2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 4%of 115 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 89,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the steering of the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser, 4% of the 115 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 89,000 miles. 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 have been driving this car for a while and on the day this happened I had returned from work parked in my driveway with no problems. When it was time to go back to work I backed out of the driveway and noticed the car handled hard. I stopped shifted it back into park and then went back into drive still the steering was hard to turn. …”
NHTSA complaint #10594399, filed 2014-05, 89,000 miles“While driving on 10/7/2018 the steering became hard and upon stopping there were flames under the hood. I did research and found that there had been a recall on pt cruisers in the past, 04v268000. When I contact daimler Chrysler I was told there were no recalls on my VIN. Before driving the car on 10/7/2018 there was not any steering fluid under the car. Luckily the fire was noticed prior to leaving the car or the car would have been engulfed in flames. I will like Chrysler to pay for this repair. The car only has 70,000 miles and has been cared for very well. …”
NHTSA complaint #11139029, filed 2018-10, 70,000 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 at any speed, the vehicle experienced a complete loss of power and all the warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure intermittently occurred two minutes after the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that the failure manually needed to be restarted in some instances of the failure. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired.the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10790710, filed 2015-11, 70,000 milesSteering: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3 | 14% |
| 2009 | 6 | 6% |
| 2008 | 5 | 4% |
| 2007 | 11 | 7% |
| 2006 | 18 | 5% |
| 2005 | 18 | 10% |
| 2004 | 24 | 11% |
| 2003 | 29 | 11% |
| 2002 | 45 | 9% |
| 2001 | 61 | 10% |
Other parts of the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser
45 complaintsAir bags
24 complaintsEngine
15 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
10 complaintsBrakes
8 complaintsExterior lighting
7 complaintsSeat belts
7 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
7 complaintsOther or unknown
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsEngine cooling
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 29, 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