1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager

THE DRIVERS SIDE STRUT TOWER IS RUSTING OUT, BUT NOT ON THE TOP LIKE MOST OF THEM DO. 3/4 OF THE SIDE OF THE TOWER IS RUSTED AND GONE. THE PASSENGER SIDE STILL LOOKS GOOD. I HAVE GONE TO SEVERAL SHOPS BUT NO ONE CAN HELP ME. THE VANS 3.3L ENGINE AND TRANS ARE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE SO I NEED TO FIND SOMEONE OR SOMETHING TO FIX THIS

DODGE CARAVAN STRUT TOWER RUST PERFORATION - SIGNIFICANT RUST PERFORATION ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND STRUT TOWERS SEVERELY WEAKENS THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THESE MAIN LOAD PATH MEMBERS. FAILURE OF THE STRUT TOWERS WOULD LEAD TO UNCONTROLLED DISPLACEMENT OF THE UPPER END OF THE STRUT RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. SINCE THE POSSIBILITY OF FAILURE EXISTS AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, SHOULD IT OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, SERIOUS BODILY INJURY AND DEATH ARE LIKELY. *TR

DISCOVERED SEVERE RUST-THROUGH OF THE FRONT LEFT-SIDE STRUT TOWER WHILE DOING ROUTINE FLUID LEVEL CHECKING. THE DAMAGE IS UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE, AND INITIALLY APPEARED AS DIMPLED METAL WITHOUT ANY HOLES OR GAPS. THE METAL CRUMBLED IN MY HAND, AND REVEALED THE RUST THROUGH AS I PICKED AWAY THE PIECES. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, AND FOUND MANY IDENTICAL PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS THE TSB FROM CHRYSLER: 2304402 (NHTSA 10000317). SEVERAL OF THE REFERENCES HAD PICTURES THAT LOOKED JUST LIKE OUR VEHICLE. AS THE TSB NOTES, THERE IS A SPECIAL REPAIR KIT CREATED AND SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER JUST TO CORRECT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE. ALTHOUGH OUT VEHICLE HAS NOT HAD ANY COLLAPSE OR OTHER CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, SEVERAL OF THE OWNERS HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERE PROBLEMS AS A A RESULT OF THIS STRUCTURAL FLAW. THE DEFECT WAS DESCRIBED MANY TIMES AS A RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DETAIL, WHERE TWO SINGLE PIECES OF METAL WERE LAYERED TO BUILD THE STRUT TOWER. THE SEAM BETWEEN THESE TWO LAYERS OF METAL WAS NOT PROPERLY SEALED, AND AS A RESULT, MOISTURE WAS ALLOWED TO ENTER THE SEAM AND CORROSION INSIDE THE PLATE SANDWICH BEGAN. WITH THE PROBLEM INSIDE THE METAL STRUCTURE ESSENTIALLY HIDDEN FROM VIEW, THE METAL DECAY COULD CONTINUE TO ADVANCE WITHOUT EASY DISCOVERY. THE TSB IS DATED NEARLY 2 YEARS AFTER THE LAST VEHICLE DATE, WITH WARRANTY COVERAGE ALREADY EXPIRED. THIS IS A SERIOUS STRUCTURAL AND SAFETY PROBLEM, AND CHRYSLER IS NOT OFFERING TO RECOGNIZE THE DEFECT AND FIX THIS EXCEPT AT OUR COST. THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE UNUSUAL DAMAGE PATTERN AS WELL AS THE SPECIAL REPAIR KIT NEEDS A SAFETY RECALL TO SUPPORT OWNERS AND CORRECTLY ASSIGN FAULT. *TR

THE STRUT TOWERS ARE CORRODING ON 1996-2000 TOWN & COUNTRY/VOYAGER/CARAVAN MINI VANS. CHRYSLER HAS ADMITTED THIS IN TSB # 23-044-02. I THINK THE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD. ANYWAY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, IF THE STRUT TOWER FAILS DURING OPERATION, THE RESULT CAN BE DEVASTATING. THERE ARE MANY YOUNG CHILDREN RIDING IN THESE VEHICLES, SOCCER MOMS ETC. I FIND IT INCREDIBLE THAT THERE IS NOT MORE VISIBLE INFORMATION ON THIS. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF MY 1997, AND AT THE SAME PHONE AND ADDRESS AS WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. I ACCIDENTALLY RAN INTO THIS WHILE RESEARCHING FOR NEW STRUTS FOR THE VEHICLE. I LOOKED AT MY VEHICLE AND SURE ENOUGH, ONE OF THE STRUT TOWERS IS FAILING. I CALLED THE DEALER, THE REMEDY IS $500 PER STRUT TOWER. IF THIS ISN'T A CLASSIC DESIGN FLAW (THAT IS POTENTIALLY LETHAL), I'M NOT SURE I COULD FIND A BETTER EXAMPLE. TWO THINGS NEED TO BE DONE. (1) INFORMATION NEEDS TO GET OUT, IT'S NOT HAPPENING. (2) CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ABSORB OR AT LEAST SHARE IN THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. I BELIEVE IF #(1) ABOVE WERE HAPPENING ADEQUATELY, # (2) WOULD HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED. WE NEED TO SET ASIDE THAT THE AUTOMAKERS ARE IN TROUBLE, AND STOP FAVORING THEM AT THE EXPENSE OF CHILDREN'S LIVES. *TR

VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE (CHRYSLER TSB 23-044-02), RUST THROUGH OF UPPER STRUT TOWERS 1996-2000 CHRYSLER, DODGE, PLYMOUTH MINIVANS. COLLAPSE OF STRUT TOWER WOULD RESULT ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1/ SUDDEN CHANGE OF STEERING GEOMETRY; TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING; LOCKUP OF ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS, BLOWOUT OF ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES. THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH CHRYSLER HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR YEARS. THEY ONLY ISSUED A TSB ONCE MOST OF THE VEHICLES INVOLVED (96-98) WERE BEYOND THE MANUFACTURES RUST PERFORATION WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD NOT BE MERELY A "SERVICE" RECALL, BUT A "SAFETY" RECALL. THIS IS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH FAILED TO SEAL BETWEEN COMPONENT PANELS ALLOWING MOISTURE TO PENETRATE AND CAUSE HIDDEN RUST ISSUE WHICH REVEALS ITSELF ONLY WHEN THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IS ALREADY DONE. THE RECOMMENDED REPAIR IS ALSO QUESTIONABLE -- UTILIZING ONLY EPOXY TO AFIX A CAP TO THE TOP OF THE STRUT. THE INNER RUST PERFORATION IS NOT CUT OUT, ONLY COVERED UP. THE TREATMENT IS PRIMARILY COSMETIC. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND FEEL IT HAS NOT ONLY ENDANGERED LIFE, BUT DEVALUED THE VEHICLE. I HAVE PAID TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED BUT FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE CHRYSLER'S RESPONSIBILITY. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FOLLOW UP YOU CAN DO ON MY BEHALF AND THAT OF OTHER MINIVAN OWNERS. (I'VE NO DOUBT THAT THE VAST MAJORITY ARE YET UNAWARE OF THE CONDITION OF THEIR VEHICLES.) SINCERELY KELVIN IRONSIDE MESA AZ. *AK