2016 Thor PALAZZO: complaints, problems and recalls

ON APRIL 5, 2016, AS WE WERE DRIVING IN SOUTH CAROLINA, ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH, WHEN WITH NO WARNING, WITH NO WARNING, THE OVERHEAD CABINET DIRECTLY OVER OUR HEADS CAME CRASHING DOWN ON US. IT HIT ME ON THE HEAD AND SHOULDER, AND HIT MY HUSBAND, JEFF, ON HIS ARM AND HAND. JEFF MANAGED TO LOOK OUT THE SIDE WINDOW AND USE THE CENTER LANE MARKING TO MAKE SURE WE STAYED ON THE ROAD. HE THEN PUT HIS HEAD DOWN SO THAT HE COULD SEE WELL ENOUGH UNDERNEATH THE FALLEN CABINET TO GET US OFF ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. IF HE HADN'T BEEN…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10874059 at NHTSA ↗

THE WOOD FLOORS IN THE CARGO BAYS OF MY CLASS 'A' MOTORHOME WERE NOT SEALED DURING MANUFACTURING, WHICH ALLOWED WATER TO ENTER THE BAYS AND ROTTING THE WOOD FLOORS. THIS RESULTED IN A HAZARDOUS CONDITION WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHERE ITEMS, IN THE BAYS, COULD FALL UNDER THE TIRES OR JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF OTHER VEHICLES. THIS CONDITION HAS OCCURRED TWICE ON MY VEHICLE AND WAS REPAIRED ONCE BY THOR UNDER WARRANTY, BUT REOCCURRED LESS THAN SIX MONTHS LATER.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11149573 at NHTSA ↗

WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THE WINDOWS ON OUR 2016 PALAZZO WITH ONLY 12000 MILES ON IT HAS WINDOWS THAT ARE SEPARATING. THEY STARTED SEPARATING AT 8000. WE HAVE 5 WINDOWS THAT ARE SEPARATING AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN ARE HANGING OFF THE MOTOR HOME. IT WOULD BE DEVASTATING IF THEY FELL OFF AND HIT ANOTHER MOTOR VEHICLE OR MOTORCYCLE. *DT*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11311742 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN I FOUND THE DOUBLE PANE WINDOW COMING APART. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD OR HIGHWAY THE GLASS WOULD HAVE CAME OFF INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC OR HIT A CAR BEHIND ME. THE WINDOWS ARE MADE BY HERH WINDOWS. I BELIEVE ANOTHER COMPANY HAS BOUGHT THEM OUT NOW.*DT*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11360961 at NHTSA ↗

A bracket holding the front fiberglass cap or facia to the frame came loose and fell off on the interstate I-94 in Wisconsin, making a big clunk under our motorcoach causing several cars to swerve avoiding the metal bracket laying in the road. We had to pull over on the busy interstate to assess any damage to our coach. Luckily we came out unscathed. After looking into this further, I noticed that the screws holding the bracket on were broken off in the metal frame. I looked at the other bracket on the driver's side and the screws were broken …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11434779 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-06-27 (June 27, 2016)

Thor Motor Coach (TMC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Tuscany XTE, Palazzo, and 2016-2017 Venetian motorhomes manufactured September 9, 2015, to January 12, 2016. The front sway bar mounting brackets may not fit properly on the axle causing the mounting bolts to bend or loosen.

Consequence: If the sway bar bolts loosen, the sway bar may detach from the axle, affecting the handling and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: TMC will notify owners, and Detroit Axle service centers, subsidiaries of Daimler Trucks, the manufacturer of the chassis, will modify the sway bar mounting, free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2016. Owners may contact Thor Motor Coach Customer service department at 1-877-500-1020, or Daimler Trucks North America LLC at 1-800-547-0712, or e-mail them at DTNA.Warranty.Campaigns@Daimler.com to locate a service center. TMC's number for this recall is RC000117.

Reported: 2017-02-14 (February 14, 2017)

Thor Motor Coach (TMC) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Tuscany, Tuscany XTE and Palazzo motorhomes. The windshield wiper systems on these vehicles may have been improperly installed or secured, causing the wipers to fail during operation.

Consequence: If the windshield wipers fail, the driver would have decreased visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: TMC will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiper system, tightening the wiper nuts to the proper specifications, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 12, 2017. Owners may contact TMC customer service at 1-877-500-1020. TMC's number for this recall is RC000128.

Reported: 2017-09-07 (September 7, 2017)

Thor Motor Coach (TMC) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Ace, Challenger, Daybreak, Hurricane, Miramar, Outlaw, Windsport, Palazzo, Tuscany, and Tuscany XTE motorhomes. The windshield wipers may fail due to the system being incorrectly installed or secured.

Consequence: If the windshield wipers cannot be used, driver visibility would be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: TMC will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiper system to verify it is installed correctly, repairing or replacing the system as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on September 27, 2017. Owners may contact TMC customer service at 1-877-855-2867. TMC's number for this recall is RC000146. Note: Although some of the vehicles included in this recall have previously been remedied under recalls 17V-096 or 17V-162, the vehicles may need additional repairs under this campaign.

Reported: 2017-11-22 (November 22, 2017)

Thor Motor Coach (Thor) is recalling various 2003-2018 recreational vehicles, equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. See a list of the affected trailer models at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V758-5764.pdf. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or excessive force may be needed to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

Consequence: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Thor will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2018. Owners may contact Thor customer service at 1-877-500-1020, or Kidde customer service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information.