"How reliable is the 2009 Chrysler Pt Cruiser?"

"Based on 158 NHTSA complaints, the 2009 Chrysler Pt Cruiser has a median complaint mileage of 52000 miles. The most common issue is Electrical System."

"What are common problems with the 2009 Chrysler Pt Cruiser?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Chrysler Pt Cruiser is Electrical System, accounting for a significant portion of the 158 total complaints filed."

2009 Chrysler Pt Cruiser: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 158 complaints

158

Total Complaints

52,000mi

Median Mileage

Electrical System

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

36,700 25th Percentile

52,000 Median Mileage

76,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System

Engine

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags

Steering

Power Train

Seats

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Unknown Or Other

Wheels

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I HAVE A 2009 PT CRUISER, I HAVE ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL, TO FIND THAT IT HAS SURGED AND CAUSED THE CAR TO SPEED UP WITH OUT WARNING. I THOUGHT IT WAS ME UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I HAVE NOT USED IT SINCE. IT DID NOT WANT TO DISENGAGE AND I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES REALLY ..."

"1.)WHEN VEHICLE HORN IS APPLIED IT WILL NOT SHUT OFF UNLESS STEERING WHEEL CENTER IS PUNCHED HARD SEVERAL TIMES TO RELEASE HORN. NO CRASH BUT HURT HAND AND WRIST WHILE PUNCHING STEERING WHEEL TO SHUT OFF HORN. DEALERS SERVICES DEPT. DIAGNOSED HORN SWITCH CIRCUIT OPEN AND AIR BAG SPRINGS ARE WEAK. ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Electrical System 58 complaints

25th: 38,000 mi Median: 52,000 mi 75th: 75,000 mi

Engine 26 complaints

25th: 39,925 mi Median: 59,375 mi 75th: 80,500 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 14 complaints

25th: 36,700 mi Median: 41,000 mi 75th: 74,000 mi

Air Bags 6 complaints

25th: 59,250 mi Median: 66,500 mi 75th: 76,000 mi

Steering 6 complaints

25th: 35,425 mi Median: 44,350 mi 75th: 58,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 21 FL: 13 TX: 10 MN: 9 NY: 9 TN: 9 NC: 8 CT: 7 WA: 7 MI: 6

Who Files Complaints?

1.9%

Original Owners

98.1%

Second+ Owners

Chrysler Pt Cruiser — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2001	799	58,000	Structure	48
2002	658	52,000	Electrical System	54
2003	353	49,000	Electrical System	30
2004	290	52,718	Electrical System	23
2005	244	59,000	Electrical System	12
2006	511	60,000	Electrical System	55
2007	203	53,000	Air Bags	23
2008	171	59,750	Electrical System	17
2010	30	30,000	Engine	1

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28