[chrisb100]

I own a 2002 Limited Edition PT Cruiser. Recently my car was hit in the rear by another car which damaged the rear bumper and tail light. I brought it to a Chrysler dealer for repair. When I picked up the car, I noticed what looked like tape adhesive marks on the front bumper. Since the dealer had buffed the car, I assumed the dealer had taped the bumper to prevent wax from getting on it. The dealer was perplexed by what could have caused the marks.

I called Chrysler to discuss. I had to discuss the situation four different times as I was passed along to different personnel. While on hold, I discovered during a web search the information on the "tape marks" problem in this forum. When I brought this up to the final customer service person I spoke with, their attitude changed and they just read what sounded like a scripted response that they would not do anything in regard to this problem. The fact that I had purchased an extended 7 year warranty did not make a difference. This person then said they were a supervisor and that this was "the end of the line" for discussing my concerns. They then said that the call was "not productive" and hung up on me.

As I researched this problem, the tape marks appear to be due to some protective coating being stipped off during the painting process and the problem only appears after some time. My car is parked in a garage and meticulously maintained and I had not noticed the tape marks until this situation. While my car was at the dealer for the rear end repairs, it sat outside during the recent record setting torrential rains in Chicago for 4 days. This likely made the marks more noticeable.

I have received 2 recall notices on my car for other issues, but never received information on this problem which was due to a known manufacturing defect. This is an issue that Chrysler should have been pro-active about addressing. I have been very happy with my PT Crusier, but the way Chrysler has handled this has left a bad taste. For one of the three US car manufactuers that are looking for a $25 billion bailout from the government, this is not the way to retain customers. I, for one, will not purchase another Chrysler.