2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser

No photo available — body style shown for reference.

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Electrical

Electrical leads by volume: 45 of 115 complaints (39%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (11) than those mentioning any other identified area.

Complaints filed fell from 155 in 2007 to 115 in 2008.

Data last changed Sep 16, 2026. Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology

Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.Also cataloged for 2008: 4 configuration(s) of a different vehicle class, excluded from the comparison bar only (but included in the figures above).
Category	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	vs. 2008 Compact Cars
Annual fuel cost ($)	2,850–4,100	2,850–4,100	2,700–3,700	2,700–2,950	2,950
Combined MPG	19–22	19–22	21–23	21–23	21
City / Highway MPG	17–19 / 24–26	17–19 / 24–26	18–21 / 24–26	18–21 / 24–26	19 / 24
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)	404–468	404–468	386–423	386–423	423
Complaints filed	373	155	115	97	22	Not compared
Recalls issued	1	0	0	0	0	Not compared
Crash-involved complaints	35	18	11	4	1	Not compared
Fire-involved complaints	6	3	6	1	1	Not compared
Injuries reported	25	23	14	3	1	Not compared
Deaths reported	1	0	0	0	0	Not compared
Configurations compared	8	4	4	3	1

Common questions

How many recalls does the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser have?

No NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026.

What is the most common complaint about the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser?

Electrical: 45 of 115 NHTSA complaints (39%) mention it.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser get?

EPA rates it 21–23 MPG combined.

How much does it cost to fuel a 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser?

EPA estimates $2,700–$3,700 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

Similar Vehicles

EPA-Rated Configurations (8)

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
Configuration	Transmission	Cylinders	Displacement	Drivetrain	Fuel Type	Vehicle Class	City	Highway	Combined	Annual Fuel Cost	CO₂
Configuration 1	Automatic 4-spd	4	2.4L	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	Compact Cars	18 mpg (low)	24 mpg (low)	21 mpg (low)	$3,700 (high)	423 g/mi (high)
Configuration 2	Automatic 4-spd	4	2.4L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Compact Cars	19 mpg	24 mpg (low)	21 mpg (low)	$2,950	423 g/mi (high)
Configuration 3	Manual 5-spd	4	2.4L	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	Compact Cars	20 mpg	25 mpg	22 mpg	$3,500	404 g/mi
Configuration 4	Manual 5-spd	4	2.4L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Compact Cars	21 mpg (high)	26 mpg (high)	23 mpg (high)	$2,700 (low)	386 g/mi (low)
Configuration 5	Automatic 4-spd	4	2.4L	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD	18 mpg (low)	24 mpg (low)	21 mpg (low)	$3,700 (high)	423 g/mi (high)
Configuration 6	Automatic 4-spd	4	2.4L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD	19 mpg	24 mpg (low)	21 mpg (low)	$2,950	423 g/mi (high)
Configuration 7	Manual 5-spd	4	2.4L	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD	20 mpg	25 mpg	22 mpg	$3,500	404 g/mi
Configuration 8	Manual 5-spd	4	2.4L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD	21 mpg (high)	26 mpg (high)	23 mpg (high)	$2,700 (low)	386 g/mi (low)

Complaints by Category

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
Category	Complaints	Crash-Involved	Fire-Involved	Injuries
Engine	20	1	3	1
Transmission & Drivetrain	10	0	1	0
Fuel System	2	0	0	0
Electrical	45	1	2	1
Brakes	10	1	1	0
Steering	5	0	1	0
Suspension, Wheels & Tires	9	1	0	1
Airbags & Restraints	29	10	0	11
Driver Assistance & Speed Control	6	0	0	0
Body, Seats & Latches	8	2	0	3
Visibility & Lighting	11	0	0	0
Other	8	0	0	0

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

Recalls

No recalls have been issued for this model-year.