Strut tower inside of hood is almost rusted through. Mechanic said that it could cause strut to break through and collapse while driving. The strut tower is protected from the weather. Why is it rusting out?

- Austin , MN, USA

: the contact stated while driving various speeds, a noise was heard. The vehicle was driven to an independent repair shop, who determined the front driver side strut tower was rusted and needed to be replaced. Updatd 01/19/07.

- Roselle, IL, USA

: the contact stated while performing a normal maintenance inspection at the dealer, it was determined the left front strut and strut tower was corroded. The vehicle was exposed to harsh winter weather and road salts. The manufacturer was notified.

- Delton, MI, USA

While doing general car care (cleaning the battery) I noticed severe rust on the left strut tower at the spring seat. The area is supporting the weight of the vehicle and if it fails will cause the left front tire to move into contact with the car body and prevent normal steering to avoid collisions. Secondarily, suspension dampers cannot be replaced since the strut could not be re-attached. Poor damper condition of course affects the drivers ability to control the vehicle on imperfect pavement.

- West Newbury, MA, USA

Strut tower has severe rusting that may lead to a collapse on the front tire.

- Austin , MN, USA

: the contact stated the front end made a noise at any speed. The dealership determined the driver side strut tower was severly rusted and was on the verge of collapsing. The dealer suggested that the vehicle be taken to an auto body shop. They suggested the manufacturer be alerted. Updated 4/4/2006 -

- Davis, IL, USA

We own a 1999 Chrysler Town and country minivan. We purchased the vehicle used in 2001. We haven't had any problems with it until 2005 and then we had to replace the water pump. The mechanic noticed that the strut towers were severely rusted. He mentioned that this is a known defect with the Chrysler product. We would never have known otherwise--we didn't even know what a strut tower was until he pointed it out. If one or both of the the strut towers were to give way after hitting a pothole (or just from continued rusting) this could cause a sudden change in steering geometry, and or complete loss of steering, and or the tire well dropping onto the tire and acting like a brake, and or blowing out completely. Any of these scenarios could easily contribute to a serious, even tragic accident involving one or more vehicles. Imagine if we were driving on the highway at speeds of 55-65 miles per hour and the the strut were to give way. The Chrysler dealer, district manager and Chrysler customer service rep all refused to help us in any way because we just happened to notice it outside of the warranty period. I feel that this is a huge safety issue and Chrysler is being very uncooperative not to mention irresponsible by putting many peoples lives in jeopardy.

- Rochester, NY, USA

While performing maintenance on the consumers vehicle, the technician noticed that the left front strut tower was rusted and cracked. The local service dealer can repair it but the consumer feels that the manufacturer should be responsible for the cost.

- Bovey, MN, USA

While the vehicle was at the dealer for general inspection, the dealer informed the consumer that the metal on top of strut which held the strut in place was corroded and need to be replaced.

- Saginaw, MI, USA

The strut tower on my Chrysler Town & Country minivan has severe rust on the top. The metal is peeling and the strut is pushing through. This was discovered today when I took the van in to have it detailed. This is a low mileage van which is always maintained in top condition.

- Clawson, MI, USA

The vehicle was equipped with heated seats. The owner took the vehicle to the dealer to have the seats checked. The problem was not detected. Now, the passenger seats are over heating also. The owner had the seats replaced on two seperate occassions. Provide further details. The consumer stated that all four seats failed. Both front seats had burn holes in them. The consumer heard a noise coming from the front of the vehicle when going over bumps. The consumer was told that the strut tower went bad and had it replaced. The consumer complained that a vibration is felt while driving as if the vehicle drove on four flat tires. The consumer heard a whining noise when using the am radio which only happed when using the brake.

- Apalachin, NY, USA