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Chrysler Pacifica Suspension Problems

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Comments

  • faroutfarout Member Posts: 1,609
    You might insist that the Zone Rep meet with you and see what he or she says. Fiat has limited the Zone Reps and extended their Zones, so it may take longer.

    Have you considered taking this PAC back to where you bought it, and dumping it back on their worries? If you have the PAC financed contact where you are making the payments and asking them to put some pressurer on the dealer?

    A member of my family who retired from B of A and part of their job was helping pressure dealers to deal with it.
  • anniev49anniev49 Member Posts: 30
    Thanks very much for the good suggestions. Will focus on the Zone Rep again (where I originally started, over a year ago). The car has been paid off for a couple of years , and I bought it out of state. Since it did not pass inspection and has an old sticker, I'm afraid to go on a long interstate drive with it, only to have the original dealer turn me down & have to drive all the way back. But I do understand the reasoning of going to the original dealer. Thanks again.
  • slaconteslaconte Member Posts: 5
    Terrible that this is going on and you cannot drive your car...it is a long shot, but have you tried contacting media in your area, or even on a larger scale, such as Dateline or such? Remember the tire problem with the Ford Explorer they brought to light years ago? I think I remember the Toyota Frame issue was covered by a larger media outlet as well. Especially since some Pacificas were already recalled for this? Or, have you contacted your attorney general's office. If you have AAA, or can get it, I believe the Gold (or upgraded) package includes 250 miles of towing, maybe they would flatbed your car to the original dealer?
  • anniev49anniev49 Member Posts: 30
    Thanks for the thought, and yes, I have tried "The Haggler" consumer columnist at the New York Times but he was not interested. I will try the NY Post next...
  • odreodre Member Posts: 1
    I too need this new warranty can you please send me a copy of that .My Pacifica has 2 broken motor mounts that the technician says that MUST get fixed since the car is not safe. I did get them repaired in 20010 now here we are again 2012 and I have the same problem with both of them . I was told i only had a years warranty on that.The rear cross arm needs replacing and both rear bushings tying the suspension to the frame is rotting. I need to do this in steps because I don't have the money to ... from all the motor mount complaints on the Internet, we know (and Chrysler knows) that there is a problem there. They should at least take care of that. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect Chrysler to deal with this problem ...
  • xunderworldxxunderworldx Member Posts: 14
    Sadly even with the letter it wont help with the motor mounts as they are considered ware items. I was told by a chrysler shop that the mounts go bad on pacificas fast.. The engine is put in their sideways so it causes them to go bad quickly. I was also told that having big difference in between the 4 engine mounts on it causes them to ware out even faster... Personally I got tired of all the problems my Pacifica had and traded out of it...
  • faroutfarout Member Posts: 1,609
    Motor mounts are only warretied for what ever MOPAR has printed on the package. I have had to replace motor mounts twice and the transmission mount once. I live on a very tough road, rocks, gravel, and pot holes, and I expect these mounts to need replacement from time to time. However hitting a curb hard, or hitting a pot hole can damage these mounts as well. Generally these mounts are considered wareable items. So I would not fight about the mounts.

    As for the bushings they too are wareable items. The parts and items you mention could be seen by some as abuse, by a lot of things happening.

    How many miles have you put on from the last time you had your mounts replaced. I have a friend who is a service advisor at a dealer and I will ask him if you can tell me hooooow many miles you have put on.

    Our PAC has 132,00 miles on our AWD PAC, and I expect to have more repairs because we drive a lot, up to 2,500 miles a month. It seems like we are putting on tires a lot but we are getting about 41,000 miles a set of tires, and that's real good for a vehicle that weighs almost 4,800 lbs.
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    There is no extended warranty on motor mounts
  • anniev49anniev49 Member Posts: 30
    More bad news: The NY Dept of Consumer Protection did nothing more than contact Chrysler with an anemic request that they explain my case. Chrysler wrote them a short letter saying that "based on the facts" my case has been denied.

    (?! I am keenly interested in their definition of "facts.") So, just like that, NY State backs down and advises me that they will take no further action -- apparently based on Chrysler's decision to take no further action. Consumer Protection? While I'm at it I'd like their definition of "protection."

    Meanwhile winter is coming, the Pacifica sits (won't pass inspection due to rust holes) and I'm driving an 11 year old P.T. Cruiser that performs on winter roads with all the stability of a drunk on ice skates.

    Running out of options here.
  • faroutfarout Member Posts: 1,609
    It just might be time to bite the bullet, and trade it in and carry over a dead horse. I would guess a large percentage of us have had to bring some negative ballance on top of the cost of the car we buy. PERHAPS TAKE IT BACK TO WHERE YOU BOUGHT THIS RUST BUCKET AND DUMP IT BACK ON THEM.
  • anniev49anniev49 Member Posts: 30
    Thanks for your thoughts.

    If I could afford to, I would get rid of it. As is, there are holes in the subframe that prevent this car from passing inspection, or even being driven. The dealer from whom I bought it is out-of-state and tells me there's nothing they can do. I do not have a budget for a car payment at this time.

    I am losing my home, under-employed, and have absolutely no room to add to monthly expenses. A car payment cannot happen until I find more work.

    This will be an exercise in me pursuing every possible route that does not cost money, eventually meeting with lawyers to form a class action. After getting nowhere going up the chain with Chrysler, I have registered complaints with every so-called government or business watchdog group/agency that exists and have struck out (pending notification from the State Attorney General).

    Anyway, lesson learned. But if it can be useful to someone else, lesson not wasted.
  • slaconteslaconte Member Posts: 5
    Did post #730 get erased, because I would never do that either...;) Maybe sell it for parts and get a cheap car for now? front wheel drive and put studded snow tires on.
  • anniev49anniev49 Member Posts: 30
    Thought it was just me, not being able to find that one . But I agree too! No matter how bad things get, if we lose our own integrity then we've sunk too low.

    Will finish my "last resort" moves (Attorney General, writing all elected officials possible as well as press outlets, and filing for class action if a good firm will take the case), and then focusing on finding a deal on snow tires.

    Seriously, even an inexpensive car is out of the question at the moment. But what you suggest makes perfect sense. Thank you.
  • jft26jft26 Member Posts: 35
    I had the oil pan on my 2006 Pacifica 3.5L replaced at a NY dealership service facility about a week ago due to stripped out drain. Now, after the replacement has been completed I get a noise from the engine compartment sounding like an exhaust leak along with a low rumbling when I accelerate slowly going through the 1-2 shift and through the next shift point. Cruising speed 50 mph plus it is as quiet as a mouse. If I open it up over 45 mph to pass another vehicle on the parkway the same noise and low rumbling presents itself. The dealer service facility has looked at it 3X already ..... retightening the exhaust pipe connection to the rear exhaust manifold and checking the complete exhaust system but the issue persists. They say the exhaust connections are all tight and there is no black carbon leakage noticible anywhere. They cannot fix the problem and left it at that telling me to return when/if it gets worse. There was some oil drippage from the rear motor mount last Thursday but after using the car in the rain on Saturday the drippage was washed away and there is no new sign of leakage. The dealer service manager said that if the motor mount was bad there would be lots and lots of oil leakage. The rear motor mount (along with the other two mounts) is currently dry as a bone on the motor mount and the surrounding area. Is it true that the only sign of a bad motor mount is lots and lots of oil leakage? I am at a loss and getting nowhere fast in getting this issue resolved. They did something to create this new issue but noone can figure out how to resolve the issue. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    edited October 2012
    This is what they did--OIL PAN
    REMOVAL
    1) Disconnect negative battery cable.
    2) Remove radiator close out panel.
    3) Remove radiator core support.
    4) Remove radiator cooling fans.
    5) Remove the engine oil indicator.
    NOTE: It is not necessary to recover the refrigerant from the refrigerant system to perform this procedure.

    6) Remove the top air conditioning compressor bolts.
    7) Raise and support the vehicle.
    NOTE: It is not necessary to recover the refrigerant from the refrigerant system to perform this procedure.

    8) Remove the lower air conditioning compressor mounting bolts and reposition the compressor with a suitable retaining strap.
    9) Remove the air conditioning compressor bracket
    10) Remove structural collar from oil pan and transmission housing.
    11) Remove the inspection shield between the transmission and oil pan.
    12) Drain engine oil. Now I wonder if something is out of alignment or a part like #10 not put on. If you took it to another dealer and told them that an oil change place stripped the pan bolt and replaced the pan and you have these noises and see if they can find it. I don't know if your service record would pop up on their screen or if they would have to look it up. I would hope they would check the car before they look it up. You could tell them you would like to wait for it and when they find the problem you would make an appointment for later in the week. If it was fixed at a Chrysler dealer any dealer should be able to re fix it. Dealers are like doctors they have each others back and most won't rat out the other. You could take it to a repair shop you trust and if they find the problem tell Chrysler what it is and if they would fix it or if the problem goes away after the repair shop fixes it would they pay
  • jft26jft26 Member Posts: 35
    Thank you for the information charger3. So then they didn"t have to touch the motor mounts and lift the engine based on the steps indicated. Hmmmm .. I'm curious because it looks like the rear motor mount nut on the lower crossmember had a socket on it . Also, the air filter box toward the front of the engine was removed .... I know this because it was not in correctly so I removed it and reinstalled it correctly myself. Looks like they made access to the mount in that front area under the air filter box.
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    When I work on mine I always remove the Air filter box. It is the easiest way to remove the belt to get the airconditioning out of the way. I also remove the bottom splash shield and inner fender. That belt can be a pain in the butt to put back on. The dealer could have a different way of doing it that they found easier than the repair manual. I knew a repair shop that would disconnect the front suspension and lift the body away from the engine instead of pulling the engine out the hood
  • jdmillsjdmills Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2012
    Thank you so much for the information! Do you have a new link to the PDF? This one just takes me to Adobe's website. I have already had a case opened, but they rejected it because my Pacifica is an '04 model.

    EDIT: Never mind, it appears your PDF has made it elsewhere on the internet. Here is the link for anyone just finding this issue.
  • cmerigocmerigo Member Posts: 1
    Can someone email me this letter about the rust issue with the 2005 pacifica. I would really appreciate it. Thanks to all
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Look one post above yours and follow the link.

    kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host
  • molyneuxmolyneux Member Posts: 31
    I bought my 2004 Pac in May, 2003, just when they were coming out. It has been garaged and just passed 70,000 miles.
    I just had to have the engine cradle replaced on my 2004 because of rust-through. I would love to have a copy of that letter. My dealer refused to do anything about any rust warranty.
    Thanks
    bmbernhard@fuse.net
  • molyneuxmolyneux Member Posts: 31
    I just had to have the cradle replaced at a cost of $1,900.00. The dealer refused to do anything about rust warranty. Now I'm seeing that Chrysler has exended the rust warranty. I don't see that I ever received a letter about the warranty extension. If anyone has a copy of that letter, I'd love to get a copy. Thanks! bmbernhard@fuse .net
  • disappointed79disappointed79 Member Posts: 3
    Fluid leak in front. At same time was told the engine cradle had rusted out & needed to be replaced. Service told us it was not a recall item, but after googling found many others with same problem. There was, in fact, a warranty extention for vehicles manufactured between 2/23/2004 & 3/31/2004 in Salt Belt States. Ours was built 7/28/2004. Advised to contact Chrysler Customer Assistance (800-247-9753.) Did that & they contacted our local dealership and are now sending this to a case manager at Chrysler. Now we wait & see if anything will be done.
  • charger70charger70 Member Posts: 7
    I had my engine cradle checked and there is no rust. But I did find an oil leak and I cann't find out where it is coming from. I have checked my oil level on my dipstick and it seems fine. I read in a message above that an oil leak could be from a bad motor mount. How do I check and see if it is a bad motor mount? I didn't know that motor mounts have oil in them. The leak is near the oil filter. I have a 2005 Pacifica 3.5L engine. Thanks for any info.
  • disappointed79disappointed79 Member Posts: 3
    We haven't noticed any oil leaks. But we do lose about a quart every 1000 to 1500 miles. Can't tell you anything about motor mounts. Sorry I can't help you more.
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    The oil pressure sending unit is just above the oil filter and sometimes when they go out they leak. I tore everything apart and the sending unit was right in front of me but I couldn't reach it. I took it to a repair place on the corner and they said it would take 15 minutes to change it would I like to wait. I said sure I have to see this. Six hours later they finished. They charged 75 but the dealer only wanted 80
  • tank04tank04 Member Posts: 1
    if the noise in back of your car sounds like rusty beds springs...I had that problem also,I found out it was some type of control arm in the rear . rubbers seals that are in it that have warn out causing the noise.. the only way to fix it. is by replacing the control arm...all one part..about 250.00..
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    If you could give me the exact name of the part you had replaced. The rear cross member bushings 3 front #4766744AA $66.45 3 rear #4766746AA $71.95
  • molyneuxmolyneux Member Posts: 31
    Here are the parts used to replace engine cradle in my 2004 Pac:
    1@ C/member 23032017 $679.00
    4@ Isolator 17011017 $55.00 = $220.00
    4@ Stop/Bmpr 17023025 $15.70 = $62.80
    Total Parts (inclu misc parts) $981.80
    Total Labor $820.00
    Total job (inclu Tax, etc.) $1,875.71
    I wrote to Chrysler and they agreed to reimburse me $1,400.00 for the repairs.
  • lillygrublillygrub Member Posts: 1
    The link wouldnt work when I clicked on it can someone tell me how to use it or possible send me the PDF??? I really did try like 10 times before bugging you :) My email is us4grubs@gmail.com if that is easier. I really appreciate any help I can get here!
  • mrfree1mrfree1 Member Posts: 2
    I am in Illinois with a rusted cradle and have a ticket in to the "case review" dept b/c they say my car's first owner was not in a salt belt state but the previous owner was so they sent it off for review. The cust service rep was very nice but first told me I had no extended warranty except for an EPG issue so I had to bring up the letter I got on this form which she then tried to tell me my car is a 2003 so it's not included, but as we know it a model yr 2004 so it is, after being put on hold she came back and said it's being escalated due to the salt belt state stipulation. I am suppose to hear from them tomorrow so I'm crossing my fingers at this point that I don't have to go through the extra hassle if they deny it.
    A mechanic said they could try fixing it by welding but why should I settle for that if Chrysler knows they have issues????
  • mrfree1mrfree1 Member Posts: 2
    Could I please tell me the actual manufactured date of your Pacifica. Chrysler says the warranty only covers manufactured 04-05 even though the letter clearly states model year 04-05 and they refused to send anything in black and white stating they denied my claim and why. Mine was manufactured in 07/03.
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    I will look and get back to you. They say the warranty only covers cars that were sold in the rust belt even if you got it in Florida and the next day moved to Chicago and it rusted out there. Sounds stupid to me, they have a rust problem and they know it. If it was me and they would not cover it no matter what I did. I would get 20 dollars of metal and cut out the bad spot and weld in a new piece and then put a piece over that and plug weld it. Twice as strong as original. Then put in the drain holes they forgot. Just like GM in the old day's they had bad cam shafts and they had to replace them with bad cam shafts because GM didn't have a redesigned one out yet.">
  • molyneuxmolyneux Member Posts: 31
    My Pac was manufactured in April, '03. I bought it in May, '03. Obviously one of the first Pacs made. Chrysler has the letter out about frame rust in "04 & '05 Pacs. However, they told me that, for some reason, my Pac was not part of that group that they acknowlege did rust out. However, they did sed me a check for 80% of the repair cost.
    As for the "salt" area, I'm in Northern Kentucky (Greater Cincinnati) area. Some salt here but not a major salt area. Mine sure rusted through.
    Good Luck.
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    I checked it is March 2004
  • anniev49anniev49 Member Posts: 30
    Congrats to molyneux on your 80% cost coverage. My rust became a nightmare. Car failed inspection back in August due to the rust holes in the subframe, and I was without wheels. Ex gave me use of our older car, and eventually I saved up to do exactly what charger3 recommended. Had it spot-welded & coated (But those were some pretty b i g spots to replace). No matter which way I tried, Chrysler would not budge. State Dept of Consumer Affairs and Atty General didn't help either. Chrysler knows they are at fault here, but are getting away with making good on only a very small window of build dates, specifically I was told by a rep from Detroit that they were replacing/repairing only in rust belt vehicles under 150,000 miles or 10 years, built between Feb 23 2004 and March 31, 2004. (Mine was built in Sept of 03).
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    If they use the same thickness of metal and put a plate over that its stronger than original. I wish Chrysler would back them. I have found by searching that a lot of car company's have rusted frames and don't want to fix them
  • leo_bleo_b Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2013
    Hi, I have the same problem with my 05 pacifica, the cradle is corroded. can you please send me the copy of that letter as well. my email address is loghman_b@yahoo.ca thank you very much.
  • sopositivesopositive Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 2005 with the same problem...please send me a copy of this letter too. What is the letter about?
  • disappointed79disappointed79 Member Posts: 3
    After several phone calls to Chrysler Customer Assistance we did have the engine cradle replaced. They covered 1/2 the cost for for the part. Sounds like others have gotten a better deal on that. At the same time we had to have the head & head gasket replaced due to a leak. We were fortunate that we had purchased a "Lifetime Drive Train Extended warantee." It covered all but a $100 deductable. Unfortunately someone re-engineered the head and there was a delay because the oil tube had been changed for the newly designed head and no one had any in stock and no one had notified the dealership of the change. They had to manufacture the oil tube before the dealership could complete the repair. We waited 3 weeks to get our car back. A few days later we again had a fluid leak, same pink stuff which I collected & took to the dealership. It was then diagnosed as a coolant leak which they fixed with no additional cost. I will say that the Chrysler case amanger we dealt with did stay in contact with us during the time we were dealing with the problem.
  • charger3charger3 Member Posts: 210
    The letter states that Chrysler will cover the rusted engine cradle on 04 and 05 Pacificas that were sold in the rust belt. For 10 years or 150,000 miles. Go to post 738 and see letter
  • molyneuxmolyneux Member Posts: 31
    Sorry....Had some problems over the weekend. If you'll send me your e-mail address, I'll e-mail you a copy of the letter.
    bmbernhard@fuse.net
  • thevikingwaythevikingway Member Posts: 3
    My subframe is also shot. Please send letter to mafitzwater@yahoo.com.
    Loud clucking noise under drivers feet. Replaced all tie rod ends, struts, still there.
    Sub framevery rusty but cannot see any holes. Maybe subframe bolts elongated ??
    I will have subframe inspected very closely.
  • greeniebfdgreeniebfd Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2005 that is rusting out and has a hole and crack in the engine cradle. The extended warranty that Chrysler did is a joke they say they are covering 2004-2005 in the letter but after calling Chrysler. Your car must have been built between February 23rd 2004 to March 30th 2004 mine was built March of 2005 so it is not covered they are having problems with more then just a months worth of the cars everyone that has this problem no matter what year or time it was built needs to call Chrysler they need to cover a lot more then just one month of cars.
  • thevikingwaythevikingway Member Posts: 3
    Please provide phone number for Chrysler dept. that you spoke with so that I and others can phone in and complain.
  • molyneuxmolyneux Member Posts: 31
    I got the same answer about the "build date". Mine is a 2004 that I purchased in May of 2003. Of the $1,875.00 that the dealer charged to repair mine, Chrysler sent me a check for a little over $1,400.00.
  • thevikingwaythevikingway Member Posts: 3
    Please advise when you had the repairs done and just what you did to get the repairs covered from Chrysler as my car is in the shop now and I need to provide info to them. Thanks, Michael
  • anniev49anniev49 Member Posts: 30
    I too was outside the build date as well though met the qualifications in the letter in every other way, and never got satisfaction. Am interested and glad for people who at least got refunded for repairs. No such outcome in my case. Good luck.
  • molyneuxmolyneux Member Posts: 31
    My rust was found at the local Goodyear store. I took the Pacifica to my local Chrysler dealer. They did the work and I paid. I sent a copy of the warranty extension letter and a copy of my repair bill to Chrysler customer service in Detroit. They contacted me by phone with the same story about the build date but did offer to pay $1,400 or the $1,800 repair bill. I accepted.
  • faroutfarout Member Posts: 1,609
    We have a 2007 pac TOURING awd with just under 142,000 miles. We bought is August 31 2007. We have taken it to the same dealer for everything but three oil changes. I keep very complet records for everything done to the PAC. We also bought the Limited Lifetime MaxCare $100. deductable. Thank goodness we bought the extended lifetime warranty has saved our fanny. The dealer informed me that Chrysler has spent almost $ 15,000. on warranty repair! in the last 5 1/2 years. In talking with Chrysler at the customer center They admit the Pacifica has turned out to be a very good vehicle, but rather costly to keep. The service writer at thedealership told me that every Pacifica they care for has very typical problems, and ther are a costly car to keep runing. We have spent almost $ 4,500. of our own on our PAC. Additionally the resale value is very poor. Ours by the NADA is about $ 8,000. and a trade in of about $ 3,900 to $ 5,000. at the best. We are going to hold on to ours until we can't afford to get it repaired any more. A 2003 to 2004 at the Manhain auto auction gose for less that $ 3,000 is it's less than 100,00 miles on it. We love the ride and how roomy and comfortable the PAC is. If we had to replace it we would get a Ram crew truck. We need a awd or 4x4 where we live. We have had 3 libertys and they were not as good as the PAC with the awd. I am sure this is not the best news but it is true.
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