2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Problems, Recalls & Reliability
244 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 32/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 53,700 miles.
Typical
Where 2005 sits among all PT Cruiser years
What owners report
“Windows on car will not work after having it repaired 8 months ago 2nd. Time it has happened since we had it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 PT Cruiser
“Car bought with 180 miles on it. At a stop, while in idle, the car shutters and shakes. Now the car has 1700 miles on it and it still shutters in idle. Engine seems to be consistantly misfiring.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 PT Cruiser
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 198 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 32,000 and 96,086 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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, THE REAR QUARTER GLASS ATTACHING FASTENERS MAY PULL THROUGH THEIR MOUNTS AND ALLOW THE GLASS TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR QUARTER GLASS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS), 2.4L HIGH OUTPUT TURBOCHARGED ENGINE, AND 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSAXLE, MAY EXHIBIT INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE TUBE AND THE TRANSAXLE HOUSING.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL REVISED BRAKE TUBES. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 25, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 07V149000.
Led to recall campaign 04V268000.
Technical service bulletins
66 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2005 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 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser reliable?
The 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser drew 244 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 32/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser are electrical (44 complaints), engine (35), and visibility & wipers (23).
At what mileage do 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 32,000 and 96,086 miles.
Does the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 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.