NHTSA Complaint #10587126 — 2006 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

ON MARCH 20TH 2012 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE STRUT MOUNT BROKE, SLIGHTLY ALLOWING THE STRUT TO DAMAGE MY HOOD AND BREAK MY INNER TIE ROD END. I IMMEDIATELY PARKED THE VEHICLE CALLED AAA AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY HOUSE. ON MARCH 23 I PURCHASED A NEW STRUT MOUNT AND ON THE 24TH REPLACED THE BROKEN ONE WITH THE NEW ONE. UNFORTUNATELY I DID THE WORK MYSELF AND DIDN'T NOTICE MY INNER TIE ROD BROKE. WHICH LED TO MY VEHICLE NEEDING TO BE CHECKED BY MY MECHANIC ABOUT 8 MONTHS LATER WHEN MY OUTER TIE ROD END GAVE WAY DAMAGING IN THE PROCESS THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND THE DRIVER SIDE AXLE. I HAD EVERYTHING FIXED AND RAN INTO NO MORE PROBLEMS UNTIL JULY 17TH 2013 WHEN MY FRONT END ALIGNMENT STARTED TO SLIP AND A NOTICEABLE KNOCKING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM MY FRONT END. I IMMEDIATELY SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE MY VEHICLE SERVICED AT KELLY CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN LEHIGH VALLEY AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET ME IN A WEEK LATER. IT TOOK THEM ROUGHLY A WEEK TO FIX MY CAR. BUT THEY REPLACED MY UPPER ENGINE MOUNT, FRONT LOWER ENGINE MOUNT, L/F INNER OUTER TIE ROD ENDS AND REMOVED A DAMAGED EXHAUST SHIELD. BUT THEY STILL COULDN'T' TELL ME WHY MY ALIGNMENT WAS OFF AND WHAT THE KNOCKING NOISE WAS. TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST MY PASSENGER SIDE STRUT MOUNT BROKE AND I HAD IT REPLACED RIGHT AWAY. THEN AGAIN IN NOVEMBER THIS TIME COMPLETELY RIPPING THROUGH THE HOOD. THEN AGAIN IN FEBRUARY, MARCH AND NOW TODAY 5/7/2014 I NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE STRUT MOUNT IS ON THE VERGE OF BREAKING AGAIN. AFTER SPEAKING TO A COUPLE OF PACIFICA OWNERS IN MY AREA I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THESE PROBLEMS ARE COMMON ALONG WITH ENGINE SHUT OFFS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS BEING ON FOR NO REASON. ITS APPARENT THAT THE 3/8TH INCH THICK PLATE THAT THE STRUTS SIT ON ARE NOT ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLES ALONG WITH THE CONSTANT JERKING MOTION OFF THE CAR FROM THE STICKY GAS PEDDLE. *TR