2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Problems, Recalls & Reliability
354 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 49/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 70,617 miles.
Below average
Where 2003 sits among all PT Cruiser years
What owners report
“The multifunction switch had to be replaced or else the fog lights remain on and drain the battery.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 PT Cruiser
“My car caught fire under the hood while i was backing out a driveway and then the whole car just burned to total loss of it and it caught fire down in the bottom of the engine.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 PT Cruiser
“While driving at any speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The driver tried to restart the vehicle and was able to do so. The driver noticed that the vehicle did not accelerate over 60 mph. While driving 60 mph, the driver applied the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to accelerate.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 PT Cruiser
“Vehicle is leaking power steering fluid. Found recall notice for my year model but chrysler says my vin is not included in the recall. Added fluid about 3 months ago and steering was fine until a week ago. Since then, fluid only lasts a day before it has to be refilled.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 PT Cruiser
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 247 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 53,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 28,000 and 88,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS ARE: K7147, K7329, K8683, AND 104353.…
Fix: FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.4L NON-TURBOCHARGED ENGINES AND AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES, THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE MAY CONTACT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER, POTENTIALLY DAMAGING THE HOSE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RELOCATE, OR REPLACE AS NECESSARY, THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND CONFIRM TORQUE OF THE HOSE FASTENER AT THE STEERING GEAR END. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODELS ONLY, A WELDED PIN INTERNAL TO THE DUAL-MASS FLYWHEEL (DMF) ASSEMBLY CAN UNSEAT AND BECOME LODGED BETWEEN THE FLYWHEEL AND THE CLUTCH DISC.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLIES WITH THE UPDATED DESIGN PARTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 14, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V268000.
Technical service bulletins
74 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 PT Cruiser TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser reliable?
The 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser drew 354 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 49/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser are electrical (86 complaints), engine (43), and transmission & drivetrain (37).
At what mileage do 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems around 53,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 28,000 and 88,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.