This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
- Litchfield, MI, USA
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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.
My 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan strut tower is rusted out on the driver side. This is a common problem and is identified in Chrysler 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.
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!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Portage, IN, USA