2003 Coachmen SANTARA problems and owner complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 COACHMAN SANTARA EQUIPPED WITH BCT RADIO A/P TIRES (N/A) (LT 235/85/R16) DOT OJ21XA3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OUTER TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO SHOP, WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE MECHANIC PLACED THE NEW TIRE ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE INSIDE TIRE AND PLACED ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE REAR PASSENGER OUTSIDE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME AND ALSO OCCURRED TO THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE …

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WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH INSIDE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE JUST BLEWOUT WITHOUT RUNNING OVER ANYTHING. ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE INSIDE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE.*AK

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WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A BUMPING SOUND FROM THE FRONT OF THE MOTOR HOME. CONSUMER THEN PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO INSPECT THE NOISE, AND FOUND THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE STARTED TO SHOW THE SAME SIGNS OF FAILURE. *AK

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FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES P225/75R16 DOT VD1L1XD187 HAVE FAILED 5 TIMES, ALL TIRES HAVE HAD CRACKS FORMING IN THE SIDEWALL, ON ONE OCCASION, CONSUMER TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE MOTORHOME. *SLC

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WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE FRONT LEFT TIRE BLEW OUT. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE REAR RIGHT INSIDE TIRE. ON BOTH TIRES THE SIDEWALL RUPTURED, CAUSING THE BLOW OUT. *AK *JB

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I HAVE A 2000 COACHMEN MOTORHOME WHICH CAME WITH MICHELIN XRV TIRES ON IT. SPECIFICALLY 235/80R 22.5. I HAVE HAD ONE TIRE BLOW OUT WHILE DRIVING AND ANOTHER TIE WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE WHAT APPEARED TO BE A "WIDE PLY GAP" ON THE SIDEWALL SO I REMOVED IT. ON THE FIRST TIRE, WHICH BLEW OUT, I CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY DEFENSIVE. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NICE THE LADY DIDN'T LIKE MY PERSISTENCE AND HUNG UP ON ME. THE MICHELIN CALL CENTER TOLD ME THAT 70% OF MOTORHOMES ARE OVERLOADED AND THAT MINE WAS PROBABLY OVERLOADED ALSO. SHE REFERRE…

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PE00-020; WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH RIGHT INNER REAR TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION WICH JUST MADE A LOUD NOISE. THEN, STOPPED/FOUND OUT TREAD WAS GONE. FORD, COUCHMAN MOTOR HOME, 1998, FIRESTONE LT225/75R16 M/S. *AK ANOTHER FIRESTONE STEEL TEX TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION. *YH

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(REAR INSIDE DUAL) FIRESTONE STEELEX RADIAL R4SII , LT225/75/R16 TIRE EXPLODED ON COACHMEN 2000 MOTOR HOME AT 60 MPH AND 81 DEGREES F. TIRES HAD JUST BEEN CHECKED AND INFLATED TO 80 PSI 12 MILES PRIOR TO BLOW OUT. SOME DAMAGE DONE TO COACH AS TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED. 15,700 MILES ON ODOMETER.*AK

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THE CONSUMER WHILE DRIVE AT 35 MPH, APPLY THE BRAKE'S AND THE BRAKE' WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE BRAKE'S GOT HOT AND BLACK SMOKE COME OUT.

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD COACHMAN SANTARA RV. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 35 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE PRESSED TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT HAD THE BRAKES REPAIRED, HOWEVER THE CONTACT IS STILL EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 17000.

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WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT 2 DEALERS FOR 11 MONTHS. DEALER REPLACED PADS/ HOSE ASSEMBLY/ MASTER CYLINDER/ GASKETS/ BRAKE LINES/ BOOSTER ASSEMBLY/ CALIPERS, AND REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS. DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAS VEHICLE BACK, BUT STILL HAS PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING. MANUFACTURER DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *AK

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UPON PULLING OUT OF THE CAMP GROUND AND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE BRAKE FAILED TO STOP THE MOTOR HOME. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE ENGAGED TO STOP THE MOTOR HOME. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE BRAKE LINES UNDER THE MOTOR HOME WERE RUSTED, AND HAD A PIN SIZE HOLE IN IT. THIS WAS NOT DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE MOTOR HOME WAS MOUNTED ON A FORD, E450 SUPER DUTY CHASSIS. *AK

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OUTER RIGHT SIDE REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD AIR POCKETS IN THE SEAMS AND WAS COMING LOOSE. MJS (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER)

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WHILE DRIVING FROM NEVADA TO ILLINOIS, ALL THE WINDOW SEALS (EXCEPT IN BEDROOM) BLEW OUT, THEN THE DASHBOARD SEPARATED FROM WALLS OF UNIT, ALSO THE WALLS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE RELEASED FROM THE FLOOR LENGTHWISE ABOUT 20 FEET. YOU CAN SEE ROAD, THE SEPARATION IS SO BIG. THE SEPARATION IS ALSO ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BUT NOT AS LONG. WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE SEALS AND WINDOWS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE WE BOUGHT COACH IN 2001. WINDOWS IN UNIT ARE MANUFACTURED BY CREATIVE. AFTER TALKING WITH A COACHMEN DEALER, THEY SUSPECT THAT THE WINDO…

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WHILE DRIVING FROM NEVADA TO ILLINOIS, ALL THE WINDOW SEALS (EXCEPT IN BEDROOM) BLEW OUT, THEN THE DASHBOARD SEPARATED FROM WALLS OF UNIT, ALSO THE WALLS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE RELEASED FROM THE FLOOR LENGTHWISE ABOUT 20 FEET. YOU CAN SEE ROAD, THE SEPARATION IS SO BIG. THE SEPARATION IS ALSO ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BUT NOT AS LONG. WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE SEALS AND WINDOWS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE WE BOUGHT COACH IN 2001. WINDOWS IN UNIT ARE MANUFACTURED BY CREATIVE. AFTER TALKING WITH A COACHMEN DEALER, THEY SUSPECT THAT THE WINDO…

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1998 COACHMEN SANTARA AWNING MADE BY DOMETIC A&E, MODEL 8500, BLEW OPEN WITH A GUST OF WIND. THE ENSUING VIBRATION CAUSED THE FRONT SUPPORT ARM TO DEPLOY AND DROP DOWN. HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER VEHICLE NEXT TO US IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT TO THEM AND OUR MOTORHOME. THIS AWNING, AND OTHER MODELS LIKE IT,NOW HAVE A NEW MECHANISM TO PREVENT THIS DEPLOYMENT, BUT THERE ARE MANY THOUSANDS ON THE ROAD WITH THE OLD MECHANISM AND NO RECALL ISSUED BY THE COMPANY TO REPLACE THEM, AND THESE TENS OF THOUSANDS MOTORHOME OWNERS ARE AT RISK OF AN ACCIDEN…

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OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ON NOVEMBER 1996. AS OF THIS DATE, DEALER HAD NO PARTS TO PERFORM CORRECTIVE ACTION. ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER, ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF PARTS ARE MANUFACTURED AT ONE TIME. OWNER EXPERIENCING ENGINE RACING. (96V-201). *AK

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 COACHMEN SANTARA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE AND THEY DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART SHOULD ARRIVE WITHIN A WEEK AND THEY WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. IT IS CURRENTLY MARCH OF 2008 AND THE PARTS ARE STILL UNAVAILABLE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS 05S28. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000. UPDATED 03-18-08 *BF

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