NHTSA Complaint #10070238 — 1996 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

WE TOOK OUR 1996 GRAND CARAVAN IN FOR RECALLS THAT DODGE SENT US. THEY CALLED MY WIFE BACK AND TOLD HER IT WAS CONDEMNABLE AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE, BECAUSE THE STRUT TOWER WAS VERY BADLY RUSTED. BY THE TIME I HAD THE CHANCE TO CALL THEM, BECAUSE I WAS AT WORK, THE PERSON SHE TALKED TO HAD LEFT, HOWEVER I DID TALK TO ANOTHER PERSON ACQUAINTED WITH THE VEHICLE. HE SAID BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE AND THAT I WASN'T THE ORIGINAL OWNER DODGE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR US. HE ALSO SAID IT WOULD COST $2000.00 PER SIDE TO FIX AND THE VAN WASN'T WORTH IT. I SAID THIS IS A SERIOUS THING AND IT SHOULD BE FIXED BY CHRYSLER BECAUSE THEY OBVIOUSLY USED INFERIOR MATERIALS ON THAT PART OF THE VAN. HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT, AND THE WEATHER WHERE WE LIVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. I SAID SO I AM JUST OUT OF A VEHICLE TO DRIVE?, AND HE SAID YOU CAN DRIVE IT BUT IT'S NOT SAFE. NOW THE OTHER MAN TOLD MY WIFE THAT IF SHE HIT A HOLE OR WENT OVER RR TRACKS IT COULD COME COMPLETELY THROUGH AND SHE WOULD LOSE TOTAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE AUTO BODY MAN WE TOOK IT TO SAID THAT THE PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN GALVANIZED WHEN THEY MADE IT AND THIS WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. ANOTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE IS THAT OUR 1994 CARAVAN DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT HAD OVER 270,000 MILES ON IT. ALSO THIS 1996 DOES NOT HAVE RUST ANYWHERE ELSE. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT OR KILLED IF THEY DON'T RECALL THESE AND FIX THEM. THEY RECALLED A CLOCK SPRING FOR THE AIRBAG, AND THEY DIDN'T ASK THE MILEAGE OF OUR VEHICLE, AND THEY PERFORMED ALL THE OTHER RECALLS ON IT THAT DAY SO THEY COULD GET THERE MONEY, BUT THEY WON?T DO ANYTHING ABOUT A SUSPENSION COMPONENT THAT IS LIFE THREATENING. I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO ADD THAT YOUR CAR DOESN'T NEED TO HAVE AN AIRBAG TO BE SAFE OR RUN, BUT IT DOES NEED A SUSPENSION. THIS IS NOT AN ONLY CASE, WE HAVE ANOTHER 1996 GRAND CARAVAN THAT LOOKS LIKE RUST IS BUBBLING UNDER THE PAINT AT THAT SAME SPOT, SO IT IS A VERY EASY THING TO NOT SEE.