2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Chrysler PT Cruiser 2005

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser repairs by problem area

Engine (55%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (11%)

Brakes and Traction Control (4%)

Suspension and Steering (18%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (9%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (2%)

Other (2%)

Chart based on 120 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser.

2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser repair cost distribution

$2500+ (3%)

$1000 - $2499 (10%)

$500 - $999 (13%)

$100 - $499 (30%)

< $100 (43%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 97 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser

Engine not specified

Chrysler PT Cruiser in California, United States
Feb 2013 - Mar 2013
Mar 2013

73000 mi

US $160
Check engine light. Rear O2 sensor replaced. Front sensor OK. PCM problem so took to dealer. Multiple problems found. PCM replace 13 months ago. Dealer said out of warranty. Short in steering column probable cause & not repaired then. 

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 230hp 2.4L I4 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Chrysler PT Cruiser in New Jersey, United States
Aug 2009 - Jun 2022
Apr 2010

75000 mi

US $100
Lost A/C. Found a/c hose leaking at fitting. Replaced hose assembly under extended warranty. Recharged system. Water pump replaced, just beginning to leak. Also had timing belt changed at the same time as it made sense to do it while the water pump was being replaced. 
Jan 2012

100300 mi

US $900
Replaced both front lower control arms as bushings were worn. 
Jan 2014

96500 mi

US $1000
Replaced both oxygen sensors. Front lower control arm bushings worn out. 
Nov 2014

119900 mi

US $1800
Replaced engine computer with new unit. Rebuilt ECU kept giving erroneous O2 sensor codes as did the original OEM ECU. Replacing ECU solved the problem. Replaced both front sway bar links and rear Z bar to eliminate clunking sounds over bumps. 
Jul 2017

139000 mi

US $40
Replaced power steering pressure switch 
Dec 2017

140000 mi

US $49
Check engine code, engine intermittently running rough. Replaced cam position sensor. 

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 180hp 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

Chrysler PT Cruiser in Ontario, Canada
Dec 2017 - Jul 2018
Apr 2018

128340 mi

C $730
Replaced bearing and hub and tie-rod ends and ball joints 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Florida, United States
Mar 2010 - Mar 2014
Apr 2010

76200 mi
A/C not working at time of purchase. Dealer agreed to repair prior to delivery. A/C not working at time of purchase.Dealer agreed to repair prior to delivery.  
May 2010

76800 mi

US $35
engine light came on. got code #340, camshaft position sensor. bought part that night, replaced next day, reset computer, problem appears to be fixed. 
Aug 2010

78500 mi

US $45
Replaced camshaft position sensor, AGAIN! Previous replacement started coming up with error code PO344 after just 6 weeks. Confirmed by running diagnostics. No problems with this latest part, so far. Replaced camshaft position sensor, AGAIN! Previous replacement started coming up with error code PO344 after just 6 weeks. Confirmed by running diagnostics. No problems with this latest part, so far 
Nov 2012

93900 mi

US $500
Transmission control part of PCM failed. Limp mode, erratic shifting. Replaced PCM. Problem fixed. Fuel line leak at quick disconnect on line from fuel rail to metal line at firewall 
Sep 2013

98000 mi

US $1500
Blown head gasket. Also replaced timing chain. 

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser 4dr Wagon

150-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Chrysler PT Cruiser in Tennessee, United States
Jan 2013 - Jun 2013
May 2013

54300 mi

US $22
Manual Transmission bushing wore out on shifting mechanism. Would not go into reverse 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Pennsylvania, United States
- Jan 2007
Jan 2007

15000 mi
Replace Front Axle Seal - covered under warranty 

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser 4dr Wagon

150-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

Chrysler PT Cruiser in New Jersey, United States
Apr 2009 - Jul 2017
Mar 2014

96000 mi

US $200
Upper and lower engine mounts 
Aug 2014

99700 mi
Head gasket leak caused by head bolts stretching. Also had the timing belt and water pump done as preventive maintenance, and a new battery as the last one was weak during the winter. 
Jun 2015

108000 mi

US $1200
Struts, lower control arms, sway bar bushings 
Jul 2017

122000 mi

US $40
Taillight replaced. first bulb ever replaced! 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Alabama, United States
Oct 2013 - Jun 2018
Nov 2013

59200 mi

US $75
drivers side cv axle boot was torn and cheaper to replace cv axle than only boot Had to replace rear shocks, car bottoming out on bad bumps 
Dec 2013

60000 mi
Had to replace lower control arms on both sides, affected the steering a bit and cause inside front tire wear, alignment was needed 
Apr 2014

65000 mi

US $85
replaced the rear Watts link stabilizer conrtol 
Jul 2015

74300 mi

US $100
Fuel gauge sending unit, malfunction. had to replace 
Nov 2015

76300 mi
The shift linkage frozen up, because the engineers designed the battery output directly above the shifting linkage and some of the battery output,acid vapor, deposited on the linkage. Have to remove air box and lube all linkage. works again 
Aug 2016

79000 mi

US $55
Replaced Drivers side tie rod end and will have to align soon. 
Sep 2016

80000 mi

US $1
The engine light came on, code revealed it was a fuel cap issue, purchased a new o-ring gasket at Hardware and problem was solved 
Apr 2018

91100 mi

US $35
Repaced cam sensor and did full tuneup, plugs, wires, and power pack. Works great! 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Oregon, United States
Aug 2012 - Jun 2016
Jul 2015

97000 mi

US $20
Crankshaft position sensor replaced. 
Nov 2015

106300 mi

US $175
Replaced steering rack due to a fluid leak. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Texas, United States
Apr 2014 - Apr 2014
Apr 2014

US $2500
Timing belt broke while driving about 40 MPH. Car stopped, tried repeatedly to restart it which caused $2500 in engine damage. Had to junk the car. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Nevada, United States
Oct 2014 - Sep 2015
Jun 2015

107000 mi

US $1100
Leaking valve cover gasket Replaced fuel pump Replaced spark plugs 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in California, United States
- Apr 2007
Dec 2005

1200 mi
Steering is groaning when cold. Dealer flushes and fills with fluid, reports that they don't hear anything. 
Apr 2006

1900 mi
Steering is again groaning when cold. Dealer flushes and fills system again, but continues to insist there is no problem. 
Nov 2006

23000 mi
Groaning noise returns to steering again. This time, a leak is finally found in the rack. Rack is replaced and I am assured there will be no further problems. 
Jan 2007

26000 mi
Left front CV joint is found to be leaking. Joint is replaced after week of waiting for part from Chrysler. 
Apr 2007

29000 mi
Steering begins to groan again. Replacement rack is found to be defective (but who knows at this point?). Pump is also replaced, in case it is putting out too high pressure and blowing the seals. I make plans to file under lemon law. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Pennsylvania, United States
Apr 2015 - Jul 2015
Apr 2015

129000 mi

US $60
Over heating. Replaced thermostat in back yard 
Jul 2015

136000 mi

US $4000
Trasnsmission went bad for the 2nd time 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Pennsylvania, United States
Feb 2015 - Dec 2015
Nov 2015

99100 mi

US $710
Also included lower control arms 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Missouri, United States
Feb 2012 - Mar 2012
Mar 2012

102000 mi
noise front end 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Connecticut, United States
Apr 2014 - Jun 2018
Jul 2014

72700 mi

US $100
Car would stall and shut off with AC on. Replaced the radiator fan assembly because fan was not turing on when AC was turned on causing rough idle and stalling. 
Jan 2015

US $15
Oil pressure light coming on randomly at low speeds. Replaced oil pressure switch and problem is fixed. 
Mar 2016

99000 mi

US $40
The ABS light was on. Read the code and it said it was the driver side ABS sensor. Replaced the sensor and harness assembly. Everything now works properly and no ABS warning light now. 
Feb 2017

108000 mi

US $60
The car was idling rough and stalling out. The fuel pressure regulator had failed. Replaced it and the car ran fine after that. 
Jan 2018

119000 mi

US $10
Engine is losing coolant. Keep adding coolant. Replaced radiator cap. Still losing coolant. Going to test radiator. 
Feb 2018

120000 mi

US $35
Car was overheating due to losing coolant. Could not find the leak because the OEM coolant is clear. Added coolant dye to the radiator and then easily discovered the leak from the radiator. Replaced radiator, hoses, thermostat. When I removed the air intake from above the engine valve cover to gain access to the radiator and hoses for replacement, I noticed lots of oil on top of valve cover apparently coming from on of the spark plug wells in the head. The gasket around the plug well had failed allowing oil to fill and then overflow the plug well and seep out on top of the engine. Removed valve cover and replaced the gaskets. Then replaced the spark plugs and spark plug wires and boots. ABS warning light was constantly lit. Read the code with my code reader and it indicated passenger front sensor problem. I cleared the code, but the light came back on. Replaced the sensor and cable assembly. Light is now off. 
Mar 2018

121000 mi

US $45
Car was running rough. CEL was on with a P0303 code meaning Cylinder #3 mis-firing. Removed all spark plugs and checked the gap and inspected, all were OK. Used an ohm meter and checked all the spark plug wires and they were all OK. Replaced the coil pack and everything is now working great, no CEL and car is running smooth again. 
May 2018

122000 mi

US $8
While doing oil change, noticed the oil drain plug was not going in correctly. Noticed threads on the plug were slightly damaged. Installed a new oil drain plug after chasing the threads in the oil pan bung with a tap. It installed with no problems. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Florida, United States
Mar 2012 - Jan 2013
Apr 2012

48200 mi

US $350
two of the sensors prevented the car from going over 30mph. After taking it to our usual mechanic, a local dealer, we drive to a dealer about 45 minutes away. It took them nearly a month to diagnose and fix the problem. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in North Carolina, United States
Feb 2010 - Oct 2011
Mar 2010

58000 mi

US $794
camshaft position sensor replaced One of two fans were replaced. (Also, spark plugs had never been replaced. Replaced with platinum plugs.) 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Utah, United States
Apr 2009 - Apr 2012
Oct 2009

52000 mi
oil pressure sensor was replaced 
Mar 2010

57000 mi
Replacement oil pressure sensor that was previously replaced failed again. Shop covered it under warranty for original repair. 
May 2010

60000 mi
Same oil pressure sensor issue. Previously replace part was aftermarket. Shop confirmed that this is a common issue with this vehicle, replaced with OEM part under shop warranty. 
Jun 2011

74000 mi

US $250
Check engine light would not come back on for shop. History code was for cam shaft balance sensor, part was replaced but light returned on the drive home. Took it back to shop, light wouldn't come on again. Going to take to dealer. 
Jul 2011

74500 mi

US $250
After researching the problem, I learned that two sensors if not replaced at the same time will usually cause the problem to continue. This time the second sensor was replaced with OEM part. Vehicle has been running perfectly since. 
Nov 2011

77000 mi
Same sensor issue as before. Aftermarket sensor was replaced under warranty by shop with OEM part. Car has been running fine ever since. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Utah, United States
Apr 2009 - Jun 2015
Jun 2011

79000 mi

US $635
Alternator that was replaced last year was defective, replaced with new mopar unit, and new positive battery cable 
Jan 2012

74200 mi

US $7
Car was making "bubbling" noise, would steam and overheat. Replaced Radiator cap 
Jun 2013

111000 mi

US $3400
Spark plug came out of socket ($300) Timing Belt broke on the freeway, bending the valves, replaced motor mounts at same time ($3100) 
Sep 2014

124000 mi

US $398
Camshaft & Oil pressure sensors 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Texas, United States
Apr 2009 - Mar 2014
Jun 2012

63000 mi

US $250
Camshaft sensor failed. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Hawaii, United States
Apr 2010 - Jun 2011
May 2010

41020 mi

US $100
Leaking waterpump Replaced Water pump. Repaired under 7yr/70k warranty 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Michigan, United States
Jan 2011 - Feb 2011
Feb 2011

90000 mi

US $1065
The cam sensor repeatedly went out in the car. Reset the timing chain. Happened again a day later. Then replaced the cam, crank and readjusted the tensioner. Replace cam sensor, timing belt 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Arizona, United States
Jun 2011 - Jan 2018
Sep 2011

95000 mi

US $80
cruise control not working - replaced vacuum lines 
Sep 2012

111000 mi

US $320
Check engine light indicating failed Ox sensor 
May 2013

126000 mi

US $188
Engine overheating and loss of AC. Electric Cooling fan replaced - $188 with tax 
Sep 2013

130000 mi

US $800
New shocks,struts, bushings and engine mount 
Sep 2014

148000 mi

US $850
Tips and cps. To fix a surging issue 
Nov 2014

156000 mi

US $180
replaced ECU 
Mar 2015

166000 mi

US $420
Fuel pump stopped working. Had to be replaced 
Nov 2015

178000 mi

US $305
Replaced Shift solenoid, Lower engine mount 
Mar 2016

189000 mi

US $795
Timing belt 
Jan 2017

115800 mi
R&R failing alternator 
Jun 2017

208000 mi

US $140
Oil pressure sending unit was failing. Replaced unit 

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2dr Convertible

turbocharged 230hp 2.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Chrysler PT Cruiser in Maine, United States
Apr 2009 - Jun 2022
Oct 2009

22300 mi
Left and right rear window regulators and motors replaced under warranty because of sluggish action. 
May 2014

37600 mi

US $206
Replaced both front wheel bearings. 
Sep 2015

43000 mi

US $310
Replaced front ABS wheel sensors. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in New Jersey, United States
Oct 2017 - Jul 2018
Jul 2018

135000 mi

US $320
Replaced passanger side intermediate shaft and half shaft 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in New York, United States
Jul 2013 - Aug 2013
Aug 2013

86000 mi

US $325
Erratic connection in multifunction steering wheel lever. Caused battery failure as fog lights came on at random, even when parked. This is a documented problem, reported by other owners. 

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2dr Convertible

turbocharged 230hp 2.4L I4 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Chrysler PT Cruiser in Delaware, United States
May 2010 - Jun 2011
Jun 2010

55000 mi

US $510
problem with ticking/rubbing noise in the front end esp when turning to the right. replaced wheel bearing covers on front wheels 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in California, United States
Jan 2016 - Jun 2018
May 2018

51000 mi

US $2000
Bad coil took out the plug in #4 cylinder.  Also needed to have all engine mounts replaced. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in California, United States
Jun 2009 - Mar 2010
Jul 2009

32000 mi

US $1200
Blown head gasket Replaced water pump  Replaced radiator. 

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2dr Convertible

turbocharged 180hp 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

Chrysler PT Cruiser in California, United States
Oct 2011 - Jan 2012
Nov 2011

98000 mi

US $60
Check engine light comes on and car stops - on streets, on freeway, anywhere. Electrical mechanic told me the computer is bad. This has been occuring since I purchased the car in 2005. 
Jan 2012

98000 mi
Engine light come on, car started shaking, then car would cut off - happened repeatedly including one time on the freeway at 70 mph. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Ontario, Canada
Jun 2011 - Jul 2011
Jul 2011

68820 mi

C $300
Engine light on, 3 codes; Knock Sensor, Cam Sensor and Vacuum Leak. Cam Sensor replaced, dealer assumed all 3 codes would clear. Vacuum leak returned, need software update to clear, no actual leak. It was assumed on trip 1 that replacing cam sensor would correct all codes (knock, cam, vacuum leak). Only correct knock and cam. Vacuum was corrected by software update as there was no actual leak 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Florida, United States
Jul 2015 - Jul 2018
Sep 2015

72000 mi

US $831
Left front disc brakes locked up shortly after purchase from individual. front disc brakes on both L and R were replaced. 
Dec 2015

74000 mi

US $150
sensor was replaced 
Dec 2016

79000 mi

US $50
wheel cover came unglued. Was taken to an auto shop, left for three days while glue was applied, and took vehicle home upon completion. 
Jun 2017

82000 mi

US $965
hydraulic cylinders on convertible top lost pressure. Cylinders were sent off for repair and then installed when completed. 
Jul 2018

83000 mi
Cooling system has developed a leak, possibly on a hose, but the shop was unable to determine where the leak was coming from. Owner will continue to monitor any further leakage. Air conditioner was replaced and damaged undercarriage was repaired. 
Chrysler PT Cruiser in Pennsylvania, United States
Sep 2015 - Dec 2017
Sep 2016

45000 mi
Headlights and fog lights stopped working. Ended up being a loose fuse. 
Jun 2017

47000 mi

US $800
Replaced both control arms and sway bar links Replaced pads and rotors 

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2dr Convertible

150-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Chrysler PT Cruiser in Georgia, United States
Jan 2010 - Feb 2015
May 2010

84000 mi

US $50
Placed battery, this was original battery 5 yrs 1 month, 84,000 miles. 
Jan 2011

100300 mi

US $2214
Replace & flash computer remove & machine head 
Apr 2014

121000 mi

US $300
Plugs, & adjustments 
Jan 2015

118000 mi

US $120
We had to replace the Cam Sensor. A mechanic friend ordered part and replaced it for me. Also replaced two bushing for the gear shifter.  

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2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.