2003 Workhorse W22

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE W22. WHILE SPORADICALLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID WAS BUBBLING DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT EXPOSURE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THREE OF THE ABS WHEEL SENSORS BURNED OFF AND TWO OF THE ABS SEALS FAILED. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BRAKE CALIPERS AND THE SEALS AT MORE THAN $1,000. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE NOT APPLICABLE. UPDATED 03/27/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, HE HAD TO PULL OVER AND WAIT FOR THE BRAKES TO COOL OFF. THE THIRD TIME, THE BRAKES SEIZED. THE CALIPER WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 04/01/09. *JB

ON 12/4/08 AS WE WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2003 ALLEGRO BAY MOTORHOME IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC NEAR MOBILE, AL WE ONCE AGAIN FOR NO APPARENT REASON, STARTED TO SMELL BRAKES BURNING. WITH 26,482 MILES ON OUR COACH, THIS IS OUR THIRD BRAKE FAILURE EVENT IN LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS. I PULLED OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE OF ALL BRAKE ASSEMBLIES WITH MY INFRARED THERMOMETER WHICH I NOW KEEP AVAILABLE. THE BRAKE CALIPER ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE MEASURED APPROX. 450 DEGREES. I ALLOWED THE BRAKES TO COOL, THEN PROCEEDED TO THE NEAREST WORKHORSE REPAIR FACILITY (APPROX. 12 MILES). THEY REPLACED BOTH FRONT CALIPERS, BRAKE LINES, PADS AND FLUID. AT MY REQUEST, THEY ALSO CHECKED AND LUBRICATED THE REAR CALIPERS FOR A TOTAL COST OF $1,005.80. THE REPAIR FACILITY KEPT THE OLD PARTS. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING IN OUR RV FOR NO APPARENTLY REASON, WE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING BRAKES, THEN THE STEERING BEGAN TO SHIMMY AND VIBRATE. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED THE VIBRATION INCREASED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF AT A SAFE AREA, UNHOOKED MY TOW VEHICLE AND WENT FOR ASSISTANCE. ALL FOUR ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2209.89. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH OUR BRAKES AND IT HAPPENED SUDDENLY WITH NO WARNING. THE OLD PARTS WERE SENT BACK AS "CORE" PARTS BY THE REPAIR FACILITY. WE ARE NOW AWARE OF NHTSA EA07-016 INVOLVING BOSCH BRAKE CALIPERS OVERHEATING, CAUSING THE ROTORS TO GO BAD AND BELIEVE OUR WORKHORSE CHASIS WHICH DOES HAVE THIS BRAND OF CALIPERS HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS WAS DESCRIBED IN THIS BULLETIN. UPON COMPLETION OF THIS REPAIR, WE PROCEEDED ON OUR TRIP. ABOUT 75 MILES FARTHER, WE AGAIN SMELLED BRAKES BURNING. WE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AS FAST AS WE COULD AND CALLED OUR ROADSERVICE. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT BRAKE WAS SMOKING. THEY SENT OUT A MOBILE REPAIR TECH WHO REMOVED THE TIRE/WHEEL, REMOVED THE CALIPER AND LUBRICATED THE CALIPER SLIDE. THE CALIPER SEEMED TO BE WORKING NORMALLY, HOWEVER, WE ARE AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSED OUR PROBLEM AND ARE CONCERNED THAT THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AND IT WILL REOCCUR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS W22. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKE UNIT BEGAN OVERHEATING AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY A SOLUTION OR PROVIDE A REMEDY. AS OF AUGUST 6, 2008, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,130.

THE FIRST INCIDENT WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO FLORIDA. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN A STEEP GRADE IN TENNESSEE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES HARDER THAN USUAL AND FELT A RUMBLE IN THE VEHICLE. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY, THE RUMBLE WAS GONE. I PROCEEDED TO FLORIDA AND PARKED MY RV FOR 2 WEEKS AND THEN MOVED TO ANOTHER RV PARK FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON JANUARY 1, 2008 I MOVED THE RV TO ANOTHER RV PARK ABOUT 35 MILES AWAY. WHILE I WAS DRIVING I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES HARDER THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF A SIGNAL LIGHT CHANGE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT I SMELLED A HOT SMELL AND FELT THE RUMBLE IN THE BRAKES WHILE BRAKING, AS IN THE FIRST INCIDENT. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AT A SERVICE STATION TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM AND MY REAR BRAKE WAS SMOKING. AFTER EXAMINING THE BRAKE AREA I DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE WAS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION. BY THIS TIME I WAS ONLY ABOUT A MILE FROM THE RV PARK SO I FREED UP THE BRAKES AND LET THEM COOL BEFORE PROCEEDING. THE SERVICE PERSON THAT REPAIRED MY BRAKES STATED THAT THE CALIPERS WERE RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT THEY STUCK WHEN APPLIED HARD. WHILE AT THE RV PARK, ANOTHER RV PULLED IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HE ALSO HAD THE SAME CHASSIS AS I HAVE. SO AFTER RETURNING HOME FOR THE SUMMER I WENT ON TO THE RV.NET SITE AND READ THEIR FORUM REGARDING BRAKE ISSUES AND WAS ASTOUNDED AS TO THE NUMBER OF OWNERS THAT HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS I HAD. I HAVE OWNED MANY RV'S IN MY DAY AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE REGARDING THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WORKHORSE CHASSIS W22. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CALIPERS IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM OVERHEATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V084000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY $3,000 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE BECAUSE HIS YEAR WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,000. THE PROBLEM WOULD ALSO LEAD TO WHEEL LOCK-UP UPDATED 06/25/08