2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 7%of 115 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 72,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the brakes of the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser, 7% of the 115 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 72,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving in traffic when all of the dash lights came on and the engine quit running. At that time I lost all steering and braking for the vehicle. It has happened about 10 times since then, twice while I was on the highway.”
NHTSA complaint #10652279, filed 2014-11, 85,021 miles“Driving 25 MPH on a stop and go highway with traffic lights. It was not raining, but the pavement was wet. The vehicle in front of me stopped abruptly. I applied the brakes and they immediately locked causing me to skid 120 feet into the vehicle in front of me.”
NHTSA complaint #10347334, filed 2010-08, 46,000 miles“In dec. 2013, at 71k miles, in the car used by my college-age daughter, when starting the car on a cold morning (20's) I noted rock-hard brake pedal and no power assist whatsoever while backing down our driveway. By the street, it had a normal pedal feel and assist. This repeatedly happened in cold-morning starts. The dealer, klaben Chrysler jeep dodge of kent, ohio, was helpful and eventually replaced the brake booster a few weeks later, for free. A year later my daughter mentioned the car was doing this again (cold weather had returned). …”
NHTSA complaint #10824698, filed 2016-02, 95,000 miles“I was coming home from work and driving down the street when the lights on the dashboard went out, the gas gauge went to zero and the car just died. I lost power steering and braking and I was lucky there was no one behind me at the time. The key was locked in the steering wheel and I could not restart. I called 911 for help as cars were now zooming up behind me stalled in the lane. I was so scared that someone would hit me. I sat waiting for the tow truck for about 15 minutes when the lights suddenly came on again and the gas gauge went back to full. …”
NHTSA complaint #10692964, filed 2015-03, 100,000 miles“The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Pt Cruiser. While driving 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over on a dirt patch, which stopped the vehicle. The contact turned the vehicle off and smoke entered into the vehicle. The brake pads melted, which caused the smoke to rise from beneath the tires. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000. The VIN was unavailable.”
NHTSA complaint #10893164, filed 2016-08, 72,000 milesBrakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 5% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 8 | 7% |
| 2007 | 6 | 4% |
| 2006 | 15 | 4% |
| 2005 | 10 | 5% |
| 2004 | 13 | 6% |
| 2003 | 14 | 5% |
| 2002 | 37 | 7% |
| 2001 | 39 | 6% |
Other parts of the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser
45 complaintsAir bags
24 complaintsEngine
15 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
10 complaintsExterior lighting
7 complaintsSeat belts
7 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
7 complaintsOther or unknown
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsEngine cooling
5 complaintsSteering
5 complaintsTires
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology