Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I drove 15 miles an pulled at 55 MPH into oskaloosa ia reduced speed to 35 down to 25 an thought I smelled something burning like wires an antifreeze ,black smoke rolled out from under neath my hood on passenger side put in park popped hood opened hood flames coming from underneath engine in front of alternator grabbed snow throwing it on flames called 911 got fire extinguisher sprayed got fire out fire dept.showd looked they said smelt like wiring& antifreeze burnt smell .then looked in side of car keys in my hand dash lights all lite up an flashing .fireman said electrical melted the windshield washer fluid container .cause car was off we discounted battery took neg off laid it where nothing touch an went take pos.off sparks shot out of neg.cable end. …
There were many instances where the gauges would momentarily go to zero, and engine would almost quit, only to return to normal within a second or 2, in most cases. On rare occasion, engine would quit, and not restart for a while, then everything OK again. I found that I could duplicate the symptoms by quickly turning the key to "off" then back to "run", and by doing this quickly many times, the problem would not re-occur for a few weeks. Several trips to the dealer did nothing except cost me money. I have fixed the problem by replacing the start switch located in the bottom of the steering column. I had talked to Chrysler direct several times, and I would have thought they would be aware of this problem, and the remedy. I am most disappointed they were no help.
This occurs all the time wether I am driving on residental road or on a highway going 70 MPH. My car feels like it is losing power which it is. All the lights on my dash are lit up like a christmas tree and I have to pull over to the side of the road very carefully as I lose steering as well. Sometimes I can just restart the car and everything is fine, sometimes it is a few minutes and a few times it has taken a few hours. I have taken the car in to get the codes read but they tell me it is either the gas cap is loose or another issue with the fuel. I took it to my mechanic and they put it on their computer and got different readings. I was told it was a fuel vacuum problem which was corrected. I still have the issues. Now sometimes the engine jerks and pulls but I don't loose power. Mechanic is unable to find problem. …
I've had my PT Cruiser for atleast 3 years now. Today as I was driving all the lights started going on and off on the dash board and was acting as if it were going to stall out. However , every time I hit the gas the MPH gauge would go up. However my gauges on my dash board had stopped working until I'd hit the gas petal again. It did this for at least a few minutes I was on a busy road when it happened and was not able to pull off the road. I've been hearing a lot of rumors going on about PT cruisers losing power and locking up on people and bad things happening I think Chrysler needs to get on the ball and fix these issues with their vehicles since we are only the ones that buy them under faith of safety. I had this happen one other time when I first got it but I didn't think nothing of it. The issue seems to be happening more and more often. …
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.
I was coming home from work and driving down the street when the lights on the dashboard went out, the gas gauge went to zero and the car just died. I lost power steering and braking and I was lucky there was no one behind me at the time. The key was locked in the steering wheel and I could not restart. I called 911 for help as cars were now zooming up behind me stalled in the lane. I was so scared that someone would hit me. I sat waiting for the tow truck for about 15 minutes when the lights suddenly came on again and the gas gauge went back to full. I tried to start it and it started right up. I was able to drive it 2 blocks home. The next day I drove to the cleaners and while trying to park it died in the parking lot. I again waited and it finally started again. I took it to the Chrysler dealership and they say they can find nothing wrong. They suggested I junk it for about $100. …
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 31,056, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 28,400. The vehicle report indicated that in 2017 the mileage was 48,000. The contact reported the issue to the New Jersey DMV.
I'm driving along, cruise set to 65. Ac on. Radio on. No sounds or weird feels from the car. Every light on the dash comes on. They went off after two seconds, with the seatbelt light being last to shut off. Then the car hits 113k miles about ten miles later and just... shuts off. All gauges drop to zero. Ac shuts off. Radio still playing. Full tank of gas. Headlights still on, brakes worked, power steering worked, and emergency flashers worked. I managed to get out of traffic and pull over without causing an accident. I turn the radio off and turn the key off for a few minutes. It cranked right back up and ran a little rough for a moment before smoothing out. I drove home without incident, but kept the radio and cruise off. And stayed under 65. Thankfully, traffic was light. The car has not been fixed as of this posting, nor has it been seen by anyone due to the weekend. …
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
Vehicle description: certain sport utility vehicles are being recalled for a software error in the instrument cluster microprocessor. Under certain conditions, the cluster, with the majority of its gauges, illumination, and warning lamps, could become inoperative.
Remedy: Dealers will re-flash the cluster software to correct the condition. Owner notification began October 8, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chrysler PT Cruiser years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (138), 2002 (97), 2001 (78), 2009 (60) and 2005 (46) model years. Electrical complaints make up 40% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for Chrysler PT Cruiser electrical problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 01V-288 (interior/under dash, Sep 10, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chrysler PT Cruiser electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the horn (22 mentions), followed by the wiring › interior/under dash (19).
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.