NHTSA Complaint #10097109 — 2002 WINNEBAGO JOURNEY

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. " WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 81 WITH THE ON BOARD GENERATOR ON, WE NOTICED A FOUL ODOR COMING INTO THE COACH. SHORTLY AFTER A LOSS OF COOLANT THE DASH LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD I FOUND THE HEATER CORE HAD SPRUNG A MAJOR COOLANT LEAK WHICH WAS SPRAYING HOT COOLANT ONTO THE HOT GENERATOR. I LATER LEARNED THIS SITUATION HAS EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO START A FIRE. WINNEBAGO AND THE COMPANY THAT BUILT THE HEATER CORE WILL NOT ASSIST IN ANY WAY WITH THIS MAJOR EXPENSIVE REPAIR. OTHER JOURNEY OWNERS I HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN DIFFERENT CAMP GROUNDS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE HEATER CORE. I FEEL WINNEBAGO SHOULD SHARE SOME RESPONSIBILITY BOTH FROM A NEGLIGENCE AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTING FROM POOR QUALITY CONTROL. THE PART IS $75.00, BUT THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE COACH HAS TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER TO REACH THE HEATER CORE. THE REPAIR WILL BE IN THE THOUSANDS.*JB