2021 Jayco Precept Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Jayco Precept, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Visibility323.1%
- Electrical215.4%
- Body & structure215.4%
- Other / unspecified215.4%
- Engine215.4%
- Tires & wheels17.7%
- Brakes17.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The heat shield on the floor of the passenger side is missing near the exhaust manifold. The shield cable for the batteries and other wiring has melted and shorted some wires. The heat was so hot that it melted the plastic storage compartment also and exposed the vehicle to exhaust gases and heat. This is an extreme safety hazard as the vehicle could catch on fire. I am scared to drive the vehicle.
Component: Windshield wipers stopped during Interstate driving in a thunderstorm/heavy rain. It is available for inspection upon request. Visibility was reduced to near zero, putting myself and other drivers at a significantly increased risk of a crash. I steered to the emergency lane and stopped until the rain lessened, then crept to the next exit (<0.25 mi) to a Love's Truck Stop. The passenger wiper arm had slipped to a downward position completely off the windshield, but both wipers were inoperative. I found a blown 40 amp fuse for the wiper circuit but did not have a spare for replacement. After the rain stopped completely, I removed both wipers, purchased and applied Rain-X to the windshield, and continued traveling another 200 miles to home. I have not contacted a dealer, so the component/vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. There was no warning lamp or message, but just before the wipers stopped the passenger wiper began to operate in a jerking fashion. It was raining very hard and the wiper control was on FAST mode.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Three out of the 5 front LED amber roof clearance lights are inoperable. It appears the LED bulbs fail Normally LED lights have a long life. I do not drive with the lights on often and failure has occurred I have seen other coaches same year with the same issue. I sent Jayco several emails with no response
The heat shield on the floor of the passenger side is missing near the exhaust manifold. The shield cable for the batteries and other wiring has melted and shorted some wires. The heat was so hot that it melted the plastic storage compartment also and exposed the vehicle to exhaust gases and heat. This is an extreme safety hazard as the vehicle could catch on fire. I am scared to drive the vehicle.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
The heat shield above the catalytic converter and associated pipes were not extended far enough which caused the pass through storage and wiring harness covering to melt. This could have been a disaster. There is a recall on 2018 and prior same models for the exact same problem. Jayco is of no help as there is not a recall for this year model. There are other owners with the same problem. This could cause a fatality while driving
The HLM (out of business) trailer hitch tore at the welds on both sides. Manufacturer states you can tow 5,000 lbs./500 tongue. My trailer fully loaded is 4600/380. I took the RV back to the Jayco Service Center, where I purchased it, to be repaired. I was informed HLM(aka pull rite) was contracted to build the hitch and no longer manufacture it. I was also informed that the hitch is mounted on a frame extension. The Ford Chassis ends just past the axles and the bedroom is built on this frame extension. I have several concerns with the safety/quality of this type of manufacturing(during COVID). Not only because this happen to us, but I have learned years other Jayco Class A owners (2020-2022) have experienced the same thing. We could have lost the whole trailer at highway speeds that could have resulted in a huge catastrophe to others!! Very unsafe! The first 3 pictures are of my hitch. The rest of the pictures are from other Jayco RV Owners that could have lost their tow cars/trailers too. I want to emphasize, no one was towing over capacity.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
This concerns the towing hitch on the Jayco precept. While driving the hitch collapsed and the towing arms started to drag on the ground It tore away where the bends are, that form part of the plate that is bolted onto the precept. This could have resulted in destroying our towed vehicle or if the last inch had separated it would have caused the towed vehicle to no longer be attached to our Jayco. It could have caused serious injury to other vehicles on the road. Fortunately we had just stopped at a light and heard the towing equipment scraping on the ground, so we were able to unhook and travel to find a welder to weld it back in place.
On [XXX], I was driving my 2021 Jayco Motorhome built on the Ford F53 chassis on a trip to Tucson, Arizona. On my way there, just outside of Clovis, NM, I noticed a strange vibration in my front end. When I attempted to slow down to enter Clovis, I heard grinding as I stepped on the brake and had a hard time slowing. We immediately searched for a local Ford Truck repair shop. Finding none anywhere close, we drove to Clovis Big Rig Repair. The repair shop immediately had us pull in. They jacked up the front of the rig and noted that the driver’s side of the rig’s wheel bearing was loose. When they checked the passenger’s side tire, the tire moved back and forth approximately three inches both ways. Upon further inspection they discovered that both bearings had been installed with very little grease. When the passenger bearing failed, they also discovered it damaged the hub and both the bearing and the hub had to be replaced. Fortunately, this wheel bearing failed on a flat straight road. We often travel the interstate through the mountains. Had this wheel bearing failed coming down a mountain, on a curve, the results could have been catastrophic. The independent repair shop verified the issue. The inspection interval as stated by the Ford Service manual is 60,000 miles. This failure occurred at 28,426 miles. The repair shop probably still has the failed hub and wheel bearings, if you desire to inspect them. There were no warning lamps to signal a failure. I have the receipts for the repairs which state the failure occurred due to "no grease". I will provide these to the NHTSA if requested. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The heat shield above the catalytic converter and associated pipes were not extended far enough which caused the pass through storage and wiring harness covering to melt. This could have been a disaster. There is a recall on 2018 and prior same models for the exact same problem. Jayco is of no help as there is not a recall for this year model. There are other owners with the same problem. This could cause a fatality while driving
Jayco did not put a heatshield on the exhaust pipes, so the plastic components have melted. The pass through storage has melted and caused an 8 inch hole. Thankfully we did not have combustable materials in the compartment. This is a fire hazard!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
On [XXX], I was driving my 2021 Jayco Motorhome built on the Ford F53 chassis on a trip to Tucson, Arizona. On my way there, just outside of Clovis, NM, I noticed a strange vibration in my front end. When I attempted to slow down to enter Clovis, I heard grinding as I stepped on the brake and had a hard time slowing. We immediately searched for a local Ford Truck repair shop. Finding none anywhere close, we drove to Clovis Big Rig Repair. The repair shop immediately had us pull in. They jacked up the front of the rig and noted that the driver’s side of the rig’s wheel bearing was loose. When they checked the passenger’s side tire, the tire moved back and forth approximately three inches both ways. Upon further inspection they discovered that both bearings had been installed with very little grease. When the passenger bearing failed, they also discovered it damaged the hub and both the bearing and the hub had to be replaced. Fortunately, this wheel bearing failed on a flat straight road. We often travel the interstate through the mountains. Had this wheel bearing failed coming down a mountain, on a curve, the results could have been catastrophic. The independent repair shop verified the issue. The inspection interval as stated by the Ford Service manual is 60,000 miles. This failure occurred at 28,426 miles. The repair shop probably still has the failed hub and wheel bearings, if you desire to inspect them. There were no warning lamps to signal a failure. I have the receipts for the repairs which state the failure occurred due to "no grease". I will provide these to the NHTSA if requested. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
On [XXX], I was driving my 2021 Jayco Motorhome built on the Ford F53 chassis on a trip to Tucson, Arizona. On my way there, just outside of Clovis, NM, I noticed a strange vibration in my front end. When I attempted to slow down to enter Clovis, I heard grinding as I stepped on the brake and had a hard time slowing. We immediately searched for a local Ford Truck repair shop. Finding none anywhere close, we drove to Clovis Big Rig Repair. The repair shop immediately had us pull in. They jacked up the front of the rig and noted that the driver’s side of the rig’s wheel bearing was loose. When they checked the passenger’s side tire, the tire moved back and forth approximately three inches both ways. Upon further inspection they discovered that both bearings had been installed with very little grease. When the passenger bearing failed, they also discovered it damaged the hub and both the bearing and the hub had to be replaced. Fortunately, this wheel bearing failed on a flat straight road. We often travel the interstate through the mountains. Had this wheel bearing failed coming down a mountain, on a curve, the results could have been catastrophic. The independent repair shop verified the issue. The inspection interval as stated by the Ford Service manual is 60,000 miles. This failure occurred at 28,426 miles. The repair shop probably still has the failed hub and wheel bearings, if you desire to inspect them. There were no warning lamps to signal a failure. I have the receipts for the repairs which state the failure occurred due to "no grease". I will provide these to the NHTSA if requested. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .