I just purchased a Chrysler 2008 PT Cruiser (used) on Saturday. Now i've had about 3 people tell me that this car is crap, that they always have transmission problems, and my mechanic friend also told me that Chrysler just released a statement saying anyone who has purchased on recently can return it...wtf?? Is this true? I am wondering now if I made a HUGE mistake! I am a first time car buyer, single mom, and I need something reliable!

 

I have not see tranny issues with the PT as for the thing u heard with the bringing back the car its the same selling ploy as kia or some one like that did if u lost your job and U give it back that sorta deal. Tell your mechanic friend to listen to the whole tv add.

 

I didn't hear the best comments on that one either...hope you proof that those comments are wrong

 

I had brand new 05 PT. Never gave me problems. Just traded it in. Had 70,000 on the od. It was a great car and i really miss it.

 

Hi, I own a 2007 PT Cruiser and no tranny issues just a leaking front crank seal and possible bad thrust bearings and crank as well as possible bad block. Just change the transmission fluid every 25-30,000 miles and you should be ok. Doge/Chrysler/Plymouth going back many years were know for having lousy transmission. They did however, have great looking cars and powerful engines. There gas milgae was always lousy compared to a chevy or ford and still is. My PT averaged 19mpg. The best I ever saw was 23mpg. To put it in perspective my 1999 Lincoln continental with a 4.3 liter V8 averaged 20mpg.. roughly 17 in the city and 24 on the highway.

I'm trying to get Chrysler to fix my car since it only has 49,000 miles on it. The car really is low maintainence but the 2.4 liter engines have issues. The leaking front crankshaft seal is one of the issues with those engines that I have just found out about. The PT's also have anti lock brake issues from what I have been reading.

The PT is nice looking car but there are much better cars for the money available. Hopefully your 2008 is a better model than my 2007.

 

Ok...Im thinking that 49k is more than 36k, and 2007 is beyond 3 years.

Dont count on it.....

As for building lousy transmissions??? Going back many years??? I would put a torqueflite up against a C6 any day of the week....A 999 against a 700r4, no contest...And if you want to go a bit more modern....A 604 will stand up with the best of them.....

As for your Crankshaft issue...It happens....

Go ahead and buy a toyota, and see if they dont have their own set of problems......

ANYTHING is just as reliable and trouble free as the NEXT THING.....Its all in the luck of the draw....

 

Djinn-n-tonic,

I am not a mechanic but the guys I hung around with and graduated form high school with in 76 all became mechanic's.... Don't get me wrong, I owned a plymoth valiant with the slant six motor and you couldn't kill that engine if you tried and the tranny was just as good. The same goes for my 318 V-8 Plymouth Satalight. Engine finally quit at 180k...But I've known more people who had tranny issues with a Chrysler product than with a chevy or ford. Whether or not Chrysler transmissions have more issues than other manufacturers based on a statical analysis, I don't know but the feeling that they do is still held by many people right or wrongly.

Now, Chrysler may not want do anything to help me and that's their choice. The warranty is over and they are by no means obligated to do anything. However, all you need do is type in this issue into google and you find it is not an isolated problem and it affects many of the Chrysler products using the 2.4 liter engine...

My thought on the seal/crankshaft problem is that although this can happen it's ridiculous for any car that's been maintained to have this type issue with so few miles...My personal belief is that Chrysler became aware that they had they had a problem with the 2.4 and worked to fix it. In my particular case I guess that I'm just unlucky enough to have bought one of the model years that still had this issue.

As far as Toyota & Honda go, I have never owned one and prefer to spend my money with the big three because I feel I help keep Americans employed even though Toyota and others now manufacture cars in the US with American workers.

tkd83

 

TKD...

Sometimes I get a bit "Misunderstood as to My intentions....I dont mean to come off as arrogant and Cocky....My aplogies...

However, from experience.....

Cruising the net , looking for Others with car problems similar to yours, is searching for disaster....If you look for a problem, then you WILL FIND IT...Im sure There are those out there who have legitimate gripes, but you will also find those who whine about " NO RECALL FOR RATTLING CUPHOLDER"...

The 2.4 is Available in EVERY mid sized car Chrysler Produces....And I work on them every day...The only "Walking Crankshaft I have seen in the last 10 years was on a 2.4 NEON...Same motor, different sheet metal.....

Now...whether you maintained it or not, Its very unlikely that this type of issue is a result of "Lack of Maintenance"...It is something that is unavoidable, it just happens...The one I worked on had only 21k on it..But the TIME was expired...It was a little old woman, who only took it to church.

My suggestion to you.....Present your claim # to the Service manager, and Dont say ANYTHING ELSE..If you walk in and bad mouth the product, and ask how this happens to a low mileage car..... They will kick it back , with a Negative review for the claims dept. and you will be sunk....

On the other hand...If you politely ask for assistance, considering it is a low mileage car...you are much more likely to find that they will be willing to help you.... There is NOTHING WRONG, with Kissing a little **** , if it gets you what you want....

I recently had a vehicle in the shop, a 2006 Pacifica....ALL of the maintenance records available, and a broken cam gear bolt, that trashed the exhaust valves on both sides.

Powertrain warranty was 7/70 on the vehicle.......The vehicle showed 70,300...
He ranted and raved holy hell, about the ELECTRONIC "BREAKDOWN-TIMER" that Chrysler used in their vehicles that screwed him over 300 miles out of warranty!!!!

The Warranty Claims rep , kicked it right back to us, and gave him NOTHING....The reason......"If he wasnt so arrogant...we would have worked with him"........

Just food for thought.........

Its all in the Luck of the draw.......

 

Hey, I am another person with the Crank Leaky Oil problem..and it sucks...You are coming across as arrogant. I have a dead car that has 71,000 mikes on it and wtf, I have to pay $4000 or more to repair a problem with the engine....!!!??

 

why is a crank case seal making it a dead car and who charging 4k for the repair?