2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe intermittent electrical trouble: instrument lights and gauges flicker or drop, and the car may stall or briefly lose power. Complaints also cover windows and wipers, engine overheating and no-start or stalling issues, and airbag warnings. Many reports come in the 40,000-100,000 mile range on older vehicles.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Dash lights and gauges flicker, engine cuts out

   • 106 complaints (30%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (95 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $900 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2021

   Owners describe instrument panel lights and gauges flickering, dropping to zero or blinking while driving, often followed by the engine cutting out or stalling for a moment before recovering. Some say the horn, wipers or headlights also fail at the same time, and a few mention the car briefly slowing or bucking. Complaints describe dealers and independent mechanics being unable to find a cause, with some owners told the integrated power module or main computer needed replacement. Reported across a wide mileage range, commonly between about 40,000 and 100,000 miles, and often occurring repeatedly and unpredictably.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car and watch the gauges and warning lights for flicker, and ask whether any module or wiring repairs have been done. A scan for stored codes and a check of the integrated power module can be worth requesting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The speedodometer dropped to zero. Comes and goes and the dealer can not get a reading because it does not do it when they check it. Next the AC kicks in and out of cool air. Next while driving down the road the car dies. I had to put it in neutral and manually turn because it died. I nearly hit a cement wall. Now the dealer says he can not find anything wrong.”

   NHTSA complaint #10197942, filed 2007-07, 11,280 miles

   “My wife and I obtained a 2006 Pt Cruiser from her father in 2008 with 12,980 miles on the odometer. In 4 years we've added about 12,000 miles. Starting last winter, both while being driven at city speeds (30-45 MPH) and while idling, this 2006 Pt Cruiser has periodically had a problem with the lights and gauges on the instrument panel. The needles all simultaneously switch back and forth rapidly, then go to the off position. The panel lights turn off at the same time, then after a few seconds to a few minutes, the panel returns to normal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10480144, filed 2012-10, 21,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and passenger airbag not working

   • 34 complaints (10%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 4.9 yrs old (29 state mileage)
   • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2022

   Owners describe the airbag warning light or chime staying on, or the passenger-side airbag being reported as not working even after computer replacements. Some complaints involve airbags not deploying in a collision, which owners describe as unexpected. Others mention the seat belt warning light staying lit even when buckled. Reported from fairly low mileage up to about 75,000 miles, across a range of model years of ownership.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that the airbag and seat belt warning lights behave normally with the key on, and ask for any stored airbag system codes to be read before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was involved in a collision with a greyhound bus and a Pt Cruiser. At an underpass in tucson I hit the steering wheel while taking a left off interstate 10. The greyhound bus was making a left than a quick right. When his back end went out my cruiser was hit on the front right side, causing significant property damage to the car and landed me in the emergency room with face injuries. The airbags did not deploy.”

   NHTSA complaint #10161089, filed 2006-06, 10,599 miles

   “I was driving my 2006 Pt Cruiser and a girl driving a grand cherokee jeep ran a stop sign and hit me in the driver side front fender and driver door. My three children were in the car with me. The impact flipped my car 3 or more times landing us on the drivers side. Neither of airbags deployed from the impact. I was driving at approximately 45 MPH and she was coming down a hill to the stop sign but showed no sign of slowing down. Her speed was probably around 50 MPH. The point of contact was at the drivers door and fender and it was crushed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10384383, filed 2011-02, 91,000 miles
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Rear quarter windows come loose or fly off

   • 42 complaints (12%)
   • median 43,500 mi at 4.8 yrs old (36 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2019

   Owners report the fixed rear quarter windows detaching from the body, sometimes rattling or flapping in the wind before coming off completely while driving. Others describe door windows that open or close on their own or stick in the down position, and a few mention smoke or burning smells from the window switches. Complaints reference a recall for the rear quarter glass but owners are often unsure whether their vehicle was included. Mostly reported under about 100,000 miles, often at highway speeds.

   Recall 07V1490001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect both rear quarter windows for looseness, gaps or signs of previous resealing, and confirm with a dealer whether recall 07V149000 was performed on the vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Whilst driving on the freeway my rear driver's side visibility window flew off of my car and nearly hit the vehicle driving in the fast lane to my immediate left at 65mph. They had to swerve to avoid a collision with it. I stopped on the side of the road and picked it up.”

   NHTSA complaint #11006431, filed 2017-07, 90,000 miles

   “Stress crack in windshield. Begans below the seal, middle of windshield. Chrysler states that at 35,000 miles my car is not under warranty. Service men took pictures and said I might get a merit on warranty. Glass is only covered for 12,00 miles. Though the service men did say that it was indeed a stress crack, no signs of impact. I know nothing has hit my windshield, or I would have taken this up with csaa. This is a safety issue. Chrysler had to recall 2006 quarter panels due to this as well. I have a 2006 limited.”

   NHTSA complaint #10197575, filed 2007-07, 35,700 miles
4. 4
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Wipers, horn or lights stop working

   • 59 complaints (17%)
   • median 52,205 mi at 5.5 yrs old (54 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $900 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2019

   Complaints describe front and rear wipers becoming inoperable, sometimes together with a failed horn or non-working headlights and turn signals. Owners say the car was taken to an independent mechanic or dealer and told the integrated power module needed replacement or resetting. Several describe the failure happening during rain, making the car hard to drive. Reported from roughly 40,000 to 100,000 miles, with several cases at lower mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test the wipers on every speed, plus the horn and all exterior lights during the test drive. Ask whether the power module has ever been replaced or reset.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have an 2006 chry Pt Cruiser. The front wiper power module has gone out on the front windshield wipers. So when it rains I cannot use my front windshield wipers at all when I drive cause they do not work and it is very hard and dangerous for me to try and drive without them.”

   NHTSA complaint #10277654, filed 2009-07, 42,000 miles

   “Vehicle was started in the morning and headlights and turn signals would not operate. Vehicle was taken to a repair shop and was diagnosed as a problem with the integrated power module. The module had to be reset to make the lights operable again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10821149, filed 2016-01, 43,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Overheating and cooling fan problems

   • 32 complaints (9%)
   • median 77,603 mi at 6.8 yrs old (29 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2020

   Owners report the engine overheating, sometimes without warning and sometimes mainly when idling in traffic or at a drive-through. Complaints describe coolant loss, an inoperative cooling fan, or a fan that keeps running after the car is shut off and drains the battery. Some say the thermostat or fan module was replaced without fully resolving the problem. Most often reported between about 40,000 and 100,000 miles, with idle and hot-weather conditions mentioned frequently.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Let the car idle with the air conditioning on and watch the temperature gauge and cooling fan, and check for coolant or oil drips underneath. Ask about any thermostat, fan or fan module work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2006 Pt Cruiser base model. When the air conditioner was activated, the engine would idle low when the vehicle was stopped in traffic, a stop sign, or red light. The vehicle would almost stall before resuming normal operation. When stopped, warm or hot air would blow through the vents. I took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the fan module repair would cost $700. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current mileage was approximately 89,052 and failure mileage was approximately 77,603.”

   NHTSA complaint #10332162, filed 2010-05, 77,603 miles

   “Driving vehicle, all dashboard lights blink on and off, cars stalls, brakes and steering lock up. This has happened at least 15 times over the last few months, and is very dangerous. Also, sometimes the engine fan won't shut off when car is turned off, and it drains the car battery. This has happened at least 10 times. That part is getting expensive and very irritating, but the stalling out and completely dying, is very dangerous, because you can't always get off the road.”

   NHTSA complaint #10621837, filed 2014-08, 106,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase scan for stored codes, a careful test of the windows, wipers, lights and gauges, and a check of whether recall 07V149000 was completed would cover most of what owners describe here. Because many complaints involve intermittent electrical faults that are hard to diagnose, service records showing prior repairs are worth reviewing.

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.