2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY RV I BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. I PARKED AND FOUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT VERY HOT AND SMELLED OF BURNING MATERIAL. I NOTICED THE FRONT WHEEL COVERS WERE TOO HOT TO TOUCH. I CALLED THE SELLING DEALER AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE CHASSIS MANUFACTURER WHO IN TURN ADVISED TO CALL THE AUTHORIZED WORKHOUSE DEALER IN TOWN WHO THEN ADVISED ME TO CONTACT A TRANSMISSION COMPANY IN NEARBY CORPUS CHRISTI AND NOT DRIVE THE UNIT BUT HAVE IT TOWED. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION HAD LOCKED DOWN FOR SOME REASON AND NOT TO DRIVE IT FURTHER. I HAD THE UNIT TOWED. THE TRANSMISSION COMPANY LATER ADVISED NOTHING WAS WRONG BUT THAT SOME LOOSE BATTERY CABLES WERE TIGHTENED. THEN A MONTH LATER WHILE DRIVING MY RV I NOTICED THE UNIT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND I AGAIN FOUND THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL COVER WAS HOT. I CONTACTED THE AUTHORIZED WORKHORSE DEALER IN TOWN AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY DID NOT DO BRAKE WORK BUT REFERRED ME TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND ASK THAT THE FRONT BRAKES BE DISMANTLED, INSPECTED, CLEANED, AND GREASED. THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED AND NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT HE WAS NOT SURE IF THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BUT ONLY TIME WOULD TELL. HE DOES NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE REMAINS SOME KIND OF HYDRAULIC PROBLEM WITHIN THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. IN SUMMARY, TOTAL COST EXPENDED TO DATE AMOUNTS TO $750. AND I AM NOT SURE IF THE UNIT IS SAFE TO DRIVE AS THE PROBLEM MAY RESURFACE, THE UNIT FAIL TO STOP, OR CATCH ON FIRE. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET FINDS A HOST OF COMPLAINTS PINPOINTING THE BRAKES ON A WORKHORSE CHASSIS. THESE COMPLAINTS INCLUDING SOME DIRECTED TO NHTSA APPEAR TO DOCUMENT MY CURRENT PROBLEM. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THE MANUFACTURER VIN NUMBERS MAY PINPOINT THE RANGE OF PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION BUT MAY NOT RULE OUT THE MANUFACTURER USING UP INVENTORY OF DEFECTIVE PARTS TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK BEFORE CHANGING TO NEW IMPROVED PARTS. REFERENCE: NHTSA ACTION NO. EA07016, NHTSA COMPLAINT NO.S 10160192, 10209084, 10215202, 10226637, AND 10237100. *TR

BRAKES OF A WINNEBAGO BRAVE 2003 BOUGHT BRAND NEW, WERE SMELLING IN 2006. HAD THEM CHECKED AT A WORKHORSE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE BRAKES WERE FINE. WENT ON A TRIP AND AFTER 5 MILES, THE BRAKES SMELLED AWFUL AND DIDN'T WORK. LIMPED TO A REPAID PLACE WINNEBAGO SALES RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WORKHORSE WITHIN 50 MILES & COULDN'T DRIVE WITHOUT BRAKES, THE MILEAGE IS 29,114. THE FRONT BRAKES CALIPERS FROZE AND OVERHEATED AND BURNED UP THE BRAKES, GOT THE BACK BRAKES CHECKED AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. SPOKE TO WORKHORSE AND WAS TOLD THEY DON'T MAKE THINGS AS GOOD AS BEFORE. THE MAN SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NOTHING HE COULD DO, ALSO THE DASH AIR COMPRESSOR WENT BAD AFTER WE HAD THE A/C FIXED TWO OTHER TIMES. I SPOKE TO WINNEBAGO AND THEY POINTED TO WORKHORSE AND WORKHORSE POINTED TO WINNEBAGO. NOW WE ARE STUCK WITH ALL THESE BILLS AND I AM SO AFRAID TO GO ANYWHERE IN THIS MOTORHOME WHICH COST $114,000 NEW. I FOUND A LOT OF PROBLEMS LIKE THIS ONLINE WITH WORKHORSE. I HAVE A EXPENSIVE DUD NOW AND WANT MY REPAIR MONEY BACK AND ASSURANCE THAT THIS WON'T HAPPEN OVER AND OVER. IF I HAD MADE IT TO THE INTERSTATE WITH NO BRAKES, I WOULD HAVE HAD A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. I SEE THAT NHTSA IS INVESTIGATION (PE07032) IS INVESTIGATING WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASIS SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, IS THERE ANY RECALL ON THIS? I HAVE OWNED MOTORHOMES SINCE 1976 AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. ROBERT WILLIAMS. *TR

ON A RECENT TRIP TO THE FLORIDA KEYS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. I CHECKED THE BRAKES AND THEY SEEMED ALRIGHT FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION IN JAN '08. THE REPAIR FACILITY ADVISE THAT ALL THE BRAKES HAD BEEN OVERHEATED, FOUND CALIPERS SEIZING UP DAMAGED WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. THEY REPLACED CALIPERS, ROTORS, PADS AND WHEEL SPEED SENSORS ALSO DRILLED AND INSTALLED A GREASE FITTING ON THE SERVICE BRAKE PEDAL BELL CRANK TO PREVENT FUTURE SEIZING AND DAMAGE NEW BRAKE COMPONENTS. I HAVE THE DAMAGED PARTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE COMPONENTS FAILED. THE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES EXHIBIT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES THAT COULD LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC DETERIORATION OF THE WHEEL END COMPONENTS SUCH AS BEARINGS, RACES, SPINDLES, KNUCKLES, SEALS, HUBS, ROTORS, PATCH BOLTS, CALIPERS, BRAKE PADS, AND ABS SENSORS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,400.

BRAKES ON MOTORHOME VERY POOR, NEVER SURE IT WOULD STOP. IT WOULD SLOW DOWN, JUST KEPT ON PUSHING THE PEDAL AND THE MH KEPT ON MOVING, FINALLY, IT WOULD STOP. COMPLAINED MANY TIMES TO DEALER. JUST SPENT OVER $1700 TO HAVE BRAKES REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT TRUCK GARAGE MECHANIC. HE SAID IT WAS THE POOREST BRAKING SYSTEM HE EVER SAW AND HE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THE PARTS HE HAD TO REPLACE WOULD HOLD UP. I HAVE COPIES OF ALL SERVICE AND RECALLS DONE ON THE MH. *TR

2003 WORKHORSE TRUCK. CONTROL ARM FAILURE CAUSING FRONT WHEEL TO FALL OFF. *JB

(1) ON MY FIRST TRIP IN MY 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS R.V. ABOUT 31 MILES INTO THE TRIP IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC I NOTICED ON A SLIGHT UP GRADE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ACCELERATING LIKE NORMAL. THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT UPSHIFTING. (2) I PULLED OVER AND THEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE . I TOLD THE PASSENGERS TO GET OUT . THE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT AND REAR TIRES,THE TIRES AND WHEELS WERE VERY HOT! ! AFTER GETTING UNDER THE CHASSIS I COULD SEE THE ROTOR WAS SMOKING HOT . I FELT THE HEAT OF THE CALIPERS FROM A COUPLE FEET AWAY . AFTER LETTING THE BRAKES COOL FOR 20 MINUTES I MOVED THE VEHICLE BACKWARDS A FEW FEET ON A SLIGHT GRADE I STILL HAD TO THROTTLE UP TO GO DOWN HILL. SO I LET IT SIT 30 MINUTES MORE .DURING THIS TIME I CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES TO SEE IF IT WOULD MOVE DOWN HILL IN NEUTRAL ,WHEN IT MOVED ON ITS OWN I DROVE TO THE NEAREST EXIT AND STOPPED ON A HILL ,WITH IT IN NEUTRAL IT WOULD ROLL DOWN HILL ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE SMELLED BAD INSIDE. THE TRIP WAS OVER! AFTER IT COOLED DOWN AND ROLLED ON ITS OWN I DROVE IT FOR ABOUT 10 MILES WITHOUT BRAKING THEN I STOPPED TO CHECK TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS STILL HOT OR ANY BRAKE DRAG, AND THERE WAS NONE . SO I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND IT IS STILL THERE NOW.THE PARTS TO REPAIR ARE IN EXCESS OF 3 THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND THIS FAILURE HAPPEND WITH ONLY 6,300. MILES ON IT !! *JB

CONSUMER CONCERNING WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS PROBLEMS. *TS ***NAR*** THE IDLER ARM RELAY HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED, THE PART WAS PROBABLY NOT HEAVY ENOUGH FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE FRONT END OF THE MOTOR HOME. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKES FAILED TWICE WITHIN 60,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES WHERE THE ABS SENDING UNIT WAS REPLACED AND A BRAKE TUNE UP WAS PERFORMED. NEITHER REMEDY FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE BRAKE FUEL HEATS UP TO A BOILING PASTE CONSISTENCY AND CREATES AIR IN THE BRAKE LINE WHICH CAUSES THE BRAKES TO STICK. THERE IS A RECALL, 04V195000, FOR THIS PROBLEM HOWEVER THE REMEDY ALSO DID NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 7/18/2006 - *NM

DRIVING I70 IN MOUNTAINS GOING EAST BOUND ON WEST SIDE OF FLOYD HILL. THE TRANSMISSION MISS SHIFTED AND DROPPED INTO SECOND AT 65 MPH AND WE WERE ALMOST REAR ENDED BY 18 WHEELER TOOK IT WORKHORSE AND THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG BUT THUS WAS THE THIRD THIS HAPPENED THIS IS A P32 WORKHORSE. *JB