2007 Tiffin PHAETON: complaints, problems and recalls

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TIFFIN PHAETON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE INFORMING HIM TO UNPLUG THE NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR BECAUSE THE HIGH TEMPERATURE SENSOR MAY CAUSE DEATH AND/OR INJURY. THE CONTACT AND THE MECHANIC TRIED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER SEVEN TIMES AND WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANYONE. UPDATED 03/16/11 *BF UPDATED 05/11/11

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10367314 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2007-08-15 (August 15, 2007)

ON CERTAIN MOTOR HOME CHASSIS, THERE MAY BE A LOOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BUS BAR AND A GRID PAD DUE TO THE PINS BEING SLIGHTLY SMALLER DIAMETERS AFTER ASSEMBLY. ELECTRICAL POWER MAY BE LOST TO COMPONENTS OF THE MAJOR CHASSIS OPERATING SYSTEMS (ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, STARTING, COOLING) CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN AND/OR NOT BE CAPABLE OF POWERING UP.

Consequence: EACH VEHICLE COULD POTENTIALLY EXPERIENCE A UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE ONE OR A COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS COULD OCCUR: LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, STARTING AND ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS, OPERATION OF THE RIGHT CHASSIS STOP/TURN SIGNAL AND RIGHT TRAILER STOP/TURN SIGNAL, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM, AUXILIARY BRAKE SYSTEM, THE HEATER ELEMENTS IN THE AIR DRYER, AND THE HEATER ELEMENT IN THE WATER-IN-FUEL SEPARATOR.

Remedy: THE DVEC BUSSMANN BOX WILL BE REPLACED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 16, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SPARTAN AT 1-517-543-6400.

Reported: 2008-08-01 (August 1, 2008)

TIFFIN IS RECALLING 271 MY 2007-2008 PHAETON CLASS A MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS. THE AAC FRONT AXLE STEERING ARM BOLTS WITH A LATCH LEVER PIVOT BOLT ASSEMBLY MAY HAVE BEEN OVER- TIGHTENED.

Consequence: OVER-TIGHTENED STEERING ARM BOLTS MAY FATIGUE AND FRACTURE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: TIFFIN IS WORKING WITH FREIGHTLINER TO HAVE THE STEERING ARM TIE ROD FASTENERS INSPECTED AND REPLACED. THE STEERING ARM WILL BE INSPECTED FOR CLEARANCE TO THE KING PIN BOSS. FREIGHTLINER IS HANDLING THE REMEDY FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.

Reported: 2009-02-27 (February 27, 2009)

TIFFIN IS RECALLING 1,408 MY 2006-2009 ALLEGRO BUS, MY 2007-2009 PHAETON AND MY 2005-2009 ZEPHYR VEHICLES BUILT ON SPARTAN CHASSIS AND EQUIPPED WITH PUTMAN HITCHES. CERTAIN TRAILER HITCHES MAY FRACTURE WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF THE TRAILER.

Consequence: SUSPECT HITCHES MAY DEVELOP FRACTURES AND SUBSEQUENT SEPARATION MAY OCCUR, RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PEDESTRIAN HARM.

Remedy: TIFFIN IS WORKING WITH SPARTAN AND SPARTAN IS HANDLING THE REMEDY FOR THIS CAMPAIGN (PLEASE SEE 08V-567). THE TRAILER HITCH WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SPARTAN AT 1-517-543-6400 OR TIFFIN AT 256-356-8661.

Reported: 2010-11-22 (November 22, 2010)

TIFFIN IS RECALLING CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1200-SERIES NORCOLD REFRIGERATORS. THE POPULATION OF REFRIGERATORS BEING ADDRESSED CONTAINS EITHER A SENSING ALGORITHM OR THERMAL SWITCH TO SHUT OFF POWER TO THE REFRIGERATOR WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE DETECTED IN ORDER TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL FIRE. THE RESPONSE TIMES OF THE SENSOR ALGORITHM AND THERMAL SWITCH DEVICES TO STOP POWER ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.

Consequence: THE SENSING ALGORITHM OR THERMAL SWITCH INSTALLED TO SHUT OFF POWER TO THE REFRIGERATOR WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE DETECTED DUE TO A POSSIBLE HYDROGEN GAS LEAK MAY NOT SHUT OFF IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO PREVENT A FIRE.

Remedy: TIFFIN IS WORKING WITH NORCOLD TO IDENTIFY AND NOTIFY ANY AFFECTED OWNERS. OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT NORCOLD DEALERS TO RECEIVE THE REMEDY FREE OF CHARGE. PLEASE SEE NORCOLD'S DEFECT REPORT 10E-049 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 17, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NORCOLD AT 1-800-767-9101 OR TIFFIN AT 1-256-356-8661.

Reported: 2011-02-08 (February 8, 2011)

TIFFIN MOTORHOMES IS RECALLING CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1200-SERIES NORCOLD REFRIGERATORS. THE POPULATION OF REFRIGERATORS BEING ADDRESSED CONTAINS EITHER A SENSING ALGORITHM OR THERMAL SWITCH TO SHUT OFF POWER TO THE REFRIGERATOR WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE DETECTED IN ORDER TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL FIRE. THE RESPONSE TIMES OF THE SENSOR ALGORITHM AND THERMAL SWITCH DEVICES TO STOP POWER ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.

Consequence: THE SENSING ALGORITHM OR THERMAL SWITCH INSTALLED TO SHUT OFF POWER TO THE REFRIGERATOR WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE DETECTED DUE TO A POSSIBLE HYDROGEN GAS LEAK MAY NOT SHUT OFF IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO PREVENT A FIRE.

Remedy: TIFFIN MOTORHOMES IS WORKING WITH NORCOLD TO IDENTIFY AND NOTIFY ANY AFFECTED OWNERS. OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT NORCOLD DEALERS TO RECEIVE THE REMEDY FREE OF CHARGE. PLEASE SEE NORCOLD'S DEFECT REPORT 10E-049 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 17, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NORCOLD AT 1-800-767-9101.

Reported: 2011-08-25 (August 25, 2011)

TIFFIN MOTORHOMES IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2011 PHAETON, MY 2008-2010 BUS, AND MY 2010 ALLEGRO MOTORHOMES EQUIPPED WITH KONGSBERG AUTOMOTIVE ADJUSTABLE BRAKE PEDALS. THE ADJUSTABLE BRAKE PEDAL ARM MAY LOOSEN ALLOWING THE ARM TO ROTATE AROUND ITS SHAFT AND SWING IN FRONT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, REDUCING BRAKING FUNCTION.

Consequence: A LOOSE BRAKE PEDAL INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DAMILER TRUCKS (DTNA) IS PERFORMING RECALL REPAIRS AND NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS. THE OWNERS WERE INITIALLY NOTIFIED BY DTNA TRUCKS ON DECEMBER 22, 2009, AND A FOLLOW UP NOTICE WAS MAILED TO OWNERS ON JULY 20, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DTNA WARRANTY CLAIMS DEPARTMENT AT 1-800-547-0712 OR TIFFIN MOTORHOMES AT 1-256-356-8661 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Reported: 2016-07-13 (July 13, 2016)

Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc. (Tiffin) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Allegro, Allegro Bus, Phaeton, and Zephyr motorhomes, 2007-2010 Allegro Bay motorhomes, and 2010-2011 Allegro Breeze motorhomes. The windshield wiper arms on the affected vehicles may break off.

Consequence: If the windshield wiper arms break, the driver's visibility may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Tiffin will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper blade arms, free of charge. The recall began on August 19, 2016. Owners may contact Tiffin customer service at 1-256-356-8661. Tiffin's number for this recall is TIFF-100.