Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 Western Alpine submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
FAILURE: STEEL BRACKET CONNECTING POWER STEERING GEAR TO THE VEHICLES FRAME BENDS EXCESSIVELY WHENEVER OPERATING THE STEERING. OCCURENCE: WHENEVER VEHICLE IS OPERATED. CORRECTION: NONE AT THIS TIME. *TR
I HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY RV, A LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING, THE STEERING WHEEL CENTER POSITION KEPT CHANGING POSITION AND MOVEMENT IN THE WIND. WHEN I TOOK MY RV IN TO A SHOP FOR ALIGNMENT AND CHECK FOR THESE PROBLEMS, THEY FOUND THE STEERING BOX MOUNTING BRACKET FLEXED AN UNSAFE AMOUNT AND A SMALL CRACK HAD ALREADY FORMED ON THE REAR UPPER PORTION. I TOOK IT TO A TRUCK REPAIR, WE FOUND THAT THE INTERNAL BRACE FOR THE MOUNTING BRACKET WAS NOT WELDED EVERY WHERE IT SHOULD BE. THEY WELDED THE INTERNAL BRACE AND THE CRACK AND AN ADDITIONAL BRACE INSTALLED. *TR
THE BRACKET SUPPORTING THE STEERING BOX SHOWS SIGNIFICANT FLEX WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. I AM AFRAID THAT CRACKING AND SUBSEQUENT FRACTURE WILL EVENTUALLY OCCUR. *TR
FAILURE: STEEL BRACKET CONNECTING THE POWER STEERING GEAR TO THE VEHICLE'S FRAME BENDS EXCESSIVELY WHENEVER STEERING. THIS OCCURS WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED. NO CORRECTION HAS BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME AS THE MANUFACTURER IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. *TR
STEERING BRACKET FLEX. *TR
FAILURE: STEEL MOUNTING BRACKET CONNECTING POWER STEERING GEAR TO THE VEHICLE'S FRAME BENDS EXCESSIVELY WHENEVER OPERATING THE STEERING. OCCURRENCE: WHENEVER VEHICLE IS OPERATED. CORRECTION: NONE AT THIS TIME. *TR
WESTERN RV INSTALLED AN INADEQUATE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE STEERING BOX IN OUR 2007 ALPINE MOTOR COACH. IT IS THE OPINION OF SERVICE TECH'S THAT THIS BRACKET WILL FAIL AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO STRESS FRACTURES, POSING A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
WE HAVE DISCOVERED A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT PERTAINS TO ALL LATE MODEL ALPINE COACH MOTORHOMES, MANUFACTURED BY WESTERN RV OF YAKIMA WASHINGTON. THE MANUFACTURER IS ONE OF MANY THAT IS NOW OUT OF BUSINESS, SO A RECALL THROUGH ORDINARY CHANNELS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM AFFECTS AN INADEQUATE MOUNTING BRACKET FOR THE STEERING BOX THAT RESULTS IN SEVERE SWAY AND STRESS ON THE MOUNTING BRACKET. WE HAVE BOTH VIDEO EXAMPLES, AND EMAIL REPORTS FROM MANY ALPINE OWNERS THAT SUBSTANTIATE THE SCOPE AND SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY NO ONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS OF PRESENTING THIS ISSUE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AND I AM DOING SO WITH THIS SUBMISSION. THIS HAS NOT TO DATE RESULTED, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, OF AN ACTUAL ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. BUT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS IS LIKELY TO OCCUR, ABSENT YOUR INTERVENTION INTO THIS SITUATION. BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, I AM A FORMER CORPORATE ATTORNEY, AND A FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION. I'M CERTAIN YOU RECEIVE MANY UNMERITORIOUS REPORTS OF SAFETY ISSUES, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASSURE YOU THIS DEFINITELY DESERVES YOU FURTHER CONSIDERATION. IF YOU CAN ADVISE WHERE I CAN SEND DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE OF THIS PROBLEM (LIKELY AFFECTING SOME HUNDREDS OF MOTORHOMES), I WOULD APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. THIS WOULD SEEM TO BE RIGHT ON TARGET WITH YOUR RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS SAFETY ISSUES INVOLVING MOTORHOMES. YOUR GUIDANCE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. TOM GONSER *TR
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.
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