NHTSA Complaint #10246295 — 2000 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

RUSTING STRUT TOWERS 2000 GRAND CARAVAN. I NOTICED RUST ON THE STRUT TOWER ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I SPRAYED UNDERCOATING ON THE TOP OF BOTH TOWERS TO PREVENT FURTHER RUST. I INSPECTED THE TOPS OF THE TOWERS THIS WEEK. BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE TOWER CONTINUE TO RUST IN SPITE OF SEVERAL LAYERS ON UNDERCOATING APPLIED OVER THE LAST YEAR. AS I WAS SERVICING THE BRAKES I DETERMINED IT WAS TIME TO REPLACE THE STRUTS ON THE FRONT OF THE VAN. KNOWING THE TOWERS ARE RUSTED ON THE TOP SIDE I INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STRUT TOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. A CRACK HAS APPEARED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STRUT TOWER ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. I WILL INSPECT THE DRIVER'S SIDE TOMORROW. AFTER DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH I HAVE FOUND THE RUSTING STRUT TOWERS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN BOTH THE US AND CANADA. THE PROBLEM EXISTS ACROSS SEVERAL YEARS AND MODELS OF DODGE AND CHRYSLER VEHICLES. IF A STRUT RUPTURES A COMPROMISED TOWER AT HIGHWAY SPEED, LIVES CAN AND WILL BE LOST. WITH THE NUMBER OF DODGE AND CHRYSLER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, THE POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IS MULTIPLIED EXPONENTIALLY. I AM SURPRISED THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. SOMEONE MUST BE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. *TR