NHTSA Safety Recalls
2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Recalls
The 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser has 4 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on June 3, 2004.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 258
- Crashes reported
- 22
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
15 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
4 recalls on the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Steering: hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections
- Campaign
- 04V268000
- Reported
- June 3, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 438,391
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004–2005 PT Cruiser
Power train: clutch assembly
- Campaign
- 03V076000
- Reported
- March 10, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 816
- Same campaign
- only the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Suspension
- Campaign
- 08E033000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004–2005 PT Cruiser, 4 other models
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 09E012000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004–2005 PT Cruiser, 57 other models
2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser complaints by year
NHTSA has received 258 owner complaints about the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser, the newest on June 28, 2026. Of these, 22 describe a crash (9%) and 15 a fire; owners reported 20 injuries and 1 death.
In complaints about the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser, the component group named most often is the electrical system (17%), followed by the power train (14%) and the suspension (14%).
1 of the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser's 4 recalls also concerns the power train.
Where 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser owners gave the mileage (189 complaints), the median was 49,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Electrical System45
- Power Train35
- Suspension35
- Exterior Lighting34
- Engine And Engine Cooling29
- Steering29
Complaints received, by year
| 2002 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 17 | |
| 2004 | 36 | |
| 2005 | 29 | |
| 2006 | 33 | |
| 2007 | 23 | |
| 2008 | 21 | |
| 2009 | 20 | |
| 2010 | 11 | |
| 2011 | 7 | |
| 2012 | 4 | |
| 2013 | 4 | |
| 2014 | 10 | |
| 2015 | 14 | |
| 2016 | 7 | |
| 2017 | 5 | |
| 2018 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser peaked in 2004, when NHTSA received 36. 45% arrived between 2002 and 2006, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2003 vehicles, the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser drew 1.4× the complaints of the median Chrysler PT Cruiser year in the same window: 3rd highest of the 10 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 4/5
The 258 complaints about the 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Chrysler PT Cruiser by model year
Other 2003 Chrysler models
Newest record on this page: June 28, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted