NHTSA Complaint #10336616 — 1998 DODGE CARAVAN

MY 1998 DODGE VAN WAS IN TO MY LOCAL DEALER FOR SOME GENERAL SERVICE. I ASKED THE MECHANIC ABOUT THE CONSIDERABLE RUST AROUND THE TOP OF THE DRIVER SIDE STRUT. HE SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN A PROBLEM WITH SOME VANS AND THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED REGARDING. IF THE STRUT WERE TO GO BREAK THROUGH THE RUSTED CAP IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF NOT LEAST MAJOR DAMAGE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. HE PRINTED ME A COPY OF THE CHRYSLER SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 23-044-02. A WEB SEARCH SHOULD CONSIDERABLE RESULTS ON THE BULLETIN NUMBER. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH REP# HM494. I FIRST TOLD THE BULLETIN DIDN'T EXIST, THEN WHEN I DEMANDED SHE SEARCH UNDER THE BULLETIN NUMBER SHE TOLD ME IT DIDN'T APPLY TO MY VEHICLE. THE BULLETINS CLEARLY STATES 1996-2000 NS TOWN&COUNTRY/VOYGER/CARAVAN. HM494 THEN STATED THAT SERVICE BULLETINS WERE ONLY FOR TECHNICIANS AND MECHANICS. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION DIRECTLY RELATED TO DRIVER & PASSENGER SAFETY THAT WAS ISSUED IN 2002 APPARENTLY WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE GIVEN TO THE CUSTOMER. PERSONALLY I DO NOT THINK HM494 WAS QUALIFIED TO MAKE THE STATEMENTS THAT REPRESENT CHRYSLERS CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WAS ALSO TOLD BECAUSE MY CARAVAN HAS 126,000 MILES I SHOULD NOT EXPECT ANYTHING FROM CHRYSLER. MY CARAVAN WOULD HAVE ONLY BEEN 4YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN. *TR