THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE LOOP LOAD REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL

Aug 03, 2004 — Recall Campaign #04V383000

THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE LOOP LOAD REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209. "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."

The recall was influenced by the Office of Defects Investigation with about 1,662 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

04V383000

Manufacturer:	Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc.
Recall date:	August 03, 2004
NHTSA Campaign #:	04V383000
Units affected:	1,662

Description:: THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE LOOP LOAD REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209. "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."
Consequeces:: THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE MAY UNLATCH IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
Corrective action:: AMSAFE WILL REPLACE THE BUCKLES. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT AMSAFE AT 574-266-8330 OR TIFFIN AT 1-256-356-8661.
Notes:: CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Affects the following:

2005 TIFFIN ALLEGRO BAY Complaints
ON JUNE 8, 2010, MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2005 ///TIFFIN(ALLEGRO BAY) MOTORHOME WHEN THE BRAKES OVERHEATED AND WE LOST ALL BRAKES. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE. BERGEY'S GARAGE IN FRANCONIA, PA., TRANSPORTED OUR VEHICLE TO THEIR FACILITY AND REPAIRED THE CALIPERS ON BOTH REAR BRAKES PLUS OTHER COLLATERAL DAMAGE. PICTURES WERE TAKEN AND THEY CONTACTED WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS IN TROY, MI TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY WOULD COVER SINCE A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE 50901 C WAS ISSUED. *TR;
2005 TIFFIN PHAETON Complaints
2005 ALLEGRO (TIFFIN) PHAETON ON FREIGHTLINER XC CHASSIS WITH CATAPILLAR C7 ENGINE: TRAVELING FROM SARASOTA, FL TO SAN DIEGO, CA STARTING AUGUST 18, 2009 THE ENGINE BEGAN OVERHEATING ON AN EVER MORE FREQUENT BASIS UNTIL AUGUST 27, 2009, WHEN TRAVERSING THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF SAN DIEGO ON INTERSTATE 8 WE WERE FORCED TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY EVERY ONE HALF TO ONE MILE TO COOL DOWN THE ENGINE TO A WORKABLE LEVEL. THESE FREQUENT STOPS CREATED A HAZARD FOR EVERYONE ELSE TRAVELING THAT STRETCH OF HIGHWAY AND CREATED A RISK OF ENGINE FAILURE AND/OR FIRE IN A GENERALLY REMOTE AREA. DURING ONE SUCH STOP WE DID SCRAPE THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ON A GUARD RAIL UNDER A RAILROAD TRESTLE. THE DAMAGE HAS NOT YET BEEN ESTIMATED BUT I EXPECT IT TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3,000. THE PROBLEM WAS EVENTUALLY TRACED BY FREIGHTLINER SAN DIEGO TO A TOO SHORT CRANKCASE BLOWBY VENT ON THE ENGINE THAT ALLOWED CRANKCASE OIL MIST TO BE SPRAYED ON THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE RADIATOR BY THE COOLING FAN. SUBSEQUENTLY, DUST AND DIRT THROWN UP DURING DRIVING WAS ABSORBED BY THE OIL AND ESSENTIALLY BLOCKED THE AIR FLOW OVER THE RADIATOR. AFTER SOME MILES (OURS WAS AT ABOUT 49000+ MILES) THE BLOCKAGE BECOMES GREAT ENOUGH TO CAUSE ALMOST TOTAL FAILURE. GIVEN ITS LOCATION THE SIDE OF THE RADIATOR AFFECTED IS NOT VISIBLE TO INSPECTION WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT EFFORT. THE SOLUTION WAS TO REMOVE THE RADIATOR AND THE AIR CHARGE COOLER, CLEAN THEM AND REINSTALL THEM. IN ADDITION, FREIGHTLINER PROVIDED A REPLACEMENT FOR THE CRANKCASE BLOWBY TUBE THAT IS LONGER AND SENDS THE OIL BELOW THE RADIATOR (I.E., THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AT FREIGHTLINER). I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL TUBE. THE COST FOR THE CLEANING WAS $2,403.78 AND THE PART WAS $256.58 (DONE AT SEPARATE FACILITIES).*TR;