There are 5 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiserin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT 3 MONTHS BACK. I WAS DRIVING FROM VEGAS BACK HOME TO LOS ANGELES ON THE I-15 FREEWAY. I WAS ON THE FAR LEFT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND JUST TOUCHED THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT WAS ROCK HARD. IT JUST WOULDN'T PRESS DOWN. I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO NOT GET INTO A COLLISION AT THAT SPEED AND MOVED OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, WAITED FOR THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN AND THEN STARTED PULLING THE EMERGENCY BRAKES SLOWLY. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND SINCE THE BRAKES WOULDN'T GET PRESSED I HAD TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE ON THE DRIVE MODE. I CALLED 911. THE STATE TROOPER THAT CAME CHECKED THE CAR, SAT ON THE DRIVER SEAT ND DROVE THE CAR A BIT. HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID "I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SURVIVED THIS. THERE ARE NO BRAKES IN THE CAR". HE CHECKED THE COOLANT, BRAKE FLUID, OIL AND EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. I CALLED AAA WHO TOWED MY CAR BACK TO VEGAS TO FIX IT. THAT COST ME $424. THE REPAIR GUY WHO FIXED THE CAR SAID HE HAS NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THE MANIFOLD FROM WHERE THE PIPES ARE CONNECTED TO THE BRAKES HAS A METAL ELBOW THAT CONNECTS THE PIPES TO THE MANIFOLD. THAT METAL ELBOW FELL OFF AND HE TRIED SETTING IT BACK ON BUT IT JUST WOULDN'T STAY. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT SINCE THE METAL ELBOWS COMES WITH THE MANIFOLD AND THAT IS MADE AT THE CHRYSLER FACTORY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND HE SAID THE SAME THING. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY WOULDN'T HELP ME SINCE THERE WAS NO COLLISION AND THE PART IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I CHECKED ONLINE AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AS WELL. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS! *TR
WHEN REPLACING FRONT BRAKE PADS ON MY 2005 PT CRUISER, TURBO, I NOTICED ONE FRONT ROTOR HAD EXCESSIVE WEAR, SO I NEEDED TO PURCHASE TWO NEW ROTORS. I WENT TO O'REILLY'S AUTO PARTS STORE, AND THEY HAD EVERYTHING IN STOCK. AFTER REPLACING ONE ROTOR, I ATTEMPTED TO INSTALL THE BRAKE PADS INTO THE BRAKE PAD BRACKET, BUT THEY WOULDN'T GO OVER THE NEW ROTOR. AFTER COMPARING THE OLD ROTORS TO THE NEW ONES, I NOTICED THE NEW ONES WERE MUCH THICKER THAT THE OLD ROTORS. I WENT BACK TO O' REILLY'S WITH BOTH SET OF ROTORS THINKING THEY GAVE ME THE WRONG ROTORS. AT O' REILLY'S AFTER LOOKING THROUGH THIER MANUALS, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ROTORS THEY GAVE ME ARE THE CORRECT ROTORS. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT COMES OUT THAT MY 2005 TURBO PT CRUISER HAS NON- TURBO BRAKE PARTS ON IT. THE ROTORS, PADS, AND BRAKE PAD BRACKETS ARE FOR A STANDARD CRUISER. I THINK CHRYSLER SHOULD BE NOTIFIED, AND INSTALL THE ALL THE CORRECT BRAKE PARTS THAT BELONG ON MY PT TURBO.
MY 2005 PT CRUISER IS EQUIPPED WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND A TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. DURING A RECENT SNOW STORM THE INDICATOR LIGHTS FOR BOTH OF THESE SYSTMES ILLUMINATED. I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM MY LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALER, WHO HAS INFORMED THAT THE LIGHTS CAME ON BECAUSE THESE SYSTEMS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. THE REASON FOR THIS, THEY BELIEVE, IS THAT SNOW HAD COLLECTED IN THE WHEELS. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THEIR POSISTION IS THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS PROVIDED ON THIS CAR WILL FUNCTION EXCEPT DURING A SNOW STORM WITH WET, STICK, SLIPPERY SNOW. IS THIS TYPICAL OF THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS? IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME THAT CAR COMPANIES BE ALLOWED TO PROVIDE SAFETYSYSTEMS WHICH DON'T WORK WHEN THEY ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE NEEDED. BY THE WAY, I LIVE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. WE GET SNOW REGULARLY. IT IS FREQUENTLY WET AND STICKY.*AK
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE, A DRUMMING AND SQUEAKING NOISE COULD BE HEARD. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED, YET THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 37,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
I HAVE A CHRYSLER 2005 PT CRUISER. IT HAS BEEN THE SHOP FOUR TIMES NOW FOR THE SAME THING. ON NOV. 5, 2005 THE BRAKES FAILED, THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN GEAR. IT WENT TO THE SHOP BY WRECKER. I GOT THE CAR BACK ON NOV 9, 2005 NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND WITH THE CAR, WAS TOLD IT RUNS BEAUTIFUL. ON NOV. 30, 2005 GOING HOME STOPPING IN TRAFFIC THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN, ALMOST HIT A TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. IT IS RIGHT NOT SETTING AT A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND THEY CALLED ME THIS MORNING AND SAID THE CAR IS RUNNING FINE AND NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THIS CAR IS VERY UNSAFE. I HAVE RODE AROUND FOR A WEEK WITH A CO-PILOT IN IT AND NOTHING SHOW UP ON THAT. I HAVE LOST OVER 100 MILES PER TANK IN GAS MILEAGE. NO CHRYSLER DEALER CAN SEEM TO FIND WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR. WHAT CAN I DO. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026