ITASCA Complaints

SINCE DRIVEN OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR, ITASCA HORIZON MOTORHOME'S WIPERS HAVE WORKED TWICE (15 SECONDS EACH TIME). WERE INOPERATIVE UPON PICKUP. FIRST REPAIR ALLOWED TWO SHORT USES, SECOND REPAIR BY THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED FREIGHTLINER DEALER WAS TO NO AVAIL.*AK

ON 2001 ITASCE SPIRIT 31T MOTOR HOME ON A FORD 450 CHASSIS I EXPERIENCED A BELT/TREAD FAILURE OF A FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S LT225/75R16 TIRE ON THE INNER DRIVERS SIDE REAR DUAL WHEEL POSITION. THERE WAS A LOUD RUMBLE WHICH I AT FIRST THOUGHT WAS CAUSED BY PAVEMENT ROUGHNESS. I SLOWED DOWN FROM APPROX. 60 MPH AT WHICH TIME THE TREAD LET GO WITH A LOUD NOISE. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AS THE OUTER DUAL TIRE HELD. UPON INSPECTION THE INNER HALF OF THE TREAD HAD LET GO, CAUGHT THE 1/16" METAL PLATE HOLDING THE MUD FLAP WHICH IT BENT UP OVER THE TIRES PREVENTING SECONDARY DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL OF MY MOTOR HOME. I TRIED CONTACTING FIRESTONE AND WAS SENT ON A WILD GOOSE CHASE TO END UP ON A VOICE MAIL AT THE DAYTON ENGINEERING CENTER. I AM REPLACING ALL 7 OF THE TIRES ON MY MOTOR HOME WITH NON FIRESTONE TIRES. THE RISK OF INJURY TO MY MOTOR HOME OR THE POSSIBLE DEATH OF MY WIFE AND I OR OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WHO FREQUENTLY USE IT FAR OUTWEIGHTS THE COST OF NEW TIRES. REASEARCHING THE NHTSA WEB SITE I FIND THERE HAVE BEEN 216 COMPLAINTS PRIOR TO MINE AND THAT THERE ARE TWO (2) OPEN ODI'S, DP04-004 AND 005. I AM AT PRESENT CONTACTING LISTONI AND LISTONI OF PASADENA CA WHO PETITIONED FOR THESE ACTIONS AND PLAN TO WRITE LETTERS TO ALL OF THE RV OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS ASKING THEM TO MAKE THEIR MEMBERS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF THE STEELTEX R4S TIRES. I BELIEVE THAT WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEATHS RESULTING FROM FAILURES OF THESE TIRES THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED AS WERE THE OTHER FIRESTONE TIRES FROM THE SAME ERA. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE CONSUMER HEARD AN EXPLOSION. AFTER PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT, THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE INSIDE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT AT THE SIDE WALL. ALSO ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE OUTSIDE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOW OUT AT THE SIDE WALL. *LA THE PROBLEMS WERE AS FOLLOWED: FRAYED VALVE STEM EXTENDER, GAUGES WERE INOPERATIVE AND THE STORAGE LOCK WAS INOPERATIVE. TWO DAYS AFTER THE CONSUMER PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FROM REPAIR AND WITHIN TWO MILES, THE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT AND ANOTHER TIRE HAD A BULDGE. ONE HUNDRED AND TEN MILES LATER, ANOTHER TIRE BLEW, FOURS HOURS LATER IT WAS REPLACED AND AFTER STOPPING FOR GAS, ANOTHER TIRE WAS REPAIRED DUE TO A FLAT. THREE TIRES WERE REPLACED AND THERE TWO FLAT TIRES WITH NO SIGN OF CAUSE. *SC *JB

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE FAILING TO START. *MR THE VEHICLE DIED WHILE IDLING AND ON ONE OCCASION, WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE REMAINED INOPERATIVE. THE SERVICE DEALER REPAIRED THE GENERATOR FUEL LINE AND REPAIRED A CONNECTOR THAT PREVENTED THE FUEL PUMP FROM GETTING THE NECESSARY ELECTRIC CURRENT. THE CONSUMER WOULD ALSO SMELL FUEL WHICH OCCURRED RECENTLY. *SC

SEAL TO OUTER SKIN OF ROOF MALFUNCTIONS CREATING LEAKS BUT ALSO SAFETY HAZARD. MANUFACTURER HAS REPLACED SEAL ONCE BUT HAS MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN. *AK

A JELLY LIKE SUBSTANCE IN MY BRAKE SYSTEM. WORKHORSE AT FIRST SAID TO HAVE THE DEALER FLUSH THE SYSTEM AND REPLACE THE BRAKE FLUID, THEN THEY BACK OFF AND SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG?*AK

BOUGHT A NEW 2000 CLASS C MOTOR HOME WITH FIRESTONE LT225/75R16E TIRES ON IT. WITH LESS THAN 10000 MILES AND TWO YEARS OLD THE LEFT OUTSIDE TIRE OF MY DUAL TIRES SIDEWALL HAD A BLOW OUT. I PURCHASED THE EXACT SAME TIRE AT A NEAR BY DEALER AND HAVE HAD MY MOTOR HOME SITTING FOR THE LAST 4 MONTHS AND THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES EVEN WITH NO USE ARE BEGINNING TO BULGE AND DISTORT IN COLOR. I AM AFRAID TO EVEN DRIVE IT NOW AND THE ONE TIRE IS NOW LESS THAN A YEAR OLD WITH LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON IT AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE OTHER TIRES I HAVE THAT ARE ALMOST 4 YEARS OLD NOW. *AK

THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DUAL TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SIDE WALL RIPPED OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM *MR

THE AUTO PARK SYSTEM LOCKS UP AND STOPS THE CAR ABRUPTLY WHILE IN MOTION. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE VEHICLE IS A 34' ITASCA CLASS A. 1995. IT IS ON A CHEVROLET P30 CHASSIS MODEL #CP32032. WE HAVE WRITTEN TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC CASETY ADM. AS WELL AS GENERAL MOTORS ABOUT THIS. THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO VERY DETAILED LETTERS ABOUT THIS. WE KNOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS.

THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM THAT RAN THE LEVELING JACKS AND ROOM SLIDE OUTS . TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS LEAKING FLUID FROM THE HOSE , THE HYDRAULIC HOSE WAS TOO CLOSE TO MOTOR, WHICH WAS IN THE REAR OF THE MOTOR HOME. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM NEEDED A HEAT SHIELD, BUT WINNEBAGO SAID THEY KNEW NOTHING OF THE RV NEEDING A HEAT SHIELD. IT WAS A MISROUTED HOSE THAT NEEDED TO BE REROUTED. ALSO, A HEAT SHIELD WAS NEEDED. THIS WAS OMITTED AND NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. *AK *JB *NLM