WINNEBAGO Complaints

RE: A&E AWNING M 8500 BY DOMETIC, PO BOX 490, ELKHART, IN 46515 ON 2000 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURE MOTOR HOME. SERIOUS DESIGN DEFECT CAUSED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE. SAME DESIGN DEFECT CAUSED A FAILURE IN APRIL 2003 ,WHICH WAS NOT AS SERIOUS AND ONLY REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AWNING FABRIC AND LOCKING MECHANISM.. ROLLER LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED. ABLE TO STOP BEFORE ANY LARGE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE. RECENT INCIDENT ON MAY 7, 2007. BEFORE LEAVING ROLLED AGAIN THE AWNING TO MAKE SURE IT WAS TIGHTLY ROLLED AND LOCKING MECHANISM WORKED. TRAVELED 840 MILES FROM PORTLAND TO STRATH MORE, CANADA. IN STRATHMORE DID NOT PUT OUT THE AWNING BUT DID INSPECT TO MAKE SURE STILL TIGHTLY ROLLED AND THE LOCKING MECHANISM ON. 80 MILES S, ROLLER LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED. IN LESS TEN 10 SECONDS AWNING UNFURLED SO RAPIDLY IT WAS BLOWN OVER THE TOP OF THE MOTORHOME, BROKE LOOSE FROM AWNING ARMS, RIPPED THE FABRIC AND FLEW INTO THE ROAD. ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD WAS THERE NOT MORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE AWNING ROLLER AS A FLYING PROJECTILE COULD HAVE SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED SOMEONE IN FOLLOWING TRAFFIC. THIS WAS A SERIOUS DESIGN DEFICIENCY WHICH CAN ALLOW A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE UNDER NORMAL HIGHWAY TRAVEL CONDITIONS. THIS FAILURE COULD VERY EASILY RESULT IN SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH AND EXTENSIVE AND COSTLY MECHANICAL DAMAGES. THE AWNING STOWING AND LOCKING MECHANISM WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO ASSURE THAT THE AWNING COULD NOT BECOME UNFURLED UNDER NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS. E-MAILED DOMETIC REQUESTING AWNING REPAIR AND LOCKING MECHANISM MODIFICATION OR REPLACEMENT. THEY REFUSED. THEIR REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT CAMPING WORLD AND OTHER RV OUTLETS SELL AWNING LOCKING MECHANISMS WHICH FIT THEIR AWNINGS AND WHICH WOULD LOCK THE AWNING SO THAT IT COULD NOT HAVE THIS CADISTROPIC FAILURE. HE SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD PURCHASE ONE IF I WANT TO PROTECT MY SELF FROM FUTURE AWNING FAILURES IN THE FUTURE. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1987 WINNEBAGO LESHARO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE ENGINE'S RPM'S INCREASED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, AND CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

2006 WINNEBAGO VIEW SUFFERED TURBO RESONATOR FAILURE ON I-75 BETWEEN KNOXVILLE, TN AND CHATTANOOGA, TN. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SINCE VEHICLE WOULD BARELY CLIMB THE HILLS, REQUIRED MANUAL DOWNSHIFT TO 1ST GEAR, TOP SPEED 45 MPH GOING DOWNHILL. SEVERE ACCIDENTS ALMOST OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. EXTREME POWER LOSS. *JB

WE PURCHASED AN RV FROM ARIZONA RV OUTLET 5 WEEKS AGO THAT HAD SOME TERRIBLE BRAKE ISSUES, THERE WAS A MINOR FIRE FROM BRAKE ISSUES. THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE VEHICLE WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB.*AK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY HAVE REFUSED TO HELP US AND EVEN FURTHER, WE PAID FOR A 4 YEAR BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY THROUGH THEM AND THEY NEVER SUBMITTED THE PAYMENT OR INFORMATION TO THE SERVICE COMPANY SO WE CAN GET ANY REPAIRS PAID FOR. WE HAD A TIRE BLOW NOT 60 MILES FROM THEIR LOT THAT BROKE A LEVELER AND THEY OFFERED NO HELP ON THAT EITHER.

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR ALARM WENT OFF IN THE 2006 WINNEBAGO OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGERS EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED IT WAS SAFE TO RETURN. THE DEALERSHIP CONDUCTED A PRESSURE TEST ON THE VEHICLE AND REPLACED THE FURNACE AND THE SEAL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THIS WAS NOT THE REASON FOR THE CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR ALARM GOING OFF. THE MANUFACTURER SENT A CARBON MONOXIDE INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED WITH A COPY OF THE INVESTIGATION RESULTS. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 2,500 MILES. *AK CONSUMER STATED WAS TREATED FOR CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING FOR SEVERAL HOURS BECAUSE SYMPTOMS CONTINUED. UPDATE 4/25/07*TR

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER WPG32V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MEDAL BRACKETS ON THE FRONT GRILL BROKE OFF, AND HE REPAIRED THEM HIMSELF DUE TO THE COST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN 2005 THE FIBERGLAS SIDING BEGAN BUBBLING, AND THE ADHESIVE WAS NOT SECURING THE SIDING AROUND WINDOWS AND JUST LIFTED IT AWAY FROM THE WINNEBAGO. THE WINNEBAGO WAS NOT EVEN TEN YEARS OLD WHEN THE METAL BRACKETS COMING APART. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GRAPHICS AND DECALS WERE FLAKING AND PEELING OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTIONED, AND WAS UNABLE TO SECURE THE WINNEBAGO. THE CONTACT COULD ONLY STABILIZE THE VEHICLE IN PARK WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF JACKS. *AK

VEHICLE ENGINE COMPUTER SENSED ERROR IN WENT INTO A LIMP HOME MODE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE UNABLE TO GO FASTER THAN 50MPH ON THE FLAT ROADS AND LESS THAN 35 MPH ON HILLS. MODE IS DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY AS COMES ON WITHOUT WARNING (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT).

WIPER WILL QUIT WORKING OR WILL BAG THE HOOD AND HAS DENTED THE MOTOR COACH. WIPERS WILL ONLY DO HALF THE WINDOW. VERY UNRELIABLE. HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE AND THE ISSUE IS STILL THERE ONLY WORSE. HAVE HEARD FROM OTHER WINNEBAGO OWNERS OF CLASS A MOTOR HOMES THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, THIS BECOMES UN SAFE IN ANY KIND OF RAIN, BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THEY WILL WORK. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT READ IN HIGHWAY RV MAGAZINE THAT REPORTS ABOUT A RECALL FOR THE DOMETIC REFRIGERATORS. THE CONTACT HAS NOT HAD A FAILURE TO DATE. THE 2002 WINNEBAGO, ADVENTURER HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR PART #9211480-43, SERIAL # 30300019. THE DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR MODEL NUMBER WAS NDR1292. THE RECALL STATED THAT A CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE BOILER TUBE WHICH MAY RELEASE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF COOLANT SOLUTION AND COULD IGNITE. *AK UPDATED 01/31/07. *JB

FRONT DRIVERS SEAT BELT WAS INOPERATIVE. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE SEAT BELT INERTIA LOCK WOULD NOT RELEASE, AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE USE OF THE BELT. HAD TO RETURN TO DEALER 3 TIMES TO HAVE THEM REPAIR, BY RELEASING THE LOCK. HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. THE RV UNIT SERIAL NO. FROM WINNEBAGO IS 10G87E283069. *JB