NHTSA Complaint #10233637 — 1999 FOREST RIVER SALEM LITE

WE HAD A FAILURE OF OUR DOMETIC RV REFRIGERATOR IN OUR 1999 SALEM 29 FT. CAMPER THIS WEEKEND. WE CAME BACK FROM A HIKE AND NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF AMMONIA INSIDE. I SHUT OFF POWER TO THE UNIT AND CAME HOME. AFTER TALKING TO SOME FRIENDS ,THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL ON CERTAIN DOMETIC UNITS. I LOOKED UP THE RECALL AND CALLED THE DOMETIC HELP LINE ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY WILL PAY FOR A SHIELD TO BE PUT ON TO PREVENT FAILURES AND FIRES , BUT NOT REPAIR A UNIT THAT HAD FAILED EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE DESIGN OF THE UNIT. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THIS CAMPER AND FILLED OUT ALL WARRANTY CARDS WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAMPER, INCLUDING THE DOMETIC CARD. WE HAVE NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED THAT COULD CAUSE LIFE SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE CONTINUED USE OF THEIR PRODUCT. IF WE HAD BEEN ASLEEP IN THE CAMPER WHEN THE COOLING SYSTEM FAILED WE COULD HAVE BEEN ASPHYXIATED BY THE RELEASE OF THE AMMONIA GAS INTO THE TRAILER. NOW THEY TELL ME THEY WON'T REPAIR A KNOWN DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THEIR PRODUCT THAT THEY FAILED TO NOTIFY US ABOUT. THANK YOU *TR