2003 Workhorse Chassis Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE FAILED. THE BRAKE CALIPER SEIZED WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE TO OVERHEAT. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TOT HE FLOOR AND THE ALARM SOUNDED AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AT THAT TIME. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING AT 10 MPH WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE NEXT DAY, EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE RV HOME SLOWLY AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AS OF 11/19/12 THE RV HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. UPDATED 12/10/12 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS, MODEL P32 (N/A). THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED ON A 2003 WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE PARK BRAKE ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 70,914.

2003 WORKHORSE TRUCK. CONTROL ARM FAILURE CAUSING FRONT WHEEL TO FALL OFF. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THE ABS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

DRIVING I70 IN MOUNTAINS GOING EAST BOUND ON WEST SIDE OF FLOYD HILL. THE TRANSMISSION MISS SHIFTED AND DROPPED INTO SECOND AT 65 MPH AND WE WERE ALMOST REAR ENDED BY 18 WHEELER TOOK IT WORKHORSE AND THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG BUT THUS WAS THE THIRD THIS HAPPENED THIS IS A P32 WORKHORSE. *JB

THE GEAR SHIFT CABLE SNAPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. *JB THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE AND SNAPPED LEAVING THE VEHICLE DISENGAGED IN PARK. *SC *JB

CONSUMER CONCERNING WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS PROBLEMS. *TS ***NAR*** THE IDLER ARM RELAY HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED, THE PART WAS PROBABLY NOT HEAVY ENOUGH FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE FRONT END OF THE MOTOR HOME. *JB

WINNEBAGO'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY SEAL WINDSHIELD TO FRAME HAS CAUSED CORROSION AND RUST OVER TIME WHICH HAS CAUSED FRONT WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE. THE RUST HAS ALLOWED THE WINDSHIELD TO SHIFT AND BREAK, THUS CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE.

WINNEBAGO'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY SEAL WINDSHIELD TO FRAME HAS CAUSED CORROSION AND RUST OVER TIME WHICH HAS CAUSED FRONT WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE. THE RUST HAS ALLOWED THE WINDSHIELD TO SHIFT AND BREAK, THUS CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE.

BRAKE BEGAN TO GET HOT AND LOOSE POWER, THEN BEGAN TO PULL TOWARD THE RIGHT. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER THE RV AND SAW A SMALL FIRE . THE CALIPER GOT SO HOT THAT IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. AND THEN I CALLED ROAD SERVICE. THEY TOAD ME TO RV REPAIR CENTER. THEY SAID THAT CALIPER HAD GONE BAD AND SO I GOT THEM TO PUT A NEW ONE ON. REPAIR MAN SAID THAT THE CALIPER HAD RUST IN IT AND DID NOT LET THE PISTON RETRACT. CAUSING THE BRAKE TO GET SO HOT THAT IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THIS HAPPENED IN JULY OF 2008. AFTER THIS WAS CORRECTED. I WAS TRAVELING TO ANOTHER CITY AND STOP FOR A BREAK AND SMELLED A BURNING SMELL. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT ANOTHER CALIPER HAD FROZEN UP. I THEN GOT IT TO A SERVICE DEPT. THE SERVICE REPAIR MAN ADVISED ME IT WOULD BE BEST TO GO AHEAD AND REPLACE BOTH OF THE BACK CALIPERS. HE AND I FELT SURE THAT ALL OF THE CALIPERS WOULD EVENTUALLY GO BAD BECAUSE TWO HAD ALREADY GONE BAD. I HAD THEM ALL REPLACED BECAUSE THEY COULD CAUSE ANOTHER FIRE. REPAIR TECH. SAID THAT THERE SEEMED TO BE A DEFECT IN THEM. I SPENT A LITTLE OVER $3,000.00 TO REPAIR THESE. I CONTACTED BOSH AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS WORKHORSE RESPONSIBILITY. SO THEREFORE I GOT NO RESULTS FROM EITHER OF THESE COMPANY'S. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE REPAID FOR THESE REPLACEMENTS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY RV I BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. I PARKED AND FOUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT VERY HOT AND SMELLED OF BURNING MATERIAL. I NOTICED THE FRONT WHEEL COVERS WERE TOO HOT TO TOUCH. I CALLED THE SELLING DEALER AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE CHASSIS MANUFACTURER WHO IN TURN ADVISED TO CALL THE AUTHORIZED WORKHOUSE DEALER IN TOWN WHO THEN ADVISED ME TO CONTACT A TRANSMISSION COMPANY IN NEARBY CORPUS CHRISTI AND NOT DRIVE THE UNIT BUT HAVE IT TOWED. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION HAD LOCKED DOWN FOR SOME REASON AND NOT TO DRIVE IT FURTHER. I HAD THE UNIT TOWED. THE TRANSMISSION COMPANY LATER ADVISED NOTHING WAS WRONG BUT THAT SOME LOOSE BATTERY CABLES WERE TIGHTENED. THEN A MONTH LATER WHILE DRIVING MY RV I NOTICED THE UNIT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND I AGAIN FOUND THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL COVER WAS HOT. I CONTACTED THE AUTHORIZED WORKHORSE DEALER IN TOWN AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY DID NOT DO BRAKE WORK BUT REFERRED ME TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND ASK THAT THE FRONT BRAKES BE DISMANTLED, INSPECTED, CLEANED, AND GREASED. THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED AND NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT HE WAS NOT SURE IF THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BUT ONLY TIME WOULD TELL. HE DOES NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE REMAINS SOME KIND OF HYDRAULIC PROBLEM WITHIN THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. IN SUMMARY, TOTAL COST EXPENDED TO DATE AMOUNTS TO $750. AND I AM NOT SURE IF THE UNIT IS SAFE TO DRIVE AS THE PROBLEM MAY RESURFACE, THE UNIT FAIL TO STOP, OR CATCH ON FIRE. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET FINDS A HOST OF COMPLAINTS PINPOINTING THE BRAKES ON A WORKHORSE CHASSIS. THESE COMPLAINTS INCLUDING SOME DIRECTED TO NHTSA APPEAR TO DOCUMENT MY CURRENT PROBLEM. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THE MANUFACTURER VIN NUMBERS MAY PINPOINT THE RANGE OF PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION BUT MAY NOT RULE OUT THE MANUFACTURER USING UP INVENTORY OF DEFECTIVE PARTS TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK BEFORE CHANGING TO NEW IMPROVED PARTS. REFERENCE: NHTSA ACTION NO. EA07016, NHTSA COMPLAINT NO.S 10160192, 10209084, 10215202, 10226637, AND 10237100. *TR