2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser

small car / 4-door wagon

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Head restraints & seats

Key

G
Good
A
Acceptable
M
Marginal
P
Poor

Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2006-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser LX wagon

The Chrysler PT Cruiser was introduced in the 2001 model year. Beginning with 2006 models, an inflatable knee bolster was added to the lower instrument panel designed to minimize knee injuries to drivers in frontal crashes. The car was discontinued after the 2010 model year.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the roof rail during rebound. Head acceleration from this hit was low.

Forces on the lower left leg were high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0824
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	13
Left (cm)	21
Center (cm)	19
Right (cm)	15
Brake pedal (cm)	14
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	3
Right (cm)	2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	9
Rearward (cm)	-5
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0824
Head
HIC-15	277
Peak gs at hard contact	19
Neck
Tension (kN)	2.0
Extension bending moment (Nm)	31
Maximum Nij	0.38
Chest maximum compression (mm)	33
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	2.0
Femur force - right (kN)	3.8
Knee displacement - left (mm)	2
Knee displacement - right (mm)	6
Maximum tibia index - left	0.89
Maximum tibia index - right	0.66
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	1.3
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	67
Right	143

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2008-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser LX wagon with standard front seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags

The Chrysler PT Cruiser was introduced in the 2001 model year. Beginning with 2008 models, side airbags were made standard (they had been optional in 2001-07 models), and the rear door trim panels and rear seat belt mounting locations were modified to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. car was discontinued after the 2010 model year.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection The dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door. This pillar is required by federal standard to provide some protection for occupants' heads.

View of the vehicle just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbag and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door.

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	CES0852
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-8.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0852
Head HIC-15	707
Neck
Tension (kN)	2.3
Compression (kN)	0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	62
Lateral force (kN)	4.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	54
Average deflection (mm)	45
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	8.03
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	1.84
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	4.2
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.8
Combined force (kN)	6.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	1.1
L-M moment (Nm)	191
A-P moment (Nm)	-34

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0852
Head HIC-15	691
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.6
Compression (kN)	1.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	43
Lateral force (kN)	1.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	43
Average deflection (mm)	22
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	5.53
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.52
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	3.0
Acetabulum force (kN)	4.1
Combined force (kN)	6.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.7
L-M moment (Nm)	102
A-P moment (Nm)	40

About the original side crash test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Manual cloth seats
Geometry
Backset (mm)	83
Distance below top of head (mm)	52
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g)	14.1
Head contact time (ms)	90
Force rating	3
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	342
Max neck tension (N)	918

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.