NHTSA Complaint #11423144 — 2002 WINNEBAGO RIALTA

Upon the advice of fellow Rialta owners, I did an inspection of the rear axle. Upon inspection, I found a crack in the axle casting. This will lead to a catastrophic failure and severe injury or death. The rear axle was manufactured with a weak point and this is where the crack is forming. If the axle breaks at highway speeds, it put everyone on the road in danger. I have reported to fellow Rialta owners who have experience in this and they confirmed it was a crack and will fail. I sent pictures to a local RV shop who does work on my Rialta and they confirmed a welded gusset will need to be installed to reinforce the weak axle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request, however, to avoid potential deaths, I will have the gussets installed by a local shop to reinforce the axle. This has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. There were no warnings or symptoms, just a proactive inspection on my part.