2003 National Rv Dolphin LX

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer07V230000
Filed Jun 4, 200721,326 vehiclesNational Rv, Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH A TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATOR, MANUFACTURED BY THE DOMETIC CORPORATION, MAY HAVE A DEFECT IN THE BOILER TUBE. PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION COULD BE RELEASED INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT.

Risk. RELEASE OF COOLANT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE AND RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy. NATIONAL RV WILL BE WORKING WITH DOMETIC IN ORDER TO REPAIR THESE REFRIGERATORS (PLEASE SEE 06E076). DOMETIC WILL REPAIR THESE REFRIGERATORS BY INSTALLING A SECONDARY BURN HOUSING, A THERMAL FUSE, AND A MELT FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. DOMETIC HAS RETAINED STERICYCLE INC. TO MANAGE THIS CAMPAIGN. STERICYCLE WILL ASSIST OWNERS IN LOCATING DEALERSHIPS OR SERVICE CENTERS AND WILL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOMETIC/STERICYCLE AT 1-888-446-5157 OR NATIONAL RV AT 1-800-999-7260, EXT. 4335. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA), AN AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT NATIONAL RV, INC. AND ITS HOLDING COMPANY, NATIONAL RV HOLDINGS, INC., HAVE FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. NHTSA HAS BEEN ADVISED THAT OWNERS WHO WISH TO PURSUE CLAIMS RELATED TO SAFETY RECALL REPAIR WORK ON THEIR NATIONAL RV VEHICLES MAY FILE A PROOF OF CLAIM WITH THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE DIVISION. THE CASE NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THIS MATTER IS 07-17941. THE PROOF OF CLAIM FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THE COURT'S WEBSITE WWW.CACB.USCOURTS.GOV. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE BANKRUPTCY AND ITS PROCEEDINGS MAY ALSO BE FOUND AT WWW.OMNIMGT.COM/NATIONALRV. NATIONAL RV'S PHONE NUMBER IS (951) 943-6007. INFORMATION ABOUT SAFETY RECALLS ON NATIONAL RV'S PRODUCTS MAY BE FOUND AT WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV. THE NHTSA WISHES TO ADVISE OWNERS OF RECALLED PRODUCTS THAT, IN THE INTERESTS OF THEIR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF THE MOTORING PUBLIC, ALL SAFETY RECALL WORK SHOULD BE PERFORMED ON MOTOR VEHICLES AND ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Apr 22, 200932,000 milesFL

ABS LIGHT CAME ON BRAKES GOT VERY HOT. TOOK M/H TO DEALER. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS AND LESS THAN 3 THOUSAND MILES THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED.. DEALER SAYS FRONT AND REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND CALIPERS RUINED AND VEHICLE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Jul 14, 20087,342 milesFL

I HAVE A 2003 NATIONAL DOLPHIN MOTORHOME WITH APPROXIMATELY 7,342 MILES. I EXPERIENCED THE LEFT REAR BRAKE HEATING UP AROUND APRIL 2007 AND TOOK IT TO A WORKHORSE DEALER. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AND A BRAKE SENSOR WAS REPLACED ON THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. THIS MONTH, JULY 2008, WE WERE DRIVING TO A LOCAL PARK AND, WAS TOLD THAT 3 CALIPERS CEASED, AFTER WE LIMPED BACK TO THE SAME DEALER. MY WIFE AND GRANDDAUGHTER WERE WITH ME WHEN THE BRAKES TIGHTENED UP AND I COULD NOT DRIVE THE MOTORHOME ANY FASTER THAN 35MPH. THEN THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND SEVERAL TIMES THE BRAKE PEDAL BOTTOMED OUT ON THE FLOOR CAUSING ME TO ALMOST REAR END SEVERAL VEHICLES. HAD A MOTORCYCLE OR PEDESTRIAN CROSSED IN FRONT OF ME THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY I COULD HAVE STOPPED. TODAY I WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $3500 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AND THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE "DEFECT". AFTER DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH ON WORKHORSE BRAKE PROBLEMS I'VE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED WORKHORSE TO INQUIRE WHAT COULD BE DONE AND WAS ADVISED THE FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE, BILL O'NEAL, ONLY SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I FOUND THAT A RECALL CAME OUT IN JANUARY 2005 LISTING SEVERAL VIN NUMBERS IN 2001, 2002, AND 2003 WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT THE NUMBERS STOPPED SHORT OF MY VIN NUMBER IN 2003. THE LOCAL SERVICE DEPT MANAGER TOLD ME I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALLS. NOW I HAVE AN OUTLANDISH BILL AND THE MOTORHOME IS STUCK IN THE SHOP BECAUSE THE

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20080100Routine
20070200Routine
20060200Routine
2003 — this page2100Routine
20020200Routine

Compare every Dolphin LX 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: Jun 4, 2007. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.