Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
The tire on my 2005 PT Cruiser was flat and when I went to get it fixed was told that the tire was fine but the finish was coming off the rim and this caused the tire to go flat. I went to a national automotive repair chain to get it fixed. I was told that they could put a type of sealant around the tire so it would not go flat. They could not guarantee it would not go flat as they stated this was a common problem for PT cruisers. I have talked to other PT Cruiser owners and looked on the internet in regards to this and found that indeed, this is a very common problem with this particular car model. I feel that this is a defect and that the company should replace the rims before a tire or tires go flat while driving the car. I was fortunate as the car was parked. …
I have a 2005 PT Cruiser turbo convertible with factory 17" chrome wheels. The chrome is flaking off of inside of wheel rims prevents tire from gripping proper seal. Tires repeatedly go flat while parked and while driving. Have replaced all four tires with new ones and had tires cleaned, re-mounted & resealed multiple times. Three different tire professionals tell me it is a factor defect. Tire blew out while driving last week and I almost lost control. Online, I have found several other PT Cruiser owners with the same problem. I have made the dealership and doug betts (Chrysler vp of customer relations) aware of the problem but they refuse to correct it. This is a safety issue, especially since it is not an isolated incident. I can provide additional information if needed and cite online resources where I saw others complain of same issue. …
On the incident date, I was traveling on the freeway at about 78 miles an hour (idaho freeway speed limit is 75). The outside sidewall of the left front tire completely disintegrated causing the tire to come completely apart. It was literally filled with ash from the rubber. The tires are on a 2005 PT Cruiser convertible touring edition and had only 19000 miles on them. They have always been maintained with 36 or more pounds of air and the air pressure has been checked much more often than normal due to the fact that they always looked low. I had just checked the air in them two days before. About 15 miles prior to the tire exploding, the car had a very distinct pull to left which I attributed initially to wind load from the side of the car, apparently it was not wind. These tires are a death trap waiting to happen.
The subject tire were on a Chrysler 2003 PT crusier . The first time the car has appx 12000 miles around jan 2005 on and the two front tires developed bubbles and had to be replaced. The car now has 20000 miles (jun 2005) and again the two from tire have bubble and need to be replaced. The first time the dealer said the bubbles were caused by goeing thru pot holes which I though logica; at the time. But in less then six months both front tire have bubbles and need to be replace. Is does seem odd that it alway both tire. It seem to me that the tire are defective, the car has a design flaw or the tires are not suitable for this car. The bottom line is that this is a safety hazard and a it is just a mater of time before one of these tire blowout at high spped and kills someone.
Dt: the contact was driving on June 8, 2005 when he heard a ping sound come from under the vehicle. Then the driver side tire blew out. There were no accidents. When he took it to the dealership they said there was a punctured mark on the tire. They said it was not due to a defect in the tire. The tire is a Goodyear, size I 205/50r17xl. The contact did not understand why the puncture mark did not cause the tire to go flat. Updated 11/16/2005 - the tire was a Goodyear Eagle rs-a. On oct 7,2005 the consumer heard the same ping noise under the vehicle again. The consumer pulled off the road to inspect the vehicle an found that the driver's side front tire blewout. It was the same brand and model tire as the first faulty tire with the same dot number.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH when one of the tires became flat. The contact could not recall which exact tire was flat because the failure because the failure recurred approximately twelve times and each time, it was a different tire that experienced the failure. The vehicle was taken to and independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the front and rear driver and passenger side rims were corroded and pitted. The rims were cleaned but the mechanic advised that air would continue to escape from the rim and cause the tire to go flat. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.
Tl contact owns a 2005 PT Cruiser. While driving 35 MPH the front end of the vehicle elevated up and down. The contact stopped the vehicle and noticed that the driver side tire was separated from the wheel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who located the failure due to the wheel hub steal band speared causing the tire to fail. The dealer replaced the wheel hub band and tire. On October 31, 2010 the right wheel hub steel band, bolts, and bearing separated causing damage to the tire, front and rear fender. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who replaced the right wheel hub, steal band, bolts, bearing and tire. The manufacturer will be contacted. The failure mileage was 22,000 and the current mileage was 40,000.
I have a 2005 PT crusier turbo and I recently had one of my tires go flat with no puncture or damage to the tire. I replaced the tire and in two weeks the new tire went flat, again no apparent damage. I took it back to the tire store, they said that the tire was fine, however the inside of the rim was peeling off and the seal that is formed could not hold due this peeling of the coating on the rim. I asked for a new tire, they agreed and it held for about three weeks, however when the weather got extremely cold, the tire went flat over night again with no damage. The rims are defective according to the tire dealer.
Dt*: the contact stated the original tires of the vehicle had very thin tread belt and a very small nail caused a puncture. The tires also would not gripped on wet pavement at any speed, creating safety risk during rainy weather. Due to the poor quality observed on those tires by the contact the tires were rotated every 3000 miles. The dealership advised the contact to replace all tires at only 19000 miles. The tires manufacturer did not warranty in relations to mileage. The tires warranty provided referred only to performance and handling. Goodyear manufactured the eagles ss.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other PT Cruiser years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser, 13% of the model year's 256 complaints. The component named most often is sidewall (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2005 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 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles, and 41% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to wheels & tires 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.