2024 Grand Design Solitude Owner Complaints

A crack was found in the frame above the left rear suspension spring hanger for the rear (2nd) axle on my 2024 Grand Design Influence 3803GK 5th wheel RV. This is an ongoing issue with Grand Design and other towable RV Manufacturers, investigation number PE24029. The crack was found and inspected at a manufacturers rally by Service Representatives from Grand Design and Lippert in March of 2026. Lippert sent a mobile technician to our home to perform repairs on 5/26/26. The repair was to grind out the crack and weld, then weld a piece of 1" x 2" steel tubing over the crack vertically between the top and bottom webs. They also welded 1" x 2" tubing for cross braces between the spring hangers (side-to-side) at all three spring hanger locations.

NHTSA ID

11750759

Incident

Mar 25, 2026

October 2025 we had just left the highway and was on a heavily traveled back road going home from the mountains. My husband felt a jolt and thought we had blown a tire. But he checked the tire monitor and it was fine, then he checked the side view mirror and saw that the camper was off the road and almost hit a speed limit sign! Luckily we were near a less traveled side road and pulled off, still in the road as there were no shoulders. He discovered the right rear spring came apart and the rear axle slid back along the right rear landing gear. We were 6 miles from home so my husband stayed with the camper and I got a ride home to get our car. He was stuck there for 23 hours until the mobile tech got the camper well enough to make the 1 hr and 15 min trip to the nearest dealer. Once there, we were told that prior to us taking ownership, there was a recall on these axles and the "work was done and was satisfied". Per conversations with Grand Design, that issue is confidential between them and the dealer. We just received the camper January 12, 2026 after all repairs were done. Also, the Vin given to us on the build sheet was wrong and the camper year on the invoice should say 2024, not 2023. FYI.

NHTSA ID

11711609

Incident

Oct 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Grand Design Solitude. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the side wall frame was flexing and cracking. In addition, the cargo doors independently unlatched due to the failure. The RV was taken to an independent shop, where it was diagnosed with fractured side walls. In addition, the contact was informed that the side walls had detached from the frame of the RV. The contact was informed that to repair the failure, metal tubing would be installed into the frame to strengthen the frame and secure the sidewall to the frame. The RV was not repaired because the manufacturer declined to cover the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was advised to take the RV to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed.

NHTSA ID

11705868

Incident

Jul 18, 2025

The entry door came open while driving down the road. Both the standard lock and the dead bolt were locked. We had to stop at least 5 times during the travel day to close the door. After each stop we double checked the door to make sure that it was locked.

NHTSA ID

11673208

Incident

Jul 10, 2025

Made it 451 miles in our brand new Grand Design Solitude 380FL and noticed it looked crooked and smoke started coming from the drivers side while going 70 mph down I24 in TN. Pulled over and had a torn tire on both sides, axle was coming off due to missing a U bolt and the leaf spring had come apart. Fortunately we were paying attention and caught this as the 16,000 lb trailer would have flipped taking our vehicle and us with it. Mechanic came out, noticed locking bolts were not used on U bolts that were still in place, he was unable to fix it. Grand Design sent a mechanic down the next evening to put the axle back on so we could take it to the dealership. Took to dealership, they were supposed to make it "road worthy" so we could get it to GD Headquarters. This is a new to us vehicle so exactly how it "feels" when towing was also new to us. Noticed part way in the 482 miles to GD that the brakes associated with the previously problematic axle were not working, lots of brake dust on our truck. Once at GD they inspected and fixed multiple issues this caused after quite a bit of fighting with them as they did not want us to bring it to them. They also found we had a major leak in the regulator on our propane tank, mechanics exact words "you guys are lucky you didn't blow up". Our safety was put in extreme danger multiple times, as was anyone that might have been around us. As said previously, the mechanics at Grand Design did go over the vehicle after fighting with their service manager repeatedly. She wanted to me send pictures and they would deal with it that way. There were no warning lamps or messages. There was smoke 3 days after we purchased this from the dealer brand new.

NHTSA ID

11660135

Incident

Apr 20, 2025

Complaint Against Grand Design RV – Urgent Safety Concerns In our 2024 Grand Design Solitude 380FL, we have experienced two fires, a brake explosion, severe flooding, and multiple structural failures. These critical safety defects put us and others at serious risk. The attached document details: •Brake explosion and fire on a California highway (August 2024) – A mechanic confirmed we were seconds from losing wheels and the axle. •Refrigerator fire (January 2025) – Melted components and destroyed food. •Flooding from failed slide seal – Caused structural damage. •Entry door failure – Preventing safe exit. Multiple dealers and independent mechanics confirmed these defects, yet Grand Design refused repairs. We have filed complaints with the BBB, Missouri Attorney General, and FTC. Cases are open. Please review the attached document for full details. We urge an NHTSA investigation before more owners are put at risk.

NHTSA ID

11648214

Incident

Aug 10, 2024

Having symptoms of frame failure, excessive king pin movement when hooking and unhooking the trailer from the tow vehicle. My main concern is a complete failure of the frame allowing the trailer to separate from the tow vehicle while traveling down the road and endangering my family as well as other motorist.

NHTSA ID

11623925

Incident

Sep 27, 2024