2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The newest campaign is 04V268000. NHTSA received the report on 3 Jun 2004. The NHTSA record gives the component Steering / Hydraulic Power Assist / Hose, Piping, and Connections. NHTSA has 258 complaints on file for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 04V268000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will inspect and relocate, or replace as necessary, the power steering hose and confirm torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. The recall began on september 20, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

2 campaigns, newest first. 439,207 units in total.

04V268000Received 3 Jun 2004. 438,391 units.
Steering / Hydraulic Power Assist / Hose, Piping, and Connections
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.4l non-turbocharged engines and automatic transaxles, the power steering pressure hose may contact the automatic transaxle differential cover, potentially damaging the hose.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Power steering fluid leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in an underhood fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect and relocate, or replace as necessary, the power steering hose and confirm torque of the hose fastener at the steering gear end. The recall began on september 20, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Report filed by DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number D18. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 20 Sep 2004.
03V076000Received 10 Mar 2003. 816 units.
Power Train / Clutch Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain passenger vehicles, manual transmission models only, a welded pin internal to the dual-mass flywheel (dmf) assembly can unseat and become lodged between the flywheel and the clutch disc.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If this occurs, the clutch may not disengage when the clutch pedal is depressed.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the flywheel and clutch assemblies with the updated design parts. Owner notification began on april 14, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Report filed by DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number C09. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 15 Apr 2003.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

258 complaints, 354 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
All 2003 vehicles

2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2003 PT Cruiser	All 2003 vehicles	PT Cruiser, all years	Mentions
Electrical System	141.2	122.8	169	50
Power Train	104.5	118.5	64.6	37
Suspension	98.9	59	68.4	35
Exterior Lighting	98.9	34.6	66.7	35
Engine and Engine Cooling	93.2	74.5	78.4	33
Steering	81.9	48.1	67	29
Air Bags	56.5	83.7	67.3	20
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	39.5	56.4	35.7	14
Vehicle Speed Control	33.9	41.3	25.1	12
Wheels	33.9	10.9	36.5	12

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 25.

Complaints that report a crash: 22
Complaints that report a fire: 15
Injuries in the complaints: 20
Deaths in the complaints: 1
Date of the newest complaint: 28 Jun 2026

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2004, with 36 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
PE04028	Preliminary evaluation	ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES	Steering	15 Mar 2004	18 Jun 2004	04V268000
PE02082	Preliminary evaluation	SAFETY BELT CINCHING LATCH PLATE	Seat Belts	6 Nov 2002	23 Apr 2003

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2003 Chrysler PT CruiserThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/chrysler/pt-cruiser/2003/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser?: 439,207 units in 2 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Chrysler PT Cruiser have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the Chrysler PT Cruiser, model years 2001 to 2010. 2 of them name the 2003 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser name most often?: Electrical System: 50 of 354 component mentions, or 141.2 per 1,000. For all 2003 vehicles the figure is 122.8 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser open?: No. Each of the 2 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.