORIZED THE NAPLETON DEALERSHIP IN LAKE PARK, FLORIDA, TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT TWICE: ONCE IN SEPTEMBER 2012, AND MOST RECENTLY IN MAY 2014. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMS THE SAME REPLACEMENT OF THE HARNESS BUCKLE APPARATUS EACH TIME, BUT THAT IS CLEARLY NOT THE UNDERLYING REASON THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AFTER EVERY ATTEMPT TO FIX IT. AFTER THE FOURTH ATTEMPT TO FIX IT FAILED BY A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY WITH THE ENTIRE WIRING SYSTEM OF THE CAR, BUT DURING THE 5TH AND 6TH ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE AIR BAG LIGHT, THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT SEEM WILLING TO LOOK INTO THIS AND ENDED DOING THE EXACT SAME REPAIR THAT HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED FOR 7 YEARS. MEANWHILE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE

Mileage: 39,400

20140514VISIBILITY/WIPER

THE PROBLEM I HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT OF MY 2005 PT CONVERTIBLE CRUISER HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 7 YEARS AND 6 ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE SERVICE HAS AUTHORIZED THE NAPLETON DEALERSHIP IN LAKE PARK, FLORIDA, TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT TWICE: ONCE IN SEPTEMBER 2012, AND MOST RECENTLY IN MAY 2014. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMS THE SAME REPLACEMENT OF THE HARNESS BUCKLE APPARATUS EACH TIME, BUT THAT IS CLEARLY NOT THE UNDERLYING REASON THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AFTER EVERY ATTEMPT TO FIX IT. AFTER THE FOURTH ATTEMPT TO FIX IT FAILED BY A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY WITH THE ENTIRE WIRING SYSTEM OF THE CAR, BUT DURING THE 5TH AND 6TH ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE AIR BAG LIGHT, THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT SEEM WILLING TO LOOK INTO THIS AND ENDED DOING THE EXACT SAME REPAIR THAT HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED FOR 7 YEARS. MEANWHILE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE

Mileage: 39,400

20140425EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE MULTIFUNCTION LIGHT SWITCH CAUSES THE FOG LIGHTS TO TURN ON AND OFF AT RANDOM, EVEN WHEN IGNITION IS OFF. ISSUE HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS. *TR

Mileage: 120,000

20140425AIR BAGS

VEHICLE AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF WHEN A PERSON AROUND 75-150LBS SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED. OCCASIONALLY THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL WORK NORMALLY; ISSUE SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO WHETHER THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED, OR OCCUPIED AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED. MANY OTHERS ON PT CRUISER FORUMS REPORT SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. *TR

Mileage: 130,000

20140319ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

GOING OVER A SPEED BUMP MY UNDERBODY SCRAPPED THE BUMP. WHEN I GOT HOME I HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF RADIATOR FLUID UNDER MY CAR THE NEXT MORNING. A FEW DAYS LATER THERE WAS STILL SMALL AMOUNTS OF LIQUID UNDER MY CAR. JACK FURRIERS REPAIR SHOP SAID THE OIL COOLER WAS DAMAGED AND HAD A SMALL HOLE FROM THE FINS BEING BENT. REPAIR IS QUITE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE CHRYSLER HAS CHANGED THE STYLING OF THE PART AND IT HAS TO BE REPLACED WITH THE NEW PART. THE NEW PART I WAS TOLD WOULD BE BEING PUT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE FIRST PLACE TO BE SAFER FROM THE TYPES OF DAMAGES I GOT. SHOULD BE A RECALL COVERED REPAIR. THE CAR COULD OVERHEAT AND CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS. *TR

Mileage: 132,000

20140319ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE LITE CAME ON. REPLACED RECOMMENDED PARTS. LITE CAME OFF AND ON OVER A YEAR OR SO WITH SAME DIAGNOSTIC. REPLACED SAME PART IN LATE 2013 AND LITE STILL STAYS ON. I AM TOLD NOW IT IS THE COMPUTER ITSELF. HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR PT CRUISER OWNERS AND THAT MANY REPLACE THE SAME PARTS I DID AND IT IS TO NO AVAIL. TO MY BEST OF RECALL IT IS THE UPPER/IN LOWER/OUT OXYGEN 2 SENSOR. WITH THE COMPUTER (ENGINE LITE) CAUSING THIS PROBLEM CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON IT. *TR

Mileage: 98,000

Compare 2005CHRYSLERPT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 7 Open

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE have?
The 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE has 93 NHTSA complaints, 9 crashes, 1 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE?
The most-complained component for the 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 17 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING and EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Is the 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.