NHTSA Complaint #10564260 — 2013 FORD E-450

STEERING IS HEAVY, (HEAVY/STIFF/STEERING WHEEL HARD TO TURN), DOES NOT ROTATE AND/OR RETURN EASILY AND SMOOTHLY. THE OPERATOR/DRIVER IS REQUIRED TO MANUALLY ASSIST THE RETURN OF THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO CENTER, DOES NOT HAVE RETURN ABILITY TO CENTER HOME POSITION ON ITS OWN. SAFETY IS #1; HEAVY/STIFF/STEERING WHEEL HARD TO TURN RAISES SIGNIFICANT CONCERN WITH THIS SUNSEEKER CLASS C MOTORHOME/RV BEING UNSAFE, POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND/OR A HAZARDOUS SITUATION WHEN THE OPERATOR/DRIVER CONSISTENTLY NEEDS TO MAINTAIN A WHITE KNUCKLE CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. WITHOUT ASSISTANCE OR INTERVENTION FROM OPERATOR/DRIVER THIS CLASS C MOTORHOME/RV WOULD CONTINUE TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT, AND WILL NOT RETURN AND CONTINUE IN A STRAIGHT FORWARD MOTION. THIS SUNSEEKER CLASS C MOTORHOME/RV TRACKS SIDE TO SIDE FROM UNEVEN OR GROOVED PAYMENT SURFACES CAUSING A WOBBLING EFFECT. ANOTHER EFFECT WHEN A LARGER VEHICLE IN SIZE PASSES ON THE FREEWAY CAN BE DISTURBING AS NOTED. THIS CLASS C MOTORHOME/RV IS PUSHED TO THE RIGHT OVER THE WHITE FOG LINE INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE. OPERATOR/DRIVER MUST USE A COUNTER STEERING MEASURE BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT INTO THE PASSING VEHICLE, THEN BACK STRAIGHT WHEN THE VEHICLE PASSES. THIS ACTION REQUIRES OPERATOR/DRIVER TO USE CONSTANT MONITORING VISUALLY AND PHYSICALLY OF THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT/FORWARD LINE. *TR