2008 Country Coach Affinity

Defect. COUNTRY COACH IS RECALLING 238 MY 2006-2008 AFFINITY AND MAGNA MOTOR HOMES. LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST CAN OCCUR IN THESE MOTOR HOMES.

Risk. LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST CAN CREATE AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FAN DRIVE HYDRAULIC PUMP AND THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTED DRY SPLINE POWER TAKE-OFF WITH A WET SPLINE POWER TAKE-OFF AND RELOCATE THE ENGINE POWER STEERING PUMP TO THE ENGINE POWER STEERING MECHANICAL DRIVE PAD. OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS RECALL BEGINNING ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2008, WITH INSTRUCTIONS THAT SHOULD THEY EXPERIENCE LOSS OF POWER STEERING OR A SEVERE REDUCTION IN THE ABILITY TO STEER THE MOTOR HOME THAT THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE COUNTRY COACH SERVICE CENTER. THE PARTS NECESSARY FOR THIS RECALL WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL MID-NOVEMBER 2008, AT WHICH TIME THE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED TO BRING IN THEIR VEHICLE FOR REPAIR. OWNERS MAY CONTACT COUNTRY COACH AT 1-800-547-8015.

Defect. COUNTRY COACH IS RECALLING 1,228 MY 2004-2008 MAGNA, AFFINITY AND INTRIGUE MOTOR HOMES. THESE MOTOR HOMES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE SIDE MARKER LIGHTS IN THE COMBINATION HEADLIGHT AND TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES DO NOT MEET THE MINIMUM PHOTOMETRIC VALUES SPECIFIED IN FMVSS NO. 108.

Risk. INADEQUACY OF THE FRONT AND REAR SIDE MARKER LIGHTS COULD AFFECT VISIBILITY OF THE MOTOR HOME DURING HOURS OF DARKNESS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MARKER LIGHTS ON THE SIDE OF EACH MOTOR HOME AS CLOSE AS REASONABLE TO THE FRONT AND REAR CORNERS AND WIRED INTO THE PARK LIGHT SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT COUNTRY COACH AT 1-800-547-8015.

ON MAY 26,2008, WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 COUNTRY COACH AFFINITY IN FLORIDA, I HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND COOLING. THE CAUSE TURNED OUT TO BE A FAILURE OF THE SPLINES IN THE HYDRAULIC PUMP ATTACHED TO THE POWER TAKE-OFF FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THIS PUMP RUNS THE POWER STEERING, AND ANOTHER PUMP IS ATTACHED TO IT WHICH RUNDS THE ENGINE COOLING FAN. DRIVING A MOTOR HOME WITH AN 18,000 LB FRONT AXLE WITHOUT POWER STEERING IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, TO SAY THE LEAST. IF I HAD NOT BEEN JUST ENTERING THE INTERSTATE FROM THE ON-RAMP AND ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD QUICKLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD HAVE MANAGED. CERTAINLY IF I HAD BEEN ON A WINDING ROAD, THE SITUATION WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. I WAS AFRAID I WAS GOING TO BREAK THE STEERING COLUMN LINKAGES BY MANHANDLING IT SO HARD. THE SPLINES WHICH FAILED WERE SIMPLY WORN DOWN TO NOTHING BECAUSE OF THE FRETTING THEY ENDURED BEING IN A CONSTANT USE SITUATION WITH NO LUBRICATION. THE PTO MANUFACTURER TOLD ME, AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION ON MY PART, THAT THE PTO WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE USED IN A CONTINUOUS RUN SITUATION WITH THE DRY SET-UP AS IT WAS. THEY RECOMMEND A LUBRICATED SET-UP WITH EITHER GREASE CONNECTIONS TO ALLOW FREQUENT LUBRICATION OR WITH A FREE-FLOWING CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FOR LUBRICATION CONSTANTLY. COUNTRY COACH REPAIRED THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY WITH THE EXACT SAME SET-UP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF NUMEROUS OTHER FAILURES WITH LOW MILEAGE (MY COACH HAD ONLY ABOUT 14,000 MILES