1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager

MY MECHANIC COMMENTED THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY TWO FRONT STRUT TOWERS. THEY HAD SEVERE CORROSION AND THE STRUTS WERE PUSHING THROUGH THE TOP OF THE TOWER. HE WAS CONCERNED WHEN THE STRUTS PUSHED THROUGH I WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING MY VEHICLE. *JB I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY PLYMOUTH DEALER ON AUGUST 10TH 2004 (98,402 MILES JUST OVER 6 YEARS OLD). CHRYSLER REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE CORROSION IS SO SEVERE THAT THE METAL IS PERFORATED AND STARTING TO TEAR. I WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT SELLS ANTI-CORROSION COATING (CALLED ELECTROCOAT) AND KNOW THAT THIS PROBLEM MUST HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. IF NOT HIDDEN UNDER THE HOOD I WOULD HAVE NOTICED IT LONG BEFORE THE WARRANTY WAS UP. HAD THE PART DESIGN BEEN PROPER AND THE ELECTROCOATING DONE CORRECTLY THIS DEFECT SHOULD NOT OCCUR BEFORE 10 YEARS. THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH MY MODEL. CHRYSLER ISSUED A TSB NUMBER 23-044-02 ACKOWLEDGING THIS PROBLEM FOR VANS BUILT FROM 1996-2000 AND HAS A REPAIR KIT AND PROCEDURE. IF THE PROBLEM IS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD THE TSB STATES IT IS REIMBURSABLE. I POSTED MY PROBLEM ON A MESSAGE BOARD AND QUICKLY RECIEVED A REPLY FORM ANOTHER OWNER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE DIGITAL PHOTOS WHICH I CAN SEND TO YOU. I WILL SAVE THE DEFECTIVE TOWERS WHICH NEED TO BE CUT FROM THE BODY AND REPLACED. THE REPAIR WILL COST $1350 AND WILL BE DONE IN TWO WEEKS. THE DEFECT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE AND MANY PEOPLE MAY BE DRIVING WITH A COMPROMISED SUSPENSION AND DANGEROUS CONDITION WITHOUT KNOWING IT. CHRYSLER SEEMS UNWILLING TO FACE UP TO THIER RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER AND WILL LIKELY DO NOTHING UNLESS YOUR OFFICE DOES SOMETHING TO FORCE THEM TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OR A DISASTER OCCURS BECAUSE IF IT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION. IF MY VAN OR THE OLD TOWERS CAN SERVE ANY USEFUL PURPOSE IN YOUR INVESTIGATION LET ME KNOW. *JB

STRUT TOWER IS CORRODED AND 4 BODY SHOPS SAID THEY WOULD'NT ATTEMPT TO FIX. THE FOLLOWING INFO WAS OBTAINED BY A GM DEALERSHIP WHEN WE TOLD THEM OUR PROBLEM.*AK HE DID LOOK UP ON THE COMPUTER ABOUT BULLETINS ISSUED REGARDING YOUR PROBLEM. THERE WAS ONE ISSUED ON OCTOBER OF 2002 TITLED: SUSPENSION/BODY -STRUT TOWER CORROSION #23-044-02. THIS MEANS CHRYSLER ACKNOWLEGES THEY HAVE A PROBLEM! BRIEF HISTORY, I AM 36 WITH A WIFE AND TWO BOYS WHO ARE 11 AND EIGHT. BOTH MY WIFE AND I GRADUATED FROM MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE I ALSO GOT MY MBA. I HAVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS). I WENT ON DISABILITY IN 1997. I AM AT ABOUT AN 8.5 TO 9 ON THE DISABILITY SCALE. ZERO BEING NO SYMPTOMS 10 BEING DEAD. I AM IN A WHEELCHAIR. I HAVE A FEEDING TUBE, A SUPRA PUBIC CATHETER. I WILL BE TRYING AN INTENSIVE CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. WE ARE ON A FIXED INCOME FROM SOCIAL SECURITY AND A LONG TERM CARE CONTRACT. I REQUIRE NEARLY 24-HOUR CARE SO MY WIFE CANT WORK. OUR ANNUAL INCOME IS ABOUT $34,000. WE BOUGHT A PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER HANDICAP VAN IN 1998 FOR ABOUT $40,000. THIS WEEK WE HAD THE OIL CHANGED. THE MECHANIC SAID ONE OF THE TWO TOWERS THAT HOLD THE ENGINE IN PLACE WAS RUSTED. HE SAID TO HAVE A BODY SHOP LOOK AT IT IMMEDIATELY. THE BODY SHOP SAID THEY WOULDNT TOUCH IT (PRES KOOL). MY WIFE CALLED CHRYSLER AND AN ARROGANT, IMPATIENT CUSTOMER SERVICE REP NAMED JAY SAID TO TAKE IT TO MAACO (ANOTHER LOCAL BODY SHOP). THEY ALSO TOLD MY WIFE NO WAY WOULD THEY FIX IT. EVERY PLACE MY WIFE TOOK IT SHE WAS TOLD THE VAN HAD WAY MORE RUST ALL OVER THEN A 1998 VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE. ANOTHER MECHANIC SAID NO WAY SHOULD THE TOWER BE RUSTED LIKE IT IS. MY WIFE CALLED CHRYSLER AGAIN AND SPOKE TO ERIKA WHO SAID THERE IS NOTHING CHRYSLER CAN OR WILL DO. OUR WARRANTY IS UP SO WE ARE LEFT WITH OUR ONLY TRANSPORTATION BEING UNSAFE.

CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE STRUT TOWERS WERE RUSTING PREMATURELY. *AK THE LEFT SIDE STRUT TOWER BLISTERED/BUBBLE. EXTENSIVE RUST UNDER THE BLISTERED PAINT AREA. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE RUST HAD BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME UNDER THE PAINT SURFACE. *SC *JB

THE TOP OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SHOCK TOWER, AS VIEWED FROM UNDER THE HOOD, IS VERY CORRODED. MECHANIC ADVISED GETTING RID OF VEHICLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE OR FACE EXTENSIVE $ REPAIRS FOR SHOCK TOWER AND STRUT. AREA OF CORROSION WAS PROFESSIONALLY RUST PROOFED IN 1998 AND WAS STILL ABLE TO CORRODE. I WONDER HOW BAD THE CORROSION IS ON THESE VEHICLES THAT WERE NOT RUST PROOFED? SHOCK TOWER CORROSION APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ALL 1996-2001 CHRYSLER, DODGE AND PLYMOUTH MINIVANS. ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE STRUTS START POPPING THROUGH THE HOODS ON THESE VEHICLES, THUS CAUSING ACCIDENTS. ADVISE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.*AK