After I had closed the liftgate on my 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan, I heard a "pop". I had heard this "pop" before - I had previously owned a 1992 Plymouth Grand Voyager that had the same problem and was covered under a recall. When I re-opened the liftgate, the passenger side strut shot through the space between the liftgate and the roofline. It was still secured by the lower bolt, but the top bolt had sheared, just as happened on the 1992 Plymouth model. However, due to design changes in the area of the where the strut is, there was no place for the strut to go but to scratch the paint on the vehicle. The 1992 Plymouth had a "pocket" that the upper bolt sat in and it would force the strut into the area between the roof and roof liner inside the vehicle. On this 1998 Dodge, I had to forcibly remove the strut from the lower bolt, since it was attached with a star design headed bolt, therefore effectively ruining the lower pivot area of the strut. This is the fifth (5th) strut (1st on the 1998) that I have had failure with, and all have been to bolt failure in the threaded area of the bolt. I will contact local Dodge dealer to inquire about possibility of fixing under same recall as 1992 recall.

- Hilliard, OH, USA