NHTSA Complaint #10575529 — 2004 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

ON MARCH 29, 2014, MY 2004 CHRYSLER PACIFICA, PURCHASED IN AUGUST 2003, WAS INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED, BY THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED, TO HAVE A SUBFRAME/ENGINE CRADLE THAT IS "ROTTING" OR IN OTHER WORDS, SEVERELY CRACKED AND CORRODED. I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE BY CHRYSLER. I WAS INFORMED BY A RECENT INVESTIGATIVE STORY ON THE LOCAL CHICAGO NBC STATION, FOLLOWED BY INTERNET RESEARCH OF THE ISSUE. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER GIVEN TO ME FOR CHRYSLER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO ASSIST WITH THE $2600 COST OF REPLACEMENT, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MADE IN THE NARROW WINDOW OF PRODUCTION THAT THEY CLAIM WAS AFFECTED AND SUBJECT TO RECALL. CHRYSLER TOLD ME THE WARRANTY THEY OFFERED, RELATED TO THE RECALL, WAS EXPIRED FOR MY VEHICLE ANYWAY. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM OR THAT WARRANTY, BECAUSE THEY WERE KEEPING THIS PROBLEM A SECRET TO MOST OF THEIR AFFECTED CUSTOMERS. I HAVE READ THAT CHRYSLER ALSO APPARENTLY SELECTIVELY DECIDES WHO TO HELP WITH THE COST OF REPAIRS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR RECALL WINDOW AND WARRANTY, AFTER THE CUSTOMER MAKES ENOUGH NOISE. IF IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT, WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT? ISN'T THIS THE SAME TYPE OF BEHAVIOR THAT TOYOTA AND CHEVROLET HAVE EXHIBITED? THE NBC REPORT ALSO INDICATES THAT NHTSA SEES NO PATTERN WITH THE NUMEROUS CLAIMS YOU HAVE RECEIVED OUTSIDE OF THE SUPPOSED RECALL WINDOW, LIKE THIS ONE, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO BE PUT AT GRAVE RISK BEFORE YOU SEE A PATTERN? YOU MIGHT SEE A PATTERN IF MORE PEOPLE KNEW THEY ARE DRIVING UNSAFE PACIFICAS, SO THAT THEY COULD REPORT IT. SORRY IF I AM BEING A BIT POINTED HERE, BUT THE I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW CHRYSLER AND NHTSA CAN IGNORE THIS ISSUE. PLEASE RECONSIDER YOUR RECALL DECISION, AS CHRYSLER'S LIABILITY IS CERTAINLY MORE THAN A COUPLE MONTHS OF PRODUCTION. *TR