Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 01/18/2011 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that the strut tower was corroded. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the strut tower was corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was not available. the vin was not available. kmj | |||
| 01/18/2011 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1999 dodge grand caravan. the contact stated that upon inspection, it was noticed that the strut tower was corroded. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the strut tower was corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was not available. the vin was not available. mh | |||
| 03/21/2008 | 108000 | 1 | |
| My car was just in a minor front end accident during a snowstorm. what should have been minor front end repairs now is resulting in a big issue for my family. my van was in good condition. i am the 2nd owner. the mechanic, while inspecting the vehicle, found a broken drivers side shock tower. this is damage is not covered by insurance since it is caused by rust and is a common issue with these vehicles. had it not been common, allstate would not have had this loophole and the cost to repair the shock tower would have been covered. i am finding, through research, that this flaw in chrysler vehicles is very common, yet has never been recalled by chrysler. on the web i see blog after blog about this defect yet chrysler does not deem it necessary to recall. i was told that this repair is roughly $3000 each side! that is 3/4 worth the value of my car. i thought this van would be with my family for a decade, but i only had the van for 3 years! due to this flaw in the vehicle, it will be sold for parts. i cannot afford the repair costs. since i am a single mom of four, just laid off two weeks ago, this flaw of chrysler's dodge gc will cost me more than just its replacement value. this is wrong. know of any class action suits against chrysler for the shock tower flaw? they have issued a tsb # 23-044-02 on october 14, 2002. so they have been aware of this problem for years and yet it continues. thanks for your help. sincerely, laura hoske *tr | |||
| 10/14/2002 | 1 | 10/10/1998 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2007 | 2 | 01/10/2002 | |
| Front end was hitting hard on even mildly rough roads. upon inspection by a certified mechanic it was determined to be caused by severe rusting of the strut tower mount on both sides. at the time of filing this complaint repairs, complete replacement of strut towers have not been made due to cost , approximately $2800. i have been told by 3 different repair facilities that this was a very common problem with dodge caravans of certain model years! besides the costly repairs, this also presents a potentially a very serious safety issue!. vehicle has only 55,000 miles.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Corrosion on the top of the strut towers (both sides) on the 1999 dodge grand caravan.***no answer required***. *mr *tt *nm | |||
| 05/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1999 dodge grand caravan has excessive rust eating away at the inner strut plate on the driver's side of the vehicle.*mr the dealer's technician was replacing the transmission control module when he noticed that there was excessive rust on strut plate. *bf *nm | |||
| 03/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| The upper strut tower had rusted out. there was a technical service bulletin regarding this. however, there was no recall. the consumer has contacted the dealer, however they will do nothing to assist the consumer in getting the repairs completed. please provide any further information. please provide vehicle identification number. *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| There was rust on both sides of the tower which held the spring assembly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated the tower can be welded to fix the problem. *jb | |||
| 03/24/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving the left side of the vehicle dropped to the ground. nlm. | |||
| 03/05/2002 | 1 | 07/01/1999 | |
| While driving 25 mph a loud noise came from underneath vehicle, and then vehicle stopped moving while engine was still running. dealer was notified. *ak dealer found broken pin possibly with the transmission.*tt | |||
| 1 | 11/30/1998 | ||
| The steering wheel shakes due to possible suspension problems, dealership changed tires, however consumer feels the repair is not sufficient. *mjs | |||
| 09/18/1999 | 09/01/1999 | ||
| Left front strut was weak, allowing the vehicle to sag, very poor stability and very poor handling. left front strut was replaced and vehicle realigned, after bring the vehicle back to the dealership on five occassions. i had to push to get the vehicle repaired, and condition is now corrected. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 10/02/2010 | 115000 | ||
| I have 1999 dodge grand caravan and noticed rust bubbles at the top of the strut tower mounts with a routine inspection. the driver's side is significantly worse than the pasenger side. i knocked on the area with my hand and about half of the strut tower metal support fell apart! the stut support is now just being held in place with one nut and minimal metal. i went online and noticed that this is a common problem with chrysler minivans and that chrysler have been aware of the problem for years and had issued a technical sales bulletin back in 2002 on this strut tower rust problem. this should be a warranty issue and chrysler should have issued a recall years ago. considering that these minivans are used primarily as a family transport vehicle, this rust problem is very dangerous and there should be a recalled asap! this is the first i have ever seen anything like this and have owned numerous vehicles including an older car driving in the same environment. | |||
| 05/11/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Rusting strut tower 1999 dodge caravan. rusted through to the engine compartment. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Dear staff members: i am the original owner of a 1999 dodge grand caravan with 104,000 miles on it. the front strut towers are rusting badly and i was told by a dodge mechanic at sherman dodge in skokie, illinois (where i bought the van) that the strut will pop through the hood anytime and would cause the lost control of the vehicle. this is a design defect and i would very much like to see dodge pick up some, if not all of the repair cost. i also inspect the underside of the vehicle and discovered pretty serious rusting at various structural component. dodge need to show american responsibility when it comes to safety issues of their products. thanks. *tr wl, chicago, il | |||
| 08/29/2007 | 135000 | 1 | 10/01/2005 |
| Hello, my complaint is about a about what i consider a design and materials defect on the strut tower mounting on my dodge caravan. there is considerable information about this defect on your website as well as others and i feel that a recall is way past due on this issue. i did contact chrysler at their request and provided the information which they requested. their response was that there was no recall on this item and because i was the third owner of this vehicle that there was no further assistance which they were willing to provide. i am hoping that you will be able to assist me with this problem in getting a fair response from chrysler. i would also like to share my past correspondence with chrysler with you along with some photos. *jb | |||
| 04/30/2007 | 65000 | 2 | 11/20/1998 |
| 1999 dodge grand caravan strut towers rusted significantly and may break. problem obviously a manufacturing defect. chrysler should pay for repairs under a recall program. reference odi cases 10185700, 10183434, 10145830, 10132914, 10130797, 10117269, 10106788, 10101334, 10065499, 10048107, 10168557, 10079282. *ak | |||
| 10/25/2005 | 75000 | 1 | 07/16/1999 |
| Driver side strut tower is corroding and popping through approximately 2 inches causing excessive wear on tires, vibration in steering wheel, and could pose a significant danger if it were to rust completely through. as described by an ase certified mechanic, this issue is a severe safety issue. if this item were to completely fail severe injury or death could result. *jb | |||
| 07/20/2002 | 1 | 08/22/2000 | |
| Shock towers are just about rusted through on 1999 dodge caravan. rusting started 3-4 years ago. *jb | |||
| 10/23/2005 | 0 | 07/08/1999 | |
| 1999 dodge grand caravan with 96,000 miles is badly rusted at the top of the front strut wells. excessive water is collecting on top of the strut wells and eating away at the steel. i removed the loose chunks of rusted steel and found holes over both wheels. first notice the rust about 2 years ago. i am concerned about the struts popping through the hood. i am curious to know if this is a common problem with this vehicle. *nm | |||
| 08/06/2004 | 1 | 08/15/1999 | |
| The front upper driver's side strut mount is bulging up, out of shape, making the vehicle 1/2 inch out of level and has allowed water to undercut the mount. this is in an area that is under the hood and not accessible to water. our mechanic said that it is a safety issue as the strut which supports the corner of the car could rupture the mount and go through the hood resulting is loss of control of the vehicle and danger to our lives. the mount is part of vehicle body and supports the vehicle. this is a manufacturer's mistake is that they badly engineered this component of the suspension system . the passenger side has no problem chrysler should fix the problem with the structure of their vehicle (1999 grand caravan) at their expense. i was told by the mechanic that he has seen other grand caravans with the same problem and that chrysler fixed them at chrysler's expense. *nm | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 80000 | 0 | 09/19/1999 |
| Strut tower corrosion chrysler tsb23-044-02 | |||
| 07/13/2001 | 4 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Excessive wear on tires and shaking of front end when car reaches speeds of 50 mph and at speeds of 70-75 mph, even after replacement with new tires,rotated and balanced. front end aliment serviced at the same time. with all these corrective actions the vehicles still shakes and requires new tires after 10,000 miles wear. more noticable of the right front side. reported to service center since purchased in oct 1999*ak (tiresize: 65r15) | |||
| Vehicle will pull too severely to the right. dealer cannot determine the cause, and has deemed it as unfixable, and a normalcharacteristic of vehicle.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 10/26/2002 | |||
| Consumer stated that while driving and without warning the control arm snap causing the windshield wiper and the turn signal not to work. dealer notified. mr | |||
| 01/20/2001 | 1 | 01/01/2001 | |
| The steering alignment was inconsistant, some times pulling to one side, sometimes not. an alignment shop replaced the badly corroded ball joint. the ball joint was sealed, meaning it was not greasable by routine service. if the part would have had a catastrophic failure, the consequences are unknown, but could have been deadly. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 09/08/2003 | 60000 | 5 | |
| The upper ball joints have been replaced three times and the lower ball joints twice. the consumer is not included in the ball joint recall 04v596000.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 02/12/2005 | 1 | ||
| While driving 45 mph front driver's tire fell off. driver pulled over, and vehicle was towed to a garage for inspection. mechanic determined that the upper ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 09/08/2003 | 60000 | 5 | |
| The upper ball joints have been replaced three times and the lower ball joints twice. the consumer is not included in the ball joint recall 04v596000.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT | |||
| 09/28/2007 | 1 | 08/17/1999 | |
| Left front strut housing rusted and need of repair. dodge dealer states my problem. is there a tsb on this issue? *jb | |||
| 04/07/2007 | 140000 | 1 | 06/15/1999 |
| 1999 dodge grand caravan taken to local repair shop in march 2007 for normal servicing , oil change/tire rotation, and shop manager indicated that the front struts were worn out and needed to be replaced. they stated they could not do this since both front strut mounts were badly rusted and would likely break upon servicing. the repair shop warned me to immediately get the strut mounts fixed for safety reasons. i visited a local 5 star dodge dealer, who stated that this problem does occur and is not covered under any warranty/recall. cost to repair problem , no new struts was $1300. i called a number of body shops and found a local shop which has been repairing this problem since 2000! they said this problem was common for these vehicles for model years 1996-2000 in this part of the country. they had developed a system to repair the problem including removing the old strut mounts, machining new strut mounts from aluminum blocks, and bolting/welding them in place. repair was made , excluding new struts for $600.*ak | |||
| 11/26/2004 | 100500 | 1 | 11/16/2003 |
| I had my 1999 dodge grand caravan in for regular servicing and the mechanic noted that there was a serious rust problem with the left front strut tower. the person from the shop who called me suggested that i take it to a body shop to be evaluated as soon as possible. i discovered later that the actual mechanic looking at the problem wrote: recommend: get new vehicle soon!the next day i took it to a body shop and they couldn't believe that a 1999 would be so badly rusted and quoted me an estimate of $1300 to replace the strut tower and take care of the rust that had begun to eat at the other side. nce they had it in the shop and disassembled, they called to say it would take an additional week of service since the local dodge dealership had ordered the wrong part. they said that, because the damage was so severe, they were not comfortable reassembling the vehicle for me to use while they waited for delivery of the part. i have done some research online and have discovered that this problem is known and widespread. (complaint number 10090457 also documents this issue.) i am surprised that someone has not been seriously injured as a result of this. my van is only a 1999 and the strut tower was rusted nearly half way through. i had my van in for service many times within the last year and no one had noticed the problem. there are undoubtedly innumberable families driving around in a seriously unsafe vehicle simply because a recall has not been issued. if this is not a serious safety issue, it don't know what is.*ak | |||
| 07/06/2004 | 78000 | 2 | 08/01/2000 |
| After 2.5 years of ownership, i noticed rust forming on the strut towers. it wasn't bad enough to worry about,but i kept an eye on it. over the next years it progressively got worse on both sides to a point that we were not going to keep the car much longer at only 70k. i got an oil change before a trip south (7/04)and the mechanic said this should be the last trip for this car. this was later confirmed by the dodge dealership and 2 body shops. if the struts had failed and popped through the towers, the dealer told us the car would drop and we would not be able to steer or stop. we have the car in our driveway and are forced to incur a $2000 repair or trade the car to a dealer since we cannot sell it to someone. *nm | |||
| 36000 | 1 | ||
| The left front strut tower, where the suspension was bolted to the vehicle, rusted out. the strut can fall off the vehicle at anytime without warning. *ak when the vehicle was first purchased, the consumer noticed minor rust on the strut tower right hand side only. the consumer said that there were others with the same problem. *scc *jb | |||
| 01/22/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1999 | |
| Excessive wear and tear on the pads at 13,000 miles. the service dept failed to inspect wheels and brakes. then at 28,000 miles a total brake failure occurred. additionally, a strut is defective.*ak | |||