WORKHORSE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS W22. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKE UNIT BEGAN OVERHEATING AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY A SOLUTION OR PROVIDE A REMEDY. AS OF AUGUST 6, 2008, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,130.

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

OVERHEATING BRAKE PROBLEMS ON WORKHORSE W22 MOTORHOME CHASSIS (2004) 3RD TIME THIS HAS OCCURED. TWICE ON DIFFERENT WHEELS. *TR

WHILE MY 2003 FLEETWOOD SOUTHWIND MOTOR HOME ON A WORKHORSE CHASSIS WAS IN FOR A RECALL ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER (ABS) I WAS INFORMED THAT MY BRAKE FLUID HAD OVER HEATED AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM REQUIRED REPLACEMENT (CALIPERS, PADS, ROTORS). ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE FLUID OVERHEATED, TURNED TO A JELLY AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PISTONS TO RETRACT AFTER THE BRAKES HAD BEEN APPLIED. WORHORSE WAS CONTACTED BY DEALER AND THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES. I RETAINED 2 OF THE BRAKE CALIPERS AFTER REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE. RELATED TO NHTSA EA07016. *TR

THE LEFT REAR BRAKES LOCKED-UP CAUSING SMOKE TO AND THE STRONG ODOR OF BRAKE MATERIAL. I REMOVED THE CALIPER AND PUSHED THE PISTONS BAKE INTO THE CALIPER. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH THE BRAKES IN 23,000 MILES, BUT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE WORKHORSE W-22 CHASSIS. *TR

WE HAD A BRAKE RECALL DONE ON OUR 2002 ITASCA SUNCRUISER MOTORHOME (W20 CHASSIS IN JAN 2005, MILEAGE 9141. WHILE ON VACATION IN JULY 2005, THE BRAKES OVERHEATED AND REPAIRS WERE AUTHORIZED BY WORKHORSE AT NO CHARGE AT MILEAGE 9,687. EXPERIENCED OVERHEATING AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER 2007 AT MILEAGE 28819. REPAIRS DONE AT OUR EXPENSE - REPLACE REAR ROTOR, WHEEL SEAL AND BRAKE PADS, ABS RING, REAR ABS SENSOR. AFTER 249 MILES, REAR BRAKE OVERHEATED AT MILEAGE 29,068, CHECKED FOR DAMAGE DUE TO OVERHEATING BUT THERE WAS NONE. HAD TO PAY FOR LABOR TO MAKE THIS DETERMINATION. *TR

MY WORKHORSE BRAKES WENT OUT, I ONLY HAD 12,000 MILES AT THE TIME ON MY NEW MOTORHOME. *TR

BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY ON MY 2003 SOUTHWIND MOTORHOME (WORKHORSE CHASSIS) WITH ONLY 10.000 MILES. *TR

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

I HAD A PROBLEM AND COMPLAINT WITH THE BRAKES ON OUR WINNEBAGO MOTORHOME JUST AS DESCRIBED IN YOUR NHTSA ACTION EA07016. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DUPLICATE JUST AS YOUR INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND. THIS FIRST HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER 2007 AND AGAIN IN APRIL 2008. I FOUND AN INDEPENDENT MOTORHOME REPAIR SHOP THAT HAD SEEN THIS COMPLAINT WITH 2 PRIOR UNITS AND HAD REPAIRED THEM. KEN MEADS WITH MOTORHOME SERVICE IN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS SEEMS VERY VERSED IN THIS PROBLEM. HIS NUMBER IS 501-609-0145. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH WORKHORSE OR BOSCH AS THEY SEEM TO THINK THIS IN NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM AND RE-IMBURSEMENT OF MY EXPENSES FOR REPAIR. *TR