COUNTRY COACH IS RECALLING 238 MY 2006-2008 AFFINITY AND MAGNA MOTOR HOMES. LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST CAN OCCUR IN THESE MOTOR HOMES.
COUNTRY COACH IS RECALLING 1,228 MY 2004-2008 MAGNA, AFFINITY AND INTRIGUE MOTOR HOMES. THESE MOTOR HOMES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE SIDE MARKER LIGHTS IN THE COMBINATION HEADLIGHT AND TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES DO NOT MEET THE MINIMUM PHOTOMETRIC VALUES SPECIFIED IN FMVSS NO. 108.
CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH A TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATOR, MANUFACTURED BY THE DOMETIC CORPORATION, MAY HAVE A DEFECT IN THE BOILER TUBE. PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION COULD BE RELEASED INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT.
ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES, EXISTING FASTENERS USED TO SECURE THE SATELLITE DOME TO THE MOTOR HOME ROOF DO NOT PENETRATE THE ROOF SUFFICIENTLY TO PREVENT THE DOME FROM COMING OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN TRANSIT.
CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 120, 'TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS.' THE FEDERAL TIRE LABELS INCORRECTLY STATE THE COLD TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE FOR THE TOYO 12R22.5 REAR TIRES.
ON MAY 26,2008, WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 COUNTRY COACH AFFINITY IN FLORIDA, I HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND COOLING. THE CAUSE TURNED OUT TO BE A FAILURE OF THE SPLINES IN THE HYDRAULIC PUMP ATTACHED TO THE POWER TAKE-OFF FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THIS PUMP RUNS THE POWER STEERING, AND ANOTHER PUMP IS ATTACHED TO IT WHICH RUNDS THE ENGINE COOLING FAN. DRIVING A MOTOR HOME WITH AN 18,000 LB FRONT AXLE WITHOUT POWER STEERING IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, TO SAY THE LEAST. IF I HAD NOT BEEN JUST ENTERING THE INTERSTATE FROM THE ON-RAMP AND ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD QUICKLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD HAVE MANAGED. CERTAINLY IF I HAD BEEN ON A WINDING ROAD, THE SITUATION WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. I WAS AFRAID I WAS GOING TO BREAK THE STEERING COLUMN LINKAGES BY MANHANDLING IT SO HARD. THE SPLINES WHICH FAILED WERE SIMPLY WORN DOWN TO NOTHING BECAUSE OF THE FRETTING THEY ENDURED BEING IN A CONSTANT USE SITUATION WITH NO LUBRICATION. THE PTO MANUFACTURER TOLD ME, AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION ON MY PART, THAT THE PTO WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE USED IN A CONTINUOUS RUN SITUATION WITH THE DRY SET-UP AS IT WAS. THEY RECOMMEND A LUBRICATED SET-UP WITH EITHER GREASE CONNECTIONS TO ALLOW FREQUENT LUBRICATION OR WITH A FREE-FLOWING CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FOR LUBRICATION CONSTANTLY. COUNTRY COACH REPAIRED THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE EXACT SAME SET-UP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF NUMEROUS OTHER FAILURES WITH LOW MILEAGE (MY COACH HAD ONLY ABOUT 14,000 MILES ON IT). I PERSONALLY KNOW OF AT LEAST THREE OF COUNTRY COACH OWNERS WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION WILL CONTINUE IF THEY KEEP JUST REPLACING THE SAME PARTS AND DO NOT ADDRESS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE BY CHANGING TO A LUBRICATED SYSTEM. *TR
No injuries · No fire · No crash
ON MAY 12, 2008 AT 5:30 PM THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON OUR 45' MOTOR HOME. WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HWY 60 WEST NEAR THE JUNCTION WITH I10 IN BEAUMONT, CA. THE POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING WHAT-SO-EVER. I WAS VERY LUCKY IN THAT THERE WAS A PULL-OUT AND I WAS BARELY ABLE MAN-HANDLE THE MOTOR HOME INTO THE PULLOUT AREA. STEERING A MOTOR HOME THAT WEIGHS 52000 POUNDS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY THE LEAST WITHOUT POWER STEERING. I FELT AS THOUGH I MIGHT BREAK THE STEERING WHEEL OFF AS THE COMPONENTS OF THE STEERING COLUMN ARE NOT DESIGNED TO BE USED WITHOUT POWER STEERING. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING, THERE IS NO WAY IN THE WORLD SHE COULD HAVE CONTROLLED OR STEERED THIS MOTOR HOME AT THE TIME OF BREAKDOWN. WE WERE TOWED TO COLTON, CA FOR REPAIRS. THE PTO (POWER TAKE OFF) HAD FAILED COMPLETELY CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE PTO IS MANUFACTURED BY CHELSEA. THE PTO UNIT INSTALLED ON OUR MOTOR HOME IS THE WRONG ONE FOR THIS APPLICATION. IT RUNS "DRY" WITH NO LUBRICATION ADDED AND CONSEQUENTLY FAILS AT APPROX 15K MILES (GIVE OR TAKE). THIS PTO IS NOT INTENDED FOR 100% DUTY CYCLE AND IS INTENDED FOR INTERMITTENT USE ONLY AS IT HAS NO RENEWABLE LUBRICATION AVAILABLE. WE KNOW OF 4 OTHER COUNTRY COACH MOTOR HOMES THAT HAVE THE SAME FAILURE AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILEAGE. THE POTENTIAL FOR ROLLOVER OR DEATH IS EXTREMELY HIGH. BY THE WAY, CHELSEA MAKES A PTO DESIGNED FOR THIS APPLICATION BUT SOMEHOW, COUNTRY COACH ISN'T INSTALLING THE CORRECT PTO DESIGNED FOR CONTINUOUS DUTY. COUNTRY COACH AUTHORIZED THE PTO TO BE REPLACED WITH THE SAME MODEL RUNNING "DRY". SO IN APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES IT WILL FAIL AGAIN AS THIS IS ONLY A BAND-AID. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE OLD PARTS THAT WERE REMOVED FROM MY MOTOR HOME. COUNTRY COACH NEEDS TO RE-ENGINEER AND REPLACE THE PTO WITH A PTO DESIGNED FOR THIS APPLICATION. *TR
No injuries · No fire · No crash
POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVE A 50000 # MOTORHOME DOWN THE ROAD. *JB
No injuries · No fire · No crash
WHILE DRIVING, TIRES DISINTEGRATED, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL, CONSUMER FEELS THE VEHICLE IS OVERWEIGHTED IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THAT VEHICLE BE REPURCHASED. (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT) *SLC
No injuries · No fire · No crash