NHTSA Complaint #10903233 — 2008 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

ACCELERATED ENGINE FRAME CORROSION: THE FRONT SUB-FRAME(ENGINE SUPPORT CRADLE) IS CORRODED SO BADLY, THE POWERTRAIN CREATES EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION, INCORRECT SHIFTING, VEHICLE FLEX, AND EXCESSIVE ENGINE TRAVEL. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE FOR HIGHWAY USE. IN ADDITION TO STEERING AND SUSPENSION RELATED SAFETY LIABILITY, THE ENGINE/POWERTRAIN IS KNOWN TO 'DROP' OUT OF THE VEHICLE AT ANY TIME WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IF THIS SHOULD OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THERE WOULD BE A TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURIES COULD ENSUE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AFFECTING ALL YEARS/PACKAGES OF VEHICLE MANUFACTURE FOR THE CHRYSLER PACIFICA, REGARDLESS OF ACTUAL DATE OF PRODUCTION. A SINGLE PRIOR RECALL ADDRESSING THE ISSUE WAS INITIATED IN 2010 FOR A VERY NARROW SELECTED PRODUCTION DATE RANGE(02/23/14 ' 03/31/04) WELL AFTER THE VEHICLE LEFT PRODUCTION(2008). THIS AFFLICTED SUBFRAME PART WAS NOT ALTERED DURING MANUFACTURE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE/DEFECT DURING ITS PRODUCTION RUN. CHRYSLER EMPLOYEES ACKNOWLEDGE THE CORROSION PREVENTION PROCESS/COATINGS USED WERE NOT SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT ACCELERATED CORROSION OF THE ASSEMBLY. CHRYSLER WILL REFUSE TO ADDRESS THOSE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED. ONCE THE ISSUE WAS FOUND (IN MY CASE ONE YEAR AGO), THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER REPRESENTATIVE. WHILE THE DEALER WANTS TO RESOLVE THE CONCERN FOR THE CONSUMER, THE CORPORATE DIRECTIVE DECLINES THE REPAIR AS NOT REQUIRED. OF NOTE: THIS IS UNRELATED TO STANDARD RUST CORROSION ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH TYPICAL AUTOMOBILE AGING. MY VEHICLE ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND HAS MINIMAL CORROSION ISSUES ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE VEHICLE. DOCUMENTED EXAMPLES OF ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.CHRYSLERPROBLEMS.COM/TRENDS/CRADLE-ROT/ HTTP://WWW.THEINDYCHANNEL.COM/NEWS/CALL-6-INVESTIGATORS/CHRYSLER-CORROSION-CAR-OWNERS-WANT-ANSWERS-ON-CORROSION-PROBLEM