2020 Tiffin Wayfarer 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 2020 Tiffin Wayfarer, 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
- Airbags120.0%
- Driver assistance120.0%
- Engine120.0%
- Other / unspecified120.0%
- Suspension120.0%
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
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The RV currently is sitting at MB of Modesto where it can be inspected. The issue, when we attempted to rotate the rotatable front passenger seat, and an Airbag error was displayed on the dash and the vehicle was disabled, would not start. When we rotated the seat back we assumed it took pressure off of the wiring harness and the error disappeared and the vehicle started. We tried to rotate the seat back to its secure position but wires had become tangled under the seat and we could not secure the seat. We wanted to drive the RV to MB of Modesto but were concerned the airbag might deploy and disable the RV while we were driving. We decided to have the RV towed to Mercedes of Modesto. We discovered there were three separate recalls on this issue, MB Mfg #VS3DREHSIK, NHTSA Mfg. recall # 20V-322 and CA Bureau of Auto Repair # 20250701. Mercedes states that the recalls do not cover our specific chaise but the problem is exactly as described on the NHTSA recall. MB of Modesto inspected the RV and generated a Repair Order (RO) which is attached along with the NHTSA recall. The RO seems to imply that when Tiffin added the RV house they made changes under the seat that caused the problem thus the problem was not Mercedes. We contacted Tiffin and they said the problem was not theirs. Our Good Sam Extended would not cover it because it is a wiring harness issue. Seems like this is a MB and Tiffin wiring defect and the problem should be included in the recall.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Answers to NHTSA questions. Q. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A. I don’t know if a system failed or malfunctioned, I only know how the system performed under the described conditions. Q. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the vehicle slammed on the brakes causing other drivers to respond to avoid a collision. Q. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A. Yes/No, the selling dealer have said that they have heard about that happening but if it doesn’t happen while they are driving the vehicle, they can’t do anything about it. Q. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A. No. Q. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A. No. See attached file for detailed information. While driving my motor home with the Adaptive Cruise Control on, it will sometimes, unexpectedly, make a beep noise and then slam on the brakes for no known reason. When driving on a highway while using the Adaptive Cruise Control, if my vehicle drifts over the lane marking lines the vehicle makes a noise and slams on the brakes to move the vehicle back into my lane.
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 RV currently is sitting at MB of Modesto where it can be inspected. The issue, when we attempted to rotate the rotatable front passenger seat, and an Airbag error was displayed on the dash and the vehicle was disabled, would not start. When we rotated the seat back we assumed it took pressure off of the wiring harness and the error disappeared and the vehicle started. We tried to rotate the seat back to its secure position but wires had become tangled under the seat and we could not secure the seat. We wanted to drive the RV to MB of Modesto but were concerned the airbag might deploy and disable the RV while we were driving. We decided to have the RV towed to Mercedes of Modesto. We discovered there were three separate recalls on this issue, MB Mfg #VS3DREHSIK, NHTSA Mfg. recall # 20V-322 and CA Bureau of Auto Repair # 20250701. Mercedes states that the recalls do not cover our specific chaise but the problem is exactly as described on the NHTSA recall. MB of Modesto inspected the RV and generated a Repair Order (RO) which is attached along with the NHTSA recall. The RO seems to imply that when Tiffin added the RV house they made changes under the seat that caused the problem thus the problem was not Mercedes. We contacted Tiffin and they said the problem was not theirs. Our Good Sam Extended would not cover it because it is a wiring harness issue. Seems like this is a MB and Tiffin wiring defect and the problem should be included in the recall.
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
During a cross country trip, failure of tire valve extender, resulted in loss of tire pressure. This sudden loss of pressure could have resulted in a vehicle highway accident. This problem occurred twice (each incident within 2 hours of each other). Our RV, has dual rear tires, and was not detected until we stopped for fuel. We did not receive an alert from the tire pressure sensor that pressure was lost. The first failure was detected when we stopped for gas and noticed the right rear, outside tire was severely damaged/flat. Fortunately, the inside tire was undamaged and prevented loss of control of the RV on the highway. We had a service repair company replace the tire. During the repair, the technician, noted that the tire tread looked good, but discovered that tire extender valve and valve stem were both damaged, concluding this damage caused the tire to deflate. Since we were unaware of the flat while traveling on the highway, we had apparently driven on the flat for some period of time causing the additional tire damage. Two hours of travel after the first damaged tire was replace, we discover the left outside tire flat when stopping for fuel. Again, no warning from the vehicle alerted us. The next service technician, inspected the tire and discovered the valve stem had failed as a result of stress from the valve extender. After this problem, we had all other extenders removed for the remaining of the trip. Note: A recall was issued a year ago as a result of safety concerns with wheel liners and the extenders (concern was exact scenario I experienced twice!). I had the recall work performed several months ago. Multiple attempts to get attention from the Manufacturer (Tiffin) has been unsuccessful.
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
THE ANTI-ROLL BAR SCREWS ARE COMING LOOSE AND FALLING OUT. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO ROLL DANGEROUSLY AND COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL. THE DESIGN APPEARS TO PUT A ROTATING FORCE ON THE SCREW WHICH LOOSENS THE NUT. EVENTUALLY, THE NUT FALLS OFF AND THE SCREW WORKS IT'S WAY OUT OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DOWNLINK AND THE ANTI-ROLL (SWAY) BAR.
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 .