WINNEBAGO Complaints

SECOND FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL LT225/75R16 HAD A COMPLETE BLOW-OUT ON OUTSIDE RIGHT REAR DUAL. FIRST COMPLAINT # 10023970. THE THREAD DESTROYED SEWER COMPARTMENT. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH PLASTIC HINGE PIN SHEARED OFF, CAUSING THE THROTTLE PEDAL TO DETACH. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE INSTALLED A TEMPORARY PIN, AND THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE TEMPORARY HINGE PIN WITH A PERMANENT STEEL HINGE PIN. *AK

WILLIAM COUCH VS. WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES.*MR CONSUMER ONLY USED THE MOTORHOME FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE. THE REST OF THE TIME IT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAD OVER 30 SAFETY AND QUALITY ISSUES. CONSUMER SENT IN A CD AND PICTURES TO THE CEO; NUMEROUS EMAILS TO THE EMPLOYEES AND THE CONSUMER HAS HEARD NOTHING. CONSUMER WANTS THE MOTORHOME REPLACED PLUS REIMBURSE EXPENSES OR REFUND MONEY AND REIMBURSE EXPENSE AND TRADE IN VALUE OF ORIGINAL MOTORHOME. *PH *NLM

THE DRIVER SAID, "THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF HOT BRAKE FLUID". HE COULD HEAR THE BRAKE FLUID BOILING WHILE INSIDE OF MOTOR HOME". AS A RESULT, THE BRAKES HAD TO BE PUMPED IN ORDER TO STOP. *AK

MY MOTORHOME (1994 WINNEBAGO ELANTE) CONTAINS A P-30 CHASSIS. THE AUTOBRAKE SYSTEM IS VERY POORLY DESIGNED. THE HYDRAULIC ASSIST ACTUATOR IS POWERED BY THE POWER STEERING PUMP WHICH CONTAINS A VERY VERY SMALL RESERVOIR FOR THE PUMP. THE ACTUATOR LEAKS BADLY REQUIRING VERY FREQUENT ADDITIONS OF FLUID TO THE RESERVOIR. THE LEAK IS SO BAD THAT IT COVERS ALL SURFACES UNDER THE MOTOROME WITH FLUID WHICH I AM SURE IS A FIRE HAZARD. CHEVROLET HAS TOLD ME THAT THE ACTUATOR IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FROM GENERAL MOTORS AND THAT I SHOULD TRY TO GET A LOCAL SHOP TO REBUILD THE UNIT FOR ME. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INFORMED BY CHEVROLET THAT IF I LET THE FLUID RUN LOW ENOUGH, THE AUTOBRAKE WILL FAIL WHICH WILL ALLOW THE PARKING BRAKE TO BE APPLIED WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS OF COURSE IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THIS EVENT IF I WERE GOING SAY 60 MILES PER HOUR ? THERE HAS NOT YET BEEN A WRECK OR AN INCIDENT WHERE THERE WAS VEHICLE DAMAGE; HOWEVER, IT REQUIRES CONSTANT ATTENTION TO ADD FLUID AS SOON AS YOU HEAR THE POWER STEERING PUMP SUCKING IN AIR BUBBLES. THE RESERVOI CONTAINS ONLY ABOUT A QUART OR SO OF FLUID AND THE LEAK IS SO BAD THAT I HAVE TO ADD FLUID ABOUT EVERY 50 MILES OR SO. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A FIRE SINCE THIS FLUID IS COATING THE EXHAUST PIPES AND MUFFLER UNDER THE MOTORHOME. ALSO I AM VERY UPSET WITH GENERAL MOTORS IN THAT THEY HAVE DISCONTINUED THE MANUFACTURE OF THE ACTUATOR AND ABOVE THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN MISTAKE THAT THREATENS THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY AND POSSIBLY LIVES OF AN ON COMING VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE. *LA

CRACKS (8 FRACTURES) IN THE RIGHT REAR FRAME RAIL OF WINNEBAGO 1995 LUXURY CLASS A MOTORHOME BUILT ON AN OSHKOSH CHASSIS HAVE OCCURRED. IN LEFT UNREPAIRED, THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM WOULD HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE CHASSIS, RENDERING THE MOTORHOME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE CRACKS IN OUR MOTORHOME CHASSIS WERE DETECTED IN JUNE 2003, WHEN REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT MILEAGE 98,000. CHASSIS REPAIR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY COMPLETED BY FREIGHT LINER CUSTOM CHASSIS CORPORATION ON 9/9/03 (INVOICE 36119), GAFFNEY, SC. FRIEGHT LINER CUSTOMER SERVICE PROVIDED US WITH A COPY OF OSHKOSH CORPORATION SERVICE BULLETIN V035RT, DATED 7/15/1995, REGARDING THE PROBLEM OF A "CRACKED FRAME RAIL, CAUSED BY INPUTS FROM THE REAR AXLE LATERAL TORQUE ROD." THIS SERVICE BULLETIN PROVIDED OPPORTUNITY FOR FREE REPAIR IF OWNERS REQUESTED REPAIR WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD (3 YEARS OR 36,000 MILES FROM THE DELIVERY DATE). OSHKOSH CLAIMS TO HAVE SENT LETTERS TO ALL OWNERS OF RECORD AS OF THE DATE OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THE RISK OF A CRACKED RAIL FRAME; THEY DID NOT PUT INTO MOTION A MEANS TO SEND OUT LETTERS TO FUTURE OWNER AFTER THAT DATE. OUR MOTOR HOME (VIN [XXX]) WAS MANUFACTURED BY OSHKOSH IN FEBRUARY 1995, SHIPPED TO WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES WHO COMPLETED THE MOTORHOME CONSTRUCTION ON 5/22/1995, AND WHO THEN SHIPPED THE COMPLETED MOTORHOME TO A DISTRIBUTOR IN CALIFORNIA (SADDLEBACK RV, TUSTIN, CA). WE PURCHASED THE RV NEW ON 7/7/1997. REGARDING OUR CHASSIS FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO OWNER OF RECORD AT THE TIME OF THE ISSUANCE OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN, OSHKOSH CLAIMS THAT WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FLAWED CHASSIS ISSUE. WINNEBAGO DID NOT NOTIFY US OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN OR OF THE POTENTIAL FLAW, NOR DOES IT APPEAR THAT WINNEBAGO NOTIFIED ANY OTHER PURCHASERS OF THE 1995 LUXURY MOTORHOME PRODUCT LINE. BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR CHASSIS, IT APPEARS THAT ACTUAL CRACKS IN THE FRAME RAIL DO NOT BEGIN TO APPEAR UNTIL THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT MILEAGE ON THE CHASSIS. *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AC

MICHELIN BRAND NEW TIRES MANUFACTURED IN 2000. CONSUMER HAD A BLOW OUT AT 17,000, AND TWO MORE AT 21,000. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH DRIVER'S REAR INSIDE TIRE SPLIT 8 INCHES, CONSUMER TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL. THE SECOND BLOW OUT OF DRIVER'S REAR TIRE OCCURRED AT 65 MPH. PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR TIRE WAS THE THIRD TO BLOW OUT AT 50 MPH. *AK CONSUMER WOULD LIKE MICHELIN TO REIMBURSE HIM A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR OUT OF POCKET COST. *PH

PASSENGER FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT AT AROUND 20,000 MILES ON ODOMETER; SECOND DRIVER SIDE TIRE FOUND TO HAVE BUBBLE ON INSIDE SIDEWALL AROUND 25,000 MILES ON ODOMETER; SECOND TIRE TAKEN TO MICHELIN DEALER WHOM STATED THAT TIRE APPEARED TO BE AFFECTED BY IMPACT AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY; TIRES HAVE ONLY BEEN IMPACTED BY NORMAL POTHOLES, ETC; TALKED TO SEVERAL FOLKS INCLUDING CHASSIS MANUFACTURER (FREIGHTLINER) AND FOUND THAT SIDEWALLS VERY THIN ON XRV TIRES AND FREQUENTLY EXPERIENCE BLOWOUTS; ALSO FOUND SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET OF FOLKS EXPERIENCING BLOWOUTS AT SIMILAR MILEAGE; HAVE SINCE REPLACED TIRES WITH XVE SINCE THESE ARE MUCH THICKER SIDEWALLS AND HAVE LONGER WEAR.*JB

FRAME MOUNTS UNDER REAR WHEEL WELLS ON 2000 WINNEBAGO JOURNEY FAILED DUE TO FAULTY WELDING; NOTICED PROBLEM WHEN METAL IN WHEEL WELLS STARTED COLLAPSING; THESE WELDS JOIN THE CHASSIS TO FRAME OF RV; HAVE NO REAL INDICATION OF WHEN WELDS FAILED BUT HAS BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS; BECAUSE OF FAULTY WELDS, LOTS OF SHIFTING AND SAGGING IN BACK OF RV ALSO CAUSING POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD AND HAS FALLEN ON AIR LINES. *JB

NAR 9-8-03. DEALER UNABLE TO PERFORM THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR REPAIR. *CB