NHTSA Complaint #11196808 — 2014 TIFFIN PHAETON

VEHICLE IS 5 YRS OLD WITH ABOUT 16000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE WIFE NOTICED A SMELL COMING FROM THE REAR. WE THOUGHT IT WAS ENGINE CLEANER BURNING OFF FROM AN OIL LEAK REPAIRED A FEW DAYS PRIOR BY CUMMINS. SMELL GOT STRONGER SO PULLED INTO TRUCK STOP AND FOUND A HUGE DIESEL FUEL LEAK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. WE HAD A STEADY STREAM BEHIND US FROM PULLING IN NOT THE OCCASIONAL DROP HERE AND THERE. AFTERWARDS WE ESTIMATED THAT WE LOST ABOUT 10 GALLONS IN 30 MILES. THE CAUSE WAS A BROKEN #4 FUEL INJECTOR LINE BETWEEN THE COMMON RAIL AND THE BLOCK AT THE FERRULE AGAINST THE BLOCK. THE NEW PART HAS AN ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BETWEEN THE TWO CONNECTIONS TO KEEP IT FROM FLEXING AND CRACKING SO IT MUST BE A KNOWN ISSUE AS CUMMINS HAS CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE PART. THE CUMMINS REPAIR FACILITY ALSO SAID IT WAS A FAIRLY COMMON ISSUE THEY SEE. THE ENTIRE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST WAS DRIPPING WITH FUEL. IF THERE HAD BEEN A REGEN GOING ON IT LIKELY WOULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE DUE TO THE HIGH TEMP AND THE FACT THAT THAT PART OF THE EXHAUST WAS SOAKED IN FUEL.MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY HAVE A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE # 6 LINE SINCE IT HAS A REVISION TO A MIDPOINT SUPPORT BRACKET AS WELL AND ANY RV FORUM WILL HAVE REPORTS OF THAT FAILURE AS WELL.*DT CONSUMER STATED FUEL LEAKS ARE A KNOWN ISSUE. CONSUMER DID NOT CONTACT MANUFACTURER. *JB