Frame And Members Problems of Dodge Grand Caravan

The contact owns a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that the shock support and the framing near the front of the vehicle was rusted to the point of corrosion. The contact mentioned that the springs were faulty and deteriorated near the shock support and the framing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the support system on the driver side failed and the support brackets needed to be replaced in the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 04v480000 (air bags); however, the contact was not notified of the safety recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

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Letter from senator collins on behalf of constituent, re the frame of her 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan sxt the consumer stated the frame on the vehicle has extensive rust, well beyond what should be expected. The consumer was informed the vehicle was not safe to drive, because the of the extensive rust on the support frame.

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The drivers side shock tower has completely rusted out. I had a 1996 caravan that did the same thing. There are many repair caps that will help structural support if the rust has not spread too far. Unfortunately, this will not help me. The rust was hidden under the paint and extends 4-5 inches down the strut tower. With the vehicle under weight and from driving it, there is now a tear in the metal on the side if the strut tower from front to back at a downward angle. This makes the vehicle undriveable and a major safety issue.

1998 Dodge caravan strut towers rusting through.

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My 1999 caravan has the left driver's side shock tower rusted out. The is a common flaw and a significant safety issue. This should be recalled by the dealer and repaired. They've had so many vans do this, they created a repair part kit. If the shock breaks through while driving, severe injuries due to loss of vehicle control will likely occur.

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While repairing a faulty strut in the front end I discovered a rusted through tower on the driver's side. The hole is about one-third the circumference of the top of the tower. The top is also partially bent upwards from the force of the strut pushing up. If this breaks through the driver side front suspension will collapse and cause an accident. Dodge issued TSB 23-044-02 to repair the problem, the dealer I talked to, herb chambers in danvers mass. , said the right way to fix it is to remove the motor and weld in a new tower. This is very costly, probably more than the value of the van. This is a safety issue that Dodge should recall and pay for!.

Front strut cone on passenger side is rusted, leaving a 3 x 3 inch gap besides the strut mount. Had an estimate done for repair which is approximately 1. 3k including labor on one side. Car runs great at 157. 7k miles, recently had to buy a new gas pump, water pump, abs sensor, and brake caliper on drivers side. All leading up to 1. 2k in repairs including labor. Chrysler/Dodge should have a recall on this issue as this can be a potential risk on the road, specially on highway commutes.

We bought our Dodge Grand Caravan new in 1999. Today (may 13,2009) I went to a local repair shop for routine maintenance. Mechanic showed me the strut mount on the driver's side was rusting away. One-quarter to one-third of the metal supporting the strut mount was completely rusted out. It was large enough that you could have stuck your hand through it. I then took it to a local body shop they then called the local Dodge dealership regarding any history of this type of problem. Dealership acknowledged a history of this type of problem and said a "kit" was available to fix it. The body shop said if there was a repair kit for this then that means that this was by no means an isolated problem. He also said he was shocked that there has been no recall or investigation into this because this is a major safety issue.

I have a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan sxt with 28,612 miles (mostly interstate). On November 23, 2008 I was going east on interstate 70. A few miles from hagerstown, maryland the cars front end started to shake. I called the Dodge dealership in hagerstown. After having the car towed to the dealership the mechanic determined that the cars right front axle had snapped. They did not have the part in stock and had to order it. When I picked the vehicle up one week later the service manger told us the cause of the failed front end axle hub was due to the nuts being loose, thus allowing the axel to disengage. After doing some research on the internet I discovered that Dodge has had similar problems with some of their other vehicles. According to edmunds inside line, there was a recall on the 2008 Dodge charger, magnum, and Chrysler 300. The article on edmunds inside line stated, the federal government says 5,509 2008 Dodge chargers and magnums, along with some 2008 Chrysler 300 vehicles, are being recalled for a problem that was first spotted in March on a 2009 Dodge challenger pilot vehicle undergoing prelaunch evaluation at Chrysler's chelsea proving grounds. The torque retention crimp feature "was missed" during the manufacture of one lot of rear axel hub nuts on the affected cars. ¿this could cause the nuts to loosen and allow the half-shaft to disengage from the wheel hub, said the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) in its recall summary of the problem. ¿this could cause the vehicle to lose power and result in a crash without warning. ¿.

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Upper strut towers on our 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan are rusting out structurally with only 96,000 miles. It looks important to get fixed (which I will) before the front end collapses!.

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.

Undercarriage and rocker panels of our 2003 Dodge caravan sport are so severely corroded, this vehicle will not pass inspection. We feel this is premature corrosion for such a new vehicle. Chrysler corp. Is going by what the dealership allen mello Chrysler/Dodge in nashua,new hampshire is advising them. We feel Chrysler should honor the repair or at least partial money for the repair. The vehicle is mechanically sound and we would like to keep it.

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Have a 1999 Dodge caravan and the strut towers are rusting through. They are getting to where the van is not safe to drive. From what I have found out Dodge knew this was going to happen but they did nothing. They should recall and fix their poor work. If they don't fix this someone is going to get killed!.

I was told by several people I could report an issue here. I have a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. Although, the vehicle has 185k miles and runs awesome, the strut tower on the drivers side as almost disintegrated. , the passenger side iis still solid as a rock. Come to find out, this has been an ongoing issue for about 6 model years. My question is why has Chrysler not made and attempt to assist owners with this fix. The cause is a dumb one and has been addressed on 2003 and newer models. The cost to fix one side is about $400 for one side and nearly $650 for both sides. This is a lot of money to spend on someonelses mistake. Metal on metal will not remain solid for ever, myself as a chef knows this. When I asked around for estimates,. Every single place knew the issue and they all knew what year my car was and they could tell me how severe the towers were before they even looked under my hood!!!!can someone please tell me if Chrysler has made an attempt to assist paying for this blatant mistake they made in manufacturing?.

1) defect discovered on vehicle safety inspection 2) corrosion on drivers side strut tower 3) vehicle operation is unsafe, corrosion could lead to separation of strut from strut tower causing loss of control, potential collision, vehicle damage and injury to occupants. Repair to strut tower is required.

My 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan strut tower is rusted out on the driver side. This is a common problem and is identified in chryslers TSB 23-044-02. This defect appears to be common on all models in those years. Chrysler refuses to pay for the repair despite the fact it is a latent defect. The tower has been rusting for many years and I never noticed it before. Now I outside the warranty and I consider this a safety hazard that should be recalled. If the strut tower breaks I could loose control and crash.

A rattling noise when car in use, especially when power used from air conditioning and defroster. Diagnosis from Dodge dealer was a cracked flex plate. Transmission will have to be removed to replace part. 2 weeks prior to bringing the car in for repair the front end began to shake upon acceleration (especially up hill), felt very unsafe driving. Brought back to dealer they diagnosed the shaking problem to be the flex plate. Dealer replaced the flex plate at my cost, because it is no longer under warranty. Very expensive work because transmission had to be lifted. After repair the mechanic took it for a test drive. Remarked the rattling noise is gone, but front end shake remained. Re-examined car and said the frame was bent on the left side and that the car must have been hit and to call a body shop for repair. The car has never been in an accident. There are absolutely no visible signs of any damage to the exterior. The van is garaged and at most driven approx 75-100 miles p/wk. I drive safely with children in the car and have not hit even so much as a curb or jack rabbit. How can the frame of a car be damaged in such a way, without any misuse or accident. It is not a safe vehicle to drive and is susceptible to losing control at any time and causing an accident.

I purchased a used 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan in 2005. At time of purchase the left front strut tower had no visible signs of decay. As time went on, the strut tower has began to rust completely through while the right tower is perfectly fine. I have found this is a common problem with Dodge caravans of this model year and if the tower fails, the strut can punch through causing catastrophic loss of control. I have a family of 5 and I am very concerned for their well-being. There is nothing wrong this vehicle other than the described issue I have mentioned here. For me personally, this a huge lawsuit in the making, especially if any member of my family is endangered. I am the second owner of this vehicle. Regardless, if something happens to any member of my family due to this known defect which I just found out about, I can guarantee you with 100% percent certainty that I will fight this in court. I would like to be contacted regarding this issue as soon as possible. I am very concerned over this, and my decision to take legal action and whether or not I ever purchase another Dodge product again hinges on any assistance that I may or may not receive. I will provide VIN # and any other information needed once I am contacted.

I had an oil change done at a Chrysler dealer the service advisor noted on the repair order and told my wife that the front strut towers were rusting out and that the strut could break though the tower causing a loss of control of the van.

My 99 Dodge Grand Caravan has the strut towers rusting away,creaking and popping noises continue,no repair done yet,can't imagine what is going to happen when they fail to support the weight of the vehicle when it's driven down the road.

The strut tower that holds the upper part of both front struts was rust out. If I hadn't had this repaired, the front strut could have broken through the strut tower. Chances are this would have broken through while going down the highway (because the forces on the strut towers would have been the greatest then). This could very probably have caused a fatal accident. I fear that most caravan owners are not aware of this problem and will eventually be involved in a potentially very serious accident. I had this repaired at my expense in November 2004.

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As the owner of two carefully maintained 1999 Chrysler extended-wheel base minivans, I was surprised to note the sudden appearence of strut tower corrosion on both vehicles, primarily on the left towers. In consulting both the internet and my local Chrysler dealer, I was even more surprised to see that daimler-Chrysler's position on this issue is to offer absolutely no help in the form of free or reduced-cost repairs to correct this result of poor engineering and quality control, which if undiagnosed and/or uncorrected may cause vehicles of relatively young age and mileage to lose control of the vehicle with potentially disasterous results. As this is obviously a safety issue, and daimler Chrysler has specifically chosen not to honor its responsibility to correct a safety issue affecting relatively new vehicles of its manufacture, I respectfully request that a recall order be issued by your agency, before injuries or fatalities occur. Thank you very much for your review of this information!.

My 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan sport had its serpentine belt shredded and alternator blown due to snow packed up in the engine. The angle of the undercarriage and the fact that there is no blocker on the underneath to prevent this from occuring made this an expensive ordeal. I was told by daimler/Chrysler that there was no way they could control the snow so this wasn't their problem to fix. When I buy a vehicle, I expect it to work in all weather and road conditions. It should not matter if there is snow on the ground or not. They should be required to prevent this from happening.

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My 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan has a left front strut tower that is cracked around the top where the spring sits. There isn't a spot of rust or structural damage on this vehicle except that strut tower. From my discussion with a Chrysler body shop manager, it appears that they had a problem with these strut towers. I think this is a safety risk because if one of these lets go at highway speed, it will immediately impact steering and driveability potentially leading to a crash. I know my way around a car so I was able to spot this problem and recognize the potential danger. I think with most drivers this problem will go unrecognized and that is why I am writing you today. Please get the word out. I called chryster and registered a complaint, but I don't expect them to inform anyone.

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Front strut towers of 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan are rusting through causing potential failure of front suspension. Chrysler has issued a technical service bulletin: suspension/body - strut tower corrosion. Number: 23-044-02 group: body date: oct. 14, 2002 subject: ns strut tower corrosion they are considering it a cosmetic issue. However, it should be a safety recall. Chrysler has produced a remedy with a cap kit, at the owners expense. No notification to present owners to inspect this safety item has been produced.