U.S. public vehicle records

2023 Winnebago EKKO problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

32 owner complaints analyzed

7 distinct recall campaigns

3,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2023 model year. Data updated: 2026-09-30 (September 30, 2026). 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 15 of 32 complaints (46.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Electrical and battery issues	8	25.0%
Braking behavior	2	6.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Engine

Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer

Electrical System:Adas:Blindspot:Sensors

Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer:Materials:Flooring

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System	15
Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection	9
Unknown Or Other	6
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	4
Engine	3
Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer	3
Electrical System:Adas:Blindspot:Sensors	1
Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer:Materials:Flooring	1

Electrical System: 15; Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection: 9; Unknown Or Other: 6; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 4; Engine: 3; Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer: 3; Electrical System:Adas:Blindspot:Sensors: 1; Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer:Materials:Flooring: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 31 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2023

2024

2025

2026

2023: 13; 2024: 12; 2025: 4; 2026: 3

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 8 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11588042 · 2024-05-10 (May 10, 2024)

Last August 2023 we had Recall 174 completed at Winnebago’s factory service center. This was for the Balmar 2nd alternator, Regulator, and wiring harness. This morning around 6:45am upon starting the vehicle I smelled smoke. Since this is common when the alternator fails I checked our lithionics battery app to discovery we were not inputting any amperage to our house batteries from the 2nd alternator. It had burned up and failed once again (had failed last year, recall was done to fix it, and has worked since August 2023). We are not the f…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11588042 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11616519 · 2024-09-25 (September 25, 2024)

The Winnebago installed under hood generator (Balmar brand) produced a burnt, smokey smell immediately upon starting the engine on September 22nd. The previously 3 days when the vehicle was started and driven a whining type notice was coming from the generator. This was the first time any noise from the Balmar generator was given... 18,000 miles had been put on the vehicle during the last 11 months without issues. Since this is a well known issue with the Winnebago Ekkos I knew to pull the 4 pin connection to the house battery system to…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11616519 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11540583 · 2023-08-24 (August 24, 2023)

In August 2023 while driving at highway speed - without warning - a loud screeching suddenly began from the left front wheel of our 2023 Winnebago EKKO RV (built on a 2022 Ford Transit 3500 AWD chassis) - fearing a potential brake failure I took the vehicle to a mechanic who discovered a bolt from the brake heat shield had detached and was lodged between the brake caliper and rotor, the bolt had scored the rotor - the mechanic dislodged the bolt and stated he had to bend the heat shield slightly to prevent it rubbing. Approximately 2 weeks la…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11540583 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11570065 · 2024-02-05 (February 5, 2024)

I purchased Transit 2017-2023 Front 2pc All Weather Floor Liner Tray Part Number: JK4Z1613086AA. Order #87359. Only 1 of two holes in the drivers side floor liner tray matches the fastener location in the driver's side floor liner. The passenger floor liner tray has no holes even though there are two fasteners in the passenger side floor liner for the floor liner tray. I contacted Ford Parts and offered to send pictures. The person I spoke to said the floor liner tray is correct for my VIN and there is nothing they can do. I offered to send pi…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11570065 at NHTSA ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

32 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.

3.1%Usable mileage1 / 32 records

100.0%Valid incident date32 / 32 records

100.0%Valid filing date32 / 32 records

100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates32 / 32 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026	2027
Electrical System	666.7% ODI 11444061 First Issue: Water leaks from shower/pump onto electrical inverter below. As per inverter manufacturer(zantrax) warning:exposing inverter to water may cause a fire. Winnebago has known about this situation since JULY 2021 Second Issue: three point Seat belts on rear jump seats do not retract to secure passengers. Look up ODI 11444061 at NHTSA ↗	2656.5% ODI 11439805 The entire shower water after use was draining directly onto the inverter creating a fire hazard. Look up ODI 11439805 at NHTSA ↗	1546.9% ODI 11534875 The Balmar alternator gets very hot and emits very loud high-pitched whine. Others who have reported this heat/sound without further action have reported the alternator has caught on fire. Look up ODI 11534875 at NHTSA ↗	1285.7% ODI 11608293 Fuse for Zamp controller on 2024 Transit Ekko class C camper melted and caused a fire. Due to insufficient oxygen, the fire luckily self-extinguished. Look up ODI 11608293 at NHTSA ↗	746.7% ODI 11605234 The 30amp electrical fuse connecting the solar panels to the Zamp 40amp controller melted. Lichtsinn Motors, the dealer, was notified and sent pictures of melted fuse. CoachNet technical support was also called, spoke with technician and pictures of melted fuse sent. Detailed message left with Winnebago. Customer service agent said Sept 13th was the notification date for the recall however they have no solution yet. Look up ODI 11605234 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection	111.1% ODI 11671666 Blind spot monitoring system has failed again after being replaced on a previous winnebago ekko recall. This safety feature no longer available for use No warning messages or symptoms prior to the failure Look up ODI 11671666 at NHTSA ↗	1226.1% ODI 11522328 Both sides of my BSM have quit working. Second time this has happened Look up ODI 11522328 at NHTSA ↗	928.1% ODI 11523807 In 2023 Winnebago and Ford introduced a new blind spot monitoring system because the old one would fail so easily. However the new one does not work at all, and both Ford and Winnebago point fingers at each other saying it's each others fault and both sides refuse to service or even look into it. This is widespread, possibly affecting every single 2023 based EKKO. Look up ODI 11523807 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Engine	111.1% ODI 11591595 We have a Winnebago EKKO year 2022 and had the 174 recall completed in August of 2023 and now the second alternator Balmar has failed again we smelled the same smoke again and whine like the first one. We disconnected it before it caught fire. Look up ODI 11591595 at NHTSA ↗	817.4% ODI 11506033 Wiring harness and a fuse on the harness for the auxiliary Balmar alternator installed by Winnebago partially melted due to proximity to turbocharger. Very concerning due to other owners reporting Balmar alternator fires and alternator regulator failures. Look up ODI 11506033 at NHTSA ↗	39.4% ODI 11588042 Last August 2023 we had Recall 174 completed at Winnebago’s factory service center. This was for the Balmar 2nd alternator, Regulator, and wiring harness. This morning around 6:45am upon starting the vehicle I smelled smoke. Since this is common when the alternator fails I checked our lithionics battery app to discovery we were not inputting any amperage to our house batteries from the 2nd alternator. It had burned up and failed once again (had failed last year, recall was done to fix it, and has worked since August 2023). We are not the f… Look up ODI 11588042 at NHTSA ↗	214.3% ODI 11618791 The Balmar alternator is going bad on my 2023 transit on my 2024 Winnebago Ekko. It is starting to whine which in the past leads to a fire in the engine compartment on others units. It is recommended to pull the 4 wire plug that goes Balmar regulator in the lithonics battery compartment, which I did to prevent any additional damage. So without the Balmar unit the batteries will only charge plugged into shore power. A Winnebago group recommended reporting this problem to NHTSA Thank you. Look up ODI 11618791 at NHTSA ↗	320.0% ODI 11611011 · 4,400 mi The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the RV failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact noticed a burning odor in the interior of the RV. The RV was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact and the contact's husband exited the RV. The contact stated that the RV burst into flames. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The contact stated that a fire report was filed. The RV was towed t… Look up ODI 11611011 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Unknown Or Other	222.2% ODI 11539637 This vehicle has a known fire safety hazard since 2022 as established in public information and documented at NHTSA as of March 31 2023, Overloaded electrical circuits that damage components increase the risk of a fire; NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V234000. We have made numerous attempts to contact the manufacturer regarding this matter but have been ignored. Winnebago has no remedial action plan for this as of this writing and do not seemed to be concerned despite the known fire hazard therein. We are hesitant to use/sleep in this vehicle withou… Look up ODI 11539637 at NHTSA ↗	48.7% ODI 11523045 This is allegedly related to the Balmar relay system installed by Winnebago in the Ford Transit van.It is currently at the dealer, Colonial Winnebago, in Millstone Twp., NJ. Dealer can be contacted for inspection. We began traveling at a 25 mph speed for about 2 miles when smoke began to flow from under the hood. We pulled over to inspect; 911 was called. Smoke and flames under the hood were visible and continued until the fire truck came and extinguished the fire. Our safety and the safety of others was put at risk as the unit did not display… Look up ODI 11523045 at NHTSA ↗	618.8% ODI 11549721 When at the Winnebago factory service center for other recalls and repairs, technicians found that the propane line going from the regulator at the tanks to the cooktop in the kitchen was worn and frayed, having rubbed against the rear tires for more than 15,000 miles. They said it was a safety hazard and had to replace the line and ensure it would no longer rub against the tires. Look up ODI 11549721 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	320.0% ODI 11608203 Solar 30a fuse melting Look up ODI 11608203 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer	222.2% ODI 11548482 Sound bar mounting bolts broke while driving. The sound bar fell on my head while driving on the highway. Look up ODI 11548482 at NHTSA ↗	36.5% ODI 11598336 40 amp fuse for Solar charger burned. Replaced fuse and fuse holder became too hot to hold with bare hand but didn't blow the fuse. This type of heat causes a risk of fire inside the motorhome. Currently unable to use solar, a significant element of our ability to enjoy the rig. Look up ODI 11598336 at NHTSA ↗	39.4% ODI 11549721 When at the Winnebago factory service center for other recalls and repairs, technicians found that the propane line going from the regulator at the tanks to the cooktop in the kitchen was worn and frayed, having rubbed against the rear tires for more than 15,000 miles. They said it was a safety hazard and had to replace the line and ensure it would no longer rub against the tires. Look up ODI 11549721 at NHTSA ↗	321.4% ODI 11685159 Upon return from vacation, the Onan generator was found to be running. It had self started and ran for 80 hours while we were gone using about 12 gal fuel. The generator was NOT on when we left 12 days prior. There was no evidence of bugs in the RV coach that could have contacted the touch screen to start the unit. This is a Winnebago Ekko, Ford Transit body, 2024 purchased Jan 2024. Look up ODI 11685159 at NHTSA ↗	320.0% ODI 11608429 A fuse between the solar panels and solar controller melted and caused it to flame up. The incident could have caused a major fire. The problem has occurred on other units with various other owners. No. Winnebago is aware of the incident but we have not heard anything from them. There were no indications that this was going to happen. Look up ODI 11608429 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	36.5% ODI 11506033 Wiring harness and a fuse on the harness for the auxiliary Balmar alternator installed by Winnebago partially melted due to proximity to turbocharger. Very concerning due to other owners reporting Balmar alternator fires and alternator regulator failures. Look up ODI 11506033 at NHTSA ↗	412.5% ODI 11534830 The balmar regulator/ 2nd alternator is failing and presenting a fire hazard based off of Winnebago’s own reports and other owners who have experienced fires to their Ekkos. Because of this we have had to spend a considerable amount of money getting another safe charger option (dc - dc charger wired properly and safely unlike winnebagos 2nd alternator/balmar regulator) from the primary alternator installed since we cannot rely on or use the 2nd alternator with the balmar regulator without threat of fire, serious injury, or possible death. We… Look up ODI 11534830 at NHTSA ↗	214.3% ODI 11702351 The 2024 Winnebago Ekko Ford Transit base includes standard a second alternator in the engine bay manufactured by Balmer and installed by Winnebago to charge the house batteries, in this case two 320amp batteries manufactured by Lithionics. A service recall was completed by Winnebago Authorized Dealer in 6/2025 to reduce the charge capacity based on prior failures and fires in the alternator. Our vehicle has 26,000 miles and have had no indication of failure. After an 80 mile drive, we smelled burning electrics and smoke came from under the… Look up ODI 11702351 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Tires	111.1% ODI 11678087 While driving the RV at highway speeds, I noticed a lot of vibration and shaking. I pulled into a tire store to have the tires balanced. They found the left front tire (hankook dynapro ht 205/75/r16) with tread separation. I had it replaced with the spare. I had 27,400 miles on the tire with 7 32nds of tread left. Look up ODI 11678087 at NHTSA ↗	24.3% ODI 11591838 Belt separation occurred at legal highway speed, specified inflation pressure, and within load parameters of the vehicle. Many other owners have reported the same occurring. The belt separation caused the tire to be out of round and caused severe vibration. We recognized the problem because of similar reports from other owners, pulled off the road, and exchanged the tire for the spare. Within a few days we were able to procure seven new tires and have them installed. Discount Tire on Ben White in Austin probably discarded the old tires but conf… Look up ODI 11591838 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	16.7% ODI 11692210 Tires on this Winnebago EKKO 23B 2025 model year, purchased in April 2024 are the original tires, never removed or repaired. These tires are Hankook Dynapro AT2X all terrain tires, size LT215/85R/16. These tires have only 10,600 miles and from the photos you can see the tread is in excellent condition. The tires have a TPMS that showed accurrate recommended PSI before our trip from New Hampshire. Road conditions were clear, temperature in the mid-70s on Saturday, October 4th. We had traveled only 117 miles when the rear outside dual tire on t… Look up ODI 11692210 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Tires:Tread/Belt	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	24.3% ODI 11614634 started vibrating Gradually getting worse. Stopped & inspected several times, checked psi, all good. Plenty of tread. No bubbles or delaminating visible on outside. Eventually tire blew apart at 23K. 205/75R16 Look up ODI 11614634 at NHTSA ↗	13.1% ODI 11641153 Hankook Dynapro HT 205/75R16C We found out when we were having the oil changed. Both front tires have steel fibers showing on 14,882 miles. Lucky we weren't on the highway. I would never have guessed that 1.5 year old tires would be this worn. Properly inflated, by the way. Look up ODI 11641153 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Electrical System	Too few reports for a range	3,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11629830 · 3,000 mi The contact owns a 2023 Winnebago Ekko RV built on a 2022 Ford Transit Chassis. The contact stated that the RV blind spot monitoring system had become inoperable. The contact stated that the red light on the passenger's side and the driver's side of the windshield had failed to illuminate, and the alarm failed to sound while there was another vehicle in the blind spot. The RV was taken to an RV dealer, where the blind spot monitoring system was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately 3 months later. The RV was taken to a second de… Look up ODI 11629830 at NHTSA ↗
Electrical System:Adas:Blindspot:Sensors	Too few reports for a range	3,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11629830 · 3,000 mi The contact owns a 2023 Winnebago Ekko RV built on a 2022 Ford Transit Chassis. The contact stated that the RV blind spot monitoring system had become inoperable. The contact stated that the red light on the passenger's side and the driver's side of the windshield had failed to illuminate, and the alarm failed to sound while there was another vehicle in the blind spot. The RV was taken to an RV dealer, where the blind spot monitoring system was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately 3 months later. The RV was taken to a second de… Look up ODI 11629830 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Complaints	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-10	3	None	ODI 11617605 Secondary alternator made by Balmer Failed after recall repair “failure of WGO’s remedy of NHTSA recall 23V234000” Look up ODI 11617605 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11618348 We believe our Balmar (the second alternator that powers our Lithium batteries) failed and then created enough heat to either have a small fire or produce copious amounts of toxic smoke. This is a known problem with the Winnebago EKKOs. There has been one round of recalls for the Balmar re-wiring which we had done at the Winnebago Factory Center in Forest City, IA on November 21, 2023. We were in the parking lot at Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming when this happened. We opened the hood when we smelled the plastic burning smell and smoke wa… Look up ODI 11618348 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11618782 Balmar whine has indicate to be the first step before fire starting in the engine compartment Look up ODI 11618782 at NHTSA ↗
2024-11	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	3	None	ODI 11629830 · 3,000 mi The contact owns a 2023 Winnebago Ekko RV built on a 2022 Ford Transit Chassis. The contact stated that the RV blind spot monitoring system had become inoperable. The contact stated that the red light on the passenger's side and the driver's side of the windshield had failed to illuminate, and the alarm failed to sound while there was another vehicle in the blind spot. The RV was taken to an RV dealer, where the blind spot monitoring system was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately 3 months later. The RV was taken to a second de… Look up ODI 11629830 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11631649 Second Balmar alternator failure - this failure occurred after the recall was performed for this same issue by Winnebago at their factory. Originally purchased Sept 2022, first Balmar alternator replaced Sept 2023 along with the recall 174 being accomplished at the factory. Second failure occurred Dec 2024 after 17k miles since the recall was accomplished. This appears to be a continuing issue as many other Ekko owners have reported multiple Balmar alternator failures. Symptoms prior to the failure was erratic charging and then subsequent tr… Look up ODI 11631649 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11632228 Since I have picked up my Winnebago Ekko (motorhome) on [XXX] from Lichtsinn RV in Forest City, Iowa (1 mile from the factory) it has had numerous electrical fires in the kitchen and also has had no fewer than the 4 separate strains of mold growing throughout the motorhome as evidenced by the results of the mold test I did last spring. Although I have notified Winnebago Customer Care, Winnebago's CEO (Michael Happe), Lichtsinn RV and the Iowa Attorney General's office (where I have an open investigation for also being forced to pay an addition… Look up ODI 11632228 at NHTSA ↗
2025-01	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	2	None	ODI 11641153 Hankook Dynapro HT 205/75R16C We found out when we were having the oil changed. Both front tires have steel fibers showing on 14,882 miles. Lucky we weren't on the highway. I would never have guessed that 1.5 year old tires would be this worn. Properly inflated, by the way. Look up ODI 11641153 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11643960 The winnebago EKKO has a secondardy alternator (Balmer brand) that charges the coach Lithium battery. There is an existing Winnebago recall regarding this component , Winnebago #174 and I originally had the Balmer alternator fail in summer 2023 and it was repaired by Winnebago under the #174 recall. The Balmer alternator has now failed again as of January 2025, and is appearing to heat beyond normal. The symptom of this failure, is lack of charging of the battery during engine operation, as well as tripping of the main coach power breaker. … Look up ODI 11643960 at NHTSA ↗
2025-03	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	2	None	ODI 11697235 There is a Balmar alternator installed on my Winnebago EKKOs that failed by smoking and burning. Winnebago replaced it with the same piece of equipment and it too has failed. They will again replace with another Balmar putting me at risk of fire and failure. This is totally unacceptable! Please help all us EKKO owners force Winnebago to solve this with a safe solution. Some owners have had 6 Balmars replaced! This is a known problem that is not being resolved. Look up ODI 11697235 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11698603 Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce the risk of overloading the alternator. The service campaign work was completed in June 2025. Numerous other Ekko owners have experience multiple … Look up ODI 11698603 at NHTSA ↗
2025-12	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	1	None	ODI 11712318 Balmar alternator began smoking and emitting a burning smell, also began discharging the house batteries. This condition caused us to be disabled along the roadway and entailed crawling under the vehicle to disconnect the wiring from the alternator. Unable to get immediately repaired as no Balmar replacement parts were available from Winnebago. Repairs completed December 2024 by dealer. Additional Service Campaign 75-09 on Balmar alternators May 20, 2025 to cut charging rate by approximately 50% to prevent overloading. This service also com… Look up ODI 11712318 at NHTSA ↗
2026-02	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	1	None	ODI 11726205 We had reported on Sat, 3/21/26 to Winnebago that we noticed our Balmar alternator had stopped charging the battery the night before on Fri, 3/20/26 during a 2.5 hour trip to Sebastapol, CA. We drove to Santa Clara, recharged batteries with shore power and then drove to Santa Cruz, CA. This morning on Sun 3/22/26, our 2nd Balmar Alternator installed by NIRVC/Las Vegas in Mar-April 2024 under the 174 Recall caught on fire. Fortunately, we were idling in a parking lot before getting on the freeway, and could hear the whining noise, smell the burn… Look up ODI 11726205 at NHTSA ↗
2026-04	0	26V257000	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	1	None	ODI 11749007 After starting the vehicle I noticed an unusual whine. After a few seconds of idling I noticed that it smelled like something was on fire. I turned off the vehicle and began looking for smoke. I did not find it. After a little research I discovered that it is a very well known failure that the Balmar alternator on Winnebago EKKOs fails catastrophically, sometimes catching on fire. I followed instructions to disable the Balmar. I let the vehicle cool completely. I restarted the vehicle and let it idle for a long while and the whine and the smell… Look up ODI 11749007 at NHTSA ↗
2026-08	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09 (partial)	0	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

2022: 37 complaints · 2023: 28 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2022	11	24	37
2023	14	24	28

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
2022	45	0	1
2023	30	0	2

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Electrical System	Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection	Unknown Or Other	Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	Engine	Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer	Electrical System:Adas:Blindspot:Sensors	Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer:Materials:Flooring
Electrical System	—	0	3 ODI 11632228 Since I have picked up my Winnebago Ekko (motorhome) on [XXX] from Lichtsinn RV in Forest City, Iowa (1 mile from the factory) it has had numerous electrical fires in the kitchen and also has had no fewer than the 4 separate strains of mold growing throughout the motorhome as evidenced by the results of the mold test I did last spring. Although I have notified Winnebago Customer Care, Winnebago's CEO (Michael Happe), Lichtsinn RV and the Iowa Attorney General's office (where I have an open investigation for also being forced to pay an addition… Look up ODI 11632228 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11643960 The winnebago EKKO has a secondardy alternator (Balmer brand) that charges the coach Lithium battery. There is an existing Winnebago recall regarding this component , Winnebago #174 and I originally had the Balmer alternator fail in summer 2023 and it was repaired by Winnebago under the #174 recall. The Balmer alternator has now failed again as of January 2025, and is appearing to heat beyond normal. The symptom of this failure, is lack of charging of the battery during engine operation, as well as tripping of the main coach power breaker. … Look up ODI 11643960 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11749007 After starting the vehicle I noticed an unusual whine. After a few seconds of idling I noticed that it smelled like something was on fire. I turned off the vehicle and began looking for smoke. I did not find it. After a little research I discovered that it is a very well known failure that the Balmar alternator on Winnebago EKKOs fails catastrophically, sometimes catching on fire. I followed instructions to disable the Balmar. I let the vehicle cool completely. I restarted the vehicle and let it idle for a long while and the whine and the smell… Look up ODI 11749007 at NHTSA ↗	2 ODI 11698603 Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce the risk of overloading the alternator. The service campaign work was completed in June 2025. Numerous other Ekko owners have experience multiple … Look up ODI 11698603 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11749007 After starting the vehicle I noticed an unusual whine. After a few seconds of idling I noticed that it smelled like something was on fire. I turned off the vehicle and began looking for smoke. I did not find it. After a little research I discovered that it is a very well known failure that the Balmar alternator on Winnebago EKKOs fails catastrophically, sometimes catching on fire. I followed instructions to disable the Balmar. I let the vehicle cool completely. I restarted the vehicle and let it idle for a long while and the whine and the smell… Look up ODI 11749007 at NHTSA ↗	3 ODI 11588042 Last August 2023 we had Recall 174 completed at Winnebago’s factory service center. This was for the Balmar 2nd alternator, Regulator, and wiring harness. This morning around 6:45am upon starting the vehicle I smelled smoke. Since this is common when the alternator fails I checked our lithionics battery app to discovery we were not inputting any amperage to our house batteries from the 2nd alternator. It had burned up and failed once again (had failed last year, recall was done to fix it, and has worked since August 2023). We are not the f… Look up ODI 11588042 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11618348 We believe our Balmar (the second alternator that powers our Lithium batteries) failed and then created enough heat to either have a small fire or produce copious amounts of toxic smoke. This is a known problem with the Winnebago EKKOs. There has been one round of recalls for the Balmar re-wiring which we had done at the Winnebago Factory Center in Forest City, IA on November 21, 2023. We were in the parking lot at Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming when this happened. We opened the hood when we smelled the plastic burning smell and smoke wa… Look up ODI 11618348 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11726205 We had reported on Sat, 3/21/26 to Winnebago that we noticed our Balmar alternator had stopped charging the battery the night before on Fri, 3/20/26 during a 2.5 hour trip to Sebastapol, CA. We drove to Santa Clara, recharged batteries with shore power and then drove to Santa Cruz, CA. This morning on Sun 3/22/26, our 2nd Balmar Alternator installed by NIRVC/Las Vegas in Mar-April 2024 under the 174 Recall caught on fire. Fortunately, we were idling in a parking lot before getting on the freeway, and could hear the whining noise, smell the burn… Look up ODI 11726205 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 11698603 Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce the risk of overloading the alternator. The service campaign work was completed in June 2025. Numerous other Ekko owners have experience multiple … Look up ODI 11698603 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 11629830 · 3,000 mi The contact owns a 2023 Winnebago Ekko RV built on a 2022 Ford Transit Chassis. The contact stated that the RV blind spot monitoring system had become inoperable. The contact stated that the red light on the passenger's side and the driver's side of the windshield had failed to illuminate, and the alarm failed to sound while there was another vehicle in the blind spot. The RV was taken to an RV dealer, where the blind spot monitoring system was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately 3 months later. The RV was taken to a second de… Look up ODI 11629830 at NHTSA ↗	0
Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection	0	—	0	0	0	0	0	0
Unknown Or Other	3 ODI 11632228 Since I have picked up my Winnebago Ekko (motorhome) on [XXX] from Lichtsinn RV in Forest City, Iowa (1 mile from the factory) it has had numerous electrical fires in the kitchen and also has had no fewer than the 4 separate strains of mold growing throughout the motorhome as evidenced by the results of the mold test I did last spring. Although I have notified Winnebago Customer Care, Winnebago's CEO (Michael Happe), Lichtsinn RV and the Iowa Attorney General's office (where I have an open investigation for also being forced to pay an addition… Look up ODI 11632228 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11643960 The winnebago EKKO has a secondardy alternator (Balmer brand) that charges the coach Lithium battery. There is an existing Winnebago recall regarding this component , Winnebago #174 and I originally had the Balmer alternator fail in summer 2023 and it was repaired by Winnebago under the #174 recall. The Balmer alternator has now failed again as of January 2025, and is appearing to heat beyond normal. The symptom of this failure, is lack of charging of the battery during engine operation, as well as tripping of the main coach power breaker. … Look up ODI 11643960 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11749007 After starting the vehicle I noticed an unusual whine. After a few seconds of idling I noticed that it smelled like something was on fire. I turned off the vehicle and began looking for smoke. I did not find it. After a little research I discovered that it is a very well known failure that the Balmar alternator on Winnebago EKKOs fails catastrophically, sometimes catching on fire. I followed instructions to disable the Balmar. I let the vehicle cool completely. I restarted the vehicle and let it idle for a long while and the whine and the smell… Look up ODI 11749007 at NHTSA ↗	0	—	1 ODI 11749007 After starting the vehicle I noticed an unusual whine. After a few seconds of idling I noticed that it smelled like something was on fire. I turned off the vehicle and began looking for smoke. I did not find it. After a little research I discovered that it is a very well known failure that the Balmar alternator on Winnebago EKKOs fails catastrophically, sometimes catching on fire. I followed instructions to disable the Balmar. I let the vehicle cool completely. I restarted the vehicle and let it idle for a long while and the whine and the smell… Look up ODI 11749007 at NHTSA ↗	0	1 ODI 11549721 When at the Winnebago factory service center for other recalls and repairs, technicians found that the propane line going from the regulator at the tanks to the cooktop in the kitchen was worn and frayed, having rubbed against the rear tires for more than 15,000 miles. They said it was a safety hazard and had to replace the line and ensure it would no longer rub against the tires. Look up ODI 11549721 at NHTSA ↗	0	1 ODI 11570065 I purchased Transit 2017-2023 Front 2pc All Weather Floor Liner Tray Part Number: JK4Z1613086AA. Order #87359. Only 1 of two holes in the drivers side floor liner tray matches the fastener location in the driver's side floor liner. The passenger floor liner tray has no holes even though there are two fasteners in the passenger side floor liner for the floor liner tray. I contacted Ford Parts and offered to send pictures. The person I spoke to said the floor liner tray is correct for my VIN and there is nothing they can do. I offered to send pi… Look up ODI 11570065 at NHTSA ↗
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	2 ODI 11698603 Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce the risk of overloading the alternator. The service campaign work was completed in June 2025. Numerous other Ekko owners have experience multiple … Look up ODI 11698603 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11749007 After starting the vehicle I noticed an unusual whine. After a few seconds of idling I noticed that it smelled like something was on fire. I turned off the vehicle and began looking for smoke. I did not find it. After a little research I discovered that it is a very well known failure that the Balmar alternator on Winnebago EKKOs fails catastrophically, sometimes catching on fire. I followed instructions to disable the Balmar. I let the vehicle cool completely. I restarted the vehicle and let it idle for a long while and the whine and the smell… Look up ODI 11749007 at NHTSA ↗	0	1 ODI 11749007 After starting the vehicle I noticed an unusual whine. After a few seconds of idling I noticed that it smelled like something was on fire. I turned off the vehicle and began looking for smoke. I did not find it. After a little research I discovered that it is a very well known failure that the Balmar alternator on Winnebago EKKOs fails catastrophically, sometimes catching on fire. I followed instructions to disable the Balmar. I let the vehicle cool completely. I restarted the vehicle and let it idle for a long while and the whine and the smell… Look up ODI 11749007 at NHTSA ↗	—	0	1 ODI 11698603 Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce the risk of overloading the alternator. The service campaign work was completed in June 2025. Numerous other Ekko owners have experience multiple … Look up ODI 11698603 at NHTSA ↗	0	0
Engine	3 ODI 11588042 Last August 2023 we had Recall 174 completed at Winnebago’s factory service center. This was for the Balmar 2nd alternator, Regulator, and wiring harness. This morning around 6:45am upon starting the vehicle I smelled smoke. Since this is common when the alternator fails I checked our lithionics battery app to discovery we were not inputting any amperage to our house batteries from the 2nd alternator. It had burned up and failed once again (had failed last year, recall was done to fix it, and has worked since August 2023). We are not the f… Look up ODI 11588042 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11618348 We believe our Balmar (the second alternator that powers our Lithium batteries) failed and then created enough heat to either have a small fire or produce copious amounts of toxic smoke. This is a known problem with the Winnebago EKKOs. There has been one round of recalls for the Balmar re-wiring which we had done at the Winnebago Factory Center in Forest City, IA on November 21, 2023. We were in the parking lot at Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming when this happened. We opened the hood when we smelled the plastic burning smell and smoke wa… Look up ODI 11618348 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11726205 We had reported on Sat, 3/21/26 to Winnebago that we noticed our Balmar alternator had stopped charging the battery the night before on Fri, 3/20/26 during a 2.5 hour trip to Sebastapol, CA. We drove to Santa Clara, recharged batteries with shore power and then drove to Santa Cruz, CA. This morning on Sun 3/22/26, our 2nd Balmar Alternator installed by NIRVC/Las Vegas in Mar-April 2024 under the 174 Recall caught on fire. Fortunately, we were idling in a parking lot before getting on the freeway, and could hear the whining noise, smell the burn… Look up ODI 11726205 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	—	0	0	0
Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer	1 ODI 11698603 Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce the risk of overloading the alternator. The service campaign work was completed in June 2025. Numerous other Ekko owners have experience multiple … Look up ODI 11698603 at NHTSA ↗	0	1 ODI 11549721 When at the Winnebago factory service center for other recalls and repairs, technicians found that the propane line going from the regulator at the tanks to the cooktop in the kitchen was worn and frayed, having rubbed against the rear tires for more than 15,000 miles. They said it was a safety hazard and had to replace the line and ensure it would no longer rub against the tires. Look up ODI 11549721 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 11698603 Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce the risk of overloading the alternator. The service campaign work was completed in June 2025. Numerous other Ekko owners have experience multiple … Look up ODI 11698603 at NHTSA ↗	0	—	0	0
Electrical System:Adas:Blindspot:Sensors	1 ODI 11629830 · 3,000 mi The contact owns a 2023 Winnebago Ekko RV built on a 2022 Ford Transit Chassis. The contact stated that the RV blind spot monitoring system had become inoperable. The contact stated that the red light on the passenger's side and the driver's side of the windshield had failed to illuminate, and the alarm failed to sound while there was another vehicle in the blind spot. The RV was taken to an RV dealer, where the blind spot monitoring system was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately 3 months later. The RV was taken to a second de… Look up ODI 11629830 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer:Materials:Flooring	0	0	1 ODI 11570065 I purchased Transit 2017-2023 Front 2pc All Weather Floor Liner Tray Part Number: JK4Z1613086AA. Order #87359. Only 1 of two holes in the drivers side floor liner tray matches the fastener location in the driver's side floor liner. The passenger floor liner tray has no holes even though there are two fasteners in the passenger side floor liner for the floor liner tray. I contacted Ford Parts and offered to send pictures. The person I spoke to said the floor liner tray is correct for my VIN and there is nothing they can do. I offered to send pi… Look up ODI 11570065 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

1 patterns with matching reports.

Brake response concerns

2 mentions · 6.3% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 11540583

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ODI 11570065

Look up ODI 11570065 at NHTSA ↗

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