NHTSA Complaint #10196783 — 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

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