SPARTAN Complaints

VEHICLE IS IN MOTION (DOES NOT OCCUR FROM A STANDING START); AFTER SLOWING DOWN AND THEN UPON DEPRESSING THROTTLE IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE, THE TRUCK BEGINS A SEVERE HOPPING/JERKING MOTION. SPEED AT WHICH HOPPING/JERKING MOTION OCCURS IS NEAR 35 MILES PER HOUR. INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH AT LEAST EIGHT DIFFERENT DRIVERS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS SOMETIMES ON LEVEL GROUND AND SOMETIMES ON GRADES. HAVE CONTACTED MANUFACTURER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE RESULT WAS ONLY THAT DRIVERS REQUIRED ADDITIONAL TRAINING TO PREVENT TOE HOPPING. SEVERAL OF THE DRIVERS HAVE DRIVEN SIMILAR SIZE AND WEIGHT TRUCKS FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

JULY 2007 WE PURCHASED A NEW REXHALL ROSEAIR RV FROM THEIR DEALER. THIS RV WAS COMING OFF THE MANUFACTURE LINE. WE WERE NOT ADVISED THAT REXHALL WAS USING SEVEN YEAR CHASSIS THAT HAD BEEN OUT IN THE CALIF. DESERT UNPROTECTED. AFTER RECEIPT OF THE RV WE FOUND OUT THAT THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS WAS CRACKED, BRITTLE AND COPPER ON COPPER. WE CAME VERY CLOSE TO HAVING A FIRE IN THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT BILL REX, CEO OF REXHALL PUT APPROXIMATELY 5-10 RV'S SIMILAR TO THIS OUT ON THE ROAD AS NEW. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE STARTER, ALTERNATOR, THE CHASSIS A/C, THE AIR BAG SENSOR, TIRES, AND THE POWER STEERING HOSE. WHEN THE AIR BAG SENSOR BLEW I BEGAN HAVING STEERING PROBLEMS ON HWY 101, IN WHICH CAME CLOSE TO LOSING TOTAL CONTROL. THIS RV IS AND WAS A MAJOR HIGHWAY SAFETY PROBLEM. I SPENT $178,000 FOR THIS RV AND WHEN I FILED A CALIF. LEMON LAWSUIT AGAINST REXHALL THEY CONVENIENTLY FILED A CHAPTER 11 BK. BILL REX WILL NOT TAKE THIS RV BACK AND RETURN MY MONEY, THE ONLY THING HE DID WAS REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS. THE TIRES WERE CRACKED FROM THE YEARS IN THE DESERT AND OVER ALL I HAVE SPENT $1200 FOR TWO NEW TIRES AND MY EXTENDED WARRANTY AND VEHICLE INSURANCE HAS COVERED MORE THAN $45,000. REXHALL RV MANUFACTURING NEEDS TO BE SHUTDOWN AND SEVERELY FINED FOR PLACING THE WELFARE OF THE US PUBLIC AT RISK. UPDATED 08/15/11 *BF UPDATED 09/27/11 *BF *TR UPDATED 2/21/12 *CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 SPARTAN EC 2000 CHASSIS ON A 1994 WINNEBAGO VECTRA MOTOR HOME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE DISASSEMBLED. HE STATED THAT THE CALIPER SLIDES ARE CLEANED OF RUST AND DIRT AND LIGHTLY GREASED AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS; HOWEVER, THEY BECOME STUCK. AS A RESULT, EXTREME OVERHEATING OCCURS AND DESTROYS THE ROTORS, CYLINDERS, BRAKE FLUID, AND MASTER CYLINDER. THE FAILURE LEADS TO BRAKE FAILURE AND COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. HE CALLED SPARTAN MOTORS AND ASKED THEM TO INFORM OTHER CONSUMERS ABOUT THE ISSUE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V110000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) WAS REFERENCED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. CONSUMER REQUEST TO CANCEL SAFETY COMPLAINT 6/24/09. *NJ UPDATED 06/30/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SPARTAN ALLEGRO BUS (NA). AFTER DRIVING 58 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE WHEEL HUBCAP WAS MISSING. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT HE USE SILICONE TO HOLD THE HUBCAP IN PLACE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,200. UPDATED 10/03/08 *BF THE CENTER HUB CAP FROM THE AXLE CAME OFF. UPDATED 10/15/08. *JB

THERE HAVE BEEN TWO SPARTAN K2 RECALLS ON STEERING RELATED ISSUES ON 2005 UNITS.05V283000 AND 07V300000 THESE ARE DEFECTS IN STEERING LINKAGE AND SPACERS THAT CAN CAUSE STEERING FAILURE. I AM TOLD BY SPARTAN THAT MY K2 IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALLS. HOWEVER, MY UNIT HAS HAD A STEERING DEFECT SINCE DAY ONE. WHEN MAKING TURNS THERE IS OFTEN A LOUD BANG SOUNDS LIKE A BALL JOINT IS BAD. THEY FIRST TOLD ME IT WAS THE TIE ROD U BOLTS ON UPSIDE DOWN. CORRECTING DID NOT STOP THE LOUD BANG. THEY THEN TOLD ME IT WAS THE IFS AND THEY REPLACED A BELL CRANK ASSEMBLY IN IT. THE NOISE CONTINUED AND HAS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED AND OCCURS MORE OFTEN AND IN LESS TURNING RADIUS. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE IS BUT THEY ARE SURE IT IS 100% SAFE SINCE IT HAS NOT YET CAUSED A CRASH OR INJURY TO ME OR OTHERS. THEY REFUSE TO MAKE ANY EFFORT TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SOUND. I BELIEVE IT IS UNSAFE AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. I BELIEVE THERE IS METAL FATIGUE OCCURRING WITH EACH LOUD POP AND THAT EVENTUALLY THE STEERING WILL FAIL AND CONTROL OF A ALMOST 50,000 LB COACH WILL BE LOST. YOU CAN EXPERIENCE A DEMO OF THIS DEFECT BY GOING TO THIS LINK TO A VIDEO POSTED ON GOOGLE. HTTP://VIDEO.GOOGLE.COM/VIDEOPLAY?DOCID=-8114109860308362131&HL=EN. *TR

VEHICLE: 2005 TRAVEL SUPREME ENVOY MODEL 38DS04 CLASS A MOTOR HOME WITH SPARTAN CHASSIS. DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE DRIVELINE DUE TO DEFECTIVE /MISTAKEN REVERSED ASSEMBLY CAUSING SEVERE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AND POTENTIAL DROP OUT ON ROAD CAUSING UNDUE WEAR TO ALL DRIVELINE COMPONENTS AND DAMAGE DUE TO STRIKING BOLTS IN CHASSIS, AS WELL AS EXTREME DISCOMFORT DURING DRIVING AT LESS THAN NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS. UNIT HAD NUMEROUS OTHER SERIOUS ASSEMBLY DEFECTS. HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE INSTALLED WRONG CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO FAIL TO ILLUMINATE ROAD SURFACES AT NIGHT AT ANY SAFE OR ACCEPTABLE DISTANCE, NOT ADJUSTABLE. WINDSHIELD WASHERS WERE CLOGGED AT SPRAYER TUBE JOINTS WITH DRIED SEALANT PREVENTING WINDSHIELDS FROM BEING WASHED AND OBSTRUCTING VISIBILITY TO DRIVER. DEALER WOULD NOT FIX WITHOUT MY HANDS-ON HELP ON-SITE TO REPAIR. AIR PRESSURE SYSTEM FOR FRONT BRAKES WAS FAILING INTERMITTENTLY WITH AIR SHUTTING DOWN AND ERRORS AFFECTING BRAKING FUNCTION AND SAFETY, SETTING OFF WARNINGS. EXHAUST WOULD ENTER REAR OF VEHICLE WHICH EMITTED BURNING RUBBER AROMAS WHEN USED. FULL REPORTS INCLUDE ABOUT 14 PAGES WITH MUCH MORE DATA REGARDING SIGNIFICANT AND SERIOUS VEHICLE SAFETY PROBLEMS, CONTACT ME FOR MORE DETAILS. FRONT DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH, AND STEP WOULD NOT RETRACT WHEN IN TRAVEL. *TR

DURING DRIVING, PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD POPPED LOOSE AT AREA OF UPPER CORNER, EVENTUALLY CRACKING. MANUFACTURER OF MOTOR HOME HAD IT PICKED UP AND RETURNED TO THE FACTORY. THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLACED TOTAL FRONT CAP, KEPT IT OVER 4 MONTHS, HAD IT RETURNED, IMMEDIATELY UPON RETURN, BEFORE, I COULD TAKE ANOTHER TRIP, BOTH FRONT WINDSHIELDS CRACKED AND WERE POPPING OUT. HAD IT REPAIRED AT A RV DEALER THAT THEY APPROVED. TOOK ANOTHER TRIP AND WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE SETTLED AND LEFT A SLIT BETWEEN WINDSHIELD AND WINDSHIELD GASKET. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL ACTIVATED UNEXPECTEDLY AND RESULTED IN THE RPMS HOLDING STEADY. THE PROBLEM APPEARED AFTER DRIVING FOR A HALF HOUR AT 55-60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEALERS WHO WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A RECALL, NHTSA 96V201000, CONCERNING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT DISCONNECTED THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL TODAY AND ALERTED THE MANUFACTURER. UPDATED 10/17/2006 - APPLYING THE BRAKES DID NOT DEACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2005 TRAVEL SUPREME MOTORHOME, MODEL 42DS04 IN APRIL OF 2005. THE UNIT WAS PROVIDED WITH A SLEEPER SOFA WHICH SLEEPS TWO ADULTS. THE BEDROOM ALSO SLEEPS TWO ADULTS. I BELIEVE THAT THE UNIT SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH SEAT BELTS FOR A MINIMUM OF FOUR PEOPLE. WHILE RESEARCHING THE SITUATION I FOUND A RECALL, 06V002 WHICH COVERED A SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE NERVE HAD FAILED TO PROVIDE SEAT BELTS CONSISTENT WITH THE SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS OF THREE MODELS OF THEIR MOTORHOMES. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER AT TRAVEL SUPREME AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY (TRAVEL SUPREME) INSTALLED A STICKER IN THE BEDROOM THAT SPECIFIED THE SLEEPING CAPACITY OF THE MOTORHOME WAS TWO PEOPLE AND THAT RELIEVED THE MANUFACTURER FROM BEING REQUIRED TO INSTALL SEAT BELTS CONSISTENT WITH THE ACTUAL SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS. THEY WERE WILLING TO INSTALL ADDITIONAL SEATBELTS, AT A COST TO ME, WHICH I HAD THEM DO. *JB

LOOSE STEERING AND EXTREME MOVEMENT WHEN HITTING BUMPS IN THE ROAD. BRACKET THAT HOLD THE STABILIZER/SWAY BAR TO THE FRAME WAS BROKE IN HALF DUE TO ONLY TWO BOLTS HOLDING VICE FOUR BOLT REQ. THE TWO BOTTOM BOLTS WERE NEVER INSTALLED WHEN THE FRAME WAS BUILT. *LA