2021 Thor Motor Coach Redundant Challenger Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Thor Motor Coach Redundant Challenger, 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
- Brakes133.3%
- Powertrain (other)133.3%
- Steering133.3%
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
on 11/28/2023 My family and I were driving on the freeway I heard what sounded like a soda can explode under my feet in the engine compartment. I immediately lost power brakes and power steering. There was a large amount of smoke instantly. Within about 3 to 5 seconds the cab started to fill with smoke and fire was coming out of the driver's front wheel well. My insurance has had the vehicle in a lot for the past 4.5 months. they would have to permit inspection of the vehicle. My wife, 2 daughters, and dog were in the vehicle with me. the smoke and fire spread so quickly that they had to exit the side door of the RV while it was still moving down the freeway. They jumped out of the door and ran to the side of the freeway to escape the danger. I stayed in the vehicle until I could get it stopped breathing the smoke from the burning plastic. i then exited the vehicle and attempted to put out the fire with the fire extinguisher from inside the motorhome. that did not work as the fire was fueled by oil and plastic. I ran to the back of the motorhome to remove the jeep that we were towing so it would not burn. I found a trail of power steering fluid on the ground following the motorhome to where it stopped. Within just a few minutes of stopping the front of motorhome was fully engulfed in flames. The problem has not been reproduced vehicle was a total loss. Rimkus has completed a 3rd party fire investigation on behalf of my insurance company. There were no warnings prior to the event. I contacted Thor and Ford Mo Co. Thor stopped responding after one email, Ford's general counsel called me and stated that they would not be assisting me in any way and to have my insurance company sue them. (Seek Subrogation)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
on 11/28/2023 My family and I were driving on the freeway I heard what sounded like a soda can explode under my feet in the engine compartment. I immediately lost power brakes and power steering. There was a large amount of smoke instantly. Within about 3 to 5 seconds the cab started to fill with smoke and fire was coming out of the driver's front wheel well. My insurance has had the vehicle in a lot for the past 4.5 months. they would have to permit inspection of the vehicle. My wife, 2 daughters, and dog were in the vehicle with me. the smoke and fire spread so quickly that they had to exit the side door of the RV while it was still moving down the freeway. They jumped out of the door and ran to the side of the freeway to escape the danger. I stayed in the vehicle until I could get it stopped breathing the smoke from the burning plastic. i then exited the vehicle and attempted to put out the fire with the fire extinguisher from inside the motorhome. that did not work as the fire was fueled by oil and plastic. I ran to the back of the motorhome to remove the jeep that we were towing so it would not burn. I found a trail of power steering fluid on the ground following the motorhome to where it stopped. Within just a few minutes of stopping the front of motorhome was fully engulfed in flames. The problem has not been reproduced vehicle was a total loss. Rimkus has completed a 3rd party fire investigation on behalf of my insurance company. There were no warnings prior to the event. I contacted Thor and Ford Mo Co. Thor stopped responding after one email, Ford's general counsel called me and stated that they would not be assisting me in any way and to have my insurance company sue them. (Seek Subrogation)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
on 11/28/2023 My family and I were driving on the freeway I heard what sounded like a soda can explode under my feet in the engine compartment. I immediately lost power brakes and power steering. There was a large amount of smoke instantly. Within about 3 to 5 seconds the cab started to fill with smoke and fire was coming out of the driver's front wheel well. My insurance has had the vehicle in a lot for the past 4.5 months. they would have to permit inspection of the vehicle. My wife, 2 daughters, and dog were in the vehicle with me. the smoke and fire spread so quickly that they had to exit the side door of the RV while it was still moving down the freeway. They jumped out of the door and ran to the side of the freeway to escape the danger. I stayed in the vehicle until I could get it stopped breathing the smoke from the burning plastic. i then exited the vehicle and attempted to put out the fire with the fire extinguisher from inside the motorhome. that did not work as the fire was fueled by oil and plastic. I ran to the back of the motorhome to remove the jeep that we were towing so it would not burn. I found a trail of power steering fluid on the ground following the motorhome to where it stopped. Within just a few minutes of stopping the front of motorhome was fully engulfed in flames. The problem has not been reproduced vehicle was a total loss. Rimkus has completed a 3rd party fire investigation on behalf of my insurance company. There were no warnings prior to the event. I contacted Thor and Ford Mo Co. Thor stopped responding after one email, Ford's general counsel called me and stated that they would not be assisting me in any way and to have my insurance company sue them. (Seek Subrogation)
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 .