2016 Ford F-53 Problems

INOPERABLE TOW/HAUL MODE. 2016 FORD F53 STRIPPED CHASSIS FOR MOTORHOME CONSTRUCTION. NEWMAR BAY STAR SPORT 2705. THE TOW/HAUL MODE IS A MODE THAT ALLOWS UTILIZING ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FOR VEHICLE DECELERATION, ESPECIALLY DOWN HILL. IF THE TOW/HAUL MODE IS OPERATING PROPERLY, THIS DYNAMIC BRAKING CAN EASE THE LOAD ON THE VEHICLE'S BRAKES. OVERHEATED BRAKES CAN RESULT IF THE TOW/HAUL IS INOPERABLE. OVERHEATED BRAKES IS MOST DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. THE TOW/HAUL MODE HAS BEEN MADE OPERATIONAL FROM A THIRD PARTY VENDOR, SO IT IS FIXABLE BY SOFTWARE ALONE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE 3RD PARTY COST IS IN THE RANGE OF $500. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT THE OEM OF THE POWERTRAIN (FORD) CAN AND SHOULD FIX AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT HAS BEEN INOPERABLE SINCE THE DAY OF PURCHASE (1-15-2016).

TOW / HAUL MODE NOT WORKING CORRECTLY ITS ON ALL THE TIME COMING DOWN A GRADE IF YOU LET OFF THE GAS IT STARTS TO DO A HARD DOWNSHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION EVEN IF ITS NOT NECESSARY ITS NOT THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED TO WORK THERE IS A BUTTON TO TURN ON OR OFF THAT DOES NOT FUNCTION.

PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST, 2016. ONE MONTH LATER WE DROVE OUR NEW MOTORHOME SOUTHWEST INTO NM AND AZ. AT 2735 MILES ON THE ODOMETER IN CENTRAL NM WE GOT TWO BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS WHILE TRAVELING WEST ON I-40 AT 65 MPH. WE STOPPED TO INSPECT SYSTEM. FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE EXTREMELY HOT! FRONT MASTER CYLINDER CHAMBER SPILLED OUT EXTREMELY HOT BRAKE FLUID! I ADJUSTED IT'S LEVEL THEN CHECKED REAR CHAMBER. IT WAS ABOUT 2' BELOW CORRECT LEVEL. I FILLED TO CORRECT LEVEL. FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THIS I NOTICED A VERY HARD BRAKE PEDAL WITH DECREASING BRAKE EFFICIENCY. WE STOPPED IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM AND CONTACTED BOTH FORD DEALERS ADVERTISING RV/TRUCK SERVICE. WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 7 WORKING DAYS JUST TO GET INTO THEIR SHOPS! THEY DID SCAN OUR VEHICLE AND TURNED OFF THE WARNING LIGHTS. THIS HAS REACCURED TWICE SINCE THEN. OUR MOTORHOME CURRENTLY HAS 7785 MILES ON IT AND WE CAN'T TRUST THE BRAKES. BEING IN THE CAR BUSINESS FOR OVER 50 YEARS MY GUESS IS THIS SYSTEM IS TRYING TO STOP OUR 18,000 POUNDS WITH FRONT BRAKES ONLY. WE PULL A 2011 JEEP WRANGLER WITH IT. THE JEEP HAS A FULLY FUNCTIONAL 'BRAKE BUDDY' ALWAYS INSTALLED AND OPERATING.

PAGE 32 OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES IN PART, "THE TOW HAUL FEATURE: PROVIDES ENGINE BRAKING IN ALL FORWARD GEARS, WHICH WILL SLOW YOUR VEHICLE AND ASSIST YOU IN CONTROLLING YOUR VEHICLE WHEN DESCENDING A GRADE." I HAVE DESCENDED SEVERAL 8 PERCENT GRADES WITH THE TOW HAUL FEATURE OF MY TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AND HAD TO ENGAGE MY BRAKES EXCESSIVELY BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT DOWNSHIFT TO PROVIDE ENGINE BRAKING AS DESCRIBED. THIS COULD LEAD TO BRAKE FAILURE OR PREMATURE BRAKE REPLACEMENT. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO 2 AUTHORIZED FORD SERVICE SHOPS WITH THIS COMPLAINT WITHOUT RECEIVING ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE FEEDBACK I HAVE RECEIVED IS THAT FORD DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS INVOLVING THE 2016 FORD F53 MOTORHOME CHASSIS ON A OWNERS FORUM WEBSITE: WWW.IRV2.COM/FORUMS/53. MY TESTIMONY IS POSTED UNDER HFBUNDY. OTHER OWNERS DESCRIBING ISSUE WITH THE TOW FUNCTION INCLUDE SUPERLUCKY, STUART W, YELLOWBOAT, JHARRELL, AND ED RZEPKA. I PURCHASED THIS UNIT IN SEPTEMBER 2015. ALSO, MY SERVICE ADVISER WHERE I PURCHASED MY MOTORHOME SAYS HE HAS HEARD OF ISSUES INVOLVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TOW HAUL MODE FOR THIS MODEL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD F-53. WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THOR MOTOR COACH (701 COUNTY ROAD 15, ELKHART, IN 46516) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS NOT INFORMED OF A DIAGNOSIS; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO CAMPING WORLD OF OAKWOOD (4696 SMITHSON BLVD, OAKWOOD, GA 30566, (888) 425-9114), BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSIS A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,078.

ATWOOD HEATER COVER VENTS FACING INWARD CAUSING WATER TO SHORT CIRCUITS. COULD CAUSE FIRE AND BURN RV. WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM ARMS FELL APART WHILE IN USE RENDERI G SYSTEM INOPERATIVE. THOR MOTORCOACH WILL NOT SEND PARTS AND THESE ARE KNOWN DEFECTS TO THEM. HAVE SUBMITTED PICTURES AND IGNORED.

ELECTRICAL TRANSFER SWITCH BUZZES AFTER ONE TO TWO HOURS OF PLUGGING IN. LOUDER AFTER MORE HOURS. HYDRAULIC JACK PUMP REPLACED TWICE IN FIRST YEAR AND NEEDS REPAIR OR REPLACE AGAIN AFTER 13 MONTHS.

TOW / HAUL MODE NOT WORKING CORRECTLY ITS ON ALL THE TIME COMING DOWN A GRADE IF YOU LET OFF THE GAS IT STARTS TO DO A HARD DOWNSHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION EVEN IF ITS NOT NECESSARY ITS NOT THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED TO WORK THERE IS A BUTTON TO TURN ON OR OFF THAT DOES NOT FUNCTION.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-53. The contact stated that upon further inspection of the vehicle, the contact noticed that the chassis body had several fractured welds, and the brackets were missing. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brackets holding the chassis body of the frame were fractured. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

PURCHASED NEW. TOOK HOME FROM DEALER AFTER CUSTOMER INSPECTION BUT BATTERIES WERE DEAD PREVENTING FULL OPERATION OF AMENITIES. SIX DAYS AFTER BEING HOME, WE WERE GOING TO TAKE THE MOTORHOME ON A TRIP. KITCHEN SLIDE WAS OPEN SINCE WE BROUGHT IT HOME. TRY TO RETRACT KITCHEN SLIDE AND IT JAMMED. PROBLEM IS THE ROOM SLIDE IS TOO BIG FOR THE OPENING IN THE WALL CAUSING UNIT TO BIND (ONE MOTOR WORKS, OTHER DOES NOT) OVERLOADING AND BURNING OUT MOTORS. ALSO, METAL SCREWS DRIVEN IN TO CHANNEL IN WALL GOING TO SLIDE MOTORS PENETRATED RED WIRE TO FRONT SLIDE MOTOR. MOTORHOME HAD 270 MILES ON IT WHEN BROUGHT HOME AND SLIDE JAMMED ON FIRST CLOSING OPERATION BY CONSUMER/OWNER. PROBLEM NOTED WHEN IN YARD AT HOME (STATIONARY) BUT DIAGNOSED AT DEALER.

SOMETIMES WHEN STARTING FROM A DEAD STOP THE ENGINE CUTS BACK TO IDLE, PAUSES THEN SPEEDS BACK TO NORMAL THEN GOES THRU THIS CYCLE TWO OR THREE TIMES BEFORE GETTING UP TO SPEED.. IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC.

The contact owns a 2016 Fleetwood Flair RV built on a 2016 Ford F53 Chassis. The contact stated that the dealer had repaired the seat belt bolts upon purchasing the RV; however, while her husband was driving approximately 55-65 MPH in the mountains with her in the front passenger’s side seat, the front driver's side seat belt detached from the wall while it was buckled. The contact's husband pulled to the side of the road. Upon inspecting the front passenger's side seat belt, the contact's husband noticed that it was also loosened. The RV was taken to the dealer and was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the dealer should contact them to obtain the schematic of the wall where the seat belts were supposed to be bolted. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.