NHTSA Complaint #714677 — 1994 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

IN JAN 1998, I NOTICED SURFACE DAMAGE THAT LOOKED LIKE SPOTS. OVER THE MONTHS AFTER REPEATED WASHES AND WAXES, THE SPOTS GREW IN SIZE. THE SPOTS STARTED ETCHING BELOW THE TOP SURFACE. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTERWARD I STARTED TO SEE A GRAY SURFACES APPEAR WHERE THE SPOTS WERE. DURING A SERVICE VISIT IN MID 1998 TO MY LOCAL CHRYSLER/DODGE DEALER IN FORT COLLINS, CO., I THEN ASKED THEM WHAT CAUSES THIS AND WHETHER TOUCHUP PAINT WOULD WORK TO FIX THE SURFACE. THEY SAID THE CAUSE WAS ENIVORMENTAL EFFECTS ON PAINT. I TOOK THEIR WORD ON IT AND PURCHASED THE TOUCHUP PAINT. SINCE THAT TIME, THE PAINT ON THE TOP ROOF IS COMING OFF IN LARGE FLAKES. A GRAY SURFACE NOW COMPRISES ABOUT 15% OF THE TOTAL AREA. AT THE PRESENT RATE OF FLAKING, THE ENTIRE TOP WILL BE BARE WITHIN TWO MONTHS. ESTIMATES FOR SANDING AND REPAINTING THE TOP WITH BE $1500.00 AND CHRYSLER WILL PARTICIPATE $220.91 TOWARDS REPAINTING THE ROOF AS A GOODWILL GESTURE. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH COMPENSATION. I FEAR THAT OTHER AREAS ON MY VEHICLE WILL SOON START TO SHOW THE SAME PROBLEM. MANY OTHER FAMILY, FRIENDS AND OWNERS NATIONWIDE ARE REPORTING SIMILIAR PROBLEMS. INFORMATION THAT I OBTAINED THROUGH SOURCES INDICATES THAT CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE INCOMPATABILITY OF THE WATER BASED CLEAR COAT AND THE DRY BASED PRIMER AND HOW THE SUN CAUSED THE PRIMER TO OXIDIZE AND CAUSED THE PAINT NOT TO ADHERE. INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY A CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE ON THE INTERNET ON PAINTS USED BY CHRYSLER AND SOME OF THE RELATED PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO STEM FROM CHRYSLER NOT ACKNOWLEDGING A PEELING PROBLEM RELATED TO THE ELIMINATION OF SPRAY PRIMER ON THEIR ASSEMBLY LINES. THEY ARE PRESENTLY BEING SUED IN SEVERAL STATES OVER THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE LAWSUITS ARE NOT SPECIFIC ABOUT THE AFFECTED MODELS OR YEARS. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT CARS AND TRUCKS MANUFACTURED WITH SPRAY PRIMER, AS WELL AS VEHICLES NEWER THAN MODEL YEAR 1993. I WOULD BE WILLING TO SEND PHOTO'S TO BACKUP MY COMPLAINT. *AK