My sister passed away this month and owned a 2005 Convertible in black. I wasn’t necessarily a fan of the car, but she loved it. I rode in it with her and so I decided to keep it for sentimental reasons. Thanks for a thorough breakdown of what to expect caring for it. I love you Sissy
My mother owns a 1998 Chrysler Town and Country. She always takes good care of it, and never abuses it. I kid you not, that van is still running and driving with 312k miles. Still drives great, and the interior is in immaculate shape!
Thank you so much for this video. I recently was in car accident and my new car was total lost. They stole the catalytic converter from my older mid size suv a week prior to my accident. I went to the Facebook Market and found me a 2008 PT, for some reason I liked the model of the car, my husband did a little research and test drove it. We give it a detailed cleaning and I finally started driving it to work this past Monday. It is indeed fun to drive. I originally wasn't going to keep it for a long time but now I want to keep it! My husband & I enjoy working together on cars! So we are looking forward to caring for our PT! Thanks for the video, it's good to know what are some areas we are going to have to work on the PT.
I've NEVER been a Chrysler fan. NEVER. My mom fell in love with the PT Cruiser upon its release, finally buying a brand new model in 2005. In 2010 I moved to Medford Oregon (she lived in Tacoma Washington at the time) and I went to visit her (via grayhound) and spent a week visiting. My first time driving it was she decided we were going to drive from Tacoma to Medford in her car, she was going to stay for a week at my place, then she'd drive home. I drove to Medford and immediately fell in love (grudgingly, but I wasn't going to admit it). Two years later I was visiting again and driving it, while accelerating to freeway speed, the timing belt broke causing the engine to die. Long story short, come to find out that her mechanic had been telling her to replace the timing belt for the past year but she was procrastinating due to the cost. My family gave me grief because of my reputation as a lead foot, the mechanic came to my defense. In 2016, I moved to Iowa, my mom passed away in 2018 but bought a 2007 model used with 30000 miles on it shortly before I moved to Iowa and she gave it to my baby brother who lives in Seattle. In March he calls me up and says "I'm buying a new car. You can have Mom's if you come out and get it. It's got 160000 miles on it. Brand new timing belt maybe 70000 miles of life left, new brakes. New clutch and water pump. Car should last you the rest of your life if you take care of it (I'm 56 years old) so I flew out to Seattle, spent some time with my brother and his wife and drove it 1800 miles back to Des Moines. Most of my mpg was in the 26 mpg range with one tank getting 21 MPG (Montana, driving mostly in the high 90s some occasional triple digits) one tank was at 28 MPG (28.7? I think) across South Dakota, but I was running at 70 all the way. I'm convinced that if I'd kept at 60 or 65 I would have exceeded 30 MPG in it, but that's not my style. At 3000 RPM it's got more than enough torque to maintain speeds regardless of the terrain. I don't care what anyone says. The PT Cruiser is an awesome car and I plan on maintaining it until I die, then giving it to my niece
I have to agree. The pt was a good car. My dads 01 lasted 15yrs and 288k miles. He now has a 05 with 156k. I had a 08 with 136k and sold it to buy an escape but I still have my 03 woody edition with 63k miles (bought it with 48k 3 years ago for $3k) in 3 yrs i changed the timing belt and water pump, struts and a tune up. Still purrs and runs. No rust either. Love it. Just depends on HOW WELL YOU TAKE CARE OF IT. 95% of PT's are not well maintained. The PT would have been better for acceleration and gas mileage if they didnt build it on a stupid heavy truck frame.
thank you for your comments, couldnt agree more! i believe i mentioned in the video about how are these PT's treated that have so many issues! thank you for confirming that point!
I think it's the labor costs involved (around $1000) in replacing the timing belt that causes people to rag on the PT. The tight clearances cause labor to be high due to accessibility issues.
@BadDriversOfTennessee I bought the timing belt and water pump and tension pully Peace of cake if you have the brains and not afraid to do it your self. It runs better then my Xl 2009 Yukon.
I own one exactly like yours and I keep it as my summer car, fun and always gets compliments because I have it in mint condition. Very unique fun looking car indeed.
I have a 2005 pt convertible and have owned it for 13 years. Never had any major problems and have owned mostly Chrysler vehicles all my life. Thanks for helping to set the record straight on what these cars are and what they were designed to do. Fun to drive and everyone I meet always seem to want to talk about the car. Thanks again.
I didn't like the PT Cruiser at first, but after driving the ones we have at work (courtesy cars), actually got a 2007 hard top. Absolutely love the car, it is cheap to drive and very easy to work on. A very straight forward car to fix, I changed the transmission because it wasn't shifting well, and the catalytic converter was plugged. And my car is the same colour in the video, I'm on the look out for a black PT Cruiser with manual transmission for summer driving. Have driven the Turbo manual car and was very impressed.
I have a 2006 PT Cruiser GT convertible with 84K miles on it. Main issues are electrical gremlins. Plus no room under the hood to work on it. Only reason I bought it was that it was a turbo convertible with low miles. 64K miles when I bought it 4 years ago for $2500. Red with tan leather interior. I had to replace the computer. Found a stage 1 for $375. No issues now. Gas mileage is terrible with the 4 speed automatic transmission. At 70mph the tack reads 2600rpm's. It could use an extra gear like the 5 speed standard transmission. But it is a fun car to cruise in with the top down.
You got him down pack with the impression. I just bought a 2005 pt and so far so good!! Its 7:00 am in the morning and your impression of Scotty made my day!!!😊😊😊
Dealership sold me a sebring with a bent frame in '05. A year ago bought a '06 pt cruiser. I've already had 3 transmissions and 2 timing belts. A week ago had the transmission start slipping again. Never had good luck with Chrysler. Yet other people I know have never had a problem with them.
@@Ollywood00 there were warranties on the transmissions but sucks to get your car back, drive 3 miles down the road and the transmission fails... 3 different times. Dealership said the Transmissions were defective. So how many defective transmissions sent to Chrysler if I got 3 of them in a month? Doesn't make their brand sound too strong. As for the timing belts I do not know how I went through two of them in a month. I'm not a mechanic. I just fixed what the anti-Chrysler dealership told me was wrong with the car.
You talk about your personal issues but why don’t you also talk about what kind of maintenance you provide to your car . Like oil change Tranny flush radiator flush brake system flush etc etc etc
@@fryerobert093 how come everyone who doesn’t own a pt cruiser says they’re junk, yet everyone who owns one says it’s super nice and a fun cruiser? i’ve owned my 2008 pt cruiser for a year and i love it.
@@fryerobert093 Get real I had so many cars and I tell you my wife gave me her pt cruiser and it runs better then other cars out in the road. Its a solid car no rust and I've been all over deferent states with this car. I love the fact that it also turns into a station wagon yes I use it to take my latter and lawn mower to my other house to do yard work. You just had bad luck with yours.
@@fryerobert093 Thanks for the tip. I own two; one 18 years old, one 20 years old. They have been reliable, very little trouble and I enjoy them. If it weren't for the Internet, I wouldn't have known they were junk!
I own the turbo GT model 2003 PT, I've owned it since new, and it has served me well! it's a very reliable car, I've done all the normal maintenance on it, brakes, oil changes, transmission flushes, tires, ect, and yes even the timing belt/water pump, and I have had the engine light come on a few times, but they were simple repairs. It has 144,000 miles on it, and it still has the same power like it was new. As a mechanic/auto parts counterman for nearly 30 years, I can tell you that I get more calls on euro cars (BMW, Merc, Audi, VW ect.) than any other makes/models. Even fellow mechanics like them...the only complaint I get about them, is that they're cramped to work on
I absolutely love the way the doors work on the 4door the outside handles are built heavy I see the convertible has much larger doors just curious how the hinges are holding up? We bought a new 04 woody drove close to 300,000 then gave it to the kids they killed it then we bought a 07 repaired the head gasket and someone totald it out now I bought an08 basket case about got it done I'm getting the dredded P0300 code
I have a 2008 pt cruiser touring non-turbo and I love my car, it has over 140,000 miles and the most serious drivability issues I've had with my pt is that the low speed on the cooling fan went out (I changed it myself last summer) causing it to idle rough and the cam sensor had to be replaced the year before that along with the transmission cable and a wheel bearing, took it to a mechanic neighbor who fixed it no problem without a major bill. Now as far as electrical issues are concerned I have recently had to replace my liftgate handle due to the touch pad not working and on the '08, Chrysler did make the boneheaded decision to remove the key cylinder and leave no manual options for opening the trunk without the touch pad. My dash clock light works intermittently but I think the bulb is just loose because if I tap it it comes on, I plan to remove the bezel and fix it when I replace the radio with an aftermarket one that has Bluetooth (the tuning knob is possessed anyways). I'm currently replacing my front bumper cover because it got partially torn off on a snow bank left behind by a snowplow (that low front end clearance) and I'm taking the time while I do that to resurface my headlights and fog lights, and may replace the horn that was swapped from a Mitsubishi (the original got drowned in mud and dust) out with an oem one. I also just installed a cabin filter, mine had the box but no filter in it when I checked it. I love how it drives and my sister in law has a jeep (not a little one either, I have to climb up into the darn thing) and I have driven it, I was surprised by how similar it felt to driving my pt. I've considered trying to get another one to use for parts as some parts can be difficult to get.
I just bought a 2007 PT Cruiser with only 35K miles on it. So far, it's been lots of fun. It's my daily driver. It has a manual 5 speed, so I don't expect any transmission problems. It replaced my 2006 Saturn Vue which died after 305,000 miles. Frequent oil changes and synthetic oil!
I'm a bit late to the party on this video, but my 04's water pump decided it needed replacing a week after I put new components on the front end; the main issue was the drive wheel bearing, but I figured I'd swap out the bushings and what not during the time. It only has 82k miles with a few exterior blemishes, but the interior is flawless. Definitely worth the repairs.
Let the haters hate, I bought one with 24000 mile for £3000, it’s a good car. If folks don’t like the looks, go and look at something they like. Great Scotty impression 😁
My father in-law and I (god rest his soul) bought the very first pt cruiser limited available for my mother-in-law . He and she chose all the options colors etc they wanted them waited 4 months for it to be manufactured and delivered. IT WAS CANDY APPLE RED AND ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! They drove it all over loved it and took care of it. It was so well made and engineered not one other small car could compete on quality workmanship or design. Built like an aircraft. Beautiful in every way and drove n handled amazingly!! I drove it on occasion and noticed how well it drove handled and rode. Fantastic car
I had a 2003 GT Turbo that could get up & out of its own way. It was a rocketship but the turbos had additional problems - ie: the oil cooling lines would always leak. I've had alot of the PT's mostly because they were cheap from auctions. I loved all the ones I got to keep & I still have an 05 convertible. It's my show car, cruiser, sunday driver, & daily driver. I love them.
Hey Joe.. (that alone could be a song...) Anyway, to be serious, loved your video! We bought a 2003 PT (5 speed manual, 2.0 litre) in 2009 with 180,000kms on it. It's now 2021, we still have it! 441,000 kms. All we've done is REGULAR servicing with good oils & good (mostly aftermarket) parts. Yes, there's been cooling fans, radiator, struts & shocks, timing belts, starter motors, wheel bearings, brakes, etc., but that's completely normal on ANY motor vehicle. I drive 100,000kms per year just for work, over the years in a Mitsubishi, Ford, Toyota, Renault (all light commercials), the Chrysler PT Cruiser has cost NO MORE per 100km than any of those vehicles. The key (like any vehicle) is regular maintenance! I love your passion! Thanks for sticking up for Mopar!
The most talked about issues are (no in particular order) Limp mode, Tipm 2001/2002 don't have them. PCM/TCM 2001/2002 don't have TCMs, the modules are seperate in the front driver's side wheel well coverings. Overheating easy fix: cap, thermostat, Orange coolant, fill , Radiator Fan not working, Radiator leaks etc. Electrical issues, Grounding, Instrument cluster lights go nuts. and some issues with Gen 2's 2006 models. To be honest what car doesn't have problems, just needs a bit more TLC. The most people complain about (mechanics) it too damn cramped inside the engine bay ;)
I love my 2004 PT Cruiser. It's been good to me for 17 years. We've been going everywhere from Vegas to Yosemite. Hope to drive for another 5-10 more years.
a thoroughly enjoyable vid to watch mate, my wife bought a PT in 2004 and just starting to have a few reliability/overheating issues, but hey, she's driven the thing 18 YEARS! a great little car and yes, UA-cam seems filled with horror stories about it being the worst car ever made, that's why we enjoyed your video, a bit of a more cheerful perspective. Cheers from Australia cobber - I've subscribed.
I had one of those from 2007 for 12 years. I had to change the tie rods, struts, the bushings, wheel barrels a few times. I had to change the radiator a couple of times. My timing belt and computer module went out on the road around the time my dad died some years ago. I still gave it for free to my aunt last year at around 200000 miles and she likes it. But I did go for a Camry last year, because my mechanic kept telling me to get one and I am tired of pouring money into American cars. American cars begin to wear out at around 100000 miles because they like to cut corners with certain car parts. I don't regret the PT cruiser thou. I was just ready to move on and I didn't like how the Cruiser hit the corners. The PT Cruiser was comfy thou. Great for a daughter or son's first car or for a grandpa or grandma; or an old aunt. :-)
I've got two 06's right now , one I bought new in 06 and have had it 16 years come this July , an 06 rag top I bought recently , and an 05 I bought 3 years ago but sold to my neighbor when he talked me out of it . The new one I bought has 64,000 original miles . My rag top looks identical to yours and is Cool Vanilla in color . I fixed the top to open by hand by turning the adjusting screw on the power top motor . It also has 16" factory mags . I'm looking now and will buy up every P.T. I can find for my collection . These are great cars and can tow 2,000 lbs. We towed our A-Liner camper all over with the new Cruiser . Yes , you need to be mechanical to own one , but they are well worth it . Remember , they ain't making them anymore !
Thank you so much for making this video I owned a 2007 touring edition and I have been saying the same point and everything you said to people for years about Scotty and PT Cruisers in general
Good point of views.i luv my 3 pt cruisers.2002.maintain.and just cruise.nickel and dime. Junkyard has tons of parts. People drive these hard and wonder why so many issues.fun car to drive.they were big bucks brand new.nice overview to let people know the facts.
Bought my 02 new. Still have it. Drive it every day. Rides very nice, quite comfortable and useful. 30 mpg on long trips, goes between oil changes without adding oil.I love to get a convertible with a stick.
I got me a 2009 PT Cruiser after my 2006 blew its transmission. The 06 wasn't taken care of very well by the previous owners as well as me because it was too expensive. I love my 2009 PT Cruiser a lot. It was really well taken care of and it's downside was that someone smoked in it. My 09 is low mileage has all its trim and in general is just a well worn gem. I'm getting its suspension replaced tomorrow (as of when I posted) because it had the same struts as installed on the assembly line and its suspension is jello. My 2006 had many electronic issues and other things that made it too expensive to repair. I loved my 06 as it was my first car but my 2009 is an upgrade and it's my silver bullet mk2 tantrum edition. The 06 was my original silver bullet
I have a 2009 PT Cruiser and I love it.It is a fun car to drive.I don't rag on it so I have not really had any problems with it. The only major repair I have had is the alternator.It is white and I put black flames on the doors,a punisher symbol on the hood and painted the grill black. I think it has good power for a 4-cylnder and I have not had any problem getting on the highway or passing a slow person on a two lane road. I love the style. Chevy built a HHR and no one complains about those.Same style car,same look but you don't hear about those cars.
we have a second one. the only issue we have had with both of them is rust on the rockers because of bad drainage design. these suckers have had the odd leak issues we had to fix but somehow it keeps going and going.
Your video makes me want 1 even more. I owned an '07 Touring Edition 4 door, and loved that car. Only reason we got rid of it was we needed more passenger space. Now we have a '14 Chrysler Town and Country van. I've owned TOYOTAs (have an '88 1 ton box truck 2.2R-E right now), FORDs CHEVROLETs, SATURN, TRIUMPH, RENAULT, VOLKSWAGONs Air Cooled & Water Cooled, DODGEs, PLYMOUTH, CHRYSLERs, and bought a running driving MERCEDES BENZ E430 for $300 in 2020. Oot of all listed I've mostly owned CHRYSLER products, and they've been the most dependable vehicles of the list.
Many years ago, there was a youtube channel and website don't buy Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep products because of their poor quality and were unreliable. Chrysler does not have the quality control that Toyota has which is why Chrysler vehicles are not built as well or as reliable as the Japanese. They don't last as long as Toyota's and Honda's do. Back when the PT Cruiser was built, Chrysler was owned by Daimler (DaimlerChrysler) and they gave Chrysler a tight budget, so they had to make cost-cutting measures as were real cheap with the PT Cruiser.
I very much appreciate your comments, however I'd like to be sure to be clarify. I stated in the video that Unquestionably hands down, no AMERICAN made 4 cylinder can touch a Toyota or a Honda. The point of the video was that compared to Ford and Chevy 4 cylinders vehicles, this car and other Chrysler products are of the same quality as their American competitors. I simply dont believe that any Chrysler Dodge Jeep product is made of lesser quality than their American competitors.
I agree with everything but turboing a 4cyl. The srt4 is a tough engine and fast for a 4 banger. I have an NA 2.4 5spd cruiser and its pretty peppy and enjoyable to drive everywhere but the interstate. I would like to turbo swap it and see if there is a manual with a higher final drive ratio for hwy cruising. I have a turbo 2 shelby Z and the turbo sets it off so an srt4 engine in the cruiser would be ideal as i love boost on any engine.
Yea I know, scotty says gm eco tech engines are bad. I have a 2008 hhr with 200000 miles on it. With zero engine and transmission repair. Still sounds and runs great
Joe...At last an intelligent and honest review of the PT Cruiser. In an ideal world Chrysler would have spent more time testing, evaluating and improving all components but the reality is that they were prepared to squeeze a modern car into a retro style body in a very limited timescale. The facts are that Chrysler had to manufacture volumes quickly to ensure that the whole project was profitable.Thank you for making this video to inform potential buyers of the unbiased value of this classic car.
My 2004 Pt cruiser limited turbo smoked a 1970 340 duster in a heads up race. I also smoked a built Dakota R/T. I have both videos posted on my channel. The car has a stage 1 tune and a modern performance downpipe. Less than 300 bucks in upgrades. I traded a 400 dollar 1985 Pontiac grand prix I bought off marketplace for my 04 limited. My PT has 240,000 miles on and I had a major boost leak when I ran the Duster and R/T. He definitely has an axe to grind with Mopar.
@@MrEd-hg3wy they do. Mine has been upgraded. It has a 3 inch catless downpipe and a stage 1 tune. I had boost leak issues and the wastegate was having issues. I was only getting 8 psi on these runs. I need to take it back out once I swap out the turbos. Now it has a stage 2 adjustable wastegate and a new xs BOV.. It's pushing 18 psi now and it moves out pretty good.
I bought a pt 2 years ago, and it's so cool, it drives easy and it's a nice car to go on trips, really comfy, the only thing that I think could be better is the trunk, I mean is ok but I need a little bit more space
PT Cruiser 7 years ago 2002 sixty thousand miles on it ..we've driven to Florida and back . Through small Blizzard Oregon..New Mexico up and down Route 66 thousands of miles.. just now it's starting to show battle damage.. I'm looking for the all-wheel drive PT CRUISER now
I couldn't agree more, I luv my 2005 PT GT Cruiser convertible!! Had it since 2010, has never seen winter, is a garage-kept summer-only driver because it's a convertible. Has 53k miles on it, only issue so far has been replacing oil pressure sensor, otherwise I do all normal maintenance, full synthetic oil each spring, awesome to drive on summer days! I gave up watching guys like SK cuz there's just no redeeming value in all his negativity & sarcasm. Enjoy your PT with the top down!!!
I have a 2008 convertible. While I have had to do a lot of repairs, the car is super reliable, and is really fun to drive, especially with the top down on a summer night. I'm happy with mine, had it 3 years with 112,000 miles and still going strong!
I agree with you on most of what you say but you were totally wrong about the turbo engine because that is a totally different engine and it is actually over built for the power it makes in stock form, they have been known to make 4 times the power of the stock engine, certainly not weak.
I had one from 2004 until 2011 the car went over 120 thousand miles I never had an issue with it that car had a lot of room in it. As a matter fact I'm looking to purchase another one.
I have 2x2001 1st Gens, Brand new 2002 bought upgrades drove till March 04,2021 294k km, sold it became a DC1 Engine doner, my 2nd 2001 (Both Dark Purple / PMT) bought used in July 2020 110k km no rust garaged like new this is my daily drive with lots of OEM upgrades, Mopar Sub, RB1, Mopar cargo rails, Bolar exhaust and lots of Chrome blings inside out. I love my PTs its a 20yr old classic and you don't see these around here in Toronto Canada, Life is too short to be driving boring cars and thats definately NOT a PT Cruiser
I have a 2005 convertible, not turbo. It has 220,000km on it. I've owned it since it was new. I'm sorry I didn't invest in rust proofing regularly but she still is a great car. I don't think I've spent more than $5000 in repairs on this car in 18 years and 220,000km.
I’ve owned numerous cruisers throughout the years, I have sold them and seen the new owners driving those pts around with over 200,000 miles on the clock. With regular maintenance and up keep they are good wagons! Not bad on gas or maintenance issues. Parts are cheap to buy compared to other cars. I miss my GT!
PT's are great cars. They fit big people. Maybe not WIDE people, but tall people. My 6' fits in the passenger seat, my wife's 5'7" in the drivers. I sat in my daughter's fancy KIA midsize SUV and actually could not fit my ordinary size hips into the front seat! We've gone Dallas to Toronto in our PT in great comfort. It is great for a shopping car, especially out for groceries. But if you want to haul lumber better cut those 8' 2x4s in half, or at least down to 6'. My 2000 Cirrus and the 2005 PT both have just over 100k miles and have been very reliable. If someone needs a city car the PT is great for that, and even pretty good on the hiway, though it has the usual Chrysler wind noise.
I got into an accident three months ago, and my car will take 6-12 months for repairs. Just bought a 2006 Convertible off FB marketplace with 71k miles for $3000. Drives like a dream and is very comfortable. The convertible is a perfect fit for Miami! Always great to hear an opinion from an actual owner! Thanks!
I Really like your video you have made me laugh the way you do acting avout scotty the way he move his hand like ladies 😝😝i love pt crusier i have pt lovely ride
I bought my 2001 PT Cruiser Limited fully loaded new. Ordered it and waited months for delivery. I always loved this unique looking vehicle. It's been reliable and trouble-free. I still have it and I keep it well maintained. Replaced parts as necessary and have 77K on this car after all these years. Starts right up no matter how cold or hot it is outdoors and has never let me down. I plan to keep it for as many years as possible.
I just bought a 04 PT and it has a battery drain issue. I believe it's an ignition switch . 200.000 miles on it and not a rip Crack or broken part in the interior heater and ac work great fun to drive engine is peppy and starts right up. Scottyt is only recommended as a freak show. Tie his hands and he can't speak you sir immitate him well. Great lil car. Maintain them and they will last along time. Thanks for the video. Im going to check that ground issue today. .
That is actually a great impersonation of Scotty Kilmer! I think he's hilarious but was sad to hear his take on the PT Cruiser (I have two of them... one of them I found in 2017 (2005 model, last year before the exterior and interior "update"), only 17K miles!, brand new condition (Limited Edition with new car smell)!). Not sure what all the internet ragging is all about with the PT Cruiser... my first one is a 2002 model with almost 200K miles - needs body work - passenger side front fender and minor damage below passenger door. Yes, it's been to the shop a several times through the years but I love the car so I do whatever it takes to keep it running (it's a beauty!)! There's a special "connection" when I see other PT Cruiser drivers on the road (we seem to 'stare' at each others vehicles...). To me... the PT Cruiser design is living "Art". One of the most beautifully designed vehicles ever! I believe the artist, Bryan Nesbitt, had a "Cosmic Connection" established while he was penning the PT Cruiser. We are driving Art. I used to see this Art being rented at exotic car rental outlets in Las Vegas along side Lamborghini's and Ferrari's. There's a reason why these cars were selling at over 100% over their MSRP at the time they were released... (people recognized the product of "Cosmic Connection" artistry). There must be some 'evil' force ('fake news') that hopes it can move the weak minded away from recognizing a design from the heavens. It's a rarity to see Art from the heavens...
I have a 2001 limited edit I bought brand new it has only 30,000 miles on it right now I have the wood-paneled siding which I love and it has stayed in a garage full time ever since I bought it! Still looks and runs like brand new! I love it!
I have a Chrysler vehicle. It's a 06 dodge stratus sxt with 193,511 miles on it with the 2.4l 4 cylinder and runs just fine. The person I got it from took good care of it. The only problem I have with it is ruff idle when I first start it. I think it just needs new spark plugs.
Thank you for your views I bought a 04 gt turbo with a 5 speed and I only give a thousand for it and I can get 60 in second gear if I push it but I cruise it everyday
I have an 02 PT Classic here in Australia. It was my wife’s daily driver for five years until we replaced it with a new car. It sat in the carport, unloved for seven years before I handed in my company vehicle and took a vehicle allowance instead. After replacing the timing belt, water pump, tensioning pulleys, engine mounts and torque struts (most of which were precautionary due to age - it had only done 130000 km) it’s now my daily driver. Can’t fault it - no rust, body and interior look like new, and fun to drive. I did the mechanical work myself and yes, it’s a pain in a cramped space, but all it takes is a little patience. I know there’s not much middle ground in opinion on the PT Cruiser between love and hate, but I think it’s had an undeserved bad rap.
Thank you for making the positive PT Cruiser video. I’ve driven Chrysler products for most of my life and I hate how people bash the company. I love the PT Cruiser....it has style and charm not seen on most cookie cutter cars. Thinking about buying a hard top PT in the future as a second car. Please make more PT Cruiser videos, I’d like to learn more about how to fix things myself.
I had a 2001 PT Cruiser limited model. Loved it but... radiator replaced, electrical system awful.. this was some years back. Went to a 2006 Vibe (matrix) and from there still have my 2009 2.4 liter AWD Vibe. seems pretty bulletproof but.. my wife's car is a 2005 PT Cruiser low level turbo (180 hp) convertible similar to this one. It has been and is an excellent car. No problems ever and I enjoy driving it and she loves it. Will keep it around forever... We like the design and people still come up to look at it and think it is pretty cool ..which it is.
I had a pt cruiser 4 15 years and it was the best car I have ever had and I just go a 2008 convertible a Week ago and I just luv it,at the end of the day it how you look after it.🐨🇦🇺
I've owned mine since the beginning from 2001 and I have to tell you it's not generally the car is bad it's what Chrysler did that made it horrible to own. For example random electrical things always going wrong and none of the dealers having any idea what's going on. Not only that dealers would charge you for service but then never actually perform the service like with my $500 tune-up they never change the spark plugs. It's things like that that really Bowl you over. and it's the little things I get to you like how sometimes your lights don't work or things like that or how your engine cooling fans just automatically stopped working and there is no explanation for dealer anybody else and how to fix it so your left and basically do it all on your own. there are a lot of things wrong with this vehicle but thankfully overtime the aftermarket and people like me and others have found all the problems and it start to fix them. Chrysler has always been great at design but it's always been the end-user that suffers because of the bean counters at Chrysler and obviously the people changing hands and ownership haven't done them any favors if it wasn't for the electrical issues then it would have been a lot better but again each time they try to upgrade the electricals they literally go backwards sometime and that's been my personal experience. now as far as the engine goes? Well I've had zero problems with my engine. And it's been running strong and great same thing with the manual transmission. However after the first 20,000 miles actually even less than that the clutch actually gave out. but when I'm trying to understand is that a lot of people that work on these vehicles don't know how to fix them properly and screw up the job I still have a noisy throwout bearing that has been doing that for years. the best thing to do if you're going to buy a Chrysler's by very very low and prepare to go ahead and fix all the things that other people screwed up over the years and you will be fine
Right on brother! i've had two cruisers and loved them. In regards to the issue of the bushes going, changing them all for poly bushes should sort the problem.
I just purchased a 2006 pt yesterday so your video makes me feel a little better about it. I know right off hand i'll be replacing the watts joint and a motor mount. out side of that the car is perfect It has 100000 miles on it. It was a womans car and the paint and the interior is show room.
Great video. Always liked the look of the car since its debut. I've owned a na wagon and now a turbo gt convertible. Although the wagon was more practical, I wanted a little more power. The gt convertible checks all the boxes for me. Just enough power, convertible, and some what practical. I don't drive fast, but going up hills is a lot easier now.
I know this is an older video but I wanted to thank you for making a video that celebrates the PT Cruiser instead of talking crap about it. I have a 2001 PT Cruiser with 25,743 miles on it. I'm the original owner (my late husband knew I wanted one and bought it for me on Valentine's Day 2001) and it's had a few issues over the last 23 years, but probably MOST cars will have some sort of issues eventually. It's was well-maintained inside and out and looks practically brand new, except for some faded paint on the hatchback. I have people constantly telling me I should trade it in, get rid of it and buy a newer Toyota, but my instincts keep telling me to maybe just get this car painted, get someone to install custom bumpers on it (I do dislike the plastic bumpers that should be black but fade to whitish gray). Anyway, I love "Betty" (she's the Betty to my other car, Veronica, a 2016 Corvette Stingray) and the thought of trading her in is truly upsetting to me. This car is so much fun and an homage to the cars of yesteryear!
I love the seating position on them is like a mini mini van lol, trans issues are either tipm or the trans solenoid or the sensors, tipm is $300 and you can buy the solenoid pack w sensor for about $190 brand new, i had a mecanic do my timing belt w water pump + cam and crank seals for $550 out the door w parts, and car runs like a charm, you not going to win races you not going to win car shows or pick up a bunch of girls, but they are reliable and not have tons of engine issues like a focus or Kia, they are cheap to buy, cheap to mantain and a simple car to go to work and even on road trips once you get out the little issues out the door, i loveine and will keep till the wheels fall off
I love your video. I had a 2002 that had almost 300k before I sold it to some of my friends because I needed a bigger vehicle. My Mom purchased a 2004 because she loved mine. It currently has over 260k miles. Still love the vehicle. My mom recently purchased a 2006 PT GT (Turbo) that was setup to tow behind an RV for an RV tow vehicle themselves. Yeah, you can get them cheep. Yeah, you may need to put some sweet equity into them because taking them to a mechanic is expensive just like any other vehicle. The replacement parts are inexpensive and the vehicle lasts a long time. Yes, take care of the ground issues by cleaning the grounds every few years. Not a big issues if you know about that. The biggest issue I have with the PT is the battery being a 26R which is mainly a very cheep battery with that they won’t make a quality version of the battery. Everything else had mainly been normal maintenance issues I have seen on any other vehicle.
I dive my PT every day. Delivering News papers in the mountains. I have the ground issue. But I fixed it. I have had coolant issues, fixed. But what’s funny my neon does the same for the neon the father to the pt. I use SKP tie rods.
I own a 2006 PT Convertible Turbo with only 32K miles on it. The problem with the PT TIPM is that they deviated from the industry norms in this design and decided NOT to allow for the individual replacement of relays that commonly fail in all other vehicles, e.g. the headlight relay or heater blower relay, and so on. This is indeed a faux pas. I am an EE (retired from Northrop) and I too believe this to be asinine. In the vast number of vehicles it is commonplace to swap relays when one has a problem in some functionality as with the headlights. Most manufacturers use a "common type" of relay that can be interchanged with others in the fuse compartment allowing some troubleshooting by swapping. In the case of the bad, or intermittent headlight relay a person could usually swap it out with the Horn relay, or other relay that is the same type and has a minimal impact on the vehicle. One cannot do this on the PT! You need to buy a rebuilt TIPM from a rebuilder and they are indeed a HIGH dollar item! Not good for the DIY'er or backyard mechanic. Oh, and that's the best impression of Scotty that I've ever heard... I don't watch a lot of his videos because he goes "outside his lane" too much. He sometimes gets into technology that he himself clearly doesn't understand but he attempts to convey his ignorance to others equally ignorant, his viewers.
Just picked up a mint 2009 with 82 000 klm , oil sprayed since new and dealer only maintenance 1 owner , paid 700 so im glad people dont like them , i love them just fun and diffetent and i agree with him saying its for cruising not racing like really its called a pt CRUISER .....and hounestly mine drives great down the raod , nice and tight lots of get up and go for 150 hp 4 banger , i think i want the gt version now
I kind of wondered about Ole Scott and his comments. On the video he did about the PT overheating he failed to mention that one needs to bleed the cooling system. I thought "that's weird..for such a knowledgeable guy he should know that." I have 2 PT's and like all cars they have strength and weaknesses. My '06 has over 150k on it and runs great. For me it is cheap reliable transportation.
That's a good impression of scotty kilmer😁
😂😂😂
For real! 😂
My sister passed away this month and owned a 2005 Convertible in black. I wasn’t necessarily a fan of the car, but she loved it. I rode in it with her and so I decided to keep it for sentimental reasons. Thanks for a thorough breakdown of what to expect caring for it. I love you Sissy
My mother owns a 1998 Chrysler Town and Country. She always takes good care of it, and never abuses it. I kid you not, that van is still running and driving with 312k miles. Still drives great, and the interior is in immaculate shape!
Thank you so much for this video. I recently was in car accident and my new car was total lost. They stole the catalytic converter from my older mid size suv a week prior to my accident. I went to the Facebook Market and found me a 2008 PT, for some reason I liked the model of the car, my husband did a little research and test drove it. We give it a detailed cleaning and I finally started driving it to work this past Monday. It is indeed fun to drive. I originally wasn't going to keep it for a long time but now I want to keep it! My husband & I enjoy working together on cars! So we are looking forward to caring for our PT!
Thanks for the video, it's good to know what are some areas we are going to have to work on the PT.
Mines is a 2008 only problem we had was the thermostat.
I've NEVER been a Chrysler fan. NEVER.
My mom fell in love with the PT Cruiser upon its release, finally buying a brand new model in 2005. In 2010 I moved to Medford Oregon (she lived in Tacoma Washington at the time) and I went to visit her (via grayhound) and spent a week visiting. My first time driving it was she decided we were going to drive from Tacoma to Medford in her car, she was going to stay for a week at my place, then she'd drive home. I drove to Medford and immediately fell in love (grudgingly, but I wasn't going to admit it). Two years later I was visiting again and driving it, while accelerating to freeway speed, the timing belt broke causing the engine to die. Long story short, come to find out that her mechanic had been telling her to replace the timing belt for the past year but she was procrastinating due to the cost. My family gave me grief because of my reputation as a lead foot, the mechanic came to my defense.
In 2016, I moved to Iowa, my mom passed away in 2018 but bought a 2007 model used with 30000 miles on it shortly before I moved to Iowa and she gave it to my baby brother who lives in Seattle.
In March he calls me up and says "I'm buying a new car. You can have Mom's if you come out and get it. It's got 160000 miles on it. Brand new timing belt maybe 70000 miles of life left, new brakes. New clutch and water pump. Car should last you the rest of your life if you take care of it (I'm 56 years old) so I flew out to Seattle, spent some time with my brother and his wife and drove it 1800 miles back to Des Moines. Most of my mpg was in the 26 mpg range with one tank getting 21 MPG (Montana, driving mostly in the high 90s some occasional triple digits) one tank was at 28 MPG (28.7? I think) across South Dakota, but I was running at 70 all the way. I'm convinced that if I'd kept at 60 or 65 I would have exceeded 30 MPG in it, but that's not my style. At 3000 RPM it's got more than enough torque to maintain speeds regardless of the terrain.
I don't care what anyone says. The PT Cruiser is an awesome car and I plan on maintaining it until I die, then giving it to my niece
Best thing is that it prevents me from getting a speeding ticket
🤣🤣🤣
I have to agree. The pt was a good car. My dads 01 lasted 15yrs and 288k miles. He now has a 05 with 156k. I had a 08 with 136k and sold it to buy an escape but I still have my 03 woody edition with 63k miles (bought it with 48k 3 years ago for $3k) in 3 yrs i changed the timing belt and water pump, struts and a tune up. Still purrs and runs. No rust either. Love it. Just depends on HOW WELL YOU TAKE CARE OF IT. 95% of PT's are not well maintained.
The PT would have been better for acceleration and gas mileage if they didnt build it on a stupid heavy truck frame.
thank you for your comments, couldnt agree more! i believe i mentioned in the video about how are these PT's treated that have so many issues! thank you for confirming that point!
Wasn’t built on a truck frame just classified as one to help lower average mpg across the truck line. Built on the neon platform
Is the PT 2.4 from a
Mitsubishi design?
I think it's the labor costs involved (around $1000) in replacing the timing belt that causes people to rag on the PT. The tight clearances cause labor to be high due to accessibility issues.
@BadDriversOfTennessee I bought the timing belt and water pump and tension pully Peace of cake if you have the brains and not afraid to do it your self. It runs better then my Xl 2009 Yukon.
I own one exactly like yours and I keep it as my summer car, fun and always gets compliments because I have it in mint condition. Very unique fun looking car indeed.
Thanks for sharing! that's cool! love mine!! hope i get those compliments too!
I LOVE MY PT CRUISER!!!
Is the 2.4 in the PT from Mitsubishi
I have a 2005 pt convertible and have owned it for 13 years. Never had any major problems and have owned mostly Chrysler vehicles all my life. Thanks for helping to set the record straight on what these cars are and what they were designed to do. Fun to drive and everyone I meet always seem to want to talk about the car. Thanks again.
I didn't like the PT Cruiser at first, but after driving the ones we have at work (courtesy cars), actually got a 2007 hard top. Absolutely love the car, it is cheap to drive and very easy to work on. A very straight forward car to fix, I changed the transmission because it wasn't shifting well, and the catalytic converter was plugged. And my car is the same colour in the video, I'm on the look out for a black PT Cruiser with manual transmission for summer driving. Have driven the Turbo manual car and was very impressed.
I have a couple myself just like any other car take care of it it will take care of you
I have a 2002 PT with 275666 miles and you can't kill it. Just basic maintenance and it's great. Thanks for the great content.
😮
I have a 2006 PT Cruiser GT convertible with 84K miles on it.
Main issues are electrical gremlins. Plus no room under the hood to work on it.
Only reason I bought it was that it was a turbo convertible with low miles. 64K miles when I bought it 4 years ago for $2500. Red with tan leather interior. I had to replace the computer. Found a stage 1 for $375. No issues now.
Gas mileage is terrible with the 4 speed automatic transmission.
At 70mph the tack reads 2600rpm's. It could use an extra gear like the 5 speed standard transmission.
But it is a fun car to cruise in with the top down.
2600 rpm is fine its not a v6
You got him down pack with the impression. I just bought a 2005 pt and so far so good!! Its 7:00 am in the morning and your impression of Scotty made my day!!!😊😊😊
I agree with you about these cruisers being a great 4 cyl vehicle and then appreciating its a deco car... 👍
Art Deco look plus size makes it a cozy car, can go into places a truck can't.
Dealership sold me a sebring with a bent frame in '05. A year ago bought a '06 pt cruiser. I've already had 3 transmissions and 2 timing belts. A week ago had the transmission start slipping again. Never had good luck with Chrysler. Yet other people I know have never had a problem with them.
Maybe you should find a competent technician to fix your car right the first time
No warranty on transmissions?
How did you go thru 2 timing belts?
@@Ollywood00 there were warranties on the transmissions but sucks to get your car back, drive 3 miles down the road and the transmission fails... 3 different times. Dealership said the Transmissions were defective. So how many defective transmissions sent to Chrysler if I got 3 of them in a month? Doesn't make their brand sound too strong. As for the timing belts I do not know how I went through two of them in a month. I'm not a mechanic. I just fixed what the anti-Chrysler dealership told me was wrong with the car.
You talk about your personal issues but why don’t you also talk about what kind of maintenance you provide to your car . Like oil change Tranny flush radiator flush brake system flush etc etc etc
I honestly love my PT Cruiser. It’s just a comfy and fun car to drive.
But there junk ,look up the complaints about them
@@fryerobert093 how come everyone who doesn’t own a pt cruiser says they’re junk, yet everyone who owns one says it’s super nice and a fun cruiser? i’ve owned my 2008 pt cruiser for a year and i love it.
@@fryerobert093 Get real I had so many cars and I tell you my wife gave me her pt cruiser and it runs better then other cars out in the road. Its a solid car no rust and I've been all over deferent states with this car. I love the fact that it also turns into a station wagon yes I use it to take my latter and lawn mower to my other house to do yard work. You just had bad luck with yours.
@@fryerobert093 Thanks for the tip. I own two; one 18 years old, one 20 years old. They have been reliable, very little trouble and I enjoy them. If it weren't for the Internet, I wouldn't have known they were junk!
Just got a 05 for a work car, thanks for the tip on the t belt mine has 117k it really drives nice, and I was lucky to find a stick.
iTS NOW A CLASSIC
Finally somebody who hates Scott Kilmer as much as I do🤣😂
Why do you hate scotty?
@@mrgurulittle7000yes
@@mrgurulittle7000Because is annoying as AF and A LOT of his ranting is pure rubbish! He is GREAT at CLICKBAIT.
I own the turbo GT model 2003 PT, I've owned it since new, and it has served me well! it's a very reliable car, I've done all the normal maintenance on it, brakes, oil changes, transmission flushes, tires, ect, and yes even the timing belt/water pump, and I have had the engine light come on a few times, but they were simple repairs. It has 144,000 miles on it, and it still has the same power like it was new. As a mechanic/auto parts counterman for nearly 30 years, I can tell you that I get more calls on euro cars (BMW, Merc, Audi, VW ect.) than any other makes/models. Even fellow mechanics like them...the only complaint I get about them, is that they're cramped to work on
I absolutely love the way the doors work on the 4door the outside handles are built heavy I see the convertible has much larger doors just curious how the hinges are holding up? We bought a new 04 woody drove close to 300,000 then gave it to the kids they killed it then we bought a 07 repaired the head gasket and someone totald it out now I bought an08 basket case about got it done I'm getting the dredded P0300 code
There junk,scottys right there's been lots of complaints about them
@@fryerobert093 how long have you owned your PT?
I have a 2008 pt cruiser touring non-turbo and I love my car, it has over 140,000 miles and the most serious drivability issues I've had with my pt is that the low speed on the cooling fan went out (I changed it myself last summer) causing it to idle rough and the cam sensor had to be replaced the year before that along with the transmission cable and a wheel bearing, took it to a mechanic neighbor who fixed it no problem without a major bill. Now as far as electrical issues are concerned I have recently had to replace my liftgate handle due to the touch pad not working and on the '08, Chrysler did make the boneheaded decision to remove the key cylinder and leave no manual options for opening the trunk without the touch pad. My dash clock light works intermittently but I think the bulb is just loose because if I tap it it comes on, I plan to remove the bezel and fix it when I replace the radio with an aftermarket one that has Bluetooth (the tuning knob is possessed anyways).
I'm currently replacing my front bumper cover because it got partially torn off on a snow bank left behind by a snowplow (that low front end clearance) and I'm taking the time while I do that to resurface my headlights and fog lights, and may replace the horn that was swapped from a Mitsubishi (the original got drowned in mud and dust) out with an oem one. I also just installed a cabin filter, mine had the box but no filter in it when I checked it.
I love how it drives and my sister in law has a jeep (not a little one either, I have to climb up into the darn thing) and I have driven it, I was surprised by how similar it felt to driving my pt.
I've considered trying to get another one to use for parts as some parts can be difficult to get.
I love my 2009 GT PT Cruiser, it has 180 thousand kilometres, it drives fast , it’s comfortable and is very unique.
Best car I’ve ever owned.
I just bought a 2007 PT Cruiser with only 35K miles on it. So far, it's been lots of fun. It's my daily driver. It has a manual 5 speed, so I don't expect any transmission problems. It replaced my 2006 Saturn Vue which died after 305,000 miles. Frequent oil changes and synthetic oil!
I'm a bit late to the party on this video, but my 04's water pump decided it needed replacing a week after I put new components on the front end; the main issue was the drive wheel bearing, but I figured I'd swap out the bushings and what not during the time. It only has 82k miles with a few exterior blemishes, but the interior is flawless. Definitely worth the repairs.
Let the haters hate, I bought one with 24000 mile for £3000, it’s a good car. If folks don’t like the looks, go and look at something they like.
Great Scotty impression 😁
My father in-law and I (god rest his soul) bought the very first pt cruiser limited available for my mother-in-law . He and she chose all the options colors etc they wanted them waited 4 months for it to be manufactured and delivered. IT WAS CANDY APPLE RED AND ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! They drove it all over loved it and took care of it. It was so well made and engineered not one other small car could compete on quality workmanship or design. Built like an aircraft. Beautiful in every way and drove n handled amazingly!! I drove it on occasion and noticed how well it drove handled and rode. Fantastic car
I had a 2003 GT Turbo that could get up & out of its own way. It was a rocketship but the turbos had additional problems - ie: the oil cooling lines would always leak. I've had alot of the PT's mostly because they were cheap from auctions. I loved all the ones I got to keep & I still have an 05 convertible. It's my show car, cruiser, sunday driver, & daily driver. I love them.
Hey Joe..
(that alone could be a song...)
Anyway, to be serious, loved your video! We bought a 2003 PT (5 speed manual, 2.0 litre) in 2009 with 180,000kms on it.
It's now 2021, we still have it! 441,000 kms. All we've done is REGULAR servicing with good oils & good (mostly aftermarket) parts.
Yes, there's been cooling fans, radiator, struts & shocks, timing belts, starter motors, wheel bearings, brakes, etc., but that's completely normal on ANY motor vehicle.
I drive 100,000kms per year just for work, over the years in a Mitsubishi, Ford, Toyota, Renault (all light commercials), the Chrysler PT Cruiser has cost NO MORE per 100km than any of those vehicles. The key (like any vehicle) is regular maintenance! I love your passion! Thanks for sticking up for Mopar!
The most talked about issues are (no in particular order) Limp mode, Tipm 2001/2002 don't have them. PCM/TCM 2001/2002 don't have TCMs, the modules are seperate in the front driver's side wheel well coverings. Overheating easy fix: cap, thermostat, Orange coolant, fill , Radiator Fan not working, Radiator leaks etc. Electrical issues, Grounding, Instrument cluster lights go nuts. and some issues with Gen 2's 2006 models. To be honest what car doesn't have problems, just needs a bit more TLC. The most people complain about (mechanics) it too damn cramped inside the engine bay ;)
I love my 2004 PT Cruiser. It's been good to me for 17 years. We've been going everywhere from Vegas to Yosemite. Hope to drive for another 5-10 more years.
a thoroughly enjoyable vid to watch mate, my wife bought a PT in 2004 and just starting to have a few reliability/overheating issues, but hey, she's driven the thing 18 YEARS! a great little car and yes, UA-cam seems filled with horror stories about it being the worst car ever made, that's why we enjoyed your video, a bit of a more cheerful perspective. Cheers from Australia cobber - I've subscribed.
I had one of those from 2007 for 12 years. I had to change the tie rods, struts, the bushings, wheel barrels a few times. I had to change the radiator a couple of times. My timing belt and computer module went out on the road around the time my dad died some years ago. I still gave it for free to my aunt last year at around 200000 miles and she likes it. But I did go for a Camry last year, because my mechanic kept telling me to get one and I am tired of pouring money into American cars. American cars begin to wear out at around 100000 miles because they like to cut corners with certain car parts. I don't regret the PT cruiser thou. I was just ready to move on and I didn't like how the Cruiser hit the corners. The PT Cruiser was comfy thou. Great for a daughter or son's first car or for a grandpa or grandma; or an old aunt. :-)
I have a 2001 PT cruiser Limited Edition I love it my first car but it from original owner had 107,000 miles on it
i own 5 pt's now ,ive worked on many and they do have some problems yet i like em
I've got two 06's right now , one I bought new in 06 and have had it 16 years come this July , an 06 rag top I bought recently , and an 05 I bought 3 years ago but sold to my neighbor when he talked me out of it . The new one I bought has 64,000 original miles . My rag top looks identical to yours and is Cool Vanilla in color . I fixed the top to open by hand by turning the adjusting screw on the power top motor . It also has 16" factory mags . I'm looking now and will buy up every P.T. I can find for my collection . These are great cars and can tow 2,000 lbs. We towed our A-Liner camper all over with the new Cruiser . Yes , you need to be mechanical to own one , but they are well worth it . Remember , they ain't making them anymore !
Thank you so much for making this video I owned a 2007 touring edition and I have been saying the same point and everything you said to people for years about Scotty and PT Cruisers in general
Good point of views.i luv my 3 pt cruisers.2002.maintain.and just cruise.nickel and dime. Junkyard has tons of parts. People drive these hard and wonder why so many issues.fun car to drive.they were big bucks brand new.nice overview to let people know the facts.
Bought my 02 new. Still have it. Drive it every day. Rides very nice, quite comfortable and useful. 30 mpg on long trips, goes between oil changes without adding oil.I love to get a convertible with a stick.
I got me a 2009 PT Cruiser after my 2006 blew its transmission. The 06 wasn't taken care of very well by the previous owners as well as me because it was too expensive. I love my 2009 PT Cruiser a lot. It was really well taken care of and it's downside was that someone smoked in it. My 09 is low mileage has all its trim and in general is just a well worn gem. I'm getting its suspension replaced tomorrow (as of when I posted) because it had the same struts as installed on the assembly line and its suspension is jello. My 2006 had many electronic issues and other things that made it too expensive to repair. I loved my 06 as it was my first car but my 2009 is an upgrade and it's my silver bullet mk2 tantrum edition. The 06 was my original silver bullet
I have a 2009 PT Cruiser and I love it.It is a fun car to drive.I don't rag on it so I have not really had any problems with it. The only major repair I have had is the alternator.It is white and I put black flames on the doors,a punisher symbol on the hood and painted the grill black. I think it has good power for a 4-cylnder and I have not had any problem getting on the highway or passing a slow person on a two lane road. I love the style. Chevy built a HHR and no one complains about those.Same style car,same look but you don't hear about those cars.
we have a second one. the only issue we have had with both of them is rust on the rockers because of bad drainage design. these suckers have had the odd leak issues we had to fix but somehow it keeps going and going.
Your video makes me want 1 even more.
I owned an '07 Touring Edition 4 door, and loved that car. Only reason we got rid of it was we needed more passenger space.
Now we have a '14 Chrysler Town and Country van.
I've owned TOYOTAs (have an '88 1 ton box truck 2.2R-E right now), FORDs CHEVROLETs, SATURN, TRIUMPH, RENAULT, VOLKSWAGONs Air Cooled & Water Cooled, DODGEs, PLYMOUTH, CHRYSLERs, and bought a running driving MERCEDES BENZ E430 for $300 in 2020.
Oot of all listed I've mostly owned CHRYSLER products, and they've been the most dependable vehicles of the list.
Many years ago, there was a youtube channel and website don't buy Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep products because of their poor quality and were unreliable. Chrysler does not have the quality control that Toyota has which is why Chrysler vehicles are not built as well or as reliable as the Japanese. They don't last as long as Toyota's and Honda's do. Back when the PT Cruiser was built, Chrysler was owned by Daimler (DaimlerChrysler) and they gave Chrysler a tight budget, so they had to make cost-cutting measures as were real cheap with the PT Cruiser.
I very much appreciate your comments, however I'd like to be sure to be clarify. I stated in the video that Unquestionably hands down, no AMERICAN made 4 cylinder can touch a Toyota or a Honda. The point of the video was that compared to Ford and Chevy 4 cylinders vehicles, this car and other Chrysler products are of the same quality as their American competitors. I simply dont believe that any Chrysler Dodge Jeep product is made of lesser quality than their American competitors.
I agree with everything but turboing a 4cyl. The srt4 is a tough engine and fast for a 4 banger. I have an NA 2.4 5spd cruiser and its pretty peppy and enjoyable to drive everywhere but the interstate. I would like to turbo swap it and see if there is a manual with a higher final drive ratio for hwy cruising. I have a turbo 2 shelby Z and the turbo sets it off so an srt4 engine in the cruiser would be ideal as i love boost on any engine.
Yea I know, scotty says gm eco tech engines are bad. I have a 2008 hhr with 200000 miles on it. With zero engine and transmission repair. Still sounds and runs great
Joe...At last an intelligent and honest review of the PT Cruiser. In an ideal world Chrysler would have spent more time testing, evaluating and improving all components but the reality is that they were prepared to squeeze a modern car into a retro style body in a very limited timescale. The facts are that Chrysler had to manufacture volumes quickly to ensure that the whole project was profitable.Thank you for making this video to inform potential buyers of the unbiased value of this classic car.
My 2004 Pt cruiser limited turbo smoked a 1970 340 duster in a heads up race. I also smoked a built Dakota R/T. I have both videos posted on my channel. The car has a stage 1 tune and a modern performance downpipe. Less than 300 bucks in upgrades.
I traded a 400 dollar 1985 Pontiac grand prix I bought off marketplace for my 04 limited.
My PT has 240,000 miles on and I had a major boost leak when I ran the Duster and R/T.
He definitely has an axe to grind with Mopar.
I've got an 05 GT Turbo. Am I correct in that the GT has a few more HP than the Limited? What is an inexpensive way to boost my HP? Thanks, Mr. Ed.
@@MrEd-hg3wy they do. Mine has been upgraded. It has a 3 inch catless downpipe and a stage 1 tune.
I had boost leak issues and the wastegate was having issues. I was only getting 8 psi on these runs. I need to take it back out once I swap out the turbos. Now it has a stage 2 adjustable wastegate and a new xs BOV.. It's pushing 18 psi now and it moves out pretty good.
@@RockBottomGarage Thanks. Maybe Wilbur can boost my PT's performance. Lol
I bought a pt 2 years ago, and it's so cool, it drives easy and it's a nice car to go on trips, really comfy, the only thing that I think could be better is the trunk, I mean is ok but I need a little bit more space
I bought a 2005 convertible PT 2 years ago. It has never seen winter and has 25,000 miles on it. It's black with black top. Rides like brand new.
PT Cruiser 7 years ago 2002 sixty thousand miles on it ..we've driven to Florida and back . Through small Blizzard Oregon..New Mexico up and down Route 66 thousands of miles.. just now it's starting to show battle damage.. I'm looking for the all-wheel drive PT CRUISER now
My Chrysler Sebring had similarly poor reviews and It had 210k trouble free miles when i traded it to a friend who promptly killed it.
I couldn't agree more, I luv my 2005 PT GT Cruiser convertible!! Had it since 2010, has never seen winter, is a garage-kept summer-only driver because it's a convertible. Has 53k miles on it, only issue so far has been replacing oil pressure sensor, otherwise I do all normal maintenance, full synthetic oil each spring, awesome to drive on summer days! I gave up watching guys like SK cuz there's just no redeeming value in all his negativity & sarcasm. Enjoy your PT with the top down!!!
I have a 2008 convertible. While I have had to do a lot of repairs, the car is super reliable, and is really fun to drive, especially with the top down on a summer night. I'm happy with mine, had it 3 years with 112,000 miles and still going strong!
I agree with you on most of what you say but you were totally wrong about the turbo engine because that is a totally different engine and it is actually over built for the power it makes in stock form, they have been known to make 4 times the power of the stock engine, certainly not weak.
I had one from 2004 until 2011 the car went over 120 thousand miles I never had an issue with it that car had a lot of room in it. As a matter fact I'm looking to purchase another one.
i like my 2006 pt cruiser gt smokes v8 all day.
Have had one for 15 years been a great car,cam sensor only problem but $50 fix
I have 2x2001 1st Gens, Brand new 2002 bought upgrades drove till March 04,2021 294k km, sold it became a DC1 Engine doner, my 2nd 2001 (Both Dark Purple / PMT) bought used in July 2020 110k km no rust garaged like new this is my daily drive with lots of OEM upgrades, Mopar Sub, RB1, Mopar cargo rails, Bolar exhaust and lots of Chrome blings inside out. I love my PTs its a 20yr old classic and you don't see these around here in Toronto Canada, Life is too short to be driving boring cars and thats definately NOT a PT Cruiser
I have a 2005 convertible, not turbo. It has 220,000km on it. I've owned it since it was new. I'm sorry I didn't invest in rust proofing regularly but she still is a great car. I don't think I've spent more than $5000 in repairs on this car in 18 years and 220,000km.
I’ve owned numerous cruisers throughout the years, I have sold them and seen the new owners driving those pts around with over 200,000 miles on the clock. With regular maintenance and up keep they are good wagons! Not bad on gas or maintenance issues. Parts are cheap to buy compared to other cars. I miss my GT!
Wrong they bought them out in the late eighties (Jeep).
PT's are great cars. They fit big people. Maybe not WIDE people, but tall people. My 6' fits in the passenger seat, my wife's 5'7" in the drivers. I sat in my daughter's fancy KIA midsize SUV and actually could not fit my ordinary size hips into the front seat! We've gone Dallas to Toronto in our PT in great comfort. It is great for a shopping car, especially out for groceries. But if you want to haul lumber better cut those 8' 2x4s in half, or at least down to 6'. My 2000 Cirrus and the 2005 PT both have just over 100k miles and have been very reliable. If someone needs a city car the PT is great for that, and even pretty good on the hiway, though it has the usual Chrysler wind noise.
Love my turbo PT Cruiser-2003
175,000 miles
It's worth the repairs because it's a great car. I will buy another 1 for about $5000 as a backup car.
I got into an accident three months ago, and my car will take 6-12 months for repairs. Just bought a 2006 Convertible off FB marketplace with 71k miles for $3000. Drives like a dream and is very comfortable. The convertible is a perfect fit for Miami! Always great to hear an opinion from an actual owner! Thanks!
I Really like your video you have made me laugh the way you do acting avout scotty the way he move his hand like ladies 😝😝i love pt crusier i have pt lovely ride
I bought my 2001 PT Cruiser Limited fully loaded new. Ordered it and waited months for delivery. I always loved this unique looking vehicle. It's been reliable and trouble-free. I still have it and I keep it well maintained. Replaced parts as necessary and have 77K on this car after all these years. Starts right up no matter how cold or hot it is outdoors and has never let me down. I plan to keep it for as many years as possible.
I have one for 15 years and still going and going I loved ,cool video.
I just bought a 04 PT and it has a battery drain issue. I believe it's an ignition switch . 200.000 miles on it and not a rip Crack or broken part in the interior heater and ac work great fun to drive engine is peppy and starts right up. Scottyt is only recommended as a freak show. Tie his hands and he can't speak you sir immitate him well. Great lil car. Maintain them and they will last along time. Thanks for the video. Im going to check that ground issue today. .
That is actually a great impersonation of Scotty Kilmer! I think he's hilarious but was sad to hear his take on the PT Cruiser (I have two of them... one of them I found in 2017 (2005 model, last year before the exterior and interior "update"), only 17K miles!, brand new condition (Limited Edition with new car smell)!). Not sure what all the internet ragging is all about with the PT Cruiser... my first one is a 2002 model with almost 200K miles - needs body work - passenger side front fender and minor damage below passenger door. Yes, it's been to the shop a several times through the years but I love the car so I do whatever it takes to keep it running (it's a beauty!)! There's a special "connection" when I see other PT Cruiser drivers on the road (we seem to 'stare' at each others vehicles...). To me... the PT Cruiser design is living "Art". One of the most beautifully designed vehicles ever! I believe the artist, Bryan Nesbitt, had a "Cosmic Connection" established while he was penning the PT Cruiser. We are driving Art. I used to see this Art being rented at exotic car rental outlets in Las Vegas along side Lamborghini's and Ferrari's. There's a reason why these cars were selling at over 100% over their MSRP at the time they were released... (people recognized the product of "Cosmic Connection" artistry). There must be some 'evil' force ('fake news') that hopes it can move the weak minded away from recognizing a design from the heavens. It's a rarity to see Art from the heavens...
0:53 Scotty Kilmer cameo appearance! 😹
I have a 2001 limited edit I bought brand new it has only 30,000 miles on it right now I have the wood-paneled siding which I love and it has stayed in a garage full time ever since I bought it! Still looks and runs like brand new! I love it!
I have a Chrysler vehicle. It's a 06 dodge stratus sxt with 193,511 miles on it with the 2.4l 4 cylinder and runs just fine. The person I got it from took good care of it. The only problem I have with it is ruff idle when I first start it. I think it just needs new spark plugs.
I FOUND ONE WITH 600,OOO MILES
Thank you for your views I bought a 04 gt turbo with a 5 speed and I only give a thousand for it and I can get 60 in second gear if I push it but I cruise it everyday
I'm buying a 2003 Chrysler pt cruiser GT 105k miles tomorrow...my friend kirt had a 2002 and loved it...I'm sure I will too ...great video ..
I have an 02 PT Classic here in Australia. It was my wife’s daily driver for five years until we replaced it with a new car. It sat in the carport, unloved for seven years before I handed in my company vehicle and took a vehicle allowance instead. After replacing the timing belt, water pump, tensioning pulleys, engine mounts and torque struts (most of which were precautionary due to age - it had only done 130000 km) it’s now my daily driver. Can’t fault it - no rust, body and interior look like new, and fun to drive.
I did the mechanical work myself and yes, it’s a pain in a cramped space, but all it takes is a little patience.
I know there’s not much middle ground in opinion on the PT Cruiser between love and hate, but I think it’s had an undeserved bad rap.
Great video. Just bought an 08 300c and an 06 PT Convertible
Mopar ruled the strip in the sixties.
Thank you for making the positive PT Cruiser video.
I’ve driven Chrysler products for most of my life and I hate how people bash the company.
I love the PT Cruiser....it has style and charm not seen on most cookie cutter cars.
Thinking about buying a hard top PT in the future as a second car.
Please make more PT Cruiser videos, I’d like to learn more about how to fix things myself.
Big difference between non turbo and turbos yea its a 4cyl and ya cant be beaten on it but that lil extra horsepower does it justice
I had a 2001 PT Cruiser limited model. Loved it but... radiator replaced, electrical system awful.. this was some years back. Went to a 2006 Vibe (matrix) and from there still have my 2009 2.4 liter AWD Vibe. seems pretty bulletproof but.. my wife's car is a 2005 PT Cruiser low level turbo (180 hp) convertible similar to this one. It has been and is an excellent car. No problems ever and I enjoy driving it and she loves it. Will keep it around forever... We like the design and people still come up to look at it and think it is pretty cool ..which it is.
I had a pt cruiser 4 15 years and it was the best car I have ever had and I just go a 2008 convertible a
Week ago and I just luv it,at the end of the day it how you look after it.🐨🇦🇺
I've owned mine since the beginning from 2001 and I have to tell you it's not generally the car is bad it's what Chrysler did that made it horrible to own. For example random electrical things always going wrong and none of the dealers having any idea what's going on. Not only that dealers would charge you for service but then never actually perform the service like with my $500 tune-up they never change the spark plugs. It's things like that that really Bowl you over.
and it's the little things I get to you like how sometimes your lights don't work or things like that or how your engine cooling fans just automatically stopped working and there is no explanation for dealer anybody else and how to fix it so your left and basically do it all on your own.
there are a lot of things wrong with this vehicle but thankfully overtime the aftermarket and people like me and others have found all the problems and it start to fix them.
Chrysler has always been great at design but it's always been the end-user that suffers because of the bean counters at Chrysler and obviously the people changing hands and ownership haven't done them any favors
if it wasn't for the electrical issues then it would have been a lot better but again each time they try to upgrade the electricals they literally go backwards sometime and that's been my personal experience.
now as far as the engine goes? Well I've had zero problems with my engine. And it's been running strong and great same thing with the manual transmission. However after the first 20,000 miles actually even less than that the clutch actually gave out.
but when I'm trying to understand is that a lot of people that work on these vehicles don't know how to fix them properly and screw up the job I still have a noisy throwout bearing that has been doing that for years.
the best thing to do if you're going to buy a Chrysler's by very very low and prepare to go ahead and fix all the things that other people screwed up over the years and you will be fine
Everyone knows to stay away from 2001
"Why the PT Cruiser isn't bad"
Proceeds to list its many faults/design flaws
Right on brother! i've had two cruisers and loved them. In regards to the issue of the bushes going, changing them all for poly bushes should sort the problem.
I just purchased a 2006 pt yesterday so your video makes me feel a little better about it. I know right off hand i'll be replacing the watts joint and a motor mount. out side of that the car is perfect It has 100000 miles on it. It was a womans car and the paint and the interior is show room.
Great video. Always liked the look of the car since its debut. I've owned a na wagon and now a turbo gt convertible. Although the wagon was more practical, I wanted a little more power. The gt convertible checks all the boxes for me. Just enough power, convertible, and some what practical. I don't drive fast, but going up hills is a lot easier now.
😂 love the impersonation. I'm currently considering buying a 2002 automatic PT here in Australia. There's a lot to love about this car .
2001 owner here.. as a former neon driver. I love it
I know this is an older video but I wanted to thank you for making a video that celebrates the PT Cruiser instead of talking crap about it. I have a 2001 PT Cruiser with 25,743 miles on it. I'm the original owner (my late husband knew I wanted one and bought it for me on Valentine's Day 2001) and it's had a few issues over the last 23 years, but probably MOST cars will have some sort of issues eventually. It's was well-maintained inside and out and looks practically brand new, except for some faded paint on the hatchback. I have people constantly telling me I should trade it in, get rid of it and buy a newer Toyota, but my instincts keep telling me to maybe just get this car painted, get someone to install custom bumpers on it (I do dislike the plastic bumpers that should be black but fade to whitish gray). Anyway, I love "Betty" (she's the Betty to my other car, Veronica, a 2016 Corvette Stingray) and the thought of trading her in is truly upsetting to me. This car is so much fun and an homage to the cars of yesteryear!
My 2009 pt has 240000 and I haven’t had a serious problem .
I replace the bearings and of course brakes , that’s all .
Still going !!
One of the best Scotty Kilmer parodies on UA-cam! Well done Joe! 2.4L engine bullet proof build engine if you take a bit care of them.
I love the seating position on them is like a mini mini van lol, trans issues are either tipm or the trans solenoid or the sensors, tipm is $300 and you can buy the solenoid pack w sensor for about $190 brand new, i had a mecanic do my timing belt w water pump + cam and crank seals for $550 out the door w parts, and car runs like a charm, you not going to win races you not going to win car shows or pick up a bunch of girls, but they are reliable and not have tons of engine issues like a focus or Kia, they are cheap to buy, cheap to mantain and a simple car to go to work and even on road trips once you get out the little issues out the door, i loveine and will keep till the wheels fall off
I love your video. I had a 2002 that had almost 300k before I sold it to some of my friends because I needed a bigger vehicle. My Mom purchased a 2004 because she loved mine. It currently has over 260k miles. Still love the vehicle. My mom recently purchased a 2006 PT GT (Turbo) that was setup to tow behind an RV for an RV tow vehicle themselves. Yeah, you can get them cheep. Yeah, you may need to put some sweet equity into them because taking them to a mechanic is expensive just like any other vehicle. The replacement parts are inexpensive and the vehicle lasts a long time.
Yes, take care of the ground issues by cleaning the grounds every few years. Not a big issues if you know about that. The biggest issue I have with the PT is the battery being a 26R which is mainly a very cheep battery with that they won’t make a quality version of the battery. Everything else had mainly been normal maintenance issues I have seen on any other vehicle.
I dive my PT every day. Delivering News papers in the mountains. I have the ground issue. But I fixed it. I have had coolant issues, fixed. But what’s funny my neon does the same for the neon the father to the pt. I use SKP tie rods.
Good one...LOL Does a good Scotty. I have a Volare with slant and still have a 1984 Ram with 318.
I love the 80s rams that truck is number 1 in my book
I own a 2006 PT Convertible Turbo with only 32K miles on it. The problem with the PT TIPM is that they deviated from the industry norms in this design and decided NOT to allow for the individual replacement of relays that commonly fail in all other vehicles, e.g. the headlight relay or heater blower relay, and so on. This is indeed a faux pas.
I am an EE (retired from Northrop) and I too believe this to be asinine. In the vast number of vehicles it is commonplace to swap relays when one has a problem in some functionality as with the headlights. Most manufacturers use a "common type" of relay that can be interchanged with others in the fuse compartment allowing some troubleshooting by swapping. In the case of the bad, or intermittent headlight relay a person could usually swap it out with the Horn relay, or other relay that is the same type and has a minimal impact on the vehicle. One cannot do this on the PT! You need to buy a rebuilt TIPM from a rebuilder and they are indeed a HIGH dollar item! Not good for the DIY'er or backyard mechanic.
Oh, and that's the best impression of Scotty that I've ever heard... I don't watch a lot of his videos because he goes "outside his lane" too much. He sometimes gets into technology that he himself clearly doesn't understand but he attempts to convey his ignorance to others equally ignorant, his viewers.
I have an 05 touring edition with 133k on it and runs great
Just picked up a mint 2009 with 82 000 klm , oil sprayed since new and dealer only maintenance 1 owner , paid 700 so im glad people dont like them , i love them just fun and diffetent and i agree with him saying its for cruising not racing like really its called a pt CRUISER .....and hounestly mine drives great down the raod , nice and tight lots of get up and go for 150 hp 4 banger , i think i want the gt version now
I kind of wondered about Ole Scott and his comments. On the video he did about the PT overheating he failed to mention that one needs to bleed the cooling system. I thought "that's weird..for such a knowledgeable guy he should know that." I have 2 PT's and like all cars they have strength and weaknesses. My '06 has over 150k on it and runs great. For me it is cheap reliable transportation.
His knowledge is something isn't it? He always only seems to know the half of a story that supports his opinion. He's off his rocker.