1998 DODGE CARAVAN Suspensionfront Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A BRAKE REPAIR, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE STRUT TOWER WAS CORRODED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

1998 DODGE CARAVAN STRUT TOWERS RUSTING THROUGH. DODGE SAID ITS A COSMETIC REPAIR. I BOUGHT THIS VAN USED AND THE DRIVERS SIDE STRUT IS NOW MADE MY VAN DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE DRIVERS SIDE IS NOW RESTING ON STRUT. THE SELLER WILL NOT LET ME RETURN IT. *TR

1998 DODGE CARAVAN SE FRONT STRUT COVERS ARE COMPLETELY ROTTED THROUGH AND I CAN VIEW THE GROUND BENEATH. NOT ONLY IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL USED IN SUCH A CRITICAL LOCATION TO THE VEHICLE'S STRUCTURE. I AM CONCERNED THE VEHICLE WILL BECOME UNCONTROLLABLE IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE AND SERIOUS INJURY COULD RESULT TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER VEHICLES. *TR

I BOUGHT A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN FROM FALLS CHURCH MOTORS FALLS CHURCH VA AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS OF DRIVING I STARTED TO NOTICE AND FEEL A WOBBLE IN THE FRONT LEFT DRIVERS FRONT TIRE A FEW MONTHS LATER I HAD A FLAT WHILE THE VAN WAS PARKED IT TOOK ME AND TWO OTHER MEN TO LOOSEN THE LUGS ON THE TIRE TO GET OF THE TIRE THE JACK WHILE THE VAN IN THE AIR BENT AND THE VAN FELL TO THE SIDE I PULLED ONE OF THE MEN AWAY FROM THE VAN AS I SAW IT FALLING TOWARD US WE GOT ANOTHER JACK AND GOT THE VAN BACK UP IN THE AIR AND PUT THE DONUT ON I THAN A SHORT TIME LATER GOT ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE DONUT FLEW OFF THE VAN IF IT WERE IN TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE KILLED ME AND OTHER ON THE HIGHWAY...

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR AN INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE UPPER STRUT TOWERS ON MY 19998 DODGE CARAVAN ARE RUSTING THROUGH CAUSING POSSIBLE STEERING AND BRAKE FAILURE. I WAS TOLD IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT CORRECTED AND THE TOWER COLLAPSES WHILE DRIVE I WILL LOOSE TOTAL CONTROL OF STEERING AND POSSIBLE BRAKES. *TR

BOTH STRUT TOWERS ON MY 1998 CARAVAN HAVE RUSTED OUT TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. SPEAKING TO MANY CARAVAN OWNERS AND GOING TO MANY SITES THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON ON THESE VEHICLES. WHY DOES CHRYSLER NOT HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO ALL THESE VEHICLE OWNERS OR THE ONES THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN A COLLISION DUE TO THIS BUILT IN DEFECT? *TR

1998 DODGE CARAVAN SE FRONT STRUT COVERS ARE COMPLETELY ROTTED THROUGH AND I CAN VIEW THE GROUND BENEATH. NOT ONLY IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL USED IN SUCH A CRITICAL LOCATION TO THE VEHICLE'S STRUCTURE. I AM CONCERNED THE VEHICLE WILL BECOME UNCONTROLLABLE IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE AND SERIOUS INJURY COULD RESULT TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER VEHICLES. *TR

EXPERIENCE LOST OF ENGINE POWER AND STEERING. BOLTS BROKEN AND REPLACE GASKETS. LOST STEERING WHILE DRIVING. *BF THE FRONT END APPEARED TO BE MUCH LOWER THAN USUAL AND THE BELT WAS HANGING BELOW THE CHASSIS. *SC

ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2004 I WAS INFORMED BY MY DEALER ROUEN CHRYSLER IN WOODVILLE, OHIO THAT MY LS FRONT POWER TOWER (HOUSING FOR LEFT STRUT, ENGINE BRACKET, ETC) WAS RUSTED THROUGH AND WOULD IMMEDIATE REPAIR OR THE STRUT WOULD COLLAPSE, ENGINE BRACKET AND ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE CAR WOULD COLLAPSE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY. THE REPAIR WAS EXHORBITANT INITIALLY. AFTER DISCUSSION A SERVICE BULLETIN 23-044-02 WAS PRODUCED THAT INDICATED THERE WAS A DEFECT FOR ALL DODGE CARAVAN'S MODEL YEARS 1996-200. MY VEHICLE IS A 1998 DODGE CARAVAN. THE SERVICE BULLETIN INDICATED A REPAIR KIT AND I WAS GIVEN A MORE REASONABLE ESTIMATE BY THE ROUEN BODY SHOP. THE SERVICE TECHS WERE SEEKING THE PROBLEM WITH MY HORN WHICH WASN'T WORKING ON ALL DECIBLES. IF THEY HAD NOT BEEN LOOKING AT THE LEFT FRONT INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE THIS CONDITION WOULD HAVE CONTINUED UNTIL THERE WAS A FATALITY....

I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VAN IN 1998 WITH THE INTENT OF RESEARCHING THE VALUE FOR A TRADE IN. FIRST ITEM THEY LOOKED AT WAS THE SHOCK TOWERS IN THE FRONT OF THE VAN. SHOWED ME HOW THEY HAD ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH, EXPLAIND TO ME HOW THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE FOR THIS VAN, THUS LOWERING THE TRADE IN VALUE AND ALSO INFORMING ME AS TO THE DANGERS INVOLVED. WHICH WER SUBSQUENTLY CONFIRMED MY A MECHANIC. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CHRYSLER BLEW ME OFF. THERE IS NO OTHER RUST ON THE VAN IN THIS MAGNITITUDE. HELP PLEASE.*AK

I HAVE A 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN WE HAVE HAD THE STEERING RAC REPLACED TWICE. WE ALSO HAVE CONSTANT ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS WHAT WE ARE WONDERING HAS THERE EVER BEEN REPORTS ON THE FRONT SEATS (DRIVERS SEAT) SEPARATING AS THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED 8/3/03 THE WELDING HAS SEPERATED AND THE SUPPORT BAR HAS SNAPPED COMPLETELY APART WE HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. *AK

CONSUMER STATES LEFT FRONT SIDE OF VEHICLE APPEARS TO BE LOWER THAN THE RIGHT AND THE BRAKES WEAR DOWN ONLY ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE, VEHICLE SKIDDED WHEN BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED WHICH CAUSED AN ACCIDENT CONSUMER WAS ADVISED FRONT CALIPER, ROTOR AND BRAKE PADS WERE NEEDED BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN, DEALERSHIP ADVISED CONSUMER THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY VEHICLE WAS SKIDDING, CONSUMER IS HAVING TO REPLACE THE ROTOR, CALIPER AND BRAKE ONLY ON FRONT SIDE EVERY 8000 MILES, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY DELEARSHIP THAT THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE IS KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES AND WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY SIX MONTHS. *JB KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN IGNITION, DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE CYLINDER AND IT BROKE, DEALER REPLACED. TAPE DRAGGED IN THE TAPE PLAYER, DEALER REPLACED. AT TIMES WHEN STARTING VEHICLE, THERE IS NO RADIO, LIGHTS, OR HORN, DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS....

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE STARTS TO SHIMMEY. IF DRIVER TAKES HAND OFF THE STEERING WHEEL IT WILL SHAKE BACK AND FORTH.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED EXTREME VIBRATION OCCURS IN FRONT END OF VEHICLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

FRONT END ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF THE FRONT TIRES. MJS

FRONT END ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF THE FRONT TIRES. MJS

WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION OCCURS IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHICH IS NOT CAUSED BY THE WHEELS. VIBRATION SEEMS TO GET WORSE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER DID NOT REPAIR VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE WOBBLES IN THE FRONT END WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. TSB LOW SPEED TIRE WOBBLE 22-02-98 /04-24-98. DEALER CONTACTED AND NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK