Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The contact stated that the rear quarter glass fasteners on both sides of the vehicle had started to separate from the vehicle. The contact stated that the windows were violently shaking while driving at various speeds. The contact was concerned that the windows might fall out while driving and cause injury to a pedestrian. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The contact exit the vehicle and discovered that the front passenger side sub frame had excessive rust and fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the front passenger frame, the cv axles and the lower control arms with ball joint and the stabilizer link had fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000.
Engine cradle, or front subframe, is rusted to the point I've stopped driving the car. I'm in the process of finding a replacement but Chrysler no longer makes the part! Nothing has happened to this point because of my caution but the front end was starting to make popping noises when I started out from a dead stop. The problem is on the front passenger side. I understand from reading articles, many other pts have this same problem. For years, I have tried to prime and spray oil on the part to extend it's life. Time has come....
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser. When the vehicle approached an abrupt stop and accelerated, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle veered to the right independently without warning while driving 40 MPH. The contact discovered that the front passenger side cross member was fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 136,616.
Note: this is not a safety issue (as far as I know) but I want it to go on record from what all PT Cruiser owners have been going through. Dashboard cracked and vent grids crumbled when doing a regular cleaning (dusting with cloth). I just want to be noted that I found out that the great majority of PT cruisers have this issue. I do not think it is fair to customers to have no protection from such poor quality materials. Manufacture should be made liable for such things.
I decided to drive to a city about an hour and a half way. Not knowing on the way back I was going to have to tie the back door shut. Me, my boyfriend, and my 4 year old daughter were with me. We had went into a mall. When coming back out I had opened the back driver's side door open to let my daughter in. After I had her buckled in I tried to shut the door and it wouldn't shut. After several attempts we used shoe strings and belts to hold the door shut and my boyfriend road home in the back to also help hold the door. For I didn't want my 4 year old to fall out the door on the way home. So for the next two weeks I had a rope tied from one door to the other door and my kids had to ride in the front seat to the babysitters a few blocks away which is completely illegal because of being 4 and 5. But what was I to do I'm a single mom. …
Tl contact owns a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser. While making a right hand turn at 5 MPH the sub frame underneath the front end of the vehicle broke. He could not control the vehicle or drive it. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic who inspected it and the consumer was told that the main cross member/sub frame deteriorated and caused the entire front end to come apart. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified and a complaint was filed but it was denied due to lack of maintenance on the vehicle. They offered no other assistance. The failure mileage was 48,100. The consumer stated as he was making a turn, the vehicle came to a sudden halt. When he exited the vehicle, he discovered the front wheel was leaning toward the road. The vehicle was towed the Chrysler dealer. …
The consumer stated that since the vehicle was purchased, the brakes were defective and performed poorly when applied. The consumer suspects that the dealership did not work on the brakes at all. There was a screeching noise and the brakes would sometimes go almost to the bottom of the floor. The driver's seat belt did not always lock, the brakes would rub and hesitate to stop, the A/C did not get cold on high settings, the entire dashboard electronic system was off, the fuel, MPH and the RPM lights had come on, at the inside top of all four doors, the lining was buldging in and out, the driver's side seat belt needed several attempts before locking, the right signal had to be manually stopped, and the left signal light did not hold. There was also an issue with the odometer reading. (the consumer felt that it did not display the proper mileage)
Dashboard in 2002 PT Cruiser has cracked down the middle and has began to separate into pieces. This includes the center defrost vent. Per the June 18, 2007 miami herald you had 9 complaints from owners of 2002 models and 12 from 2001 owners. This was over 2 years ago. An internet search shows many more complaints that probably haven't been filed with the NHTSA. Chrysler denies responsibility. Various manufacturers ( e.g. Coverking) have already started making dash covers for the PT Cruiser specifically to cover cracked dashes; but I cannot use one as these covers do not include the center defrost vent which has broken into pieces and fallen into the vent. The only solution is to replace the entire dash cover. It has happened to enough cars surely to initiate a defect investigation. Chrysler should be made to replace these defective dashes!
Loud cracking sounds while driving then the dash started opening up in two places, one through the vent fan all the way to the instrument panel and the other from the vent toward the glove box. Chrysler and my dealer claim they have never heard of this problem although many complaints on the web and this site? Also many on this site said they contacted Chrysler. Have made appointment to replace at my cost since it doesn't seem safe to drive a car that's splitting down the middle, and Chrysler and the dealer claim no responsibility. My car has been well maintained, used sun shades and only has 35,585 miles, living on the central california coast where the weather is mild all year around. Seems like this is defective material that Chrysler should replace.
Body complaints in other PT Cruiser years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
NHTSA has 67 complaints about the body & structure of the 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser, 13% of the model year's 511 complaints. The component named most often is body (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.