2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems & reliability
349 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
21 complaints report injuries (25 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser vehicles were involved in 32 fatal crashes with 32 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 138 | 40% |
| Engine | 55 | 16% |
| Visibility | 37 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 36 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 35 | 10% |
| Power Train | 28 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 21 | 6% |
| Steering | 18 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 15 | 4% |
| Structure | 15 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 57,500 miles (middle 50% between 33,000 and 85,560 miles), based on 296 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I heard a strange noise, so I looked under the front end of the car. Saw all that missing. This has happened in the last two weeks. I do not drive in bad weather.”
Structure · filed Jun 3, 2022
“all of the dash board instrument cluster lights turn on breifly,car speed starts to drop, lights on dash turn back off,[ all except seat belt lights] then car seems to restart itself and will reaccelerate.all this happens while we are driving in traffic at highway speeds, this is not good and could result in a very…”
Engine · filed Aug 1, 2021
“Fuel odor in passenger compartment investigated and fuel leak in the engine compartment was found. The leak is at the connection from the fuel tank to the fuel rail connection. The connection is on the vehicle right/passenger side and against the fire wall. If no recall, at least all registered drivers should be…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 5, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- REAR QUARTER PANEL GLASS SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA07004 · opened Feb 16, 2007 · closed Apr 5, 2007 · led to recall 07V149000
- REAR QUARTER PANEL GLASS SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE06046 · opened Oct 20, 2006 · closed Feb 16, 2007
Technical service bulletins
55 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The 10 most recent:
Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the transmission bracket to the transmission case fasteners are removed during servicing, the fasteners (Part Number…
9004009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2021
KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not…
9004275 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2020
KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all other platforms, if the "AB" NIC level will not…
9004275 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2020
Disinfectant Solution Recommended for COVID-19
23-015-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2020
Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery…
08-049-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2020
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
3100519 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
3100319 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
3100619 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
31-005-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
31-003-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 57,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.