1999 Dodge Grand Caravan

1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN TAKEN TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP IN MARCH 2007 FOR NORMAL SERVICING , OIL CHANGE/TIRE ROTATION, AND SHOP MANAGER INDICATED THAT THE FRONT STRUTS WERE WORN OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT DO THIS SINCE BOTH FRONT STRUT MOUNTS WERE BADLY RUSTED AND WOULD LIKELY BREAK UPON SERVICING. THE REPAIR SHOP WARNED ME TO IMMEDIATELY GET THE STRUT MOUNTS FIXED FOR SAFETY REASONS. I VISITED A LOCAL 5 STAR DODGE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM DOES OCCUR AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY/RECALL. COST TO REPAIR PROBLEM , NO NEW STRUTS WAS $1300. I CALLED A NUMBER OF BODY SHOPS AND FOUND A LOCAL SHOP WHICH HAS BEEN REPAIRING THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2000! THEY SAID THIS PROBLEM WAS COMMON FOR THESE VEHICLES FOR MODEL YEARS 1996-2000 IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. THEY HAD DEVELOPED A SYSTEM TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM INCLUDING REMOVING THE OLD STRUT MOUNTS, MACHINING NEW STRUT MOUNTS FROM ALUMINUM BLOCKS, AND BOLTING/WELDING THEM IN PLACE. REPAIR WAS MADE , EXCLUDING NEW STRUTS FOR $600.*AK

FRONT END WAS HITTING HARD ON EVEN MILDLY ROUGH ROADS. UPON INSPECTION BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE CAUSED BY SEVERE RUSTING OF THE STRUT TOWER MOUNT ON BOTH SIDES. AT THE TIME OF FILING THIS COMPLAINT REPAIRS, COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF STRUT TOWERS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE DUE TO COST , APPROXIMATELY $2800. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY 3 DIFFERENT REPAIR FACILITIES THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE CARAVANS OF CERTAIN MODEL YEARS! BESIDES THE COSTLY REPAIRS, THIS ALSO PRESENTS A POTENTIALLY A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE!. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 55,000 MILES.*AK

DRIVER SIDE STRUT TOWER IS CORRODING AND POPPING THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR ON TIRES, VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL, AND COULD POSE A SIGNIFICANT DANGER IF IT WERE TO RUST COMPLETELY THROUGH. AS DESCRIBED BY AN ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC, THIS ISSUE IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. IF THIS ITEM WERE TO COMPLETELY FAIL SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH COULD RESULT. *JB

1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WITH 96,000 MILES IS BADLY RUSTED AT THE TOP OF THE FRONT STRUT WELLS. EXCESSIVE WATER IS COLLECTING ON TOP OF THE STRUT WELLS AND EATING AWAY AT THE STEEL. I REMOVED THE LOOSE CHUNKS OF RUSTED STEEL AND FOUND HOLES OVER BOTH WHEELS. FIRST NOTICE THE RUST ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRUTS POPPING THROUGH THE HOOD. I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *NM

THE FRONT UPPER DRIVER'S SIDE STRUT MOUNT IS BULGING UP, OUT OF SHAPE, MAKING THE VEHICLE 1/2 INCH OUT OF LEVEL AND HAS ALLOWED WATER TO UNDERCUT THE MOUNT. THIS IS IN AN AREA THAT IS UNDER THE HOOD AND NOT ACCESSIBLE TO WATER. OUR MECHANIC SAID THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE STRUT WHICH SUPPORTS THE CORNER OF THE CAR COULD RUPTURE THE MOUNT AND GO THROUGH THE HOOD RESULTING IS LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DANGER TO OUR LIVES. THE MOUNT IS PART OF VEHICLE BODY AND SUPPORTS THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S MISTAKE IS THAT THEY BADLY ENGINEERED THIS COMPONENT OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM . THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS NO PROBLEM CHRYSLER SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR VEHICLE (1999 GRAND CARAVAN) AT THEIR EXPENSE. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT HE HAS SEEN OTHER GRAND CARAVANS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT CHRYSLER FIXED THEM AT CHRYSLER'S EXPENSE. *NM