There are 3 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiserin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 PT CRUISER HOME, ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON AT ONE TIME AND STAYED ON FOR THE TEN MINUTES IT TOOK ME TO GET HOME. THEY CAME ON AGAIN BRIEFLY TWO MORE TIMES FOR NO KNOWN REASON. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, WROTE THEM DOWN AND I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER IN ESCONDIDO, CALIFORNIA. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE SYMPTOMS AFTER CHECKING EVERYTHING ON THE VEHICLE SO THERE WAS NO REPAIR MADE. I TOOK THE CAR HOME. AGAIN IN MAY, 2012, THE CAR'S INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS CAME ON ALL AT ONCE AND BRIEFLY WHILE DRIVING HOME. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE ISSUE FOR CONSUMERS TO DEAL WITH AND I ALSO URGE AN INVESTIGATION AND RECALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANELS ON THE 2008 PT CRUISERS. *TR
SAFETY NOTICE PT CRUISER 2008 CAR WASH WATER CAN READILY INFILTRATE THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS THROUGH THE ANTERIOR VENT, AND CAUSE BOTH REAR STOP LAMPS TO IMMEDIATELY HEAT FRACTURE IN THE 2008 PT CRUISER WHILE WASHED BY AN AUTOMATIC SYSTEM. THE HIGH PRESSURE WATER ENTERS THROUGH THE TOP AND GLIDES BACK OFF THE CAVITY BOSS, AND RUNS DOWN INTO THE OPEN VENT. THE VENT SHIELD IS INEFFECTIVE TO THIS LEVEL OF WATER FLOW. ADDITIONALLY, THE VENT IS PACED AT THE TOP OF THE LIGHT ALLOWING FOR WATER TO DRIP DIRECTLY ON A HOT BULB. PREFERABLY, THE VENT SHOULD BE A BOTTOM DRAIN; BUT THIS WOULD REQUIRE REDESIGN. (DELTA SONIC , TOUCH CAR WASH ROUTE 277 ORCHARD PARK, NY) MY NAME IS RC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING B.S. PREVIOUS AUTOMOTIVE FUEL SYSTEM SAFETY PRODUCT VALIDATION ENGINEER, AND NOW A HVAC CONTROLS ENGINEER. THE LIKELY FAILURE MODE OF HAVING A CAR WASH IS PROBABLY HIGH SPEED IMPACT AT A STOP LIGHT DURING NIGHT TIME DRIVING. PEOPLE COULD DIE. I RECOMMEND A SERVICE REPAIR WHERE NARROW BENT TUBE IS ALUMINUM TAPED TO THE EXISTING VENT. *TR
WINDOWS GO DOWN ON OWN OR WON'T GO DOWN AT ALL. HEAD LIGHTS COME ON WHEN NO ONE IN CAR. WIPERS COME ON WHEN DRIVING DOWN ROAD ON OWN AND GO OFF ON OWN. *TR
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