2001 Four Winds Chateau

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the equipment › mechanical › carrier/rack. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Structure1
002
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System › Fuel Rail1
000
Equipment › Mechanical › Carrier/Rack1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer03V449000
Filed Nov 4, 200312,918 vehiclesFour Winds International

Defect. ON CERTAIN TRAVEL TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH SAMSUNG MICROWAVE OVENS, THESE OVENS WERE PRODUCED WITH A DEFECTIVE PANEL. AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAN OCCUR BETWEEN CIRCUIT PATTERNS ON THE MEMBRANE PANEL, ESPECIALLY OVERLAPPED BY A "JUMPER" OR JUMP WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE THE OVEN TO ACTIVATE WITHOUT PRESSING ANY KEY PADS.

Risk. AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAN OCCUR CAUSING THE OVEN TO ACTIVATE WITHOUT PRESSING ANY KEY PADS. THIS COULD RESULT IN EXCESSIVE HEAT, SMOKE, OR POSSIBLY A FIRE.

Remedy. SAMSUNG WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND REPAIR THE PANEL FREE OF CHARGE. IN THE MEANTIME, CONSUMERS SHOULD UNPLUG THEIR MICROWAVE, IF POSSIBLE. IF THE CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO UNPLUG THE MICROWAVE, THEY SHOULD LEAVE THE DOOR AJAR UNTIL THE PANEL IS REPLACED. CONSUMERS SHOULD NEVER USE THE MICROWAVE OVEN FOR STORAGE OR LEAVE ANY TOWELS, PAPER, CLOTH OR OTHER PRODUCTS IN THE MICROWAVE AFTER USE. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SAMSUNG AT 800-932-3837 OR FOUR WINDS AT 1-219-266-1111.

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly01V097003
Filed Mar 30, 20013,150 vehiclesFour Winds International

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN MOTORHOMES EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLIES PRODUCED BY AM-SAFE. ON SOME SEAT BELTS, THE BUCKLE AND CONNECTOR MAY UNLATCH DURING A COLLISION.

Risk. SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH COULD OCCUR IF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT IS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED.

Remedy. AM-SAFE NOTIFIED FOUR WINDS' CUSTOMERS TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE SEAT BELTS REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 31, 2000. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT AM-SAFE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AT 219-266-8330 OR FOUR WINDS AT 219-266-1111.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Oct 5, 201040,000 milesFL

MASTER CYLINDER CAUSED THE BRAKES TO FAIL IN OUR 2001 MOTORHOME. NO BRAKES AT ALL. COST US $2800. TO FIX ALL PARTS CONNECTED TO THE BRAKES. AUTO REPAIR MAN SAID MASTER CYLINDER STUCK & WAS WHAT CAUSED ALL THE PROBLEMS. WE WERE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF ARIZ & HAD JUST CAME DOWN INTO TOWN WHEN WE REALIZED WE HAD NO BRAKES . *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System › Fuel Rail
Filed Jun 18, 2003IN

THERE WAS A GAS MALFUCTION ON A FUEL RAIL IN MOTOR HOME. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL.*AK

Structure2 injured
Filed Apr 17, 2003AZ

THE MOTOR HOME DOES NOT TAPER UP IN THE REAR. AS A RESULT WHEN THE CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING LOTS THE REAR OF THE HOME COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND CAUSED THE FRAME TO BEND. IT WAS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE SEAL AROUND THE WATER HEATER CRACKED WHICH ALLOWED CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES TO ENTER THE LIVING QUARTERS. CONSUMER BELIEVES MOTOR HOME HAS A DESIGN DEFECT. THE MOTOR HOME IS A 2001 CHATEAU 31Z WITH A FORD CHASSIS. *NLM *TT

Equipment › Mechanical › Carrier/Rack
Filed Jul 19, 2002MN

CONSUMER HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND WHILE DRIVING, PULLED OVER AND SAW SPARE TIRE 1/4 OF A MILE BEHIND VEHICLE. RACK UNDERNEATH VEHICLE HAD BROKEN.*AK

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20110100Routine
20100200Routine
20090200Routine
20080100Routine
20063300Routine
20051400Routine
20040300Routine
20031300Routine
20022100Routine
2001 — this page4200Routine
20008200Routine
19991100Routine

Compare every Chateau year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Nov 4, 2003. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.