2005 Chrysler Crossfire Problems

What owners report

Complaints for this model year are dominated by the convertible rear window: owners report the glass separating from the fabric top, often while the car is parked in warm weather or while driving. A smaller but recurring group describes the ignition key not turning and intermittent no-start or stalling conditions. Sample mileage is broad, with many reports arriving between roughly 27,000 and 55,000 miles.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Convertible rear window separating from the top

   • 105 complaints (56%)
   • median 49,000 mi at 8.2 yrs old (95 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $2,250 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2009–2023

   Owners report the glass panel in the soft top coming unglued from the fabric, either partially along one or both sides or completely, sometimes leaving it hanging or dropping into the cabin. Many describe finding it that way after the car sat parked in hot weather; others had it happen at highway speed, and a few had a replacement top separate again. Complaints say dealers usually described it as an adhesion failure and told owners the whole top had to be replaced rather than re-gluing the glass, with several noting the work was not covered and quoting multi-thousand-dollar estimates. Reported from about 16,000 to 110,000 miles, with many between roughly 27,000 and 55,000 miles; often noticed after parking in heat or while driving at speed.

   What to check: Inspect the seam where the rear glass meets the fabric for lifting edges, gaps or visible adhesive failure, and ask whether the top or glass has already been replaced. On a convertible, check this both with the top up and after the car has sat in the sun.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire convertible. It has 27,434 miles on it. The back glass window came unglued and partially fell into the rear deck. It cannot be repaired with additional glue. The remainder of the top is in excellent shape. It is now costing me $2850.00 for a new top. Clearly, this is a design flaw and safety hazard. A recall is in order.”

   NHTSA complaint #10331660, filed 2010-05, 27,434 miles

   “Came out of a store to find the rear window of my wife's 2005 Crossfire convertible had become unglued along both sides, the bottom & all but the middle edge of the top. We found where Chrysler had a recall on the 2005 roadster (which I am willing to bet uses the same adhesive) but the dealer said it is not covered by the recall. Confirmed this Chrysler customer service.”

   NHTSA complaint #10536782, filed 2013-08, 23,800 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Ignition key will not turn / intermittent no-start

   • 28 complaints (15%)
   • median 50,204 mi at 8.8 yrs old (26 state mileage)
   • filed 2005–2020

   Owners describe the key refusing to turn in the ignition, sometimes after the car had started normally, and the steering wheel locking at the same time. Some report the condition clearing after waiting or working the key, while others needed the ignition housing, cylinder and key replaced. Complaints also describe intermittent no-crank events where the dash lights, fan and radio work but the engine does not turn over, and dealers were often unable to reproduce or diagnose the problem. Mostly reported between about 23,000 and 90,000 miles, appearing without warning and often intermittently.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Try the key in the ignition several times during a test drive, including with the steering wheel turned, and ask whether the ignition cylinder, housing or keys have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2005 Crossfire with 23300 miles. My ignition key began to stick when starting the car. It stuck about 2 weeks ago but I was able to start the care after 15 minutes of trying. Yesterday the ignition stuck and I was not able to start the car. I had the car towed to a dealer in san jose ca. The service writer told me he had another Crossfire in for service for the exact same problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10283398, filed 2009-09, 23,300 miles

   “I parked my car at a shop's parking lot and didn't have any issues. About 20 minutes later I came back to my car and tried to get the engine to turn over and the ignition would not turn. I tried with both of my keys and I couldn't get the ignition to turn. The steering wheel also was locked up. I had to take apart my dash board to get to the ignition so I could release the locking pin. Once the pin was released I had no problems starting the car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10484522, filed 2012-11, 89,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine stalls or cuts out while driving

   • 11 complaints (6%)
   • median 54,505 mi at 8.3 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2006–2024

   Owners report the engine stalling without warning at highway speeds or when coming to a stop, sometimes with warning lights on the dash beforehand. In several complaints the car restarted after sitting for a while, and one owner reported it dying twice on a busy road with no restart. Complaints describe repeated dealer visits where the cause could not be found, and in some cases a battery replacement or wiring adjustment did not resolve the stalling. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 97,000 miles, occurring at speed or at stops and often intermittently.

   What to check: Ask for any service history covering stalling or no-start diagnostics, and have a pre-purchase scan check for stored fault codes and electrical fault memory.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My2005 Crossfire roadster convertible just stopped running twice while driving on a very busy road! The first time I was stopped at a light when the car died. I had no power and the car would not restart. As the light had now turned green every car in every lane started to move forward. Of course the person behind me started beeping and screaming! I got out of the car (very dangerous) and started to push the car over several lanes to the shoulder of the road. Two men jumped out and helped me push it to a side road off the main road. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11382985, filed 2020-12, 50,598 miles

   “The skreem module has failed which controls the anti-theft system, key & ignition. The part is no longer available through Chrysler or aftermarket. The car cannot run without this module. The vehicle was stationary at the time of failure. I had to have it towed to a repair shop. Luckily it was close to home when it failed. Chrysler needs to make this part available since it is a common problem that affects hundreds if not thousands of vehicles that cannot be driven once it fails.”

   NHTSA complaint #11329709, filed 2020-06, 75,000 miles

Buying note. The rear window on the convertible top is the item owners raise most often and often leads to a full top replacement, so inspect it closely and factor that cost in. Also confirm the car starts reliably, the key turns freely and the ignition parts have been serviced, since intermittent no-start reports are common.

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.