WINNEBAGO Complaints

THE ENTRY DOOR LOCK IS FAULTY TO THE POINT THAT WE HAVE BEEN "LOCKED OUT" OF OUR RIG OVER 20 TIMES DURING OUR PAST TRIP! WE ASK SUNCOAST OF OCALA TO FIX IT BEFORE WE TRAVELED IN DEC. OF 04 BUT FOUND THAT IT WASN'T FIXED WHEN WE TOOK A MONTH LONG TRIP THIS PAST SEPTEMBER. WE HAVE CONTACTED WINNEBAGO AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT OUR LOCK WAS NOT ON ANY RECALL LIST SO THEY CAN DO NOTHING. THEY DID HAVE ENTRY DOOR LOCKS RECALLED AND WE ASSUME THAT OURS MUST BE A PART OF THAT AS THERE ARE NO PARTS AVAILABLE FOR THIS MODEL ANY LONGER AND TO FIX IT A NEW LOCK HAS GOT TO PURCHASED FROM WINNEBAGO. WE PURCHASED OUR WINNEBAGO BRAVE NEW IN OCTOBER OF 03 AND HAD NOT USED IT MUCH BEFORE OUR RECENT TRIP. PLEASE HELP US TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM WITH WINNEBAGO. WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT OUR SMALL GRANDCHILDREN WERE NOT INSIDE WHEN WE WERE UNABLE TO REENTER THE RIG! I ENTERED SEP 4, 2005 BECAUSE THAT WAS THE DAY OF OUR DEPARTURE. THE INCIDENTS WERE ON GOING THE ENTIRE MONTH LONG TRIP. THANK YOU, DOTTIE AND LARRY RYHERD. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE IN THE ENGINE. THE MOTOR HOME LOST POWER AND THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE ENGINE. HE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH FORD, AND A REPAIR STRATEGY HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED AT THIS TIME. THE DEALER OFFERED THE OPTION OF REPLACING THE CYLINDER HEAD AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. HOWEVER, THE DEALER COULD NOT GUARANTEE REPLACEMENT OF THE CYLINDER WILL REPAIR THE PROBLEM.*AK

WE HAVE A 2000 WINNEBAGO BRAVE, P32 CHASSIS. IN JULY WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM WORKHORSE TELLING US TO HAVE OUR AUTO PARK SYSTEM CHECKED. SINCE WE WERE PLANNING A LONG OUT OF STATE TRIP IN AUGUST WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE SYSTEM CHECKED OUT BEFORE OUR TRIP. OUR COACH HAS 26,000 MILES AND WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS. WE THOUGHT THIS LETTER WAS A RECALL LETTER. ON THE WAY TO THE WORKHORSE SERVICE CENTER, AND ABOUT 35 MILES AWAY FROM OUR HOME, ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM THE TOLL GATE, WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM ABOUT 60 MPH, THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE POP AND THEN A SLIGHT SCRUBBING NOISE FROM UNDER THE COACH, WENT THROUGH THE TOLL GATE AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD. JUST BEFORE I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE MOTOR HOME STARTING FILLING UP WITH SMOKE. I SHUT EVERYTHING OFF, AND GOT OUT OF THE COACH AND I COULD SEE FIRE UNDER THE COACH AT THE PARKING BRAKE DRUM. THE AUTO PARK SYSTEM HAD FOR NO REASON SUDDENLY ENGAGED, OVERHEATED AND CAUGHT FIRE. FLAMES UNDERNEATH THE MOTOR HOME WERE FINALLY PUT OUT, AND THEN THE INSIDE AGAIN FILLED WITH SMOKE. THIS TIME IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CARPET IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT ABOVE THE BRAKE DRUM WAS ON FIRE. THIS FIRE WAS PUT OUT AS WELL. AT THE SERVICE CENTER THE WORKHORSE REPAIR TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THEY HAD DEALT WITH THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES BEFORE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE COMPLETE SYSTEM, NOT JUST THE BROKEN PARTS, BE CHANGED. THIS WAS BECAUSE PAST EXPERIENCE OF REPAIRING OF ONLY BROKEN PARTS DID NOT WORK. AFTER A VERY LONG WAIT FOR PARTS, LOSS OF USE FOR MORE THAN 2 MONTHS, THE COACH HAS NOW BEEN REPAIRED AND IS WAITING FOR US TO PICK IT UP. THE PROBLEM IS THAT REPEATED CONVERSATIONS WITH WORKHORSE HAVE FAILED TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY SATISFACTION. WE HAVE A REPAIR BILL OF OVER $4300.00 WITH THE PARTS PORTION BEING OVER $2100.00. WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS PROBLEM AND BELIEVE IT JUSTIFIES A NATIONWIDE RECALL, NOT JUST AN "INFO" LETTER. HAD WE BEEN TRAVELING ON THE ROAD OUR FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED BY THE FIRE. *NM

DT: 2005 WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER 29. THE PROPANE GAS LINE FOR THE STOVE IS COLLAPSING EACH TIME THE SLIDE OUT IS BROUGHT IN. THE PROPANE GAS LINE HAS A POTENTIAL OF FRACTURING AFTER REPEATED COLLAPSING, ALLOWING THE PROPANE GAS TO ESCAPE AND SET THE MOTOR HOME ON FIRE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY URGED HIM TO CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY WOULD SEND OUT AN INSPECTOR. THE CONSUMER CANNOT USE MOTOR HOME BECAUSE IT IS A POTENTIAL FIRE TRAP. THE COLLAPSING HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE SLIDE OUT COMES IN EACH TIME THE CONSUMER CAMPS. PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON JANUARY 29, 2005. IT IS THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE THAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 WINNEBAGO BRAVE THAT IS ON A WORK HORSE CHASSIS. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS HE STOPPED AT A REST AREA ABOUT 110 MILES FROM HIS HOME. WHEN HE TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT START AND NOTHING WOULD OPERATE. THERE WAS NO POWER GOING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH TO START THE ENGINE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR SOUNDS NOR WAS THERE POWER TO THE DASHBOARD INSTRUMENTS. AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION A MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE CONNECTORS TO THE SWITCH HAD MELTED. UPON TRYING TO LOCATE AN IGNITION SWITCH THE MECHANIC CONTACTED THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A KIT AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. THE CONTACT HAS TRIED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER, BUT NO ONE HAS RETURNED HIS CALLS. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE DASHBOARD OF MOTOR HOME. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE CABLE HARNESS. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. MANUFACTURER TOOK INFORMATION AND OFFERED NO HELP AT THEIR EXPENSE. *AK

DAD: THE CONSUMER OWNS 2004 FORD CHASSIS. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE THREE FLATS ON VEHICLE OVER THE PERIOD OF ONE YEAR. THE CONSUMER HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE STEMS USED WERE MADE OF RUBBER. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE TIRES FOR THIS TYPE OF MOTOR HOME SHOULD HAVE THE METAL VALVE STEMS BECAUSE THE RUBBER VALVE STEMS WERE NOT RECOMMENDED. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED THE FORD MANUFACTURER. HE HAS CONTACTED MICHELIN AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TIRE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE THEY DID NOT INSTALL THE VALVE STEMS ON THE TIRES.*AK *JB

DT: CALLER SAID THE PASSENGER REAR BRAKE WAS DRAGGING. RECALL 04V084000 WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO GET THE BRAKES CHECKED, AND THEY FIXED THE ONE THAT WAS DRAGGING. IN JULY HAD REPLACEMENT WORK DONE ON THE OTHER ONES, BUT THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE ROTORS. CURRENTLY, HE WAS TOLD TO BRING MOTOR HOME FOR SAME RECALL. MANUFACTURER KEPT SAYING BRING IT IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT IT. DEALER SAID THE CALIPERS WERE GETTING HOT, AND THEY REPLACED THEM, AND NEW BRAKE PADS WERE ADDED. CALLER SAID IT WAS REAL SLOW TO STOP. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME CONTACT HAD TO BRING VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR THIS RECALL REPAIRS. *AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *JB

FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT MY 2003 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER TO AN AUTHORIZED WORKHORSE SERVICE CENTER BECAUSE THE DASHBOARD AIR CONDITIONING WASN'T COOLING. EACH TIME THE REFRIGERANT WAS GONE, THEY SAID NO LEAKS COULD BE FOUND AND THEY JUST RECHARGED THE SYSTEM. THEY SAID THE "O" RINGS MIGHT BE DRYING UP OVER WINTER AND THEN THE REFRIGERANT IS LOST. I HAVE CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS BECAUSE MUCH OF THE AIR CONDITIONING IS MOUNTED ON THEIR ENGINE. THEY TOLD ME IN A PHONE CONVERSATION THAT WORKHORSE HAS TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. I THEN E-MAILED WORKHORSE WITH MY PROBLEM. THIS IS THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED FROM THEM: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR EMAIL AND FOR CONTACTING WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS. WORKHORSE SUPPLIES THE CONDENSER, COMPRESSOR AND DRYER, WINNEBAGO SUPPLIES THE REST OF THE A/C. YOU MIGHT ALSO TRY CONTACTING WINNEBAGO. FOR OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GROUP (WORKHORSE), PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL 877 246. NEXT I CONTACTED WINNEBAGO, AFTER ALL, IT IS THEIR NAME ON THE SIDE OF THE MOTOR HOME. MY RESPONSE FROM THEM WAS THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT WORKHORSE. *NM

2005 WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER MODEL 29R SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT FOR THE SEAT BELT, WHICH COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE CONSUMER IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT. *JB THE CONSUMERS WIFE WAS FORCED TO WRAP THE SHOULDER BELT AROUND THE ARM REST MAKING THE SEAT BELT USELESS.