2000 Dodge Grand Caravan

CORROSION OF STRUT TOWERS, THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE THE VAN WAS NEW. WE IT IS COSMETIC AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. FOR THE WARRANTY TO COVER IT, IT WILL NEED TO FAIL WITHIN 5 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. WELL WE ARE PAST THAT NOW AND IT HAS FAILED. WHAT TO DO? THE DEALER CAN FIX IT BUT IT COSTS ME $1200 TO $1400. FOR AN ONGOING PROBLEM THIS IS NOT FAIR AND REASONABLE. NOT TO MENTION, MORE THAN HALF OF THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE ARE OF THIS EXACT ISSUE. AND IT RUNS THROUGH MANY YEARS. DO WE NEED TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS INJURED BEFORE THIS IS CORRECTED. DODGE IS AWARE THEY HAVE EVEN MADE UP A KIT TO ASSIST WITH THIS ISSUE. IS THERE A CLASS ACTION? THIS VAN WAS $33,000. NEW IN 2000 WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. THIS IS NOT FAIR OR REASONABLE. WHO NEEDS TO BE TALKED TO GET THIS FIXED? IS THE SCOPE SO LARGE THAT THEY CAN NOT ALL BE FIXED? DO I NEED TO JUNK THE VAN BECAUSE THE REPAIR IS MORE THAN IT'S STREET VALUE? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR NORMAL MAINTENANCE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE STRUT TOWER WAS CORRODED. THE FAILURE IS DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIAL FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WANTS CHRYSLER TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 105,000.

RUSTING STRUT TOWERS 2000 GRAND CARAVAN. I NOTICED RUST ON THE STRUT TOWER ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I SPRAYED UNDERCOATING ON THE TOP OF BOTH TOWERS TO PREVENT FURTHER RUST. I INSPECTED THE TOPS OF THE TOWERS THIS WEEK. BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE TOWER CONTINUE TO RUST IN SPITE OF SEVERAL LAYERS ON UNDERCOATING APPLIED OVER THE LAST YEAR. AS I WAS SERVICING THE BRAKES I DETERMINED IT WAS TIME TO REPLACE THE STRUTS ON THE FRONT OF THE VAN. KNOWING THE TOWERS ARE RUSTED ON THE TOP SIDE I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STRUT TOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. A CRACK HAS APPEARED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STRUT TOWER ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. I WILL INSPECT THE DRIVER'S SIDE TOMORROW. AFTER DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH I HAVE FOUND THE RUSTING STRUT TOWERS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN BOTH THE US AND CANADA. THE PROBLEM EXISTS ACROSS SEVERAL YEARS AND MODELS OF DODGE AND CHRYSLER VEHICLES. IF A STRUT RUPTURES A COMPROMISED TOWER AT HIGHWAY SPEED, LIVES CAN AND WILL BE LOST. WITH THE NUMBER OF DODGE AND CHRYSLER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, THE POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IS MULTIPLIED EXPONENTIALLY. I AM SURPRISED THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. SOMEONE MUST BE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED, THEN BRAKES. SERPENTINE BELT WET FROM RAIN CAUSED POWER STEERING & BRAKES TO FAIL RESULTING IN VEHICLE FLIPPING ON ITS SIDE ON I-75. SERVICE DEPT SAID THAT THE POWER STEERING, ETC WAS DESIGNED TO SHUT DOWN WHEN BELT GOT WET. THIS WAS A NORMAL RAIN. VEHICLE WAS NOT IN HIGH WATER. VEHICLE WAS ULTIMATELY TOTALED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN. THE CONTACT SPORADICALLY SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE COMING FROM HIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V268000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS BETWEEN $312- $700. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. HE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

1. NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION 2. THE FAILURE OF STRUCTURE SECURING AND RETAINING THE FRONT SUSPENSION (STRUT TOWER) DO TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. UPON FAILURE THE ENTIRE FRONT SUSPENSION FALLS APART RESULTING IN CATASTROPHIC LOSE OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND SUPPORT. VEHICLE WILL SWERVE RESULTING IN COLLISION OR ROLL OVER. 3. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IS A RECALL TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STRUT TOWER. *TR