Chrysler PT Cruiser
Registered from 2000 to 2008.
About this model
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a compact car that was built by the American company Chrysler from 2001 until 2010. Introduced as a five-door hatchback wagon, a two-door convertible variant was also made from 2005 until 2008.
From the Wikipedia article Chrysler PT Cruiser, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2007 2.4 petrol. 189 of 687 tests failed, 28%.
Better than 42% of 2007 cars. The typical one fails 27%, across 935 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 52% | 98 |
| Lights and electrics | 38% | 71 |
| Suspension | 38% | 71 |
| Steering | 21% | 40 |
| Visibility | 15% | 29 |
| Body and structure | 15% | 28 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Warning device shows system malfunction
- Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Where it stands out against its peers
- Brakes: failed more often than 92% of 2007 cars — 52% of its 189 failed tests, where an ordinary 2007 car has 34%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Brakes — 52% of its failures
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
- Suspension — 38% of its failures
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- Steering — 21% of its failures
- A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
- Lights and electrics — 38% of its failures
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Visibility — 15% of its failures
- Body and structure — 15% of its failures
When it starts failing
At 100–120k miles this one fails 29% of its inspections, about what an ordinary car of the same age does.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–40k miles | 24% | 16% | 59 | |
| 40–60k miles | 28% | 21% | 188 | |
| 60–80k miles | 25% | 24% | 194 | |
| 80–100k miles | 31% | 27% | 162 | |
| 100–120k miles | 29% | 29% | 52 |
655 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 60k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.