NHTSA Complaint #10140144 — 2000 WINNEBAGO BRAVE

WE HAVE A 2000 WINNEBAGO BRAVE, P32 CHASSIS. IN JULY WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM WORKHORSE TELLING US TO HAVE OUR AUTO PARK SYSTEM CHECKED. SINCE WE WERE PLANNING A LONG OUT OF STATE TRIP IN AUGUST WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE SYSTEM CHECKED OUT BEFORE OUR TRIP. OUR COACH HAS 26,000 MILES AND WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS. WE THOUGHT THIS LETTER WAS A RECALL LETTER. ON THE WAY TO THE WORKHORSE SERVICE CENTER, AND ABOUT 35 MILES AWAY FROM OUR HOME, ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM THE TOLL GATE, WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM ABOUT 60 MPH, THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE POP AND THEN A SLIGHT SCRUBBING NOISE FROM UNDER THE COACH, WENT THROUGH THE TOLL GATE AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD. JUST BEFORE I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE MOTOR HOME STARTING FILLING UP WITH SMOKE. I SHUT EVERYTHING OFF, AND GOT OUT OF THE COACH AND I COULD SEE FIRE UNDER THE COACH AT THE PARKING BRAKE DRUM. THE AUTO PARK SYSTEM HAD FOR NO REASON SUDDENLY ENGAGED, OVERHEATED AND CAUGHT FIRE. FLAMES UNDERNEATH THE MOTOR HOME WERE FINALLY PUT OUT, AND THEN THE INSIDE AGAIN FILLED WITH SMOKE. THIS TIME IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CARPET IN THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT ABOVE THE BRAKE DRUM WAS ON FIRE. THIS FIRE WAS PUT OUT AS WELL. AT THE SERVICE CENTER THE WORKHORSE REPAIR TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THEY HAD DEALT WITH THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES BEFORE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE COMPLETE SYSTEM, NOT JUST THE BROKEN PARTS, BE CHANGED. THIS WAS BECAUSE PAST EXPERIENCE OF REPAIRING OF ONLY BROKEN PARTS DID NOT WORK. AFTER A VERY LONG WAIT FOR PARTS, LOSS OF USE FOR MORE THAN 2 MONTHS, THE COACH HAS NOW BEEN REPAIRED AND IS WAITING FOR US TO PICK IT UP. THE PROBLEM IS THAT REPEATED CONVERSATIONS WITH WORKHORSE HAVE FAILED TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY SATISFACTION. WE HAVE A REPAIR BILL OF OVER $4300.00 WITH THE PARTS PORTION BEING OVER $2100.00. WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS PROBLEM AND BELIEVE IT JUSTIFIES A NATIONWIDE RECALL, NOT JUST AN "INFO" LETTER. HAD WE BEEN TRAVELING ON THE ROAD OUR FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED BY THE FIRE. *NM