Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser. While driving at approximately 35 MPH, the contact crashed into a boulder. The air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered chest and back pains that did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage yard. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The driver side air bag light come on and stay on after all other light go out. When the car gets up to 20 MPH makes a ding ring sound but light stays on. I was going to take to the Chrysler dealership to have them look at. Then I saw morgan freeman on tv about the airbag recall, but I did not see my car. Please advise if I should take to shop to have it looked at thanks.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a side impact collision at 35 MPH. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard where it caught fire. The fire was extinguished by the towing company. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. There were two injuries, one of which required medical attention. The contact suffered neck, shoulder, and head pain. The child occupant suffered from a bruised foot. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
"Takata recall" after starting the car the airbag light comes on when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. This has been happening since 60,000 miles. I have had my car hooked up to a machine to tell me what the light is supposed to mean and no codes come up. Each time the light appears it will make a ding sound about ever 30 seconds. I've tried checking the fuse and checking to make sure there weren't any lose wires. This is driving me crazy and makes me wonder if my passenger airbag is going to pop out at any min. This has to be dangerous so I have to warn people before they sit there and most of the time they elect to sit in the back seat and I'm up front like a personal driver.
Problems reside in the total integrated power management module. TPIM whereas vehicle will shut off while driving. No indicator lights to give warning before the vehicle shuts off. Has on occasion shut off and recovered power multiple times within a minute This is a very dangerous scenario to conduct a road test or have someone confirm the issue on the road.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the back, arm, and neck that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a impound lot where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 172,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the driver lost control of the steering and crashed head on into a utility pole. The front driver's side air bag partially deployed and did not completely inflate. The driver sustained a bruised chest and injuries to the right hand and shoulder. Medical attention was received. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. Police report number: [redacted] was filed. Gary miller Chrysler (5746 peach st, erie, pa) and the manufacturer were notified. The failure mileage was 54,000. ('parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 U.S.c. 552(b)(6).')
About a month ago, I was delivering for a pizza company on somewhat wet roads. The guy in front of me had non-functioning tail lights, so I did not see him breaking until it was too late. I hit my brakes and swerved to avoid him, went off the road down a 15-20 foot embankment, and hit a six to eight inch tree hard enough at 35 miles an hour to split it in half and have it fall on top of my car, and to bring me to a dead stop. Even with that force, the airbags did not go off. I had asked Chrysler to look into it, but after three weeks, they basically told me that I did not hit the brakes hard enough because the rate of deceleration necessary to activate them was not present. I cannot believe that this is the only reason, or even the actual reason, they did not go off.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chrysler PT Cruiser years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (44), 2001 (43), 2006 (35), 2007 (28) and 2008 (24) model years. Airbag complaints make up 9% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Chrysler PT Cruiser airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for any Chrysler PT Cruiser model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chrysler PT Cruiser airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (43 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (10).
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.