2016 Kaufman Mini Car Hauler 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 2016 Kaufman Mini Car Hauler, 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
- Brakes150.0%
- Suspension150.0%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I PURCHASED A KAUFMAN 5 CR MINI HAULER TO START A CAR HAULING TRANSPORTATION COMPANY. I DECIDED TO BUY NEW FROM THE MANUFACTURER SO AS TO AVOID ANY MAJOR MECHANICAL REPAIRS IN THE EARLY PART OF MY BUSINESS STARTUP AS WELL AS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WARRANTY OFFERED BY KAUFMAN. AFTER ONLY 2 MONTHS OF USE (LIGHT USE AT THAT), THE LEAF SPRING ON MY TRAILER BROKE WHILE MY DRIVER WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I CONTACTED KAUFMAN AND THEY REIMBURSED ME FOR THE EXPENSE ONLY AFTER TRYING TO ASSERT THAT MY DRIVER HAD MISHANDLED THE TRAILER. TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT REPAIR, MY TIRE CAME OFF THE AXLE AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY. THIS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A FAULTY BEARING. KAUFMAN AGAIN REIMBURSED ME AFTER FIRST TRYING TO BLAME THE ORIGINAL REPAIR COMPANY THEY APPROVED ME TO GO TO FOR REPAIR. A WEEK LATER MY DRIVER NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE WHEELS ON THE AXLE WAS BURNING WHILE DRIVING TO MISSISSIPPI. WHEN HE PULLED OVER HE REALIZED THE TIRE WASN'T SPINNING. THIS WAS DUE TO A LOCKED BRAKING SYSTEM. KAUFMAN PAID ONE LAST TIME AND MENTIONED THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE REPAIRING THE UNIT ALTHOUGH ALL REPAIRS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN APPROVED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY. NOT EVEN A WEEK AFTER THIS REPAIR, THE TIRE CAME OFF AGAIN WHILE HEADING OUT OF TOWN ON THE INTERSTATE. THIS WAS DUE TO A WARPED BEARING HUB. KAUFMAN MADE ME PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS. AFTER RESEARCHING, I FOUND THAT KAUFMAN DOES NOT MANUFACTURE ITS OWN AXLES. I WAS NEVER TOLD THIS PRIOR TO PURCHASE. THE MANUFACTURER, LIPPERT, HAS FILED RECALL AFTER RECALL FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS FOR ALL OF THESE ISSUES. I BELIEVE KAUFMAN IS WELL AWARE THAT THEY ARE PUTTING FAULTY PARTS ON THEIR TRAILER AND TRYING TO ABSOLVE THEMSELVES THROUGH THE USE OF NHTSA RECALL STANDARDS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
I PURCHASED A KAUFMAN 5 CR MINI HAULER TO START A CAR HAULING TRANSPORTATION COMPANY. I DECIDED TO BUY NEW FROM THE MANUFACTURER SO AS TO AVOID ANY MAJOR MECHANICAL REPAIRS IN THE EARLY PART OF MY BUSINESS STARTUP AS WELL AS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WARRANTY OFFERED BY KAUFMAN. AFTER ONLY 2 MONTHS OF USE (LIGHT USE AT THAT), THE LEAF SPRING ON MY TRAILER BROKE WHILE MY DRIVER WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I CONTACTED KAUFMAN AND THEY REIMBURSED ME FOR THE EXPENSE ONLY AFTER TRYING TO ASSERT THAT MY DRIVER HAD MISHANDLED THE TRAILER. TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT REPAIR, MY TIRE CAME OFF THE AXLE AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY. THIS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A FAULTY BEARING. KAUFMAN AGAIN REIMBURSED ME AFTER FIRST TRYING TO BLAME THE ORIGINAL REPAIR COMPANY THEY APPROVED ME TO GO TO FOR REPAIR. A WEEK LATER MY DRIVER NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE WHEELS ON THE AXLE WAS BURNING WHILE DRIVING TO MISSISSIPPI. WHEN HE PULLED OVER HE REALIZED THE TIRE WASN'T SPINNING. THIS WAS DUE TO A LOCKED BRAKING SYSTEM. KAUFMAN PAID ONE LAST TIME AND MENTIONED THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE REPAIRING THE UNIT ALTHOUGH ALL REPAIRS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN APPROVED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY. NOT EVEN A WEEK AFTER THIS REPAIR, THE TIRE CAME OFF AGAIN WHILE HEADING OUT OF TOWN ON THE INTERSTATE. THIS WAS DUE TO A WARPED BEARING HUB. KAUFMAN MADE ME PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS. AFTER RESEARCHING, I FOUND THAT KAUFMAN DOES NOT MANUFACTURE ITS OWN AXLES. I WAS NEVER TOLD THIS PRIOR TO PURCHASE. THE MANUFACTURER, LIPPERT, HAS FILED RECALL AFTER RECALL FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS FOR ALL OF THESE ISSUES. I BELIEVE KAUFMAN IS WELL AWARE THAT THEY ARE PUTTING FAULTY PARTS ON THEIR TRAILER AND TRYING TO ABSOLVE THEMSELVES THROUGH THE USE OF NHTSA RECALL STANDARDS.
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 .