NHTSA Complaint #10234920 — 2003 WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER

PREPARING TO GO CAMPING, I STARTED MY WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER AND POSITIONED IT TO ATTACH MY TOWED VEHICLE. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AT THAT POINT. AFTER COMPLETING THE HITCHING PROCEDURE, I ATTEMPTED TO START MY RV. IT WOULD NOT START. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL TRUCK DEALERSHIP, THEY FOUND "THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND ONE CONNECTOR WAS BURNT." THEY CALLED WINNEBAGO AND "FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN UPDATE RELAY HARNESS FOR THIS PROBLEM" WHICH THEY ORDERED AN INSTALLED. ALTHOUGH THIS OBVIOUSLY WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM (OTHERWISE WHY AN UPDATED KIT), THE SERVICE REP I THEN CONTACTED AT WINNEBAGO, CLAIMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS DEFECTIVE SWITCH AND STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL OR ADVISORY BULLETIN CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. I DID SOME RUDIMENTARY SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND AT LEAST 2 DIFFERENT COMPLAINTS RE THIS SAME PROBLEM, ONE OF WHICH WAS ON A 2005 SIGHTSEER. I IN THOSE INCIDENTS IT SEEMS THAT THE SWITCH SHORTED OUT WHILE THE RIGS WERE UNDERWAY, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE THAT DID NOT HAPPEN TO ME. HOWEVER THE TOWING, LABOR AND PARTS CHARGE CAME TO OVER $1000, MUCH OF THE LABOR COST DUE TO THE TIME INVOLVED IN DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM. THE WINNEBAGO SERVICE REP MADE THE OBSERVATION THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE CALLED WINNEBAGO SOONER, THE IMPLICATION BEING THAT WINNEBAGO KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THIS AGAIN BRINGS UP THE QUESTION WHY NO RECALL OR ADVISORY BULLETIN TO OWNERS? I HAVE THE DAMAGED SWITCH AND CONNECTOR IN MY POSSESSION AND HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED THEM AS WELL. *TR