2003 WORKHORSE W22 Complaints

ON OCT 26, 2009, I EXPERIENCED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE ON 2003 WINNEBAGO MOTOR HOME AT 18,000 MILES. AFTERWARD, I DISCOVERED THE CHASSIS, MANUFACTURED BY WORKHORSE, A DIVISION OF NAVISTAR, IS UNDER A RECALL. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 09V110000 MY MOTOR HOME IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, (STICKING, OVERHEATING BRAKE SYSTEM) AND THE ABS (AUTOMATIC BRAKE SYSTEM) WARNING LIGHT IS ON TELLING ME THERE IS A PROBLEM. WORKHORSE REFUSES TO FIX THE BRAKES TO MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE. THEIR POSITION SEEMS TO BE DUAL, 'WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE THE 'FIX' READY, SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.' AND, AT THE SAME TIME, SAYING 'THE STICKING BRAKE SITUATION IS YOUR FAULT.' THIS DUAL STATEMENT SEEMS TO BE THE "LINE" THEY ARE FEEDING TO ALL OF US, AT THIS TIME. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS! ACCORDING TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES THE RECALL 'FIX' WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL SOMETIME NEXT YEAR'..MAYBE. I AM ALSO CONCERNED NAVISTAR AND/OR WORKHORSE COULD ENTER BANKRUPTCY BEFORE THIS ISSUE IS ADDRESSED. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF US OUT HERE WITH WORKHORSE CHASSIS, MINE IS A WORKHORSE W22, HAVING NEARLY IDENTICAL ISSUES WITH UNSAFE BRAKES. THE SYMPTOM IS THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR RESULTING IN NO BRAKES WITH LITTLE OR NO PRIOR WARNING. AFTER THAT WE DISCOVER THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE PARTIALLY APPLIED POSITION WHICH RESULTED IN TREMENDOUS HEAT BEING GENERATED. THAT, IN TURN CAUSES THE BRAKE FLUID TO BOIL. WHEN BRAKE FLUID BOILS IT TURNS TO A GAS. ONCE THIS HAS HAPPENED THE MOTOR HOME HAS NO BRAKES! WORKHORSE, A DIVISION OF NAVISTAR IS DOING LITTLE IF NOTHING AT THIS TIME TO REMEDY THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND APPARENTLY HAS TAKEN THE POSITION THAT THE COST TO REMEDY 50,000 MOTOR HOMES WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES OUTWEIGHS THE RISK OF PUTTING THEIR CUSTOMER'S LIVES IN JEOPARDY. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! PLEASE BE AWARE THAT I WILL BE POSTING THIS ALERT TO YOUR DEPT ON THE RV FORUMS ON THE INTERNET. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED OF THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

IN MAY 2009 I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS THAT OUR MOTORHOME WAS INVOLVED IN SAFETY RECALL 50901-C. THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TODAY FROM THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WEBSITE IS THE VERY SAME AS IT WAS IN BACK IN MAY ( PROBLEM IDENTIFIED, PARTS NOT AVAILABLE). I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IN SEVEN MONTHS WORKHORSE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS SAFETY PROBLEM OR PROVIDE THOSE AFFECTED WITH MORE UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON THE ACTIONS BEING TAKEN. WE LIVE IN OUR MOTORHOME FULL-TIME AND HAVE STOPPED TRAVELING BECAUSE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS ( ABS LIGHT COMING ON AND MUSHY BRAKES) AS MANY OF US CAN'T GET ANY STRAIGHT ANSWERS FROM WORKHORSE, CAN NHTSA PROVIDE AN UPDATE? *TR UPDATED IVOQ 07/15/10.*JB

REGARDING THE BOSCH BRAKE RECALL, I EXPERIENCED NO BRAKES WHEN THEY OVERHEATED IN AUGUST, 2009. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED. THANKFULLY I WAS NEAR MY DESTINATION AND CONTACTED A REPAIRMAN THAT INFORMED ME THAT ONCE THEY COOLED DOWN, THE BRAKES WOULD WORK AGAIN AND THEY DID. MY PROBLEM IS THAT I RECENTLY CONTACTED WORKHORSE WHO ADVISED THAT THEY STILL DO NOT THE PARTS TO CORRECT MY RECALL THAT I RECEIVED BACK IN THE EARLY SPRING OF 2009. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? AM I TO CONTINUE TO RISK MY FAMILY'S LIFE, AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD, WHILE THEY OFFER NO DEFINITE SOLUTION? MAYBE A LARGE LAWSUIT AFTER AN ACCIDENT WILL GET THEIR ATTENTION, YOU THINK? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE W22. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED FOUR TIMES. THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD STICK TO THE FLOOR, FAIL TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND EXHIBIT A BURNING SMELL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN #09V110000, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC WAS RELATED TO THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, HE RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED ASSUME THE REPAIR COST ON THREE OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT IF THE CONTACT SUBMITS INVOICES FOR THE FIRST THREE REPAIRS, THEY WOULD REIMBURSE HIM; HOWEVER, THEY DENIED REIMBURSEMENT AFTER THEY RECEIVED THE INVOICE. THE BRAKES HAVE CONTINUED TO FAIL; ALTHOUGH, THERE WERE FOUR ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,400. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. UPDATED 11/03/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE FAILURE HAPPENED WITH NO WARNING AND WHILE THE RV WAS MOVING. UPDATED 11/04/09.*JB

WORKHORSE SAFETY RECALL 50901-C. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF BURNING RUBBER. THE CONSUMER STOPPED TO INSPECT THE RV AND DISCOVERED BOTH WHEEL HUBS WERE VERY HOT. THE RV WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THE RIGHT REAR CALIPER WAS HANGING. BOTH CALIPERS WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT SOME OR ALL OF THE EXPENSES MAY NOT BE COVERED BY THE RECALL. *JB

CONSUMER WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR FOR THE WORKHORSE CHASSIS SAFETY RECALL 50901-C ON A 2003 GULF STREAM SUN VOYAGER. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT BRAKE PROBLEMS ON 2 OCCASIONS. THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE REAR BRAKES, CALIPERS AND SEALS WERE REPLACED. *JB

CONSUMER RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL 50901-C FOR WORK HORSE CHASSIS. CONSUMER STATES THAT HIS MOTOR HOME HAS MANY PROBLEMS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASING THE RV AND THEY ONLY WORKED NORMAL ABOUT 70-80% OF THE TIME. THE CONSUMER STATED HE PURCHASED ALL OF THE CALIPERS AT HIS EXPENSE, BECAUSE NO ONE WANTED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM AND NOW A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. THE POWER STEERING LEAKED AT THE WELD OF THE REAR HOUSING, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS REPAIRED TWICE, BUT IT NEVER STAYED FIXED. *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT HIS 2004 WINNEBAGO ITASCA SUNCRUISER HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS. *NJ THE RV IS A 2003 WORKHORSE W22 CHASSIS. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN MAY 2009. A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THE RV, HE NOTICED THAT AFTER STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IT TOOK MORE GAS TO GET THE MOTORHOME TO MOVE. A SHORT TIME LATER, HE COULD SMELL THE BRAKES GETTING HOT. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY HOT. IN AUGUST OF 2008 THE CONSUMER FELT THE BRAKES DRAGGING AND GETTING HOT. HE THEN FOUND THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE WAS THE PROBLEM. HE ALLOWED IT TO COOL DOWN AND THEN PROCEEDED ON HIS WAY. THE CONSUMER THEN NOTICED THE ABS LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER STATED HE TOOK A TRIP THAT WAS LESS THAN 150 MILES AND THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER LOCKED UP. *JB

2003 HOLIDAY RAMBLER HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. *NJ THE CONSUMER HAS A 2003 WORKHORSE W22 CHASSIS. THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED 4 TIMES. THE CALIPERS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE NOT REPLACED. THE BRAKES AND ROTORS OVERHEATED DUE TO THE FAULTY CALIPERS AND THE BRAKE PADS WERE WORN. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE RV TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE RIGHT REAR SPEED SENSOR OPEN AND BOTH REAR CALIPERS PISTON SEALS HAD MELTED. THEY REPLACED THE REAR CALIPERS, BUT NOT THE FRONT ONES OR THE SPEED SENSORS. THEE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE PEDAL WOULD GO DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE BAS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER WAS THEN INFORMED THE BRAKE FLUID WAS CONTAMINATED AND NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED. AFTER 2 YEARS OF COMPLAINING, THE CONSUMER FINALLY RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE BRAKES. *JB

2004 NEWMAR MOTORHOME WITH W-22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS. 1. I WAS DRIVING IN FRANKFORT, KY, WITH NO HILLS TO SPEAK OF AND ONLY LIGHT BRAKE USAGE. I WAS NOT PULLING A TOWED VEHICLE AND HAVE NEVER PULLED SUCH. 2. LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER LOCKED CAUSING THE WET BEARING SEAL TO LOOSE ALL OIL. WHEEL WAS SO HOT IT WOULD BURN MY HAND WHEN I TOUCH IT. HAD NO BRAKES. THERE WAS A DISTINCTIVE BURNT BRAKE PAD SMELL. MOTORHOME TOWED NEXT MORNING TO GEORGETOWN, KY. 3. AFTER TWO WEEKS, LEFT FRONT CALIPER WAS REPLACED AT WORKHORSE'S EXPENSE. I HAD TO PAY FOR BRAKE FLUID AND BLEEDING THE BRAKES. THE CALIPER SLIDE PINS HAD BEEN LUBRICATED ACCORDING TO WORKHORSE'S RECOMMENDATIONS TWO MONTHS PRIOR. *TR