WINNEBAGO Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ONE FIRESTONE STEEL BELTED RADIAL TIRES (SIZE LT225/75R16 M/S) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION ON THE INBOARD ROADSIDE DUAL WHEEL OF CONSUMER'S RV. NLM

FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL ON THE NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR BY CHANCE ON A WEBSITE CATERING TO RV'RS, THEN CHECKED NORCOLD'S WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. NOTED THEY HAD ALSO NOTIFIED NHTSA ABOUT THE RECALL. THE PROBLEM IS A POTENTIAL LEAK/FIRE HAZARD WHILE RUNNING THE REFRIG ON AC POWER. THE RECALL SPECIFIES THAT THE SERVICE CENTER CHECK FOR LEAKING COOLING UNIT AND IF OK, THEN ONLY REPLACE THE AC HEATING ELEMENT. OURS WAS REPLACED ON 5 SEP. HOWEVER, ON 22 SEP THE REFRIG STARTED SMELLING AND FILLING THE INTERIOR OF THE MOTORHOME WITH AMMONIA FUMES, SO IT WAS SHUT OFF. THE COOLING UNIT HAD STARTED LEAKING. NOW NORCOLD TREATS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COOLING UNIT AS A WARRANTY ISSUE, AND NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL. TALKING TO THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS INDICATES THEY ARE EXPERIENCING MORE COOLING UNIT FAILURES, EVEN AFTER THE AC HEATING ELEMENT HAS BEEN REPLACED. I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE HEATING ELEMENT AND SUSPECT COOLING UNIT TOGETHER UNDER THE RECALL. IT APPEARS THERE MAY BE NUMEROUS REFRIGERATORS ON THE ROAD THAT HAVE HAD THE AC HEATING ELEMENT REPLACED, BUT WHOSE COOLING UNITS ARE STILL PRONE TO LEAKING AND POSE A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE WRITTEN NORCOLD AN EMAIL ON THIS SAME ISSUE.

FIRST LETTER OF DOT CODE OBLITERATED 5 0F 7 ORIGINAL TIRES SUFFERED TREAD SEPARATION( DOT NUMBER: (?) KEM TIRE SIZE: LT235R16 )

STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP, WHEN BRAKE WERE APPLIED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FUTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ON A FORD CHASSIS, V10 TRITON ENGINE; IN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAIN STORM, AIR FILTER GETS SATURATED WITH RAIN WHICH CAUSES FILTER TO GET CLOGGED UP, AND VEHICLE WILL STALL UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAS NO SOLUTION OTHER THAN DON'T DRIVE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN.*AK THE PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES BECAUSE PARTS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE. *YH

PLEASE NOTE THE WINNEBAGO MOTORHOME IS ON A 1999 FORD SUPER DUTY F CHASSIS WITH A 6.8L V-10 ENGINE. IN A MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN THE AIR FILTER BECOMES SATURATED WITH WATER CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN ROUGH OR STALL. I HAVE HAD THE ENGINE STALL ON A BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY GOING 60 MPH. ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASSIONS, I HAVE HAD THE ENGINE START TO RUN ROUGH AND CUT OUT BUT WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE IT STALLED. FORD ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM TO ME IN THE FALL OF 1998 AND SAID A FIX WOULD BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE END OF 1998. AS OF SEPT, 2000, NO FIX IS AVAILABLE. IN REVIEWING VARIOUS MOTORHOME MAGAZINES, BASED ON READERS COMMENTS, THE PROBLEM IS WIDE SPREAD. I EVEN HAD A FORD TECHNICAL REP TELL ME IF HE OWNED A MOTORHOME WITH THE PROBLEM, HE WOULDN'T DRIVE IT IN A HEAVY RAIN.

FIRESTONE TIRES P225 75 R16 EXPERIENCED CUPPING, TREAD SEPARATION, AND ONE TIRE WOULD NOT HOLD AIR, CONSUMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1996 WINNIEBAGO MINNI WINNI; HAS A FORD E350 SUPER DUTY CHASSIS. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, FELT A VIBRATION RIGHT REAR INSIDE TIRE, PULLED OVER, AND TIRE WAS BLEWOUT, AND ALL THE RUBBER WAS OFF. SECOND TIME ON 19 AUG 2000, WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH, LEFT REAR OUTSIDE TIRE THREW ALL TREAD OFF. *AK THE FAILED TIRES WERE FIRESTONE STEEL TEX RADIAL. WHEN THE TIRE BLEW OUT, THE TREAD CAME OFF COMPLETELY. THE CUSTOMER REPLACED ALL FIRESTONE TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND. *YH

WHILE DRIVING, LEFT REAR INSIDE TIRE BLEWOUT. CONSUMER HAD HEARD A NOISE WHICH KEPT GETTING LOUDER, TOOK TO SERVICE STATION & MECHANIC NOTICED TIRE HAD NO TREAD. ALL TIRES WERE REPLACED EXCEPT SPARE TIRE. ALSO, OIL WAS LEAKING FROM GENERATOR. THIS WAS DUE TO SHIMS NOT BEING INSTALLED & IT NEEDED HAVE SHIMS. TIRE: FIRESTONE STEEL TEX R43, SIZE LT 225/75R16. *AK *SLC

AFTER MARKET TIRE LT33/X12/50R16.5 SIZE. BOTH FRONT TIRES DEVELOPED BUBBLES. REPLACEMENT TIRE DEVELOPED BUBBLES, AND THE TREAD SEPERATED. *AK THE SECOND SET FAILED AGAIN. BOTH FRONT TIRES DEVELOPED LARGE BUBBLES ON INSIDE WALLS. *YH