NHTSA Complaint #10368837 — 2011 WINNEBAGO VIA

I PURCHASED A NEW WINNEBAGO VIA MOTOR HOME (BUILT ON A MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER CHASSIS) IN AUGUST 2010. ON SHORT TRIPS (10 TO 20 MILES) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD TUM ON. ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THIS STARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND DID NOT TUM OFF. I CONTACTED A DEALER FOR REPAIR ADVICE AND WAS ASK TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER IS ABOUT 60 MILES AWAY; REQUIRING 195 INTERSTATE USE TO DRIVE THERE. THE VEHICLE DROVE CORRECTLY ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE DEALER UNTIL I SLOWED IN PREPARATION TO EXITING FREEWAY BY CHANGING LANES. THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" (AS I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER SERVICE WRITER). IT HAD NO POWER, SLOWED TO ABOUT 25 MPH AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. TO SUDDENLY SLOW IN A LANE OFTRAFFIC GOING 65+ MPH AND TRYING TO CHANGE LANES IS A BIT SCARY AND I THINK DANGEROUS. I WAS ABLE TO GET ACROSS TOWN (ABOUT 10 MILES) IN TRAFFIC BY HAVING MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON AND TRYING NOT TO HOLD UP TRAFFIC. THE DEALER HAD TO KEEP THE VEHICLE OVERNIGHT AND LOANED ME A VEHICLE TO GO HOME UNTIL THE VIA MOTOR HOME WAS REPAIRED. REPAIR TOOK A DAY AND A HALF - INCLUDING WAITING FOR PARTS. THE REPAIR WAS "REMOVE/INSTALL CONTROL VALVE FOR EXHAUST-GAS RECIRCULATION". I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS WATER ENTERING TO TOP OF THE ENGINE AREA THAT CAUSED THE VALVE TO FAIL. THE REPAIR ALSO INCLUDED "REPAIR OF WINDSHIELD TO BODY SEALING". THIS WAS ALL PREFORMED UNDER WARRANTY WITHOUT COST TO ME. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER DEALERSHIP ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS THE FOURTH UNIT (WINNEBABO VIA) THAT THEY HAD REPAIRED FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT APPEARS THAT THIS FAILURE COULD BE A REAL SAFETY HAZARD -LOSING SPEED WHEN DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT 65MPH OR GREATER UPDATED 01/20/11 *BF