NHTSA Complaint #10102867 — 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

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