Chrysler Pt Cruiser MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Chrysler Pt Cruiser MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Chrysler Pt Cruiser passed on its first attempt in 60.2%, and its overall record sits −11.1 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Chrysler Pt Cruiser in the 2023–2025 data: 7,714 tests across 9 model years (2000–2008). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Chrysler Pt Cruiser MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Chrysler Pt Cruiser, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Chrysler Pt Cruiser's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Chrysler Pt Cruiser DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Chrysler Pt Cruiser, each with how many of the model's 7,714 tests it was noted on.

• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 429 Chrysler Pt Cruiser tests, 5.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 375 Chrysler Pt Cruiser tests, 4.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 354 Chrysler Pt Cruiser tests, 4.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault" (Major) — noted on about 292 Chrysler Pt Cruiser tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 272 Chrysler Pt Cruiser tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 250 Chrysler Pt Cruiser tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Chrysler Pt Cruiser Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Chrysler Pt Cruiser model year on record is 2001 (73.6% across 295 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (68.5%). The gap between them is 5.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Chrysler Pt Cruiser Owners

These checks follow this Chrysler Pt Cruiser's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Chrysler Pt Cruiser.

• the lights — “headlamp lens slightly defective”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Chrysler Pt Cruiser. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Chrysler Pt Cruiser is most common

Across every Pt Cruiser model year on record (2000–2008): 3,041 Chrysler Pt Cruiser cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 7,710 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 90 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Chrysler Pt Cruiser cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Chrysler Pt Cruiser MOT & Reliability