2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser - Safety Review and Crash Test Ratings

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While the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser gets good-to-excellent scores in crash testing, the lack of stability control and curtain airbags are serious omissions, and anti-lock brakes are an option on most models, too.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ratings for the PT Cruiser are good: five out of five stars for side impact protection and four stars in front impact crashes and rollover tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has not tested the Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Automotive.com reports that Chrysler PT Cruiser 2008 "safety features include dual front airbags; torso-protecting front side-impact airbags; and a tire-pressure monitor, " while "front belts have pyrotechnically charged tensioners, just like in luxury cars, to tighten the belts for the initial stages of an impact." Parents of small children will be glad to know that in the Chrysler PT Cruiser 2008, "the rear bench is equipped with child-seat tethers."

Cars.com reports "driver and passenger front and side airbags are standard," but "ABS is standard only on the Limited model; it otherwise costs $625 and includes traction control." However, "stability control is not available on any Chrysler PT Cruiser."

Kelley Blue Book says that the Chrysler PT Cruiser 2008 "driver and passenger sit high for a commanding view of the road," but ConsumerGuide says that while "sight lines are clear on the wagon...rear headrests are minor obstructions," and "a small rear window on the Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible greatly restricts the view."