FOUR WINDS Complaints

NO. 10 SPARK PLUG BLOWOUT AT 60 MPH ON FREEWAY, DAMAGING THE IGNITION COIL, ENGINE BLOCK AND WIRING HARNESS. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE SINCE 1997 WITH THE FORD TRITON ENGINE DUE TO A LONG-STANDING SHODDY DESIGN (USE OF STEEL ENGINE BLOCK W/ALUMINIUM INSERTS FOR THE SPARK PLUGS, AND ONLY 4 THREADS FOR THE SPARK PLUGS, INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD 6 THREADS.

MY DASHBOARD IS MELTING IN THE SUN A BLACK SLIME IS OZZING OUT MAKING IT VERY SHINY AND HARD TO SEE OUT THE WINDSHIELD ALSO THERE IS A FUMES AND A STICKIE SUBSTANCE THAT WILL COME OFF ON YOUR HANDS IF YOU TOUCH IT,HAVE TO WASH YOUR HANDS IN HOT SOAPIE WATER TO GET OFF

MY CAR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ,, BUT THE DASH IS IN BAD CONDITION IT JUST WANT STOP BREAKING APART. MY CAR IS KEPT IN A GOOD PLACE, I LOVE MY CAR IT'S THE BEST I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT ,, JUST THE DASH

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FOUR WINDS HURRICANE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THERE WAS A BURNING ORDER COMING FROM THE TRANSFER SWITCH. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CASE WAS OVERHEATED AND THERE WERE BURN MARKS AROUND THE SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSFER SWITCH FAILED AND THE OVERHEATING WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO DAMAGE THE SHORE CORD AND CAUSED WIRES TO MELT. THE TRANSFER SWITCH WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, NONE OF THE DAMAGED PARTS WERE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V516000( ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,032. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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

THIS IS A SUPER C CLASS 32B MOTOR HOME. THE COACH IS MOUNTED ON A GMC 5500 TRUCK CHASSIS. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY A PROFESSIONAL RV TECHNICIAN THAT ALL OF THE COACH UNDER-FLOORING METAL BRACKETS AND/OR DEVICES CONNECTING THE COACH TO THE TRUCK CHASSIS ARE EITHER BENT, TWISTED OR BROKEN, WHICH CREATES AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH SHOULD THE COACH SEPARATE FROM THE TRUCK CHASSIS WHILE IN MOTION. OF THE TOTAL MILEAGE DRIVEN, APPROXIMATELY 99% WAS ON HARD TOP ROADS. THE OTHER 1% WAS ON GRAVEL OR TYPICAL CAMP GROUND ROADS. THE RV TECHNICIAN/REPAIRMAN STATES THAT THIS DEFECT IS DUE TO MANUFACTURING AND/OR DESIGN DEFECTS. HE STATES THAT NEITHER HE NOR HIS LEAD TECHNICIAN HAVE EVER SEEN A FAILURE SUCH AS THIS. PICTURES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. IN LAST TWO WEEKS NEITHER HE NOR I HAVE RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM FOUR WINDS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FOUR WINDS HURRICANE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIR COMPRESSOR WAS FAULTY AND COULD CAUSE THE POWER STEERING TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOUR WINDS HURRICANE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP, THE VEHICLE STALLED. A PRIVATE MECHANIC WAS SENT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRE FOR THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 43,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,389.

THE FORD V-10 ENGINE ON MY 2006 CLASS C MOTOR HOME HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITH NO WARNING WHILE TRAVELING ON A FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS ON 06/20/2014. I LOST ALL POWER INCLUDING BRAKES AND STEERING. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO COAST TO A STOP WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES WAS ABLE TO START THE ENGINE AND CONTINUE MY TRIP. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND HAVE READ ABOUT OTHER RV OWNERS, WITH THE SAME ENGINE, HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. *TR

1ST TIRE STARTED VIBRATING AND THEN BLEW OUT. WAS GOING 60 MPH ON SMOOTH HIGHWAY OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS ABOUT 60 DEGREES. NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES JUST TORE THE MUDFLAP OFF AND CRUSHED THE EXHAUST. ALL THE OTHER TIRES I CAUGHT AS SOON AS THEY STARTED VIBRATING AND GOT THEM OFF THE VEHICLE BEFORE THEY BLEW OUT. NONE OF THE TIRES WERE EVER RAN OVER 65 MPH. OUT OF 8 TOTAL TIRES PURCHASED 2 ARE STILL ON VEHICLE. 6 OF THESE TIRES HAVE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. BF GOODRICH SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL OF THE SIZES IN THESE TIRES AND NOT LEFT DANGEROUS TIRES ON VEHICLES. 2 OF THE TIRES THAT SEPARATED WERE ON THE STEERING AND COULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO WRECK IF THEY HAD BLOWN OUT. *JS