2010 PT Cruiser - 3 year review.

Steve,

I've owned my '01 PT since new ordered on the very first day allowed. I've only got 97K miles and have never experienced anything other than routine maintenance such as timing belt, water pump, hoses and brakes.

Now, to add a little fuel to your question: In a recent issue of Car and Driver they were summarizing experience with a 2012 Jeep GC Laredo (a Chrysler product and why I am responding). They stated that since they took delivery new they experience trouble with the transmission shifting hard, loud and jumpy. The dealer kept checking and responding that there was nothing wrong. Some 30-40K miles later and after the standard warranty they still experienced the same problem and C&D was able to convince the factory to once and for all replace the transmission. Chrysler/jeep agreed but required that the original tranny be returned to the factory for examination. What they reported back was that right from the factory several of the planetary gear sets did NOT have any locking retainers installed which was allowing the gears to simply meander around the inside of the case.

My wife and I drove numerous jeep vehicles from 1983 through 1999 and all of them were just fine. So my point in repeating this article is about the build quality or lack thereof as it exists today.

Now its entirely possible that that particular jeep was built on a Monday the day after the Super Bowl during a snow storm while all the line workers were coming down with the flu. But I doubt it.

Unfortunately this doesn't answer your question definitively, but I hope it helps.

BobMCT

The lower "pie-plate" supporting the spring on one of the front struts on my '00 300m rusted and broke this past Dec. 24. The plate dropped about an inch where it contacted (and was supported by) the steering arm (going in one direction) and the arm for connecting the sway-bar link (going in the other direction). Luckily there was still barely enough clearance for the tire and I could still drive it home. I went to one of those stand-alone auto-parts stores and picked up a new quick-strut, and working in my heated garage had it installed by 10 pm christmas eve.

When I was at the parts store, I asked what was the most common cars that people come in for to get parts. He said about 60% of the time it's for recent-model Chrysler's (Dodge, Jeep, etc). 2008 and newer. A lot of electrical-related parts (coil-packs, windshield-wiper motors, - stuff like that).

My 09 PT has 38,000 miles on it. So far its been one of the most trouble free new car I've owned. Repairs under warranty: 2 door-lock actuators, oil pressure switch, battery. The seats are great, ride is great, mpg is mediocre, power is mediocre. One of the most comfortable cars I've driven for LONG trips. Driving 13 hours a day in it is actually better than the Crown Vic I used to drive in terms of how much my body "buzzes" at the end of a trip.

what part of the country do you live in?

Hudson River Valley, NY

some of your issues sound weather related but if you didn't have these issues with your older cars, then the weather cant explain it all.

Road salt use in my area causes issues over the long term, however over the past 30 years I've never seen salt damage to the body of my autos until a car is at least 10 years old (1985 T-Bird), 15 years for 1988 New Yorker.

I have a 1995 T-Bird, purchased new and a 12 year old 300M with no body rust damage from road salt.

The PT Cruiser body failing at 3 years and 25,000 miles is in my mind a manufacturing point of failure.

I did not have similar problem with a 3 year old 2006 PT Cruiser.

Steve

Steve,

Agreed. But doesn't the vehicle have some sort of body failure warranty that was part of the overall chrysler 5/50, 7/70 plan? I think by the time the 2010's hit the market the PT was already planned history so perhaps the work detail suffered, After all, the Taluca, Mex plant was being retooled for other products by then. Might be work tracking down the regional Chrysler rep and doing a big complaint job on him. As you have been a loyal Chysler customer for a while he might give in some and cover the body failure. It you don't ask the answer is always NO. You might be surprised.

Good luck - and if you do follow up on that please post your results. Lots of us readers would be interested to know.

like I said...if you've had good luck with others, then weather wont explain it.