NHTSA Complaint #10595309 — 2005 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

WHILE I HAVE HEARD SOME SOUNDS FROM THE SUSPENSION (FRONT) FOR OVER A YEAR, IT WAS ONLY THIS MONTH (MAY 2014) THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED. THE ENGINE CRADLE ON MY VEHICLE IS RUSTED AND HAS HOLES IN IT. PER THE MECHANIC, IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL IT IS FIXED (WHICH HE ESTIMATED AS COSTING IN EXCESS OF $1,000). AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH, I CONTACTED CHRYSLER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THIS DEFECT SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN MAY 2004 AND THEY ONLY COVER IT FOR 10 YRS/150K MILES FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED UP THROUGH MARCH 2004 (IF IN THE "SALT BELT"). SO WHILE THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM, THEY WOULD NOT APPLY THE WARRANTY BECAUSE MY MANUFACTURE DATE IS TWO MONTHS BEYOND THEIR CUTOFF DATE. TALKING TO AUTO MECHANICS AND SEARCHING ONLINE SEEMS TO REVEAL THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH OLDER PACIFICAS. BASED ON THIS INFORMATION, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD COVER A DEFECT LIKE THIS SINCE IT IS LIKELY WIDESPREAD (IF NOT ISSUE AN ACTUAL RECALL LIKE TOYOTA DID ON THEIR TACOMAS FOR RUSTED FRAMES A FEW YEARS AGO). I DO HAVE A CASE NUMBER WITH CHRYSLER NOW IN WHICH THEY NOTED MY PROBLEM. I WON'T INCLUDE THAT NUMBER HERE BECAUSE THIS IS A PUBLIC RECORD. *TR