NHTSA Complaint #749398 — 1999 FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY

I WAS GOING UP THE STEPS GETTING INTO MY MOTORHOME, AND I USED THE GRAB HANDLE TO PULL MYSELF UP AND IT CAME APART IN MY HANDS, I FELL BACKWARDS, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CATCH MYSELF BEFORE I FELL DOWN. HAD THIS HAPPENED TO AN OLDER PERSON IT COULD OF BEEN REAL BAD. THE PULL HANDLE IS MADE OF CLEAR PLASTIC AND IT APPEARED TO HAVE STRESS CRACKS/MARKS IN THE PLASTIC. I SAVED THE OLD PIECE. I CONTACTED THE MFG. FLEETWOOD AT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER 800-322-8216 AND SPOKE WITH "MICHAEL" WHO INFORMED ME IT WAS ONLY GUARANTEED FOR ONE YEAR. I BELONG TO "THE DISCOVERY OWNERS ASSOCIATION" WHICH WE HAVE ABOUT 1700 COACH OWNER MEMBERS AND THRU OUR WEB SITE, WEB MASTER BOB COOK E-MAIL [email protected], HE INFORMED ME OF NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THE OUTSIDE DOOR GRAB HANDLE. I FEEL THIS IS A HAZZARD TO THE ELDERLY COACH OWNERS AS WELL AS THE YOUNGER ONES TOO. FLEETWOODS ATTITUDE IS NOT A CONCERN ABOUT THIS ITEM. THE PLASTIC EVIDENTLY PUT UNDER A STRESS WHEN ITS MADE. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALSO BEEN FORWARDED TO JIM POURROY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA A TECHNICAL SERVICE TRAINER WITH FLEETWOOD PHONE 909-274-2000.*AK