9.5
really awful- Typical Repair Cost:
- $1,200
- Average Mileage:
- 112,000 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 4 complaints
Most common solutions:
- got tower from junk yard and had it weld onto car (2 reports)
- not sure (2 reports)
I have a 2000 Dodge Caravan with the left strut tower rusting horribly. This was "repaired" a few years ago by a reliable body shop. The strut tower is rusting yet again and is likely to fall apart if the vehicle hits any severe enough bumps, causing a severe if not fatal accident.
- alowe0110, Claremont, NH, US
The strut towers rust right away, within 5 winters. Dangerous, look at any older caravan, it's scary and dangerous.
- Kit G., Franksville, WI, US
click to see larger images
This is a common failure on dodge caravans and can be devastating if the strut tower breaks through while you are driving. If it breaks through even at a dead stop the car is totaled as the body drops down breaking the hood, axle and yes even the bumper :). The repair is hard and can be costly unless you know someone who is a good welder and will do it for less than the auto body shops. We spent over $1200 repairing this monster but still less than cost of new car. Be careful as we have seen one of these let go. If your strut tower is rusting this badly either get it fixed or junk it.
- Emily K., Lansing, MI, US
strut tower in engine compartment rusted, driver side on almost all the way through. A mechanic and other people have told me this may fail completely and cause the strut to push up through the hood - a dangerous situation, could occur suddenly and cause a crash
- Patrick S., Kalamazoo, MI, US