2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other PT Cruiser years
- More complaints than other years 3rd of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 349 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser. That ranks 3rd out of 10 PT Cruiser model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (138 complaints, 40%), typically at around 60,000 miles. Complaints mention 35 crashes, 5 fires, 25 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 349owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 35complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 138 | 40% | 60,000 | “instrument panel” (9%) | $1,350 |
| Engine problems | 55 | 16% | 70,000 | “timing belt” (9%) | — |
| Visibility | 37 | 11% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 36 | 10% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 35 | 10% | 45,436 | — | — |
| Power Train | 28 | 8% | 61,585 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 21 | 6% | 84,288 | — | — |
| Steering | 18 | 5% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 15 | 4% | 85,300 | — | — |
| Structure | 15 | 4% | 77,250 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 4% | 51,665 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 11 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 2% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 2% | 44,052 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 2% | 37,400 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 2% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 2% | 56,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 2% | 47,026 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 1% | 44,052 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 1% | 27,432 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1% | 102,356 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 32,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 0% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 105,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:glass, side/rear
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the rear quarter glass attaching fasteners may pull through their mounts and allow the glass to separate from the vehicle.
Risk: If the glass separates while driving, it could strike another vehicle or injure a pedestrian.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear quarter glass. The recall began on april 30, 2007. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Rear quarter panel glass separation (EA07004) — opened Feb 16, 2007, closed Apr 5, 2007, led to recall 07V149000.
- Rear quarter panel glass separation (PE06046) — opened Oct 20, 2006, closed Feb 16, 2007.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
See attached document for complaint.
Air bag warning light on
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.
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…
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…
Other Chrysler PT Cruiser years
← 2005 PT Cruiser · 2007 PT Cruiser →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 PT Cruiser | 22 | 0 |
| 2009 PT Cruiser | 97 | 0 |
| 2008 PT Cruiser | 115 | 0 |
| 2007 PT Cruiser | 150 | 0 |
| 2006 | 349 | 1 |
| 2005 PT Cruiser | 187 | 3 |
| 2004 PT Cruiser | 217 | 1 |
| 2003 PT Cruiser | 258 | 2 |
| 2002 PT Cruiser | 511 | 3 |
| 2001 PT Cruiser | 618 | 5 |
See all Chrysler PT Cruiser problems by year, every Chrysler model, or the Chrysler VIN decoder.
Similar Chrysler models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, visibility problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 138 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other PT Cruiser model years, the 2006 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.