2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser Electrical System Problems

The electrical system is malfunctioning the fans do not kick on at all,even after reaching temperature.Even when the "Air" condition is turned on full blast or the "Heater" it doesn't matter which one is used it still doesn't engage the "Fan".

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT, A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, REPLACED ALL OF THE SENSORS ON THE VEHICLE, THE RELAYS, AND THE ELECTRICAL FUSES; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN PROMPTED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 127,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FOG LIGHT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY, TURN OFF THE ENGINE, AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SMELLED BURNING WIRES, BUT THERE WERE NO FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT FOUND A RECALL FOR THE FOG LIGHTS ONLINE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

LET ME START BY SAYING I JUST BOUGHT THIS 2001 LIMITED EDITION PT CRUISER THREE DAYS AGO FROM A PRIVATE DEALER. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, HEADING HOME FROM WORK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND WANTED TO TRY THE CRUISE CONTROL. I TURNED IT ON AND SET IT FOR 67MPH TO SEE IF IT WORKED FIRST. THEN I WENT TO RESET IT TO MY ACTUAL DESIRED SPEED BY TAPPING MY BRAKES, THEN I TRIED THE SWITCH ON THE ARM OF MY STEERING WHEEL BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULDN'T SHUT OFF. I GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN TO 40MPH BEFORE MY BRAKES LOCKED UP AND I WAS FORCED TO RUN THE STOP SIGN AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMP. (THANK GOD IT WAS AT 3AM AND MY BABY WASN'T WITH ME!). I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER DOING 20MPH BEFORE THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AGAIN. I QUICKLY SHUT IT OFF, PUT IT IN PARK, AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES TO TURN IT BACK ON. BUT THE ENGINE JUST KEPT REVING, AS IF I WAS HOLDING MY FOOT ON THE GAS BECAUSE THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS STILL ON! I TRIED RESETTING IT BY TURNING THE KEY BACK AND FORTH A FEW TIMES. I TRIED TO SEE IF IT WOULD THROW ME A CODE BUT ONLY "DONE" APPEARED ON MY DASH. EVERY TIME I STARTED THE CAR, THE LED FOR CRUISE CONTROL WOULD COME ON AND THEN SHUT OFF AFTER A FEW SECONDS. I WAS ABLE TO COAST HOME DOING 40MPH WITH ACCESS TO MY BRAKES AGAIN. NOT VERY WELL, BUT ENOUGH TO MAKE IT HOME, (WHEN I'D LET OFF THE BRAKE THE CAR WOULD TAKE OFF AGAIN). I'VE BEEN DOING RESEARCH SINCE I GOT BACK AND FOUND A FEW OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING, EXCEPT THEY WERE ALL ABLE TO STOP. FOR EXAMPLE BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL OR SHUTTING THE CAR OFF. EVERY TIME I START THE [XXX] THING, THE CRUISE CONTROL IS STILL ON! HOW DO I SHUT IT OFF? 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).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR AND DISCOVERED A PLUG MELTED AND THAT THE FOG LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPAIRED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE NAME OF THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000. UPDATED 04/07/15*LJ UPDATED 9/21/2017*CN

FOG LIGHTS MALFUNCTION VERY FREQUENTLY. FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, VEHICLE'S BATTERY HAS BEEN DRAINED BECAUSE THE FOG LIGHTS ARE ON (WHICH ARE NEVER TURNED ON OR EVEN USED) AND WILL NOT GO OFF. HAPPENS FREQUENTLY AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET THE FOG LIGHTS TO GO OFF, THE LIGHTS CONTROL HAS TO BE JIGGLED JUST RIGHT TO GET THEM TO GO OFF SO WE KNOW THE BATTERY WON'T BE DRAINED AFTER A FEW HOURS. LATELY, IT HAS GOTTEN HARDER AND HARDER TO GET THEM TO TURN OFF AND FINALLY HAD TO PULL THE FUSE IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM GO OFF. *TR

VEHICLE WAS USED TO DRIVE TO LOCAL STORE AT NIGHT. FOG LIGHTS WERE NOT TURNED ON AT ANY TIME. I PARKED IN DEPARTMENT STORE PARKING LOT AND CAME OUT AFTER SHOPPING FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND NOTICED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM PT CRUISER. OPENED THE DRIVERS DOOR AND ODOR BECAME MORE APPARENT. NOTICED SMOKE ROLLING OUT OF STEERING COLUMN. ALSO NOTICED FOG LAMP INDICATOR ON DASHBOARD WAS ON. HOWEVER, ALL LIGHTS AND SWITCHES WERE OFF. I HAD TO PULL OUT SEVERAL FUSES UNTIL I FOUND THE ONE RELATED TO THE FOG LAMPS. THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO QUICKLY POWER OFF THE FOG LAMPS AND STOP THE SMOLDERING. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD! *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS PT CRUISER, PURCHASED ON NOVEMBER 22, 2000. MY MULTI-SWITCH WILL NOT TURN ON MY FOG LIGHTS AND THE INDICATOR IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT LIGHT. I HAVE READ MANY ONLINE ARTICLES FROM OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY WON'T CHRYSLER FIX THIS ON GOING PROBLEM? *TT

CAR STALLS ON TURNS PARTICULARLY TO THE LEFT, UPON KEY INSERTION HARD CRANK OR STARTS AND IDLES ROUGHLY THEN SHUTS OFF WITH OUT WARNING. WHILE IDLING AT STOP LIGHTS THE RPMS MAY OR MAY NOT (REV,) AFTER SO MANY MINS OF DRIVING ACCELERATION BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT AT INTERVALS & STALLING USUALLY WHILE TURNING AT INTERSECTIONS. OR GOING OVER BUMPS OR UP HILLS. THIS HAPPENS SOME WHAT SPORADICALLY SO I NEVER CAN TELL WHEN I'M SAFE TO GO. DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING U WANT TO THINK ABOUT W MIN COVERAGE EITHER WAY. *TR

I OWN A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. I PURCHASED IT USED IN 2006. IT'S BEEN IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE THE BATTERY KEEPS GOING BAD. IN 4 YEARS I'VE REPLACED THE BATTERY 3 TIMES. TODAY I WAS ALMOST IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING AND IT JUST STALLED IN TRAFFIC! IT JUST DIED, LIKE IT RAN OUT OF GAS. THIS VEHICLE IS A SAFETY HAZARD! I CALLED A TOW TRUCK IT'S IN THE SHOP TONIGHT. MECHANIC THINKS IT'S THE PCM/ POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, COST AROUND $1000.00!! *TR

ELECTRICAL SHORT / FAILURE IN THE CAR HORN (SIMULTANEOUSLY AFFECTING THE LCD OF THE CLOCK/RADIO). ISSUE STEMS FROM SOME ELECTRICAL WIRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN; NOT SURE HOW THE TWO ARE RELATES BUT WHEN I BANG ON MY STEERING WHEEL THE LCD COMES BACK AND THE HORN IS FUNCTIONAL AGAIN. POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD AS IT AFFECTS THE HORN AND ABILITY TO AVOID ACCIDENTS. NO KNOWN FIX FROM MANUFACTURER ALARMS ME. *TR

UNEXPLAINABLE COMPLETE BATTERY DRAIN BEGAN IN 08/2008. DISCOVERED IN 03/2009 THAT THE FOG LIGHTS WERE COMING ON AND STAYING ON WHEN CAR WAS ON AS WELL AS WHEN OFF AND PARKED THUS, CAUSING THE BATTERY DRAIN. ONLY WAY TO KEEP FOG LIGHTS OFF WAS TO ENGAGE THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL OR REMOVE THE FUSE. TOOK TO DEALER 03/21/2009 AND FOUND THE ISSUE IS WITH THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH, WITH A REPLACEMENT COST OF $269. WENT AHEAD WITH THE REPLACEMENT AS I DO USE THE FOG LIGHTS. HAVE SEARCHED INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND MANY, MANY CASES OF THIS EXACT PART DEFECT. CHRYSLER SHOULD RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION IN ANY POSITION (OFF, ACCESSORY, ETC) WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING EVEN IF IT WAS NOT SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE FAILURE EVERY TIME HE DROVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO REFERRED HIM TO NHTSA. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000.

FACTORY INSTALLED KEY ALARM SYSTEM IS SHORTING OUT, ALARM WILL NOT DEACTIVATE BY REMOTE ONLY ON IGNITION SWITCH, DOORS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR 300.-500.00. *TR

I STARTED DRIVING MY 2001 PT CRUISER AND NOTICED THE FOG LAMP INDICATOR WAS ON. THE LIGHTS WERE NOT TURNED ON, I CHECKED ALL THE SWITCHES. A COUPLE MILES DOWN THE ROAD I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE COLUMN THROUGH THE HAZARD BUTTON. I PULLED OVER AND PULLED THE FUSE FOR THE FOG LAMPS WHICH STOPPED THE SMOKING BEFORE A FIRE STARTED. THE FUSE WAS VERY HOT. I SEE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM VIA THE INTERNET ON THE PT. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN RECALLED IF ITS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH POSSIBLE FIRES. *TR

I HAVE A FAULTY PART IN MY 2001 PT CRUISER IT IS CALLED A FOG LIGHT SWITCH IT GOES BAD IN 2001 AND 2002 CRUISERS. I HAVE A WEBSITE YOU CAN GO ON AND SEE OVER 300 MORE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. GOOGLE SEARCH WORD FOR WORD TROUBLE WITH MULTIFUNCTION CONTROL SWITCH FOR PT CRUISER HEADLIGHTS. PLEASE HELP ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ALMOST LOST THERE LIVES DUE TO THERE LIGHTS GOING OUT. *TR

2001 PT CRUISER. HORN AND RADIO/CLOCK DISPLAY INTERMITTENT. WHEN THE RADIO/CLOCK DISPLAY IS DARK, THE HORN IS INOPERATIVE. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN. SOMETIMES THE HORN DOES NOT WORK FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, OTHER TIMES FOR ONLY A SHORT TIME. TWO REPAIR SHOPS LOOKED AT IT, BUT THE PROBLEM CLEARED BY IT SELF, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. *TR

DRIVING LIGHT SWITCH FAILING CAUSING DRIVING LIGHTS TO COME ON WHEN SWITCH IS NOT ACTIVATED RESULTING IN BATTERY DRAIN. HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS. PULLED FUSE RATHER THAN PAY TO HAVE FIXED. *TR

2001 PT CRUISER. HORN AND RADIO DISPLAY LIGHT INTERMITTENT . WHEN THE RADIO DISPLAY LIGHT GOES OUT SO DOES THE HORN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER INSTRUMENTAL PANEL CRACKED IN DECEMBER OF 2007. SHE DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.