2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser Fuel System Problems

The contact owns a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, she could smell fuel in the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who located a fuel leak on the fuel trail line. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V215000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 138,000.

2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NO INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION, FUEL AND OIL LEAKS, BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS COMES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS COMPLETELY DARK AND HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE GAUGES AT NIGHT. UPDATED 05/22/13

DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 75 MPH, WITH NO INDICATION OR WARNING MY 2002 CHYSTLER PT CRUISER COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. AFTER I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER TURN OVER OR ACT LIKE IT WANTED TO START UP. I THEN HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP NEAR MY HOME AND WAS INFORMED TODAY MY FUEL PUMP WENT OUT. *LN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO BURNING OIL AND LEAKING FUEL EXCESSIVELY. THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED THAT THE SPEED WAS 70 MPH WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION. WHEN THE CONTACT TRIED TO SHIFT GEARS FROM REVERSE INTO THE PARK POSITION, SHE HAD TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND THEN REVERSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INPUT/OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR, THIRD GEAR RATIO AND THE FUEL PUMP MOUNTING FLANGE ON THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 02V215000, FUEL SYSTEM AND RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 01V288000 FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; DID NOT APPLY TO HER VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98100.

RECALL ON FUEL PUMP MODULE NEVER DISCLOSED BY DEALER! RECENTLY HAD SERVICE TO MY CAR AT A DODGE-CHRYSLER DEALER IN ATLANTA, GA AND THEY NEVER DISCLOSED THAT I HAD A RECALL PART ON MY CAR. MY FUEL PUMP MODULE NEEDS A SECONDARY SEAL PLACED OVER IT SO IT WON'T LEAK IF A ROLL-OVER ACCIDENT OCCURS. TOOK CAR TO A SECOND CHRYSLER DEALER, AND THEY TOO NEVER DISCLOSED MY RECALL FUEL PUMP MODULE NEEDS REPAIRS. THIS PROBLEM COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS AND FATAL ACCIDENT. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THESE DEALERS NOT INFORMING UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS OF SOMETHING SO SERIOUS. *TR

BUYBACK REQUEST: MY 2002 PT CRUISER WAS BOUGHT NEW, WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. IT WAS DISABLED BY FOOTHILL CHRYSLER ' JEEP IN FOOTHILL RANCH CA, WHILE PERFORMING A FACTORY RECALL. IT HAS NOT BEEN USED SINCE THEN, BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL TO DRIVE IT. I TOOK IT IN FOR 60K MILE MAINTENANCE ($399). THE MECHANIC DEMANDED THAT I ALLOW THEM TO DO A RECALL FOR THE 'SECONDARY FUEL PUMP SEAL', WHICH THEY DID INCORRECTLY, SO THE RED 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT REFUSED TO SHUT OFF. THE CAR WILL NOT PASS THE CALIFORNIA SMOG REQUIREMENT. CHRYSLER WAS THEN SOLD TO FIAT, AND FOOTHILL RANCH CHRYSLER JEEP THEN WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX IT. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN DISABLED, AND HAS BEEN STORED ON MY DRIVEWAY SINCE 2009, WHERE THE NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING. THE DEALER HAD INSISTED THAT THEY FIX A RECALL. I DECLINED THREE TIMES, THEN RELUCTANTLY SAID YES. FOUR HOURS LATER HE SAID THEY HAD A PROBLEM, THE RED 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT REFUSED TO GO OFF. I PAID $399, AND SCHEDULED ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. RECALL WORK INVOLVED REPLACING THE GAS CAP AND OTHER PARTS. FOR A THIRD APPOINTMENT, I WAS CHARGED $250. I PAID FOR THE RED LIGHT REPAIR 5 TIMES, FOR A TOTAL OF $800. I DROVE THE CAR WITH THE RED LIGHT ON. SIX MONTHS LATER, I WENT TO THEM FOR THE SMOG CHECK, BUT THE CHRYSLER DEALER WAS GONE, REPLACED BY A MERCEDES BENZ DEALER. I WAS UNABLE TO SMOG MY CAR, OR TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK DONE. CHRYSLER WAS THEN BOUGHT OUT BY FIAT. SERGIO MARCHIONE REPLIED TO TAKE THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT CHRYSLER DEALER, BUT I COULDN'T LEGALLY DRIVE IT. THE CAR IS WORTH $6,000 AND NEEDS $2,000 WORTH OF WORK, TO FIX THEIR FAULTY RECALL WORK. AFTER SPENDING $800 TO REPAIR THEIR FAULTY RECALL WORK, I WILL HAVE A CAR THAT DOESN'T RUN. IT IS THEIR FAULT. I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN THE CAR TO THEM, AND EITHER GET A REFUND OF $6,000, OR APPLY IT TO THE COST OF A REPLACEMENT CAR THAT RUNS.

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELLED GAS FUMES. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND SAW FUEL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

2002 PT CRUISER FIRE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AT APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH, THE DRIVER WAS WARNED BY PEDESTRIANS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE COULD BE DETECTED. THE DRIVER OPENED THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A RUSH OF FLAMES, WHICH DIED DOWN AFTER A SECOND. THE FIRE APPEARED TO ORIGINATE AT THE LOW CENTER OF THE FIRE WALL AT THE FUEL LINE, WHICH IS LOCATED NEAR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. ORLANDO FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT STATED THE FIRE WAS DUE TO A FUEL LEAK. *AK *NM *JB

WHEN FIRST CRANKING CA RIT WILL REV ITSELF UP, THE SPEEDOMETER GOES TO 120MPH RPMS TACHS OUT, AND THEN DROPS BELOW 1/2 RPM, SPUTTERS AND BACKFIRE SOFF. HAD IN CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES FOR THIS AND UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. TOLD ME THAT A SENSOR COULD BE GOING BAD. NOW WHILE MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING OUT OF NEIGHBORHOOD THE CAR WENT DEAD AS DOES WITH ME AT TIMES AT STOP SIGN AND REFUSED TO CRANK AGAIN. CALLED ROADSIDE HAD IT FOR A CHARGE OF 75.00 AND WAS TOLD I HAD BAD GAS AND WANTED ANOTHER 510.00 TO FIX. WAS TOLD NOT COVERED UNDER REG. WARRANTY OR THE 1300.00 EXTENDED BUMPER TO BUMPER WE PURCHASED.

AFTER THE RECALL REGARDING THE FUEL PUMP MODULE WAS PERFORMED, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE BY ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, THEY INDICATED THE RECALL WAS NEVER DONE. RECALL #02V215000)*JB

CONSUMER NOTICED FUEL WAS IN THE OIL. DEALER INDICATED FUEL PUMP MODULE SECONDARY SEAL FAILED. *AK

CONSUMER MADE RECALL REPAIR APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER REGARDING RECALL 02V215000. WHEN ARRIVED AT DEALERSHIP WAS INFORMED BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT RECALL COULD NOT BE DONE DUE TO "DEALER" ISSUES.*AK

NO PARTS AVAILABLE RECALL#02V215000FUEL PUMP MODULE-MOUNTING FLANGE. LITCHFIELD CHRYSLER LITCHFIELD, IL 217-324-3909. NLM

PARTS FOR RECALL 02V215000 HAVE NOT BEEN AVAILABLE FOR 3 WEEKS, AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE.*AK

I HAVE OWNED MY 2002 PT CRUISER SINCE MAY OF 2002. SINCE THE BEGINNING, I HAVE HAD TROUBLE FUELING UP THE TANK. AFTER ABOUT 3-5 GALLONS OF GASOLINE HAS FILLED THE TANK, THE HOSE SHUTS OFF. BEGIN AGAIN AND IT SHUTS OFF. THIS HAPPENS AN AVERAGE OF 8-10 TIMES DURING THE FUELING. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THAT IT'S BECAUSE THE OPENING TO THE TANK HAS BEEN MADE SMALLER TO AVOID SPLASHBACKS OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. IT IS A ROYAL PAIN EVERYTIME I GAS UP. IS THERE NO SOLUTION? *AK

THE VEHICLE WAS IN A SIGNIFICANT REAR END ACCIDENT ON 5/20/2002. IT WAS REPAIRED AND RETURNED AFTER MORE THAN A MONTH. UPON RETURN THE GAS MILAGE WENT TO 13 MPG AND THE CAR WOULD HAVE A GAS SMELL COMING THROUGH THE VENTS AFTER A LONG IDLE OR SHORT STOP. THE DEALER CHECKED THE FUEL SYSTEM AND COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. UPON READING CHRYSLER'S FUEL PUMP DEFECT RECALL FOR AN INDIDENT DISCOVERED IN AN ACCIDENT, OUR SITUATION APPEARS STRICKINGLY SIMILAR. CHRYSLER REPORTS NO PRIOR COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THEIR SERVICE PEOPLE CANNOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM! I HOPE THE CAR DOES NOT BLOW UP ON US IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION!!!*AK