Chrysler Pacificas Showing Up with Serious Rust Problem
If you own a 2004 or 2005 Chrysler Pacifica, you might want to get it up on a lift right away and make sure the engine cradle is still intact. According to Chicago’s NBC5 (NBCChicago.com), hundreds of Pacifica owners are complaining to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about severe corrosion in their vehicle’s engine cradle, or sub-frame. Driver Susan Deneen told NBC5’s reporter:
The whole engine cradle was rusted and corroded. [The mechanic} could put his hand through it, it was so corroded. He told me, basically, if you were my wife you wouldn’t be driving this home.
And Pacifica owner Kurt Collins said:
When I went to pick it up the mechanic was just standing there, shaking his head saying ‘bad news.’ He starts telling me about the rotten sub-frame. It’s corroded away, it’s a dangerous situation, your engine can fall out.
The subframe on a vehicle supports everything on the vehicle from the engine and transmission, the lower control arms, the rack and pinion and the sway bar. All instructions must be followed with no exceptions to prevent serious accidents. It is not an uncommon procedure, but everything must be supported when the supporting frame is removed.