SPARTAN Complaints

This vehicle is subject to recall 24V-052. I got a notice in March from Spartan RV Chassis about repair of a steering issue that causes the loss of power steering assist after close quarters maneuvering. This problem appeared after we got the notice and is worsening. Because this is a 25 ton RV, the loss of power steering makes controlling the vehicle in turns and curves much more difficult. The dealer says Spartan has not made repair parts available to it, despite the urgency conveyed in the recall notice.

The contact owns a 2024 Entegra Cornerstone 45D built on a 2024 Spartan RV K3 Chassis. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V161000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2020 Spartan K2. The contact stated that while attempting to fuel the RV from the driver side of the RV, the fuel pump would frequently stop while pumping. The contact also stated that the water heater failed to operate as needed. The RV had been taken to several RV dealers to be inspected; however, there were no defects found. The contact reached out to the chassis manufacturer, the RV manufacturer, and the water heater manufacturer but received no assistance. The RV was not repaired. The failure mileage was 28,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Spartan K2. The contact stated that while the RV was hauling another vehicle, the TPMS was inoperable. The contact was unable to view the tire pressure of the hauled vehicle. The tire alert messages were displayed. Additionally, the TPMS intermittently displayed while the RV was at a complete stop. The RV was taken to the dealer, where the tow transmitter and coach antennas were installed; however, the failure recurred. The RV was taken to a second dealer, Statkus Engines (1917 7th St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102), where the second coach antennas were installed, and the dealer notified the manufacturer of the failure. The failure recurred, and the RV was then taken to National Indoor RV Centers | NIRVC (498 State Hwy 121, Lewisville, TX 75057) who inspected the RV and informed the contact that there was no repair for the failure. The RV was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was related to radio frequency interference. The RV manufacturer referred the contact to the chassis manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Spartan K2. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the instrument panel started to flicker. The contact stated that the low voltage battery warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure also occurred whenever the vehicle was started. The contact stated that the electrical failure had become a recurring failure. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the controller used to charge the vehicle was defective. The contact stated that the battery had overcharged and melted the battery terminals. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Spartan Motors Chassis K2. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH the contact noticed the air pressure warning light was illuminated. The motorhome was taken to the dealer where the dual air pressure was replaced. On another occasion, the contact noticed that a part had detached off the chassis and damaged the tire. The motorhome was taken to the dealer and the bolts on the chassis were retorqued, but the failure reoccurred. The motorhome was taken back to the dealer who stated that the bolts on the chassis needed to be retorqued. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the bolts needed to be retorqued yearly. The failure mileage was 19,000.

There are two problems with this vehicle. 1) Power steering fails randomly. The failure is in the steering column. The failure can happen at any speed. When the failure occurs the vehicle will suddenly lose power steering causing the loss of full control of the steering. Unable to use the power steering in a GVW 64,000 pounds can make it difficult to control the vehicle. The only way to regain the power steering is to pull the vehicle into a safe place and restart the engine. There are no warning lights or audible indicators. This problem was replicated by a service center but no solutions were found. The problem has been reported to Spartan. The vehicle is available for inspection. 2) Unexpected curse control shutting off. This problem occurs without warning and for no apparent reason. The vehicle will suddenly slow down without notice. The potential for causing an accident is high when using cruise control. There are no warning lights or audible indicators. This problem has been reported to the service center for the dealership. They were unable to identify a solution. The vehicle is available for inspection. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

The contact owns a 1999 Spartan Chassis Mountain Master. The contact stated that while reversing to a parallel park next to a curb, he heard an abnormally loud sound coming from underneath the driver’s side seat. The contact stated that while driving the next day and attempting to make a right turn, the steering wheel was steered all the way to the right however, the vehicle failed to respond. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side front wheel remained straight forward while the passenger's side front wheel turned. The contact attempted to tow the vehicle for a repair; however, the towing technician informed him that the first lateral support beam had detached from the front driver's side frame, and towing the RV would further damage the front suspension. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V174000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The Spartan and Fleetwood manufacturers were notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Spartan K2. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the buzzer alarm engaged, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensors had failed. The contact was able to drive to a nearby independent mechanic and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Spartan K2. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, one of the three warning lights: SPN#3364, SPN#3031, or SPN#1761, would illuminate on the instrument panel. Once either of the warning codes illuminated, the contact had to take the motorhome to a service station within an hour for immediate repair. The contact took the vehicle to an independent service station where they informed him that the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that there was a shortage of parts to repair his vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and he was placed on a list for when the parts were made available. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the service center. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.