2003 WORKHORSE W22 Complaints

THE FIRST INCIDENT WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO FLORIDA. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN A STEEP GRADE IN TENNESSEE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES HARDER THAN USUAL AND FELT A RUMBLE IN THE VEHICLE. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY, THE RUMBLE WAS GONE. I PROCEEDED TO FLORIDA AND PARKED MY RV FOR 2 WEEKS AND THEN MOVED TO ANOTHER RV PARK FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON JANUARY 1, 2008 I MOVED THE RV TO ANOTHER RV PARK ABOUT 35 MILES AWAY. WHILE I WAS DRIVING I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES HARDER THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF A SIGNAL LIGHT CHANGE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT I SMELLED A HOT SMELL AND FELT THE RUMBLE IN THE BRAKES WHILE BRAKING, AS IN THE FIRST INCIDENT. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AT A SERVICE STATION TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM AND MY REAR BRAKE WAS SMOKING. AFTER EXAMINING THE BRAKE AREA I DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE WAS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION. BY THIS TIME I WAS ONLY ABOUT A MILE FROM THE RV PARK SO I FREED UP THE BRAKES AND LET THEM COOL BEFORE PROCEEDING. THE SERVICE PERSON THAT REPAIRED MY BRAKES STATED THAT THE CALIPERS WERE RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT THEY STUCK WHEN APPLIED HARD. WHILE AT THE RV PARK, ANOTHER RV PULLED IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HE ALSO HAD THE SAME CHASSIS AS I HAVE. SO AFTER RETURNING HOME FOR THE SUMMER I WENT ON TO THE RV.NET SITE AND READ THEIR FORUM REGARDING BRAKE ISSUES AND WAS ASTOUNDED AS TO THE NUMBER OF OWNERS THAT HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS I HAD. I HAVE OWNED MANY RV'S IN MY DAY AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE REGARDING THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS W22. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CALIPERS IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM OVERHEATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V084000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY $3,000 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE BECAUSE HIS YEAR WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,000. THE PROBLEM WOULD ALSO LEAD TO WHEEL LOCK-UP UPDATED 06/25/08

I HAVE HAD CALIPERS AND PADS REPLACED ONCE BEFORE. AND NOW MY BRAKES ARE SURGING REALLY BAD. *TR

2003 W22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS BRAKE FAILURE ABS SYSTEM DAMAGED DUE TO OVER HEATING OF ROTORS ON ALL FOUR WHEELS. *TR

FRONT BRAKES HAVE LOCKED UP TWICE ON THIS WORKHORSE W22 CHASSIS. THE FIRST TIME THEY WERE PATCHED UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE CALIPERS WERE NOT REPLACED AND THEY FAILED AGAIN ONE YEAR LATER. WORKHORSE REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW FROM THEIR PAST EXPERIENCE THAT ALL THE CALIPERS THEY USED OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS ARE BAD. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND HAD I NOT RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND STOPPED THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR FIRE IN THE MOTORHOME IN WHICH MY WIFE AND I WERE RIDING. THEIR FAILURE TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A CURRENT NHTSA INVESTIGATION, SEEMS ALMOST CRIMINAL. IS SOMEONE GOING TO HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THEY ARE FORCED TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKES. EARLIER IN THE LIFE OF THIS RV THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE PADS DID INDEED CATCH ON FIRE BUT I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND EXTINGUISH THEM BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS BURNED. I WOULD LIKE FOR WORKHORSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR PROBLEM AND REPAY ME THE $1,177.37 THAT I HAD TO PAY TO FIX THEIR PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE W22. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY WOULD DRAG AFTER BEING RELEASED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD SQUEAK AND GRIND AND BECAME WORN DUE TO RELEASING IMPROPERLY. WORKHORSE CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V084000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

RAPID (EXCESSIVE) BRAKE PAD WEAR BY 32,000 MILES AND MOSTLY INTERSTATE DRIVING. EVIDENCE OF DRAGGING CALIPER AS SEEN BY THE UNEVEN OUTER PAD WEAR ON ALL FOUR WHEELS. OVERHEATING AND SURFACE CRACKING ON ROTORS. TOO FREQUENT ABS SENSOR REPLACEMENT. INSPECTION AT AUTHORIZED WORKHORSE SERVICE CENTER DISCOVERED ROTORS SEVERELY CRACKED THROUGH. GIVEN TYPE OF DRIVING AND LEVEL OF MOTOR HOME OWNER EXPERIENCE, BRAKE PARTS SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO WEAR EVENLY AND LAST CONSIDERABLY LONGER THEN MILEAGE POSTED ABOVE. GIVEN NUMBER OF INTERNET BASED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, I BELIEVE ROOT CAUSE OF MALFUNCTION OF BRAKE SYSTEM WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AND ADDRESSED. CALIPERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND WEREN'T. LOW MILEAGE OR LACK OF USAGE CANNOT BE ARGUED IN THIS CASE , AS WORKHORSE CONTENDS IS A MAJOR FACTOR. *TR

VEHICLE HAD BRAKE FAILURE 3 TIMES IN 36K MILES. ADDITIONALLY, AXLE SEALS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM BRAKES. BRAKES AND SEALS HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. SPOKE TO WORKHORSE NUMEROUS TIMES, WAS TOLD THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE TO DO ON BRAKES, JUST HAVE THEM INSPECTED TWICE A YEAR, AND HAVE THEM REPLACED IF STICKING, EVEN IF IT IS EVERY 10K MILES @ $2,000 PER REPAIR. *TR

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : EA07016 : --- WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS RECALL NUMBER 50401-C, NHTSA RECALL NOL 04V-084 FOR THE BOSCH ZOPS BRAKE PROBLEM WAS COMPLETED TO MY 2003 HOLIDAY RAMBLER VACATIONER, MODEL 36DBD MOTORHOME. - WHILE VACATIONING AND WITH JUST 2000 MILES +/- LATER MY RIGHT REAR BRAKES CALIPER LOCKED-UP, THE SMELL OF SMOKE CAME IN THE MOTORHOME AND THEN WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THEY WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. GOOD THING I WAS ABLE TO PULLED OVER ONTO THE SIDE OF THE HWY TO AVOID HAVING AN ACCIDENT. AFTER A WHILE WHEN THEY COOLED DOWN, I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND THEY SEEM TO BE WORKING OK. I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY PROCEED TO MY CAMPGROUND. TOOK THE MOTORHOME TO AN AUTHORIZE WORKHORSE DEALER AND THEY REPLACE THE CALIPER ,PADS, SENSOR AND ROTOR. WORKHORSE DID COVERED THE EXPENSES FOR THIS REPAIRS. AT 11,000 MILES +/- LATER AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS COMPLETED, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WENT BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOW 18,000 MILES +/- LATER AFTER THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED, THE LEFT REAR BOSCH CALIPER HUNG-UP, OVERHEATED AND I HAD TO HAVE THE CALIPER, PADS, SENSOR AND ROTOR REPLACED. I THEN CONTACTED WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASIS ABOUT REIMBURSING THE EXPENSES I INCURRED AND THEY DECLINED. - I'M VERY AFRAID THAT THE REMINDER OF THE ORIGINAL BOSCH CALIPERS COULD LOCK-UP, FAIL AND CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. ALL REPAIR WORK WAS DONE AT AN AUTHORIZE WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS SHOP. - PER THE VIN RECORDS THE LEFT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS CHANGED OUT AT 42 MILES ON MOTORHOME-- PURCHASED MOTORHOME FROM PRIVATE OWNER - MILEAGE AT TIME OF PURCHASED: 13,700 - MOTORHOME MFG DATE: 8/02 - WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS MFG. DATE 6/02. *TR

2003 MONACO LAPALMA WITH 2003 WORKHORSE W22 CHASSIS. WITH DEFECTIVE FRONT ROTORS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RV BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A VIBRATION. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED IT WAS BECAUSE THE ROTORS HAD EXCESSIVE HEAT WHICH CAUSED THEM TO CRACK. *KB UPDATED 03/16/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE HE EXPERIENCED WHAT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED. *JB UPDATED 03/26/10.*JB WORKHORSE INFORMED THE CONSUMER HIS WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED PRIOR TO THE REPAIR FOR WHICH THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT. WORKHORSE FURTHER STATED THE RV WAS BUILT SEPTEMBER 3, 2002 WHICH MEANT HIS CHASSIS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. UPDATED 04/20/10 THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE ABS SENSORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 07/28/10*JB