NHTSA Complaint #10246031 — 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS

WHILE DRIVING MY RV I BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. I PARKED AND FOUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT VERY HOT AND SMELLED OF BURNING MATERIAL. I NOTICED THE FRONT WHEEL COVERS WERE TOO HOT TO TOUCH. I CALLED THE SELLING DEALER AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE CHASSIS MANUFACTURER WHO IN TURN ADVISED TO CALL THE AUTHORIZED WORKHOUSE DEALER IN TOWN WHO THEN ADVISED ME TO CONTACT A TRANSMISSION COMPANY IN NEARBY CORPUS CHRISTI AND NOT DRIVE THE UNIT BUT HAVE IT TOWED. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION HAD LOCKED DOWN FOR SOME REASON AND NOT TO DRIVE IT FURTHER. I HAD THE UNIT TOWED. THE TRANSMISSION COMPANY LATER ADVISED NOTHING WAS WRONG BUT THAT SOME LOOSE BATTERY CABLES WERE TIGHTENED. THEN A MONTH LATER WHILE DRIVING MY RV I NOTICED THE UNIT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND I AGAIN FOUND THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL COVER WAS HOT. I CONTACTED THE AUTHORIZED WORKHORSE DEALER IN TOWN AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY DID NOT DO BRAKE WORK BUT REFERRED ME TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND ASK THAT THE FRONT BRAKES BE DISMANTLED, INSPECTED, CLEANED, AND GREASED. THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED AND NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT HE WAS NOT SURE IF THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BUT ONLY TIME WOULD TELL. HE DOES NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE REMAINS SOME KIND OF HYDRAULIC PROBLEM WITHIN THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. IN SUMMARY, TOTAL COST EXPENDED TO DATE AMOUNTS TO $750. AND I AM NOT SURE IF THE UNIT IS SAFE TO DRIVE AS THE PROBLEM MAY RESURFACE, THE UNIT FAIL TO STOP, OR CATCH ON FIRE. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET FINDS A HOST OF COMPLAINTS PINPOINTING THE BRAKES ON A WORKHORSE CHASSIS. THESE COMPLAINTS INCLUDING SOME DIRECTED TO NHTSA APPEAR TO DOCUMENT MY CURRENT PROBLEM. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THE MANUFACTURER VIN NUMBERS MAY PINPOINT THE RANGE OF PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION BUT MAY NOT RULE OUT THE MANUFACTURER USING UP INVENTORY OF DEFECTIVE PARTS TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK BEFORE CHANGING TO NEW IMPROVED PARTS. REFERENCE: NHTSA ACTION NO. EA07016, NHTSA COMPLAINT NO.S 10160192, 10209084, 10215202, 10226637, AND 10237100. *TR