NHTSA Complaint #10538013 — 2011 WINNEBAGO VIEW

6/20/2012- WHILE DRIVING ON HWY 101 I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND OUR 2011 WINNEBAGO VIEW 24J ACTED LIKE WE HIT A LARGE BUMP IN THE ROAD. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BLOW OUT. WHEN I PULLED OVER, I RAN AROUND TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I COULD HEAR AIR LEAKING FROM THE TIRES. A CHP OFFICER PULLED UP BEHIND US TO SEE IF WE WERE OKAY. HE ASKED IF THAT WAS OUR EXHAUST SYSTEM LAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF 101. I SAID I DON'T THINK SO, BUT WHEN I LOOKED TO SEE MY TAILPIPE STICKING OUT IN FRONT OF THE PASSENGER REAR TIRES, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS GONE. OUR ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS GONE. FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BACK, EVERYTHING WAS MISSING. SOMEHOW, OUR EXHAUST SYSTEM DROPPED IN FRONT OF OUR REAR TIRES. IN THE DROPPED POSITION, THE TIRES STRUCK THE EXHAUST AND PULLED IT UNDER THEM. THIS PULLED THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM UNDER THE TIRES AND RIPPED IT FROM THE ENGINE. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IS HEAVY AND LARGE. IT COULD EASILY DAMAGE ONCOMING VEHICLES. AS THE EXHAUST EXITED OUR VEHICLE, IT CUT ONE OF THE REAR TIRES CAUSING IRREPARABLE DAMAGE. UPDATE: 8/29/2013 TOTAL COST OF ALL REPAIRS WAS OVER $10K. AFTER HEARING ABOUT ANOTHER WINNEBAGO VIEW OWNER THAT HAD NEARLY THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE I DECIDED TO POST THIS ON NHTSA. I BELIEVE THE ENTIRE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO A FAILED EXHAUST HANGER AND LACK OF SECONDARY SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE EXHAUST. I CONSIDER THIS A DESIGN FAILURE BY THE MANUFACTURER WINNEBAGO. *TT