NHTSA Complaint #10265567 — 2002 FLEETWOOD WILDERNESS

I HAVE A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR IN MY CAMPER, AND A FEW YEARS AGO I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF AMMONIA FILL THE CAMPER (I HAD TO EVACUATE FOR SEVERAL HOURS). WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE REFRIGERATOR WAS NO LONGER COOL, AND HAD STOPPED WORKING. THE NEXT YEAR I REC'D A RECALL FROM DOMETIC STATING THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MY UNIT: "A FATIGUE CRACK CAN DEVELOP IN THE BOILER TUBE OF THE IDENTIFIED REFRIGERATORS, WHICH CAN PERMIT THE RELEASE OF PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION. IF THIS SOLUTION IS EXPOSED TO AN IGNITION SOURCE UNDER CERTAIN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES, IT CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE." I THEN CALLED SOME REPAIR SHOPS LISTED ON DOMETIC'S WEBSITE TO SCHEDULE A REPAIR. I FINALLY FOUND ONE THAT WAS WILLING TO DO IT (I WOULD ONLY HAVE TO PAY FOR THE SERVICE CALL) BUT AFTER HE DISCOVERED THAT MY REFRIGERATOR HAD ALREADY QUIT, HE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO CALL DOMETIC. I CALLED DOMETIC, AND AFTER I HAD EXPLAINED TO THE GIRL THAT THE REFRIGERATOR HAD QUIT WORKING, SHE TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL WAS ONLY FOR A PREVENTIVE MEASURE IN SHIELDING IT FROM A FIRE. I THEN TOLD HER THAT BASICALLY IF MY UNIT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF. SHE THEN SUGGESTED THAT I "LOOK INTO THAT ROUTE". I TOLD HER I WAS NOT ABOUT TO COMMIT FRAUD BY SETTING MY CAMPER ON FIRE. *TR