A friend of mine nursed one of those along for years with a blown head gasket. Every time he would drive it he would open the hood and pop the radiator cap lever so it would suck coolant from the over flow bottle back into the radiator.
PT Cruiser for the grandkids
- Thread starter dishdude
- Start date
I don’t blame them.
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
Daughter-in-law owned one when they married. According to her & son, it was like it spent more time @ the Dealership service department than with her.
When we were in Kauai the last time we had arranged for a rental car. The rental company gave us a PT Cruiser. I was very disappointed that we gotten such a crap car (and said so), but with a rental you get what you get.
We had it for a week or two and surprisingly enough we liked it. Of course speed limits are pretty low on Kauai and I didn't have to do any maintenance (let alone trying to change the timing belt).
Sometimes people don't like things because other people say it's terrible. But for whatever it's worth, I liked that PT Cruiser.
We had it for a week or two and surprisingly enough we liked it. Of course speed limits are pretty low on Kauai and I didn't have to do any maintenance (let alone trying to change the timing belt).
Sometimes people don't like things because other people say it's terrible. But for whatever it's worth, I liked that PT Cruiser.
Walt's Aztec though lol. Even worseRemember when Skylar gets Walt Junior a PT Cruiser in Breaking Bad? The look on his face when he saw it was priceless
My Grandma had a PT pretty much exactly like that car except it was an automatic. I told her she should buy it when I was 5. She loved that car and still has photos of it hanging up. My Grandparents only kept it until it was 5 years old because my Grandfather said "it felt like it was falling apart." He hated that car. To his point, when they got rid of it in 2006 a Hemi Dodge Charger got the same MPG as the PT Cruiser.
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Naaah. At least the Aztec implemented ideas. The PT cruiser is pure poor aesthetic taste, nothing else.Walt's Aztec though lol. Even worse
I don't know where you dug this story up, but the 2.4L engine's timing belt is not "wet" (unless you've got horrifically bad cam seals), nor is the engine an interference engine. I've done several timing belt/water pump jobs on these vehicles and other 2.4L-equipped cars and vans, several of which suffered broken belts. Take it all apart, change the water pump, line it all up, re-install new idler, belt, and tensioner. Done.
It is an expensive job - but not a difficult one. Any DIY-er can handle it.
And in spite of all the negative comments, the 2.4L DOHC engine is a fairly robust unit with pretty decent longevity. I've had three PTs myself and just sold my 265k-mile Caravan with the very same 2.4L engine, which I bought brand new. Great drivetrain. So good I just bought a used low-mile 2007 Caravan with the same 2.4L.
I looked it up on GROK, your right about the belt not being in oil, and while it does have indents in pistons for valves, it may still have valves hit pistons depending on when / wear the cam stops. It said valves hitting pistons is more likley if the RPMs are high when the belt fails.
In order to make a value judgement on this car, one needs the asking price. The car is being sold by a high-dollar classic car dealer, not the original owner, and the asking price is $16,900:
https://www.vantageauto.com/inventory/chrysler/
As cool as a time capsule this may be, the ask is far too high. As a first-year car - with most of the early run selling at full MSRP - this loaded Limited model likely cost around $21K.
Due to the sheer number of these made between 2001-2010, they have never achieved collectible status...and probably never will.
For a nice driver like this I'd give no more than $8-9K. It would almost assuredly require some reconditioning costs to replace perishable items like tires, belts, hoses, and probably most of the engine fluids. All pretty easy to do.
Add the dealer's $1050 "doc fee," and this price is in the stratosphere...getting close to the original MSRP. Hard pass.
https://www.vantageauto.com/inventory/chrysler/
As cool as a time capsule this may be, the ask is far too high. As a first-year car - with most of the early run selling at full MSRP - this loaded Limited model likely cost around $21K.
Due to the sheer number of these made between 2001-2010, they have never achieved collectible status...and probably never will.
For a nice driver like this I'd give no more than $8-9K. It would almost assuredly require some reconditioning costs to replace perishable items like tires, belts, hoses, and probably most of the engine fluids. All pretty easy to do.
Add the dealer's $1050 "doc fee," and this price is in the stratosphere...getting close to the original MSRP. Hard pass.
That's the problem with the interwebs. Too much data, and much of it wrong.
The 2.4L pistons have valve reliefs on top; there's basically no chance of valve-to-piston contact. The only possible interference - and it's a longshot - is valve-to-valve. And the only chance for this would be if the engine was screaming when the belt breaks (i.e., someone beating the snot out of it). I've never seen this once, and have worked on a lot of 2.4s.
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
Those sellers are just by nature always extremely high. They do have overhead a home / private seller does not have. Still they most always list way over priced "asking" numbers.
Can we rely on first hand experiences and knowledge and not grok?
When my brotherd PT grenaded, his mechanic did say it needed a new engjne.
This thing is a death trap. I wouldn't want my kid/ grandkids driving this thing. Even when new it scored poor in safety.
I'm impressed - had always assumed any DOHC engine would have to be an interference engine.
Yep . My Mom had one . I hated it . Underpowered , noisy , but good on gas . She beat the hell out of it .
If you love your Grandkids you will pass on a PT.................
I see quite a few of those still on the road here.
