Chrysler Structure: Support Device/Strut

Chrysler is recalling about 436,000 vehicles over a problem with the structure. Personal injury could occur if the bolts break allowing the liftgate to fall suddenly.

Campaign
97V079000
Manufacturer
CHRYSLER CORPORATION
Reported
16 May 1997
Vehicles
436,000
Built between
Jul 1991 – Jun 1992
Models
5
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
NHTSA investigation
Owners notified
15 August 1997
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between July 1991 and June 1992. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1992 Chrysler Town AND CountryBuilt July 1991 to June 1992
  • 1992 Dodge CaravanBuilt July 1991 to June 1992
  • 1992 Dodge Grand CaravanBuilt July 1991 to June 1992
  • 1992 Plymouth Grand VoyagerBuilt July 1991 to June 1992
  • 1992 Plymouth VoyagerBuilt July 1991 to June 1992

What the defect is

The bolts used to attach the strut to the body and the rear liftgate can accumulate fatigue damage if three factors combine. If the bolt is loose, the gas strut is over-pressurized, and the frequency of opening and closing cycles is higher than for the average customer, the bolt can fail.

What could happen

Personal injury could occur if the bolts break allowing the liftgate to fall suddenly.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR LOOSE FASTENERS, IF THE FASTENERS ARE LOOSE, THE STRUT (AND INTEGRAL BOLTS) WILL BE REPLACED. IF THE BOLT SHOWS EVIDENCE OF TORQUE, THE BOLT WILL BE REMOVED, LARGER WASHERS WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING WASHER AND THE BOLT WILL BE REINSTALLED AND HAND TIGHTENED TO THE TARGET TORQUED.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJuly 1991 to June 1992
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA16 May 1997
  3. Owners notified15 August 1997

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 16 May 1997.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
CHRYSLER CORPORATION
Recall initiated by
ODI

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Owner notification began during august 1997. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand