AI Damage2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible filed 69 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 69
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 28% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 20% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 12% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 10% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 9% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 9% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 19 complaints (28% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 14 complaints (20% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 8 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 7 complaints (10% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 69 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact and two other occupants sustained injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000.
She was restrained by her seatbelt, yet her airbag did not deploy. I am the owner of the car and I am very concerned since she was injured and the car totaled and yet no airbag. I am concerned as to why the bag did not deploy.
The pcm causes stalling at a red light or at low speeds--got rear ended twice, vehicle not turning over/won't start, drains batteries (replaced it 3 times),(car was towed to chrysler because it wouldn't start) power steering mechanism leaks (replaced twice) causes electrical problems on dashboard, radio & cd player…
A hole was made in the power steering line. All the fluid dumped out. I was driving forward and suddenly it was very difficult to steer. The line should not be run like that. I attempted to put in more fluid and it all just poured right out!
While driving various speeds, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned and caused the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering hose was faulty and caused the power steering fluid to leak out. The vehicle was repaired.
Car intermittently will not start. We had the car towed so many times that the insurance rate went up and we paid for repairs that we did not need because it never fixed the problem. Repairs include (battery, starter, ignition, spark plugs and wires) we now believe that the problem is the tipm.
Driving on entrance ramp to highway when there was a violent shudder. Car was difficult to steer (severe vibration). Pulled off on emergency shoulder. There is a large hole in tire sidewall. Sidewall was shredded. Tread was not affected. 4500 miles on tires. Tire was removed and spare tire was mounted.
Dec 2013 had to replace rim on front passenger side 2014sept rim cracked on passenger side rear.t. The rear passenger rim has been cracked twice. Total of three times rim cracked.coming home and going to gym.first time I had rim repaired second time bought new rim. The third nothing but took off and put donut tire on.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,461 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, suspension, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 69. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (10%), headlights and tail lights (7%), stalls while driving (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2005 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.