1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager

I'VE PURCHASED A 1999 GRAND VOYAGER AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE STRUT TOWER WAS ROTTING OUT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS STARTING TO RUST AS WELL , BUT NOT TO THE DEGREE AS THE DRIVERS SIDE.. I LOOKED UP AND FOUND NO RECALL THIS SITUATION, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT CHRYSLER ,PLYMOUTH , DODGE , KNEW ABOUT THIS SINCE 1996 BUT DID NOTHING TO CORRECT IT UNTIL 2001. I ENJOY MY VEHICLE BUT THE REPAIRS FOR THIS PROBLEM ARE A BIT TOO MUCH FOR ME AT THIS TIME DUE TO MY DISABILITY ,AND THE FACT THAT I AM ON A VERY LIMITED INCOME. IS THERE ANY ONE THAT CAN ASSIST ME IN GETTING MY VEHICLE REPAIR? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER. WHILE DRIVING THE CONTACT STATED THAT A LOUD RATTLING NOISE WAS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STRUT TOWER WAS COVERED WITH RUST. THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF UPDATED 12/105/11

LEFT SIDE STRUT TOWER RUSTED THROUGH ON 1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER, I NOTICED THIS AFTER WE HAD BOUGHT IT IN 2005 AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED FROM CHRYSLER, FOUND OUT THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE THIS HAD HAPPENED TOO, CHRYSLER MADE THE MISTAKE AND THEY SHOULD STAND BEHIND IT, I WAS GETTING MAINTENANCE WHEN IT FELL APART, LUCKY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

RE: STRUT MOUNTS ON 1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER SE - VIN [XXX] THE STRUT MOUNTS WERE DETERIORATING AT A RAPID PACE AND WERE RUSTING OUT TO THE POINT THAT THEY COULD BREAK AT ANY TIME, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE. UPON NOTICING THIS PROBLEM I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED - TO THE TUNE OF $1,500. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING AT THE APA WEBSITE: THE APA WEBSITE STATED THAT THE 1996 - 2000 MODELS HAD RUST PERFORATION IN THE FRONT STRUT TOWERS (ESPECIALLY ON THE LEFT SIDE) IN THE AREA OF THE UPPER STRUT. IT STATED THAT THE ANCHORAGE SEEMS TO STEM FROM INSUFFICIENT RUST PROTECTION AND THE USE OF THIN STEEL IN THIS AREA. THE MECHANIC WHO FIXED THE STRUTS STATED HE HAS SEEN QUITE A FEW WITH THIS PROBLEM AND WISHED MORE PEOPLE WOULD WRITE IN AND COMPLAIN. ONE PARTICULAR CUSTOMER WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE HIS VEHICLE UNTIL HE GOT IT FIXED AS IT WAS THAT BAD. I CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER CORPORATION ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY BASICALLY SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. FORD RECENTLY RECALLED SOME VEHICLES FOR A LITTLE BIT OF RUST PROBLEM ON THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK, WHICH IN MY OPINION WAS ONLY A COSMETIC TYPE OF PROBLEM. THE RUSTED STRUTS POSE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATH. I DO NOT HAVE THE OLD PART BUT I DO HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THEM BEFORE THEY WERE FIXED. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. YOU ARE MY LAST RESORT AND I HOPE IT WILL DO SOME GOOD. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FOR ME. HOWEVER, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO CHECK INTO THE NEXT TIME THERE IS AN ACCIDENT WITH ONE OF THESE VEHICLES. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND HOPE IT CAN MAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE LEFT (DRIVER) SIDE STRUT TOWER APPEARS TO BE SPLIT AND RUSTING OUT, WHILE THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF RUST. THERE IS ALSO NO RUST ANYWHERE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE APPEARS TO BE SOMETHING DEFECTIVE WITH THE METAL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. IF THE STRUT TOWER FAILS, I WILL LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I SPOKE WITH ANOTHER OWNER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WHO WORKS IN A BODY SHOP. THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON SEVERAL VEHICLES. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR, THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL, BUT THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE AS IS. IF IT IS NOT SAFE, I FEEL THAT IS A FACTORY DEFECT AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY CHRYSLER. I DO HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES OF BOTH STRUT TOWERS. THE DEALER WANTS AROUND $400.00 TO FIX IT AND THEY WILL NOT TELL ME WHETHER IT IS SAFE OR NOT. *NM