NHTSA Complaint #10626059 — 2003 DUTCHMEN AERO

WHILE DRIVING OUR DUTCH STAR MOTORHOME ON NORTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101 AT 55 MPH IN THE LOS ANGELES CA. AREA AND IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE OF THE 4 LANE FREEWAY, THE COACH SUDDENLY VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND I HAD NO STEERING CONTROL AT ALL. THERE WAS A VERY LOUD SCREECHING ROARING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE AS THE COACH INSTANTLY CROSSED ALL OF THE REMAINING 3 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC AND IMPACTED THE CONCRETE CENTER DIVIDER AT FREEWAY SPEED AND AT APPROXIMATELY A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE COACH WAS DEFLECTED AFTER IS SLAMMED INTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER AND THEN SLID ANOTHER 300 FEET ALONG THE WALL UNTIL IT CAME TO REST ON THE WALL IN THE CENTER MEDIAN. UPON LATER EXAMINING THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE MOTOR HOME ONCE IT WAS TOWED TO THE IMPOUND YARD AND PLACED UP ON BLOCKS, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING CASTING THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL TIE ROD HAD BROKEN ALLOWING THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL TO IMMEDIATELY TURN TO THE FULL LEFT TURN POSITION WHICH CAUSED ME TO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO STEERING CONTROL AS WE VEERED TOWARD THE 4 LANES OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANES THAT WERE TRAVELING AT AROUND 65 TO 70 MPH. MY WIFE AND I WANT TO WARN OTHERS OF A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN OTHER STEERING CASTINGS OF THE SAME DESIGN THAT COULD CAUSE ANOTHER WRECK WITH THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATH. THE MOTORHOME WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR