Rust on front strut tower?

Question

I'm looking into a dodge grand caravan 1999 to buy as a second car. The overal condition of this car is all good, but one thing. When I opened the engine compartment, I noticed there are some rust and corossion over the driver's side strut tower. Being worried a bit, I showed it to a body repair shop. The guy, who is not verbose at all, just told me that he will not touch it and won't accept any liabilities by working on it.

So, please tell me how bad some rust on a front (driver's side) strut tower could be. Should I be worried about it? Can I do anything to repair it? Is it dangerous to drive in this vehicle?

Here's a picture of where the rust has happened:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3460/166/400/99-gr-cara-engine1.jpg

Answer 1

Minor surface rust no problem(battery nearby maybe?)

Clean and paint AND wax.

However major rust IS... and if a repair pwerson didn't want to take your money I would keep looking for a vehicle...

Reminds me of original mustangs.. wonderful car to rebuild once you replace the area where the front suspension goes as it rusts away and most people don't notice until the accident. Design boo-boo...

Answer 2

Your picture doesn't work. If the rust has eaten through the metal at all, a hole, pass on this van. That area is the main support for the front suspension of the vehicle. If the rust doesn't show a hole, take a screwdriver and poke the rusty area. Poke hard. If you can poke a hole in it, pass on this van. If you can't poke a hole, it's still OK to drive but check into rust removal and repaint if you want this van to last a few years. Check the rust every few months if you just want to run it until it dies. Rust never sleeps.