AI Damage2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser filed 97 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 97
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 62% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 27% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 7 Electronic stability control 5% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 60 complaints (62% of all).
- Engine: 26 complaints (27% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 14 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 7 complaints (7% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 7 complaints (7% of all).
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-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 97 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 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 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.
The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard where it caught fire. The fire was extinguished by the towing company. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. There were two injuries, one of which required medical attention. The contact suffered neck, shoulder, and head pain.
The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 73,000.
Consumer states unintended acceleration the consumer stated when the cruise control was activated, the vehicle would surpass the set speed, by 2-3 mph. The consumer stated he had an accident when he went around a curve with the cruise control activated when suddenly the vehicle accelerated out of control and left the…
The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained head injuries and was transported to the hospital via emergency vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop and declared as destroyed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 20,871.
The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the front driver's side seat erroneously rolled backwards, and the driver was unable to reach the brake pedal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted regarding the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted.
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.
While driving all the warning light come on engine stalls even at freeway speeds. Car has to stopped, key turned off and restarted and the errors clear. It has done since it was new.. It has been researched by dealer while in for service. Never fixed it is still doing it..
Intermittently all dash lights come on and all gauges begin fluctuating and the car will begin to sputter and sometimes dies and then it doesn't do it again for miles
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 3,638 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 10% most complained about).
On average one model year of the PT Cruiser has 230 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 97, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 97. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (34%), stalls while driving (26%), loss of power / limp mode (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.