NHTSA Complaint #723474 — 1998 VIKING LEGEND

THIS COMPONENT WAS THE SUBJECT OF RECALL #98V196001, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT VIKING DID NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT FOR THIS COMPONENT, AND THAT IT WOULD BE REPLACED WITH A LIGHT ASSEMBLY. HOWEVER, IF AT A FUTURE DATE VIKING FOUND A SIMILAR PRODUCT, THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE IT WITH A LIGHT AND FAN COMBINATION. THIS FEATURE WAS ONE THAT SOLD US ON THIS MODEL OF RV, SO WE DECIDED TO WAIT FOR THE REPLACEMENT LIGHT AND FAN COMBINATION. WHILE CAMPING RECENTLY THIS PRODUCT FAILED AS THE RECALL STATES, FAN MOTOR FAILED AND BURNED THE WIRING FOR IT IN OUR CHILDRENS BIRTH END, FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED, BUT CERTAINLY A WAKE UP CALL TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO RECALLS! AFTER A RECENT CONVERSATION WITH COACHMAN, THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE LIGHT AND FAN COMBINATION, BUT WOULD SUPPLY A FAN ONLY, EVEN THOUGH NEWER MODELS ARE EQUIPPED WITH A LIGHT AND FAN COMBINATION. THEY (LINDA) FURTHER STATED THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO DO THAT, NHTSA ONLY REQUIRED THEM TO COLLECT THE RECALLED LIGHT AND FAN COMBINATIONS, AND THAT IF WE WANTED A LIGHT AND FAN COMBINATION WE COULD PURCHASE IT FROM OUR LOCAL DEALER! IS THIS TRUE? AFTER WORKING FOR A NEW CAR DEALER FOR THE PAST YEARS I FIND THIS VERY HARD TO SWALLOW, KNOWING WE BRING RECALLED VEHICLES TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN ORIGINALLY BUILT AND SEEK CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN DOING SO. EVEN TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE REPLACED LIFT BACK LATCHES ON 20 YEAR OLD CARAVANS, THAT MAY POSSIBLY FAIL AND CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS USED INAPPROPRIATELY! I PURCHASED THIS RV WITH A LIGHT AND FAN COMBINATION AN BELEIVE VERY STRONGLY THAT VIKING HAS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO SUPPLY A SUITABLE AND SAFE REPLACEMENT FOR AN OBVIOUS DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. WOULD YOU PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS SITUATION SO THAT I WILL KNOW HOW TO PROCEED FURTHER WITH THIS MATTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK