what do you think of pt cruisers?

what do you think of pt cruisers?

I'm seventeen and really want one, I think they are so cute! What do you all think of them? Like not the way they look, I mean how do they run? Do they hold up well or will it be a constant fixer upper? I'm moving away for college in about three months so i can't handle having a car that will give me a lot of trouble. any advice on a good car? i have an eight thousand dollar spending limit.

Asked by: kels @ 2009-05-31 17:31:47

[Best Answer]well in my opinion they are very good to drive, low maintenance and very reliable. i own 3 right now, a 2001 PT Cruiser with 204k Miles, a 2006 PT Cruiser with 45k miles and a new 2009 PT Cruiser with 2k miles and all have HID (High Intensity Discharge) Headlights. i love my 3 Cruisers and i don't plan on getting rid of them anytime soon. Transmission on the 01 is still working fine, except for when i shift from reverse to drive but doesn't bother me because it does have 204k on it so its expected. but if you have any questions E-Mail me at spiritofvengence@ymail.com if you want more information on a PT Cruiser or have questions on the headlights. Headlights are great by the way because they really light up the road and don't blind other people while driving so i like the Cruisers and the headlights.

By : Jay B @ 1243842311

Answers ::
They are classy and stylish.


They have 4 Stars in crash test (Excellent mark)

And according to Carcomplaints.com they have a decent reputation of quality.

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Chrysler/PT_Cruiser/2007/index.shtml

guzzy92fs

weve had ours for 3 years now, and it is a great car. very low maintenance, good fuel economy, and fun to drive. no complaints.

McGuyver

Hi,
I bought mine new in 2002, and have been the only owner for the last 7 years, so i know everything about my car's 90,000 miles.

The suspension was the main thing that gave me problems. I had to fix bushings, control arms, and another structural member that i forgot the name of. I also had to fix an electrical switch in the steering column.

Total repair money spent - 2175 dollars on three trips to the mechanic over 7 years time. If you subtract 3 years from this total (because most cars don't need repairs during the warranty period), you could say that i spent 2175 dollars over 4 years.
This amounts to $544 dollars per year in unexpected repairs. This of course does not count regular maintenance like oil change, brakes, etc. Luckly, i did not have an engine or transmission problem. But i still think that over 500 dollars a year in unplanned repairs is a lot.
I am not happy with my car :(

BUT, one good thing is the cargo space and usefulness of the car. It holds a lot of stuff for a small car. A LOT of stuff. Especially if you can remove your seats like mine can.

Zin

I don't really like them very much but they are dependable.

kwb3392

my best friend owns a 2007 pt cruiser and it is very nice. he and i always compete to see who's car is better (mine is a 2003 nissan altima)

You can get older PT Cruisers extremely cheap (saw one for sale that was $1000 but that was an 2001)

A lot of PT Cruiser owners are very happy with what they buy, they are stylish, dependable, and most importantly good on gas.

Since you're 17 you probably don't care about value but the downside to Cruisers is they lose about 1/2 to 2/3 of its value just with in the first year if you buy it brand new.

But I also assume this is your first car. Try to look for an older model (2001-2004) for a better price, dark read is also a really good color for this car. Just remember if you buy used, make sure the vehicle was well-maintained and has a clean carfax report

Take a look into nissan altima's too (2002-2006) you might be impressed with those as well. Also try looking at Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas, Ford Focuses. Oh and since you have an $8000 limit, you will have NO problem finding a PT Cruiser
.
Since Im 19 y/o guy though I'd take either the Nissan Altima or the PT Cruiser, both are extremely reliable dependable cars! Altimas are iff at $8000 though, so if you choose one of those be careful

Good luck with whatever you buy, and good luck in college and osrry there's a big wall of text! :D

David A

well in my opinion they are very good to drive, low maintenance and very reliable. i own 3 right now, a 2001 PT Cruiser with 204k Miles, a 2006 PT Cruiser with 45k miles and a new 2009 PT Cruiser with 2k miles and all have HID (High Intensity Discharge) Headlights. i love my 3 Cruisers and i don't plan on getting rid of them anytime soon. Transmission on the 01 is still working fine, except for when i shift from reverse to drive but doesn't bother me because it does have 204k on it so its expected. but if you have any questions E-Mail me at spiritofvengence@ymail.com if you want more information on a PT Cruiser or have questions on the headlights. Headlights are great by the way because they really light up the road and don't blind other people while driving so i like the Cruisers and the headlights.

Jay B

PT Cruiser - Mystery wire under the hood that doesn't do anything (but mine is broken). What is it for?

There is a small wire with black insulation that attaches to the hood and to the fender sheet metal. It's only perhaps 4 inches long. It attached to nothing electrical or electronic. It just terminates in those two surfaces with a screw. It's nice to know someone was probably paid 77 dollars an hour to add worthless parts to my car >:(
How do i know it's worthless? Mine has been broken for 3 years and it hasn't mattered.
WHAT IS THIS WIRE FOR?? Im curious.
my PT is a 2002, by the way.
To entidtil: No, I don't have your car because I bought mine new and it's black. But that would have been a funny coincidence.

Asked by: Zin @ 2009-05-31 06:11:02

Answers ::
wild guess...a ground wire...engineers discovered some sort of issue with grounding a component in the hood.

David B

It is most likely a ground wire of some sort.

Strange but I had a 2002 maroon PT cruiser I installed an under hood light on it and when I traded it in, i removed the light but left the wire. You don't suppose that you have my old Car?

entidtil

this is a ground wire to minimize radio interference.
when properly grounded the hood acts like a shield keeping radio frequency interference signals under the hood and away from your antenna.[ a poorly or ungrounded hood can actually amplify this type of interference].
unless you live in a fringe area [radio stations that you listen to are far away] you will never know that you needed a ground here.
also the A.M. band is more susceptible to this type of interference

hobbabob

It sounds like some type of ground strap to me.

badbill1941

those wires depending on year of the cruiser is in fact a ground wire, some people just cut them off because it doesnt really matter but with my three PT Cruisers (01, 06 and 09) i leave the ground wires alone. only because i have HID Headlights on all 3 PT's so i need ground wires lol. HID is High Intensity Discharge if no one knew already. any questions contact me spiritofvengence@ymail.com

Jay B

I have a 2003 PT Cruiser. I can not get it in Reverse. Otherwise it goes well I am sure it is ...?

a transmission problem. Is there any chance it could be fixed for less than $600? Money is tight.
I forgot to say it was a manual.

Asked by: JakeMcKoffer @ 2009-05-30 15:01:37

[Best Answer]Is it a manual or auto? That's a kinda important piece of information for someone to help make a guess at your problem.
If it is a manual, it could be a shifter/cable issue, if not, its a trans issue, and it'll surely cost more than 600 to fix.
If its an auto, it could be a solenoid pack issue, that could be under the 600 mark, your going to have to take it to a pro.
Peripheral stuff, could be in your budget, but removing and repairing either trans won't.
Good luck~Dan

By : moparmandan @ 1243729610

Answers ::
Did you try putting it on R dumbass?

Bob

Hahahahahaha PT Cruiser with a problem. LOL for sure. Maybe Chrysler will buy it back from you for $600 with their bailout money. Sorry for you loss.

Paul RN

Is the check engine light on? Might be something as simple as a sensor. My 99 Dodge Intrepid was shifting hard and after a day would not leave out of 2nd gear. I thought for sure it was the tranny. But I found it strange that the check engine light would come on. The enginelight only gets codes from sensors, electrical stuff, it has no way of knowing if a tranny is going bad. Anyways, there is a speed input sensor and speed output sensor on the outside driver side of the tranny. By looking at the codes and looking them up on the internet, my problem turned out to be a 16.99 sensor. Way better than the 500 I was planning for a used transmission and 300-400 for installation. But the moral is don't just automatically assume its the tranny yet. I took it to a tranny shop and they looked at the codes and said, oh yea, you need a new transmission. But I just wasn't convinced. I posted the codes here in Yahoo and a 30 year dodge trans tech answered back and said it was for sure the sensor.

SharpGuy

Is it a manual or auto? That's a kinda important piece of information for someone to help make a guess at your problem.
If it is a manual, it could be a shifter/cable issue, if not, its a trans issue, and it'll surely cost more than 600 to fix.
If its an auto, it could be a solenoid pack issue, that could be under the 600 mark, your going to have to take it to a pro.
Peripheral stuff, could be in your budget, but removing and repairing either trans won't.
Good luck~Dan

moparmandan

My Le Baron is acting weird...?

I have a 1995 Chrysler Le Baron Convertible.

It drives perfectly, but when I go to break, when I'm almost stopped, it acts like it's going to stall, but doesn't. It jerks a little bit.

I had the breaks checked, and I don't need breaks, or break pads/rotors.

Any ideas?

Asked by: Char @ 2009-05-31 10:28:30

Answers ::
Definitely not a brake issue. Its more of an ignition, fuel related issue. If your not competent in finding auto related issues then your best bet is to take it to a reputable shop and have them check it out. If your curious you can use this troubleshooting page for some help:

http://www.garage411.com/EngineTroubleShooting

phosizzle

Check for a black device that hooks up via vac lines to the EGR valve that is called a transducer it could be what is causing your problem , they cost over 500 bucks bec they come with the EGR valve but if you go to a U pick auto wreckers you can pull one off for about 5 to 10 bucks or so.


Hope that helps and best of luck.By the way check those vac lines bec one could be loose , cracked or leaking.

helpful bob

I think it could be the timing belt or chain. I had an '89 Taurus that would "jerk" when shifting from 2nd to