2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 60about this part
- Share
- 62%of 97 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 51,000miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 60 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser, 62% of the 97 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 51,000 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was in a hwy. All of a sudden, all the gauges light up and I lost power. I push the gas pedal but no acceleration. I managed to park on the side. I turned off the engine and restarted the car again. This happened just 3 weeks after I bought the car. It happened again one month later. It has been now one week later. I am afraid it is going to happen again. It is a very safety hazard since I always travel on a busy highway.”
NHTSA complaint #11031412, filed 2017-10, 95,510 miles“Door will not open after car is in park, engine turned off, key is removed from ignition. I have to re-start engine to power down driver's window to reach through open window to open door from outside door latch. This has happened muliple occurrences with no obvious reasons. Should there be an emergency to exit vehicle, my concern is would I be able to get out.”
NHTSA complaint #10499774, filed 2013-02, 40,000 miles“I've had my Pt Cruiser for atleast 3 years now. Today as I was driving all the lights started going on and off on the dash board and was acting as if it were going to stall out. However , every time I hit the gas the MPH gauge would go up. However my gauges on my dash board had stopped working until I'd hit the gas petal again. It did this for at least a few minutes I was on a busy road when it happened and was not able to pull off the road. …”
NHTSA complaint #10908937, filed 2016-09, 99,089 miles“While driving on the interstate, my car's dash board started going haywire. All gauges (except fuel and temperature) would drop down to zero for a second, and then go right back up to where they should be. The car never actually stalled, but acted a couple times like it might. I gave it a little extra gas and it kept running. This continued for the entire trip on the interstate. (approximately 100 miles.)”
NHTSA complaint #10444007, filed 2012-01, 55,498 miles“While running at 45 MPH all the warning lights came on, the gauges went to zero, and the motor started stumbling. Trying to nurse it home, I stopped at a red light where the previous things happened again but also the motor completely shut off. This left me stopped in the middle of a busy 4 lane highway. Engine finally restarted where I drove it home. This is the 3rd time this has happened and I see where online this has been complained about over and over. I can not afford to throw thousands of dollars at it and Chrysler doesn't care.”
NHTSA complaint #11243684, filed 2019-08, 68,000 milesRelated service bulletins
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Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3 | 14% |
| 2009 | 60 | 62% |
| 2008 | 45 | 39% |
| 2007 | 23 | 15% |
| 2006 | 138 | 40% |
| 2005 | 27 | 14% |
| 2004 | 44 | 20% |
| 2003 | 45 | 17% |
| 2002 | 97 | 19% |
| 2001 | 78 | 13% |
Other parts of the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser
26 complaintsVehicle speed control
14 complaintsAir bags
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsSteering
6 complaintsElectronic stability control
5 complaintsSeats
5 complaintsEngine cooling
4 complaintsExterior lighting
4 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsWheels
4 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2009 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