2003 WORKHORSE W20 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

2ND OCCURRENCE OF BRAKE STICKING / DRAG DURING THIS TRIP. R REAR BRAKE DID NOT RELEASE AFTER BRAKING CAUSING DRAG & OVERHEATING. THIS (AND THE PREVIOUS REPORTED INCIDENT) OCCURRED AFTER GOING THROUGH A SECTION OF IN-TOWN STOP & GO TRAFFIC & STOP LIGHTS. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS RECOGNIZED QUICKLY AND WAS NOT AS SEVERE AS THE PREVIOUS ONE. I WAS ABLE TO COOL THE BRAKES DOWN AND THEY RELEASED. *TR

BRAKE FAILURE - LOCKUP OF FRONT BRAKE CALIPER / ROTOR CAUSING OVERHEATING AND BRAKE FAILURE. NO SERIOUS INJURY RESULTED. CAUSED TRIP DELAY AND SIGNIFICANT COST TO REPAIR REPLACE BRAKE COMPONENTS AFFECTED. DEALER INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED SIGNIFICANT OVERHEATING AND CRACKING OF THE FRONT ROTORS AND RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF SAME AND PADS & SEALS AT A COST OF APPROX $900. THIS UNIT WAS PURCHASED USED WITH APPROX 37600 MILES AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER (WH SERVICE CENTER) INSPECTED AND REPLACE BRAKE PADS ON ALL 4 WHEELS. THIS UNIT IS STORED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AT A TIME BUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INSIDE STORAGE AND THE UNIT IS NOT DRIVEN IN WINTER WEATHER. *TR

LTR FROM CONGRESSMAN BISHOP ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE AN UPDATE ON AN INQUIRY HE PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED RE W20 AND W22 CHASSIS BRAKES. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS OVERHEATED. THE BOILING BRAKE FLUID ALSO LEAD TO THE BRAKE FAILURE. *JB

PARTIAL LOCKUP OF REAR CALIPERS ON A 2003 WORKHORSE W-20 CHASSIS ON A 2004 FLEETWOOD FLAIR 33R MOTORHOME AFTER TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES ON RELATIVELY FLAT HIGHWAY ENTERING TRAFFIC WITH STOPLIGHTS. AFTER ABOUT 10 MILES IN THE STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, A SLIGHT 'BRAKE SMELL' WAS NOTICED. THIS WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM HOME. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED THE WHEELS AND BOTH REAR WHEELS WERE HOT TO THE TOUCH. AT APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM HOME THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, I PUMPED THE PEDAL A FEW TIMES AND HAD BRAKES. I LIMPED HOME IN THIS CONDITION. PARKED AT HOME I NOTICED THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS HOT, THE BRAKE LINE TO THE REAR BRAKES WAS HOT, A SENSOR HAD MELTED OFF THE RIGHT REAR DUAL, AND A LENGTH (APPROX. 18 INCHES) OF FINE, COILED, COPPER WIRE WAS HANGING FROM THE CALIPER. TO ME IT LOOKED LIKE IT CAME OUT OF THE MELTED SENSOR. THE LEFT WHEEL WAS HOT, AND NOTHING WAS MELTED. AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE TO GET IT LOOKED AT ON 8/26/08. *TR

WHILE MY 2003 FLEETWOOD SOUTHWIND MOTOR HOME ON A WORKHORSE CHASSIS WAS IN FOR A RECALL ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER (ABS) I WAS INFORMED THAT MY BRAKE FLUID HAD OVER HEATED AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM REQUIRED REPLACEMENT (CALIPERS, PADS, ROTORS). ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE FLUID OVERHEATED, TURNED TO A JELLY AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PISTONS TO RETRACT AFTER THE BRAKES HAD BEEN APPLIED. WORHORSE WAS CONTACTED BY DEALER AND THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES. I RETAINED 2 OF THE BRAKE CALIPERS AFTER REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE. RELATED TO NHTSA EA07016. *TR