AI Damage2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser filed 115 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 115
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 39% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 21% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 45 complaints (39% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 24 complaints (21% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 15 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 10 complaints (9% of all).
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.4 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 115 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 | 45 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 24 | 9 | 0 |
| Engine | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Vehicle was moving at approximately 30 mph when a vehicle was hit crossed into my lanes and I hit the vehicle head on, police report was filed. Injuries to knee, chest and lap from belt. Airbags did not deploy.
The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the back, arm, and neck that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a impound lot where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 172,000. The vin was unavailable.
The air bags did not deploy. The contact mentioned that the windows shattered, the front passenger side doors were jammed, and the driver had to be removed from the vehicle by the fire department. The passenger seated in the rear was able to exit the vehicle.
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.
None of the air bags in the cruiser deployed and the seat belt in the passenger side did not hold the passenger back. The passenger in the cruiser hit the dash causing injuries. The seat belt did not lock or tighten at all. This has to be a defective seat belt because the driver's side seat belt held them back.
TPIM whereas vehicle will shut off while driving. No indicator lights to give warning before the vehicle shuts off. Has on occasion shut off and recovered power multiple times within a minute This is a very dangerous scenario to conduct a road test or have someone confirm the issue on the road.
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.
While driving 40 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission made a loud knocking noise and all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to marx auto center ([address], south dartmouth, [ZIP], [phone]), but was not diagnosed or repaired.
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 3,246 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the PT Cruiser has 230 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 115, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, engine. Total complaints: 115. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (17%), warning lights, check engine (17%), airbag warning light (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
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 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser 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 2008 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 2026-11-05.