Vehicle Safety Data

2005 TIFFIN PHAETON — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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N/A

Safety Rating

1

Owner Complaint

5

Recalls

ACTIVE RECALL

2

Service Bulletins

1

Investigation

Overview of the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON

The 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON has received a total of 1 safety complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 5 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 2 technical service bulletins have been issued by Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problem area is the Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System (1 complaint).

Recalls for the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON

NHTSA has recorded 5 recalls for the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON, potentially affecting up to 16,984 vehicles.

Recall 11V082000 — EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

| 10,683 vehicles affected

Defect: TIFFIN MOTORHOMES IS RECALLING CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1200-SERIES NORCOLD REFRIGERATORS. THE POPULATION OF REFRIGERATORS BEING ADDRESSED CONTAINS EITHER A SENSING ALGORITHM OR THERMAL SWITCH TO SHUT OFF POWER TO THE REFRIGERATOR WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE DETECTED IN ORDER TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL FIRE. THE RESPONSE TIMES OF THE SENSOR ALGORITHM AND THERMAL SWITCH DEVICES TO STOP POWER ARE...

Consequence: THE SENSING ALGORITHM OR THERMAL SWITCH INSTALLED TO SHUT OFF POWER TO THE REFRIGERATOR WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE DETECTED DUE TO A POSSIBLE HYDROGEN GAS LEAK MAY NOT SHUT OFF IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO PREVENT A FIRE.

Remedy: TIFFIN MOTORHOMES IS WORKING WITH NORCOLD TO IDENTIFY AND NOTIFY ANY AFFECTED OWNERS. OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT NORCOLD DEALERS TO RECEIVE THE REMEDY FREE OF CHARGE. PLEASE SEE NORCOLD'S DEFECT REPORT 10E-049 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THE SAFETY RECALL...

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Recall 08V509000 — EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

| 3,507 vehicles affected

Defect: TIFFIN IS RECALLING 3,507 MY 2004-2007 ALLEGRO, ALLEGRO BAY AND ALLERO BUS, MY 2004-2005 PHAETON AND MY 2005-2007 ZEPHYR MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH A TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATOR MANUFACTURED BY THE DOMETIC CORPORATION. THE REFRIGERATOR MAY HAVE A DEFECT IN THE BOILER TUBE. PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION COULD BE RELEASED INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT.

Consequence: RELEASE OF COOLANT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE AND RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: TIFFIN WILL BE WORKING WITH DOMETIC IN ORDER TO REPAIR THESE REFRIGERATORS (PLEASE SEE 08E032). DOMETIC WILL REPAIR THESE REFRIGERATORS BY INSTALLING A SECONDARY BURN HOUSING, A THERMAL FUSE, AND A MELT FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. DOMETIC HAS RETAINED STERICYCLE...

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Recall 05V307000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

| 265 vehicles affected

Defect: ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES CONTAINING A 50 AMP TRANSFER SWITCH BUILT BY INTELLITEC, THE MATERIAL USED FOR THE WIRE LUGS WAS CHANGED FROM NICKEL PLATED TO COPPER LUGS. THE COPPER LUGS ARE SOFTER THAN THE NICKEL PLATED AND DO NOT RETAIN THE TORQUE OF THE SCREW THAT CLAMPS THE WIRE CONNECTOR.

Consequence: WHEN THE TORQUE IS RELAXED, THE LUGS CAN BECOME LOOSE RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE HEAT WITHIN THE CONNECTED WIRE THAT COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CHANGEOVER BOX. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 21, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TIFFIN AT 1-256-356-8661.

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Recall 05V145000 — EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

| 867 vehicles affected

Defect: ON CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, THE WASHER/DRYER IN THE REAR OF THE MOTOR HOME CAN MOVE.

Consequence: A VEHICLE OCCUPANT COULD BE INJURED IF THE WASHER/DRYER MOVED.

Remedy: TIFFIN HAS PROVIDED THE OWNERS WITH A REPAIR KIT AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 7, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TIFFIN AT 1-256-356-0205.

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Recall 04V383000 — SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

| 1,662 vehicles affected

Defect: THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE LOOP LOAD REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209. "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."

Consequence: THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE MAY UNLATCH IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.

Remedy: AMSAFE WILL REPLACE THE BUCKLES. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT AMSAFE AT 574-266-8330 OR TIFFIN AT 1-256-356-8661.

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Owner Complaints for the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON

1 complaint has been filed with NHTSA for the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System
Complaints: 1

Most Recent Complaints

#10289786 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | | 49,376 miles
2005 ALLEGRO (TIFFIN) PHAETON ON FREIGHTLINER XC CHASSIS WITH CATAPILLAR C7 ENGINE: TRAVELING FROM SARASOTA, FL TO SAN DIEGO, CA STARTING AUGUST 18, 2009 THE ENGINE BEGAN OVERHEATING ON AN EVER MORE FREQUENT BASIS UNTIL AUGUST 27, 2009, WHEN TRAVERSING THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF SAN DIEGO ON INTERSTATE 8 WE WERE FORCED TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY EVERY ONE HALF TO ONE MILE TO COOL DOWN THE ENGINE TO A WORKABLE LEVEL. THESE FREQUENT STOPS CREATED A HAZARD FOR EVERYONE ELSE TRAVELING THAT STRETCH OF HIGHWAY AND CREATED A RISK OF ENGINE FAILURE AND/OR FIRE IN A GENERALLY REMOTE AREA. DURING ONE SUCH STOP WE DID SCRAPE THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ON A GUARD RAIL UNDER A RAILROAD TRESTLE. THE DAMAGE HAS NOT YET BEEN ESTIMATED BUT I EXPECT IT TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3,000. THE PROBLEM WAS EVENTUALLY TRACED BY FREIGHTLINER SAN DIEGO TO A TOO SHORT CRANKCASE BLOWBY VENT ON THE ENGINE THAT ALLOWED CRANKCASE OIL MIST TO BE SPRAYED ON THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE RADIATOR BY THE COOLING FAN. SUBSEQUENTLY, DUST AND DIRT THROWN UP DURING DRIVING WAS ABSORBED BY THE OIL AND ESSENTIALLY BLOCKED THE AIR FLOW OVER THE RADIATOR. AFTER SOME MILES (OURS WAS AT ABOUT 49000+ MILES) THE BLOCKAGE BECOMES GREAT ENOUGH TO CAUSE ALMOST TOTAL FAILURE. GIVEN ITS LOCATION THE SIDE OF THE RADIATOR AFFECTED IS NOT VISIBLE TO INSPECTION WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT EFFORT. THE SOLUTION WAS TO REMOVE THE RADIATOR AND THE AIR CHARGE COOLER, CLEAN THEM AND REINSTALL THEM. IN ADDITION, FREIGHTLINER PROVIDED A REPLACEMENT FOR THE CRANKCASE BLOWBY TUBE THAT IS LONGER AND SENDS THE OIL BELOW THE RADIATOR (I.E., THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AT FREIGHTLINER). I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL TUBE. THE COST FOR THE CLEANING WAS $2,403.78 AND THE PART WAS $256.58 (DONE AT SEPARATE FACILITIES).*TR

Safety Rating for the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON

NHTSA has not yet tested the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON in its New Car Assessment Program.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON

Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc. has issued 2 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

Letter to dealer — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This was a letter to our dealers we sent out when we first heard of the Kidde fire extinguisher recall, even though it was still unofficial. We knew our coaches on the dealers' lots contained Kidde and could not be sold unreplaced.

WI-269 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

TIFFIN MOTORHOMES: EXHAUST TIP AND PIPES TO THE MUFFLER ON PHAETON MODELS NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED. *TA

NHTSA Investigations for the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation into potential safety defects in the 2005 TIFFIN PHAETON.

Investigation PE05014 — EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL Closed

Opened:

POTENTIAL MOVEMENT OF WASHER/DRYER

Other Model Years of the TIFFIN PHAETON

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Other TIFFIN Models

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