WORKHORSE Complaints

PASSENGER REAR BRAKE WAS DRAGGING. RECALL 04V084000 WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY. HE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO GET THE BRAKES CHECKED, AND THEY FIXED THE ONE THAT WAS DRAGGING. IN JUNE OTHER THREE BRAKES STARTED DRAGGING DUE TO SAME RECALL PROBLEM, IN JULY DEALER REPLACED OTHER THREE BRAKE CALIBERS BUT ONLY CLEANED BRAKE ROTORS. CURRENTLY, HE WAS TOLD TO BRING MOTOR HOME FOR SAME RECALL. MANUFACTURER KEPT SAYING BRING IT IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT IT. DEALER SAID THE CALIPERS WERE GETTING HOT, AND THEY REPLACED THEM, AND NEW BRAKE PADS WERE ADDED. CALLER SAID IT WAS REAL SLOW TO STOP. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME CONTACT HAD TO BRING VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR THIS RECALL REPAIRS. REFER TO ODI#10130547. *JB

I OWN A 2001 SAFARI TREK, BUILT ON A 17000 GVW WORKHORSE CHASSIS. I WAS TRAVELING AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT (70 MPH) IN THE CENTER LANE OF HIGHWAY 99 IN FRESNO CA. MY CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED (THE FIRST SIGN) AND I RESET IT. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE LOST POWER, THE GAUGES FAILED, AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CAME ON. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE MOTORHOME TO A COMPLETE STOP, ALL THE WAY OFF THE ROAD. AS IT TURNS OUT, THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED INTERNALLY, CAUSING EXCESSIVE RESISTANCE AND HEAT IN THE PINK POWER WIRE WHICH FEEDS THE CHASSIS PART OF THE VEHICLE. THE MAIN PROBLEM, BESIDES SUDDENLY LOOSING POWER, IS THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE COMES ON AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO PARK. WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED, THE POWER TO THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILED, AND IT CAME ON, FULL FORCE, AT SEVENTY MILES AND HOUR! IF I HAD BEEN TIRED, OR THE ROAD CONDITIONS BEEN RAINY, CURVY, ICY ETC, THINGS MAY HAVE TURNED OUT VERY, VERY BAD. IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING SLOWER, OR HAD A LIGHTER VEHICLE, I AND MY FAMILY MIGHT HAVE WOUND UP STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. I WOUND UP LITERALLY HOT WIRING THE VEHICLE TO GET HOME, AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED TWO MORE TIMES BECAUSE THE CONNECTION THAT I HAD TO RIG UP, KEPT COMING LOOSE. FROM MY EXPERIENCE, IT ONLY TAKES A VERY SHORT ,INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER TO TRIGGER THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I AM AN ASE CERTIFIED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN, AND WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. PERSONALLY, I AM GOING TO RE-WIRE IT SOMEHOW TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. *JB

DT: WHEN PUSHING ON THE BRAKES THEY WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP YET. THE MANUFACTURER STATED IT COULD BE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP ON AUGUST 14, 2005. THE CONSUMER LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND FOUND FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDER THE TIRES. HE WAS NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF FLUID IT WAS. THIS HAPPENED ONCE ON JULY 26, 2005 AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON JULY 27, 2005. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. *AK THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED REPAIR FACILITY AND THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT THE CALIPER SLIDE PIN HAD SEIZED CAUSING THE ROTORS TO HEAT UP. TEN MINUTES AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE MADE THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. *NM

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WHEN A SHORT OCCURRED IN THE ABS SYSTEM. THE BRAKES DIDN'T FUNCTION AT ALL UNTIL I PUMPED THEM A SECOND TIME. THE HAPPEN THREE TIMES BEFORE I COULD GET OFF THE HIGHWAY TO SAFE PLACE. *JB

2004 SOUTHWIND MOTORHOME (BY FLEETWOOD CORP - ON WORKHORSE CHASSIS MODEL W22) VIN [XXX]. FACTORY INSTALLED SHOCK ABSORBERS ON FRONT OF VEHICLE ARE INADEQUATE FOR WEIGHT OF MOTORHOME. WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR DIP IN THE ROAD THE BOUNCING OR PORPOISING IS ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLE. THE WORKHORSE REPRESENTATIVES ARE REPLACING SHOCKS ON MODELS LIKE MINE, BUT REFUSED TO CORRECT THE SITUATION UNLESS I ADD MORE WEIGHT TO THE FRONT END, WHICH IN MY OPINION, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT: THE EMERGENCY BRAKE COMES ON IF ONE LOSES ELECTRICAL CONTACT OR A FUSE BLOWS OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS NO SAFETY FEATURE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. THIS IS NO INDICATION THAT THIS IS HAPPENING. THIS HAPPENED IN 2000 AND THE BRAKE CIRCUIT WAS CHANGED. AND HAPPENED AGAIN IN 2005. ALL CHECKUPS HAVE BEEN KEPT REGULARLY. THE VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED TO GO BACK INTO THE SHOP THIS WEEK. THE MODEL IS GEORGIA BOY, PURSUIT MODEL MOTOR HOME ON WORKHORSE CHASSIS.*AK

RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V195000 CONCERNING WORKHORSE FMVSS 101 AND 105 INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO GET THE DEALER TO HONOR THIS RECALL SINCE MID FEBRUARY 2005. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE TOOL TO INSERT THE CORRECT DATA INTO THE IP CLUSTER. THE CONSUMER FOUND A DEALER WHO WAS ABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIRS. *SC *JB

THE CHASSIS DISPLAYED A STABILITY PROBLEM. WHEN THE DRIVER WOULD DRIVE INTO A CURVE FAST, THE MOTORHOME WOULD LEAN AND THE DRIVER WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE INTERIOR SEAT(S)/COUCH WOULD SWAY BACK AND FORTH FORCEFULLY IF SLOWED DOWN AT 25 MILES PER HOUR. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THE ABS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

THE GEAR SHIFT CABLE SNAPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. *JB THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE AND SNAPPED LEAVING THE VEHICLE DISENGAGED IN PARK. *SC *JB