2005 Chrysler Crossfire Convertible Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2005 Crossfire convertible report one problem far more than any other: the bonded rear glass working loose from the fabric top. It shows up across the mileage range, from cars with under 10,000 miles to ones past 100,000, and complaints describe the glass lifting at an edge while parked or coming apart with a banging noise in motion. A smaller set of complaints covers an ignition key that will not turn and, in two cases, the engine shutting off unexpectedly.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Rear glass separating from convertible top

   • 100 complaints (81%)
   • median 45,470 mi at 10.1 yrs old (97 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $2,500 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2019

   Owners describe the rear glass lifting away from the canvas or vinyl top, sometimes along one edge and sometimes on three sides at once. Many found it that way while the car was parked, including garage-kept cars, while others noticed it after raising or lowering the top. Complaints say dealers quoted a complete top replacement rather than a re-glue, and owners report being sent between the dealer and a glass shop. Reported from about 8,800 miles to over 100,000 miles, with many complaints clustered between roughly 25,000 and 60,000 miles and no consistent weather pattern.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Run a hand along all four edges of the rear glass and look for lifting, gaps or dried adhesive, and ask whether the top has been replaced. A service bulletin notes an extended warranty on back glass adhesion for certain vehicles, limited to 10 years or 100,000 miles, so confirm whether that applies to the car you are looking at.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2005 Chrysler crossfire that the back window is falling , I have contacted Chrysler and they are telling us that they are only paying for ars in the southern states but it is happening in every state .they added 10 year 100000 miles .if this window falls completely out could be a safety hazard”

   NHTSA complaint #10767583, filed 2015-09, 45,000 miles

   “My rear window has come unglued and is dangling. It came down as I was driving about 70 MPH on the hway and scared me as it suddenly came down. It's a 2005 year but has only 17k miles. It's garaged all the time. I am in the atlanta, ga area. What has been or is being done to get recall on these tops?”

   NHTSA complaint #10851969, filed 2016-03, 17,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Top repair denied under the state-limited warranty

   Mentioned in 15 of 60 sampled complaints

   A common theme in the complaints is what happened after the glass let go: owners say they were told the top was not covered because the car was not originally delivered in one of a small group of states, or because it was past the mileage or age limit, or because they were not the first owner. Some describe being offered a re-glue only, or a replacement top that they say came apart again later. Others mention paying several hundred to a few thousand dollars themselves for a new top. Reported from about 17,000 to over 130,000 miles, on cars kept in garages and driven in several regions.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for the original delivery state and in-service date, since the extended warranty described in the service bulletin is tied to both, and get any promised top repair in writing before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle has 30,000 miles, and is from the so called southern states. Last year the back window separated from the top. I called Chrysler to request a repair and was denied.the car had front end damage when we bought it. We documented all purchases and photographed all repairs that were made. The vehicle looks new. But the window is still out and I have took the car out of the garage 1 time the year. Chrysler is not standing behind their products. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10783111, filed 2015-10, 30,000 miles

   “Attention: john abbott I am the original owner of this car. There is an extended warranty under a TSB issued by Chrysler called x31. From what I understand, x31 says that 2005 crossfire convertibles that are under 10 years old and under 100,000 and delivered in any of 9 states are covered by x31. My car was bought in dallas (one of the 9 included states) in july 2005 (under 10 years old) and has under 31,000 miles. The car has always been garage kept. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10726989, filed 2015-06, 30,500 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Rear glass coming loose while driving

   • 39 complaints (31%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 9.9 yrs old (39 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2019

   Some owners describe the rear glass beginning to separate while the car was moving, often announced by a rattling or banging sound from behind them. Complaints mention the glass hanging loose at city-street speeds and on the highway, limiting rear visibility and forcing the driver to pull over. Several owners say they finished the trip with the window partly attached and then arranged repairs themselves. Reported from roughly 12,000 to 135,000 miles, at speeds from about 25 mph to highway speed.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask the seller directly whether the glass has ever come loose in motion, and check the top's stitching and adhesive near the lower corners where complaints say it starts.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving on the highway, I heard a rattling noise. As I looked around the cars cabin to find the source of the noise, I saw that my back glass panel has a gap in in it. I continued to drive, the rattling worsened and the glass panel was beginning to come undone. When I got to my destination the glass panel is barely holding on.”

   NHTSA complaint #10887662, filed 2016-07, 50,000 miles

   “My 2005 Chrysler crossfire was on the ca-10 interstate and the rear window detached from the vinyl during drive. Was not able to move it while driving causing hazard to drivers around my vehicle and limited visibility.”

   NHTSA complaint #10910466, filed 2016-09, 35,000 miles

Buying note. Budget for the convertible top as the main risk on this model year: inspect the rear glass bonding closely and confirm in writing whether any adhesion coverage still applies to that specific car. Also test the ignition key through several cycles, since a smaller group of owners reports the key refusing to turn.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.