Selling a junk Chrysler PT Cruiser
Any PT Cruiser sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Chrysler PT Cruiser
NHTSA has 3,421 owner complaints on file for the Chrysler PT Cruiser, model years 2001 to 2010, the 131st-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are electrical system (579, 17%), engine and cooling (268, 8%), lights (238, 7%). 268 complaints involved a crash, 155 a fire, and 44 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 57,988 miles. The 2001 model year has the most complaints (799). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is electrical system, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car that doesn't run: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Chrysler PT Cruiser by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 799 | Electrical system | 48 | 26 | 7 | 58,500 |
| 2002 | 658 | Electrical system | 54 | 47 | 5 | 56,000 |
| 2003 | 354 | Electrical system | 30 | 21 | 4 | 55,000 |
| 2004 | 291 | Electrical system | 23 | 21 | 3 | 56,000 |
| 2005 | 244 | Electrical system | 12 | 17 | 5 | 61,863 |
| 2006 | 512 | Electrical system | 55 | 6 | 1 | 60,000 |
| 2007 | 204 | Engine and cooling | 23 | 3 | 0 | 54,500 |
| 2008 | 171 | Electrical system | 17 | 9 | 0 | 61,500 |
| 2009 | 158 | Electrical system | 5 | 1 | 0 | 52,000 |
| 2010 | 30 | Engine | 1 | 4 | 0 | 30,000 |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Chrysler PT Cruiser recalls
NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for fuel system (2), suspension (1), lights (1). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2001 model year, lights (campaign 09E012000, Apr 2009): SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMEN…
- 2001 model year, suspension (campaign 08E033000, Apr 2008): FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS ARE:…
- 2005 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 07V149000, Apr 2007): ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR QUARTER GLASS ATTACHING FASTENERS MAY PULL THROUGH THEIR MOUNTS AND ALLOW THE GLASS TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.
- 2005 model year, brakes (campaign 04V481000, Oct 2004): CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS), 2.4L HIGH OUTPUT TURBOCHARGED ENGINE, AND 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSAXLE, MAY EXHIBIT INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE TUBE AND T…
- 2001 model year, steering (campaign 04V268000, Jun 2004): 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.
What a Chrysler PT Cruiser is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk PT Cruiser on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car that doesn't run 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
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Questions people ask
- What is a junk Chrysler PT Cruiser worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same PT Cruiser gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Chrysler PT Cruiser that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Chrysler PT Cruiser?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Chrysler PT Cruiser numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.