NHTSA Complaint #11233304 — 2017 THOR MOTOR COACH TUSCANY

WHILE STATIONARY AND ENGINE COOL, I STARTED THE MOTOR COACH AND WHEN I STEPPED OUTSIDE I NOTICED THE SMELL OF DIESEL FUEL. UPON INVESTIGATION, IT WAS REVEALED THAT FLEETGUARD FUEL FILTER (RESIN CONSTRUCTION) MODEL FF63009 HAD A HAIR LINE CRACK IN THE SIDE OF THE HOUSING. A FINE SPRAY OF RAW FUEL WAS SPRAYING DIRECTLY ONTO THE DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER (DPF). THE DPF WHEN IN REGENERATION MODE CAN REACH TEMPERATURES OF UP TO 500 DEGREE F. FORTUNATELY, THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS COLD AT START UP, BUT HAD IT BEEN IN RUNNING FOR A WHILE AND WENT INTO IN REGENERATION MODE, A FIRE COULD HAVE RESULTED CONSIDERING THE FINE MIST THAT WAS BEING SPRAYED ONTO THE EXHAUST. I IMMEDIATELY REMOVE AND REPLACED THE FILTER THE NEXT DAY. UNFORTIONATELY I DID NOT RETAIN THE DEFECTIVE FILTER. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A SIMILAR RECALL (QRMA FTDM-9M5HB6) BUT WAS NOT FOR A SPLIT IN THE SIDE OF THE HOUSING.