Rusty Sub-Frame

[Sarah]

Hey folks! I own a 2000 Chevy Tracker with a rusted cross member. Is this worth replacing/repairing or should I find something else?

Thanks!

Topic

[Mike]

Is it the front one under the radiator? If so it may be covered under a recall. The Suzuki Grand Vitara of that generation had a recall due to that front crossmember rusting out, was a Suzuki dealer tech for a few years. Your Tracker is a rebadged Grand Vitara and Chevy may have had the same recall on theirs, you should check. As long as the person replacing that crossmember is good with rust, it will likely go ok. I don’t think it’s a reason to junk the car unless it’s in really rough shape otherwise. Those generally held up well and were still good cars at high mileage even though they do get rusty.

[Sarah]

Mine has 88k, the engine & everything is fine except for the rusty sub frame & a few other rusty spots. I called my local Chevy dealer & they only had a special warrantee recall on Tracker sub frames, which has since expired. That same dealer said the part alone is $383. Are there any other after market type places I can call or find online to compare prices? Or is $383 a decent price?

[Mike]

That’s a normal price for that kind of part, but don’t forget about the hardware. It’s common on many cars other than the tracker/grand vitara such as neons, pacificas, pt cruisers, civics, accords, and various Hyundai/kia to name a few, but I’ve not heard of such parts available aftermarket yet.

[Author]

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