1994 Winnebago Brave 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 1994 Winnebago Brave, 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
- Body & structure225.0%
- Seat belts225.0%
- Suspension225.0%
- Airbags112.5%
- Steering112.5%
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
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A ONE VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN WHICH RV VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED, 34 MPH. THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT DISINTEGRATED AS DID MOST OF THE VEHICLE,INCLUDING THE ROOF ,FLOOR, AND WALLS. * *AK ALL OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED ,INCLUDING THE ONES WEARING SEAT BELTS.THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WITH IT'S OCCUPANT STILL BELTED IN HIS SEAT BELT.HE WAS KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT. HIS 13 YR OLD SON WAS SITTING ON THE DINETTE IN THE MID SECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THE SIDE HE WAS ON WAS DESTROYED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE REAR WHEELS,(NO ROOF, FLOOR OR WALL WAS LEFT) AND HE WAS ALSO KILLED THAT DAY.ANOTHER SON,AN 11 YR OLD CHILD, WAS IN THE ROUND CHAIR BEHIND THE FRONT PASSENGER. HIS SEAT WAS FOUND IN THE WOODS AND HE WAS EJECTED SUFFERING A FRACTURED NECK. HE REQUIRED SPINAL FUSION SURGERY TO STABILIZE HIS SPINE. THE OTHER THREE OCCUPANTS(ONE WAS THE MAN'S 8 YR OLD SON ,WHO WITNESSED THE DEATHS OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS) WERE ALL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND SUFFERED CUTS ,CONTUSIONS AND BROKEN BONES.THE PICTURES OF THE WRECKAGE SHOW A NEARLY UNIDENTIFYABLE VEHICLE THA LOOKS LIKE IT WAS BOMBED>
REFERENCE NO. 830859. CHASSIS HAS LOOSE BOLTS WHICH HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED NUMEROUS TIMES, DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. NO PARTS CAN BE FOUND TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ALSO SAFETY BELT BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES, NO RETRACTION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
REFERENCE NO. 830859. CHASSIS HAS LOOSE BOLTS WHICH HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED NUMEROUS TIMES, DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. NO PARTS CAN BE FOUND TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ALSO SAFETY BELT BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES, NO RETRACTION. *AK
THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATBELT BUCKLES BROKE, CAUSING THE SEATBELTS TO BE INOPERATIVE, AND WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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
SIMULTANIOUS SUSPENSION AIR BAG FAILURE. POSSIBLE HANDLING/CONTROL ISSUE FOR A CLASS A MOTORHOME. DEALER REPORTS THIS TO BE A FREQUENT REPAIR WITH NO OBVIOUS CAUSE OF FAILURE. THIS FAILURE IS DETECTABLE ONLY BY CRAWLING UNDERNEATH THE RV AND MANUALLY CHECKING THE PRESSURE, AND MAY THEREFORE GO UNNOTICED TO THE AVERAGE MOTORIST RESULTING IN PREMATURE FRONT TIRE WEAR AND DEGRADED HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE.*AK
CAN NOT LOAD VEHICLE FOR NORMAN USAGE WITHOUT BEING OVER GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING FOR THE REAR. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
SIMULTANIOUS SUSPENSION AIR BAG FAILURE. POSSIBLE HANDLING/CONTROL ISSUE FOR A CLASS A MOTORHOME. DEALER REPORTS THIS TO BE A FREQUENT REPAIR WITH NO OBVIOUS CAUSE OF FAILURE. THIS FAILURE IS DETECTABLE ONLY BY CRAWLING UNDERNEATH THE RV AND MANUALLY CHECKING THE PRESSURE, AND MAY THEREFORE GO UNNOTICED TO THE AVERAGE MOTORIST RESULTING IN PREMATURE FRONT TIRE WEAR AND DEGRADED HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE.*AK
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
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A ONE VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN WHICH RV VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED, 34 MPH. THE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT DISINTEGRATED AS DID MOST OF THE VEHICLE,INCLUDING THE ROOF ,FLOOR, AND WALLS. * *AK ALL OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED ,INCLUDING THE ONES WEARING SEAT BELTS.THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WITH IT'S OCCUPANT STILL BELTED IN HIS SEAT BELT.HE WAS KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT. HIS 13 YR OLD SON WAS SITTING ON THE DINETTE IN THE MID SECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THE SIDE HE WAS ON WAS DESTROYED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE REAR WHEELS,(NO ROOF, FLOOR OR WALL WAS LEFT) AND HE WAS ALSO KILLED THAT DAY.ANOTHER SON,AN 11 YR OLD CHILD, WAS IN THE ROUND CHAIR BEHIND THE FRONT PASSENGER. HIS SEAT WAS FOUND IN THE WOODS AND HE WAS EJECTED SUFFERING A FRACTURED NECK. HE REQUIRED SPINAL FUSION SURGERY TO STABILIZE HIS SPINE. THE OTHER THREE OCCUPANTS(ONE WAS THE MAN'S 8 YR OLD SON ,WHO WITNESSED THE DEATHS OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS) WERE ALL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND SUFFERED CUTS ,CONTUSIONS AND BROKEN BONES.THE PICTURES OF THE WRECKAGE SHOW A NEARLY UNIDENTIFYABLE VEHICLE THA LOOKS LIKE IT WAS BOMBED>
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 .