2004 Fleetwood Terra

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF A CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENT.THE CONSTITUENT REPORTED INCIDENTS WHERE THE SLIDE OUT ROOM OF HIS MOTOR HOME WOULD INADVERTENTLY MOVE (EXTEND) DURING HIGHWAY USE.ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT A FULLY EXTENDED SLIDE OUT WOULD DEGRADE THE VEHICLE'S DYNAMIC HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND/OR POSSIBLY IMPACT AN OBJECT OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH.ODI CONTACTED FLEETWOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT SLIDE OUT ROOMS WERE INSTALLED IN MOTOR HOMES, TRAVEL TRAILERS AND FOLDING TRAILERS. AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION ODI VISITED A RV SHOW AND THE FLEETWOOD PAXINOS PLANT TO EXAMINE SLIDE OUTS IN VARIOUS NEW MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES AND GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK.DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI LEARNED THAT THERE ARE TWO METHODS USED TO EXTEND SLIDE OUT ROOMS.SOME MANUFACTURERS USE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS AND OTHERS, SUCH AS FLEETWOOD, USE AN ELECTRIC MOTOR. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

WE PURCHASED A 2004 FLEETWOOD TERRA RV. IN JULY OF 2004. DURING THE TEST DRIVE WE DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT HANDLING AND DRIVING. IT HANDLED LIKE A 40'S OR 50'S TRUCK. THE FRONT END SEEMED VERY LOOSE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD FLY ALL OVER THE ROAD. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN BUT WE DID POST A COMPLAINT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD US THE VEHICLE AND THEY ASSURED US THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE ADDRESSED. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND WHEN WE ASK IF THEY HAD WORKED ON THE FRONT END THEY ASSURED US THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOW IN GREAT RUNNING SHAPE. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DENVER, COLORADO BUT WE LIVED IN GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO. GRAND JUNCTION IS A LITTLE LESS THAN 300 MILES FROM DENVER. I MUST TELL YOU THAT WE HAD A REAL EXPERIENCE DRIVING THIS NEW RV OVER THE MOUNTAINS IN COLORADO. I HAD DRIVEN A COUPLE OF RV'S BEFORE AND I HAD NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS DRIVING THEM -- HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING THIS NEW VEHICLE FOR NO MORE THAN 40 MILES AND FIGHTING TO KEEP IT ON THE HIGHWAY I SIMPLY GAVE UP. I WAS BEAT AND MY NERVES WERE SHOT. I TELL YOU I WILL NEVER DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. ANYWAY, WHEN WE GOT TO GRAND JUNCTION WE WENT TO THE LOCAL FLEETWOOD DEALERSHIP AND WE WERE REFUSED ANY WORK ON THE VEHICLE. WE CALLED FLEETWOOD, WHO CALLED THEIR DEALER AND THE DEALER STILL WOULD NOT WORK ON THE VEHICLE. WE LET THE VEHICLE SIT IN STORAGE FOR THREE MONTHS AND THEN WE DROVE IT TO ARIZONA. AGAIN, THE DEALERSHIP IN ARIZONA REFUSED TO DO ANY WORK ON THE VEHICLE. AGAIN, FLEETWOOD CALLED THEM AND THIS TIME THEY DID DO SOME WORK. WE ALSO, GOT A LOCAL CHEV. DEALER TO WORK ON THE FRONT END. HOWEVER, WHATEVER WORK THEY SEEM TO DO THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AFTER THE WORK IS COMPLETED. WE FEEL THAT THE VEHICLE IS A REAL ROAD HAZARD AND THAT THE WAY IT HANDLES PUTS US AND ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD WHEN WE ARE DRIVING IN HARMS WAY. WE FEEL THAT THIS VEHICLE IS A REAL LEMON AND WILL NEVER HANDLE OF DRIVE WITHIN SAFETY STANDARDS AND SAFETY REGULATIONS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10142225

Incident

Jul 1, 2004

Mileage

2,000 mi

THIS VEHICLE IS A MOTOR HOME WHICH IS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE STEERING. WHEN DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH OR GREATER VEHICLE WILL NOT REMAIN STRAIGHT. OWNER HAS HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE REPAIR SHOP ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, AND HAD THE WHEELS ALIGNED EACH TIME. HOWEVER, THE STEERING PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *BF *NM

NHTSA ID

10115156

Incident

Nov 29, 2004

Mileage

12 mi