2015 THOR MOTOR COACH CHALLENGER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

The contact owns a 2015 Thor Challenger RV built on a 2014 Ford F-53 chassis. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, he observed from the passenger side rear view mirror that the door skin had begun to peel away from the door. The contact pulled off the roadway and observed that the skin had delaminated from the door and had only been held in place by the lock and door handle. The contact took the door handle and lock mechanism off and removed the laminate and stored it in the RV. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The RV was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had attempted to contact the manufacturer and left a voice message requesting a call back. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V845000 (Structure) however, the RV’s VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

THOR WIPER ISSUE STILL CONTINUES. IN APRIL 2019, I HAD MY RV IN FOR THE WIPER RECALL. THE DEALER TIGHTENED THE ACORN NUTS HOLDING THE WIPER ARMS AND TOLD ME THE REMEDY HAD BEEN PERFORMED. WITHIN SEVERAL MONTHS IT FAILED AGAIN. I REACHED OUT TO THOR ON OCTOBER 7, 2019 AND SPOKE WITH BRIAN IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND EXPLAINING MY PROBLEM, HE TOLD ME I HAD A LINKAGE ISSUE THAT CAUSED THE WIPER TO OVER TRAVEL AND JAM WITH THE DRIVER WIPER. HE RECOMMEND I TAKE IT TO A THOR REPAIR DEALERSHIP CLAIMING THERE WAS ANOTHER RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HE RECOMMENDED ONLY SERVICED RV'S THAT WERE PURCHASED THERE. I THEN CALLED BACK TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH TOM OVERTON. HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THOR COULD DO SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED. HE GAVE ME A PART NUMBER 0268084, AND THE NAME AND NUMBER OF A PLACE TO ORDER A NEW WIPER ASSEMBLY (TOTAL VALUE RV) I WAS TOLD THE COST WOULD BE 700.32 PLUS SHIPPING. I DECIDED TO ORDER NEW WIPER ARMS AND KNURLED NUTS TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL ONE FOR 217.54 PLUS SHIPPING. I HAVE CURRENTLY REMOVED THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER TO KEEP FROM JAMMING BUT THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER OVERSHOOTS THE WINDSHIELD ALSO CAUSING IT TO BE INEFFECTIVE. *DT *TP

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 THOR CHALLENGER MOTOR HOME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTRANCE DOOR LATCH MALFUNCTIONED AND THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE MOTOR HOME. A PASSENGER WAS TRAPPED INSIDE. THE DOOR WAS EVENTUALLY PRIED OPEN TO RELEASE THE PASSENGER. THE LOCK WAS REPLACED BY THE OWNER AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000. UPDATED 12/13/2017 *LN CONSUMER STATED THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE KNOWN TO RX OWNERS OF THIS MODEL. THE PROBLEM LIES WITH STRIKE BOLT SNAPPING IN HALF DUE TO DESIGN AND MATERIAL USED. INVALID VIN. UPDATED 7/23/18*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 THOR CHALLENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED ON THE HIGHWAY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE'S PASSENGER WIPER UN-TORQUED AND JAMMED THE DRIVER'S WIPER. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THEIR OWN VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED REGARDING A NEW CRANK ARM AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT IF ANY PART OF THAT WIPER SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY THE INTEGRITY OF THE WIPER SYSTEM WOULD BE COMPROMISED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V162000 (VISIBILITY) THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AGAIN REGARDING THE CRANK ARM AND THE WIPER SYSTEM BEING REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL SINCE THE BOLT NOT BEING TORQUED PROPERLY CAUSED THE CRANK ARM TO DETACHED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RECALL DOES NOT COVER THAT COMPONENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 18,000.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE SMOKEY MOUNTAIN INTERSTATE ONE EVENING DURING A HEAVY DOWN POUR, MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER DISAPPEARED FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND WITH MOMENTS, THE DRIVERS SIDE QUIT WORKING. DUE TO LACK OF VISIBILIT, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER. FORTUNEATELY, THERE WAS A TRACTOR TRAILER IN FRONT OF US AND I WAS ABLE TO SEE ITS REAR LIGHTS AND FOLLOWED IT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. AT THE BOTTOM I PULLED OFF TO THE SHOULDER AND INSPECTED THE WIPERS. THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD LODGED ITSELF INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE CAUSING LOSS OF WIPERS. I HAD TO REMOVE THE PASSENGER SIDE INORDER FOR THE DRIVERS SIDE TO WORK AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVIING. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND THE WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. ...UPDATED 01/23/17 *BF