general problems of the 2004 Chrysler Pt Cruiser

It started with the dashboard lights and the middle stick lights (p,d,r,n++) I can't see at night what speed I'm going or my levels or anything bc the lights quit working, I had the battery replaced I've had the battery changed twice, I've had the thermostat changed twice but it still over heats not too long ago with both of my toddlers in the car on a 3 lane highway locked up on me couldn't use the steering wheel or brakes had to pull the emergency break it's just been repetitive I bought the car from my sister who's grandmother got tired of putting money into it it stutters sometimes like it's slow to shift into gear to accelerate it can happen anywhere. It was my first car it's never been wrecked, I never thought to check for any recalls, I bought it in July of 17. It's only had a total of 2 owners. It used to shake real bad I couldn't go over 55miles an hour but even 55 was iffy. The scariest thing for me was it locking up on a highway with an intersecting lane I had just had everything replaced for a second time before it started smoking and locked up and completely shut down my kids 3 & 1 were in the back all I could think to do was pull my emergency break I drifted and swerved until the car finally came to a stop luckily not wrecking or injuring anyone, just fear of driving I really trusted this car. I had to call the police to get ahold of a state trooper who gave me a couple days to move it given my circumstance and 45 min away from home, a stranger stopped to help and offered to give us a ride back to ironton from the west portsmouth highway he lived in portsmouth out of kindness moved my car to his house there after dropping us off that night to keep from getting it towed. Officer noted everything. I didn't think of anything until I just recently got another 2004 pt that started fire in the headlights and going through a lot of the same problems.

While driving, sometimes when driving, the car will jerk to the left or the right without probacation. Vechile accelerates without foot being on the pedal. One time I was at a stop light. My foot was on the brake, but the car lurched forward and the engine starting reving. I had to use both feet with extreme force to slow the car down. Finally, I just threw the car into park; once in park, the car kept reving. The pedal was not pressed. This has happened on three occasions. This makes for unsafe driving, and only due to my good driving skills did I avoid an accident. This has been occuring for the past three months.