Front Suspension Control Arm problems of the 2002 Chrysler Pt Cruiser

Tl-the contact owns a 2002 Chrysler Pt Cruiser. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph and made a right turn into a parking lot, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The contact got out of the vehicle and discovered that the front passenger side sub frame had excessive rust and fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the front passenger frame, cv axles and lower control arms with ball joint and stabilizer link had fractures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000. Sw.

I own a 02 and 03 Pt Cruiser. Both cars have had to have control arms replaced as well as idler arms. Were considered dangerous at less then 50,000 miles. Chrysler is aware of this situation-all over the net, refuses to do anything, says it's normal wear.

My 2002 Pt Cruiser has had two sets of front control arms replaced at 90,000 miles due to the control arm bushing failing. The first time the bushing came out completely. The second time it was still in place but torn. Both repair shops indicate this is a known and very common problem with these vehicles and a safety concern.

The contact owns a 2002 Chrysler pt crusier. The contact stated that both lower control arms and the bushings failed and had to be replaced every year since the vehicle was purchased in 2005. After each failure, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The manufacturer was notified, but offered no assistance and stated that there were no recalls or warranties addressing the failures. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 121,000.

I was informed by service advisor james quinn at brunswick auto mall in brunswick, ohio (330-273-3300) that the rear control arm(rubber bushings on my 2002 Chrysler Pt Cruiser were worn out and need to be replaced at 44,971 miles. I did a web search and found numerous Pt Cruiser user forums and found references to Chrysler changing the supplier of the bushings sometime after my vehicle was built. Chrysler changed the bushings supplier due to very early failure and also upgraded the quality of the bushings. My bushings failed due to having the older style bushings. 45k miles is very early for control arm bushings to wear out. I contacted chrylser warranty at 800-992-1997 to complain and was assigned reference number 14736996. After explaining the situation, the chrylser representative informed me that Chrysler would offer no customer good-will assistance with paying for the repairs since I was 1 year and 4 months out of warranty. The Chrysler service representative also informed me that I should have bought the Chrysler extended warranty in anticipation of unanticipated vehicle repair problems like my bushings. The "unanticipated" early failure of rear control arm bushings on older model Pt Cruiser bushings is a severe safety threat to consumers who expect quality parts in their vehicles that should normally last at least 100,000 miles. The unanticipated failure of the Pt Cruiser bushing can easily result in loss of control of the vehicle, accidents, or much worse. Thank you for taking the time to read my complaint. Best regards.

I have a 2002 Pt Cruiser and took it in for an oil change and they said: bushings (both lower-front) remove & replace control arm shaft and bushings, lower both control arm. Bearing & seals. From what I am reading it seems to be a common problem with Pt Cruisers.

The front suspension bushing on all Chrysler Pt Cruisers are designed in such a manner that they can dislodge from their positions without warning, causing the front suspension to lose it's alignment. The bushing failure is covered with Chrysler's warranty but the excessive tire wear associated with it, is not. The tire damage happens so fast that the tires cannot be salvaged. This is a common problem with Pt Cruisers. The dealers refuse to accommodate for the tire wear caused by their problem.