1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Suspensionfrontmacpherson Strut Problems

MY CAR FAILED ITS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON THE STRUT TOWERS. WHEN INFORMED I ASKED THE SHOP IF THEY KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY REFERRED ME TO A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB 23-044-02 ISSUED IN OCT OF 2002 WHICH AFFECTED MY MINIVAN WHICH I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF STATING THAT MINVANS BUILT BETWEEN 1996-2000 HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND NEED TO BE IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED. I WENT TO A CHRYSLER DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE REPAIR WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF 1300 DOLLARS AND THAT SINCE NO RECALL HAD EVER BEEN ISSUED THAT THEY WOULDN'T COVER THE REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD ISSUED THE BULLETIN. IF THE REPAIR ISN'T MADE THE CAR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PASS THE PA STATE INSPECTION AS THE INSPECTOR HAS DEEMED THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. I HAVE LOOKED AT YOUR DATA BASE AND SEEN MULTIPLE EXAMPLES OF...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE TRAVELS ROUGH AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TOP OF THE MACPHERSON STRUT TOWERS WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT REPLACED THE STRUTS.

STRUT TOWER CORROSION-DRIVER SIDE-RUST AND METAL BREAKING UP-1998 GRAND CARAVAN-PURCHASED NEW-HAS 83,500 MILES- HAVE HAD BELT PROBLEMS SEVERAL TIMES-ALSO WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMIT FAILURE -RUSTED OUT POWER STEERING MECH. TOTALLY REPLACED-MANY BRAKE JOBS-AND ALSO HEADLIGHT INTERIOR SWITCH SEEMS TO FAIL AT TIMES. I NEED TO MAKE A DECISSION TO BUY A NEW VAN WITH "HAND CONTROLS" OR HAVE THIS VAN "HAND CONTROLS" INSTALLED. ME THINKS I NEED TO BUY A NEW VAN AND BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER MANUFACTOR. AS IT SEEMS LIKE CHRYSLER/DODGE IS NOT STEPPING UP TO ALL THESE FAILURES THAT ARE SEEN BY TOO MANY OTHER VAN OWNERS;OF THIS 1998 MODEL CARAVAN. SAW ON LINE A NEW REPAIR FOR THE STRUT RUSTING CALLED ""FUSOR #112B/MOPAR 05083855AA. CAN BE USED TO FIX THIS PROBLEMTHE TSB #23-044-02 THRU A COMPANY CALLED LORD CORP. LISTED UNDER THEIR OEM BULLETINS AND REPAIR RECOMMENDATIONS USING FUSOR ADHESIVES. THINK I MAY USE THIS ON MINE....

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE STRUTS. THE STRUT TOWERS RUSTED, CAUSING THE STRUTS TO PUSH THROUGH THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT SUSPENSION EVENTUALLY WILL DROP DOWN. *AK

WE HAVE REPLACED OUR STRUTS 2 TIMES ALREADY IN THE 4 YEARS WE HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE, AND THEY ARE GETTING READY TO FAIL AGAIN. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. *JB

THE STRUT TOWER RUSTED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *AK

I HAVE A 1998 GRAND CARAVAN SE WITH 85000 MILES ON IT. I NOTICED RUSTING AND CRACKED METAL IN THE AREA OF THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS COMMON, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. ALSO CONTACTED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE IN DETROIT, AND WAS ALSO TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD AS THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF THE 3 YEAR/36000 MILES WARRANTY. I SINCERELY HOPE THIS SITUATION IS LOOKED INTO BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ONE OF THE STRUTS GOES LAUNCHING THROUGH THE HOOD!*AK

THE STRUT TOWER FOR MY 1998 GRAND CARAVAN IS RUSTING THROUGH. AFTER SPEAKING WITH A MECHANIC, HE STATED IT IS A PROBLEM ON MOST OF THE CARAVANS. WE ALSO CAUTIONED ME THAT THE STRUT WILL CAUSE THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO BUCKLE. HE SAID IN ABOUT A YEAR THERE WILL BE MANY CRASHES CAUSED BY THIS FAILURE.*AK

DRIVER SIDE FRONT STRUT IS RUSTED. VEHICLE IS PULLING HARD TO THE LEFT, MAKING TURNS TO THE LEFT VERY DIFFICULT. ALSO, TURNS TO THE RIGHT ARE EQUALLY TOUGH. *AK

ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO RUST ANYWHERE ELSE ON THIS VEHICLE, THE FRONT SUSPENSION TOWER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS SEVERELY RUSTED AROUND THE STRUT MOUNT. THE RUST IS COMING THROUGH FROM UNDERNEATH. IF IT RUSTS THROUGH COMPLETELY THE STRUT WILL COME UP THROUGH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WILL PROBABLY BE AN ACCIDENT AND SOMEONE WILL PROBABLY GET HURT. IN MY INVESTIGATION OF THIS DEFECT, I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS INCIDENCES OF THE SAME RUST FAILURE IN THE SAME LOCATION ON CHRYSLER MINIVANS BUILT FROM 1996 TO 1999. THIS INCLUDES THE CARAVAN, VOYAGER, AND TOWN & COUNTRY MODELS, AS WELL AS THE GRAND VERSION OF EACH. THESE SIX MODELS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER WHEN INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM. THEY EACH EXHIBIT THE SAME DEFECT IN THE SAME LOCATION. I REFER TO IT AS A DEFECT BECAUSE CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEIR MECHANICS REFER TO IT AS A DESIGN...

MY 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN FAILED A STATE VEHICLE INSPECTION DUE TO SAFETY RISKS CAUSED BY SIGNIFICANT RUSTING OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE STRUT SUPPORT TOWER. TOP OF STRUT SUPPORT TOWER WAS APPROXIMATELY 75% RUSTED THROUGH. MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN OBSERVED IN OTHER SIMILARLY AGED DODGE VANS. MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT THE LEVEL OF RUSTING WAS HIGHLY EXCESSIVE AND NOT NORMAL SINCE STRUT TOWER LOCATED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND IS NORMALLY PROTECTED FROM ELEMENTS. POSSIBLE THAT EXCESSIVE RUSTING DUE TO DESIGN OR STRUCTURAL DEFECT. *AK

THE CONSUMER NOTICED RUST AROUND THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICE AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE STRUT TOWER WAS RUSTED. *NLM THE CONSUMER NOTICED RUST AROUND THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICE AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE STRUT TOWER WAS RUSTED. THE STRUT TOWERS ARE RUSTED THROUGH. THESE SUPPORT THE MACPHERSON STRUTS/SUSPENSION/AXLES AND STEERING. THE DODGE DEALER I WENT TO SEE SAID HE IS SEEING THIS SHOW ON VANS. THE LOSS OF THE STRUT SUPPORT. *MR

STRUT MADE POPPING NOISE, REPLACED DUE TO NOISE. YH

WE HAVE HAD THE STRUT MOUNT CHANGED 4 TIMES,NOW SOMTHING IS WRONG WITH THE LEFT FRONT SIDE.