COACHMEN Complaints

CONSUMER STATED WHILE THEY WERE ON A TRIP, THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE CORD LAYER ON THE INNER LEFT REAR TIRE, CAUSING A MASSIVE BLOW-OUT AND CONSIDERABLE CHASSIS AND RV DAMAGE. *MJ (FIRESTONE TIRES NO OTHER INFO GIVEN.) *TS

I NOTICED A LOUD "CLUNK" SOUND BELOW THE DRIVERS SEAT WHENEVER I HIT A VERY LARGE BUMP, I.E. RAILROAD TRACKS, POTHOLE, ETC. AND COULD FEEL A "CLUNK" IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I CRAWLED UNDER THE MH AND STARTED PUSHING/PULLING ON THE STEERING LINKAGE TO SEE IF A TIE ROD WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF. WHEN I PUSHED/PULLED ON THE TIE ROD BETWEEN THE LEFT WHEEL AND THE IDLER ARM, I GOT A "CLUNK" SOUND. I FOUND I COULD MOVE THE ARM ABOUT 2" SIDEWAYS (LEFT/RIGHT) AT THE POINT OF THE IDLER ARM. UPON CHECKING IT OUT I FOUND THE NUT ON THE TOP OF THE STEERING IDLER ARM WAS LOOSE. AFTER REMOVING THE COTTER PIN, I COULD REMOVE THE NUT AND IDLER ARM WITH MY FINGERS. A COTTER PIN IS ALL THAT WAS KEEPING US FROM GOING IN ANY DIRECTION IT WOULD HAVE WANTED TO GO, WITHOUT ANY STEERING CONTROL WHATSOEVER. MY FAMILY OF FIVE HAD JUST COMPLETED A JOURNEY THAT TOOK US OVER THE CHICAGO SKYWAY, HUNDREDS OF FEET IN THE AIR! TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS. I INSPECTED THE IDLER ARM AND PIVOT STUD FOR WEAR AND NOT NOTICING ANY, REPLACED THE IDLER ARM, TIGHTENED THE NUT AND INSTALLED THE COTTER PIN. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS PROBLEM HAS COME UP BEFORE BUT IT WOULD NOT BE THE TYPE OF PROBLEM TO BE NOTICED IF SOMEONE WASN'T SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR IT. WITH IT BEING SO NEW, A MECHANIC MAY NOT LOOK FOR LOOSE (WORN) STEERING PARTS.*AK

SECOND FAILURE IN 3 MONTHS. TRAVELING ON FLORIDA'S TURNPIKE. JUST PULLED OUT OF SERVICE PLAZA ATTEMPTING TO GET UP SPEED TO 55 MPH. STEEL WIRES IN TIRE TREAD BROKE. THE TIRE TREAD PEELED OFF CAUSING A BLOWOUT. DID DAMAGE TO MOTORHOME BODY PARTS. DETROYED SAFETY SHEILDS IN WHEEL WELL, BROKE ELECTRICAL WIRES LOOSE, BADLY DAMAGED A STORAGE COMPARTMENT ALONG WITH SOME OF THE CONTENTS. I REPORTED THE FIRST (SAME TYPE) FAILURE TO YOU IN APRIL 2002. I DID'NT KNOW TO KEEP THE TIRE TREAD THE FIRST TIME. FIRESTONE REPLACED THE FIRST TIRE SINCE I DIDN'T WISH TO FILE ANY LIABILTY CLAIM. I MADE THE MINOR REPAIRS MYSELF. I SAVED AND HAVE THE ENTIRE TREAD THIS TIME IN A SINGLE PIECE. I E-MAILED FIRESTONE CONSUMER AFFAIRS A WEEK AGO. I AM WAITING A REPLY TO MY REQUEST TO FILE A CLAIM FOR LIABILITY SINCE I AM UNABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIRS THIS TIME. SINCE THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN THREE MONTHS, I AM CONVINCED THE FACTORY INSTALLED TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. WHY DID FIRESTONE CHANGE THE NAME ON THIS TIRE? THE NEW TIRE IS AN R4S II. WAS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE R4S FIRST EDITION?*AK

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE INNER PASSENGER SIDE DUAL TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, AFTER INSPECTING THE TIRE MORE CLOSELY, CONSUMER DISCOVERED CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALL, PRIOR TO FAILURE CONSUMER WAS ASSURED THAT TIRES WERE NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. RADIAL R4S LT225/75R16 TIRES (DOT# UNKNOWN). *TT *JB

RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL FAILURE AND DISINTEGRATED.*TS *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***762212

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DESIGN OF THE AXLE ON THE VEHICLE CAN NOT PROPERLY HOLD THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAS HAD FOUR TIRES REPLACED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. NLM *YH

TREAD SEPARATED AND TIRE BLEW OUT ON PASSENGER SIDE INSIDE DUAL - NO UNUSUAL CONDITIONS - TIRE WAS PROPERLY INFLATED TO 80 LBS. (DOT NUMBER: VD1L 1XD TIRESIZE: LT225/75R1)

PROBLEM 1: THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED SUDERSIDE, CA FREEWAY. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE NEAREST OFF RAMP WHERE THE ENGINE DIED. MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS DID NOT WORK NOR DID ANY OF THE LIGHTS, ALMOST CAUSING OTHER VEHICLES TO CRASH INTO MINE. PROBLEM #2: THIS HAPPENED BACK IN SEPT 2001 WHERE THE FIRESTONE TIRES COMPLETELY BLEW THE TREAD WHILE TRAVELLING AT 75 MPH ON THE 5 FREEWAY IN SAN DIEGO,CA. THIS REQUIRED AN EMERGENCY MANEUVER ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. NO TREAD WAS LEFT ON THE TIRES. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID TO CONTACT FIRESTONE. THREE DAYS LATER, THE REAR TIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE FAIILED ALSO REQUIRING SWERVING OFF OF THE ROAD AND BEING STRANDED THEN TOWED TO PEP BOYS FOR EMERGENCY TIRE REPLACEMENT. *AK MERGENCY FLASHERS DID NOT WORK EITHER NOR DID ANY OF THE LIGHTS. (TIRESIZE: LT225/75R/)

A DEFECTIVE WIRE HARNESS STARTED THE FIRE AS DETERMINED BY THE TECHNICIANS WHO REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. A LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS REQUIRED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE COMPLETELY. VEHICLE HAD BEEN STOPPED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES WHEN FIRE BROKE OUT. I HAVE MUCH MORE DOCUMENTATION ON THE INCIDENT AVAILABLE TO ANYONE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS MADE AND IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS WELL AS ALL INSURANCE COMPANY INFORMATION, REPAIR FACILITY INFORMATION, LETTERS TO THE MANUFACTURER, DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIRE EVENT, ETC.*AK

ORIGINAL TIRES ON A COACHMAN, CLASS 31 C MOTOR HOME, 1997, DOT VD111L1XD187, 22575/16. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH INSIDE DUAL TIRES SIDEWALL ON REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE BLEWOUT. CONSUMER TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL. *AK *YD