2000 Winnebago Chieftain

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the structure › frame and members. It has been recalled 5 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Structure › Frame and Members1
000
Seat Belts1
000
Equipment › Mechanical › Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift1
000
Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery › Cables1
010

5 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Equipment10V525000
Filed Oct 26, 201018,461 vehiclesWinnebago Industries, Inc.

Defect. WINNEBAGO 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.

Risk. 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. WINNEBAGO 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 DURING DECEMBER 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NORCOLD AT 1-800-767-9101 OR WINNEBAGO AT 1-641-585-3535.

Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer08V265000
Filed Jun 13, 2008930 vehiclesWinnebago Industries, Inc.

Defect. WINNEBAGO IS RECALLING MY 1999-2002 ULTIMATE ADVANTAGE, ULTIMATE FREEDOM, MY 1999-2001 CHIEFTAIN, MY 2000-2001 BRAVE, MY 2001 JOURNEY MY 2000 MINNIE WINNIE, MY 2000-2002 ITASCA HORIZON, MY 1999 SUNCRUISER, MY 2001 SUNFLYER, AND MY 2000 SUNRISE MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH NORCOLD REFRIGERATORS. A FATIGUE FAILURE IN THE SECTION OF THE COOLING UNIT WHICH CONTAINS THE REFRIGERANT COULD ALLOW THE LIQUID SOLUTION TO SLOWLY LEAK.

Risk. EXTENDED OPERATION OF A LEAKING COOLING UNIT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE FROM GAS WHICH MIGHT ESCAPE.

Remedy. WINNEBAGO IS WORKING WITH NORCOLD TO REPAIR THESE REFRIGERATORS. NORCOLD WILL PROVIDE THERMAL SWITCH KITS TO OWNERS ALONG WITH THE NECESSARY FORMS AND INSTRUCTIONS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NORCOLD AT 1-800-767-9101 OR WINNEBAGO AT 1-641-585-3535.

Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer02V276006
Filed Dec 3, 2002631 vehiclesWinnebago Industries Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR COOLING UNITS MODEL NUMBERS 442, 443, 452, EV452, 453, 462, EV462, 463, EV463, 482, EV482, 483, EV483, 874, AND 875. THESE REFRIGERATORS CAN EXPERIENCE A BREAK DOWN IN A RUBBER SEAL WITHIN THE GAS VALVE. AS THE RUBBER SEAL AGES, A LEAK MAY OCCUR, ALLOWING PROPANE GAS TO ACCUMULATE IN THE BURNER AREA.

Risk. THE CONSEQUENCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE, POSSIBLY CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy. NORCOLD WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT GAS VALVE FREE OF CHARGE. 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 NORCOLD SERVICE CENTER AT 1-800-667-3005 OR WINNEBAGO AT 641-585-3535.

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly01V128004
Filed Apr 30, 20014,370 vehiclesWinnebago Industries, Inc.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CLASS A MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLIES BUILT 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. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LAP BELTS AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IT WITH A NEW BELT ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 25, 2001. 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 AT 1-219-266-8330 OR WINNEBAGO AT 1-641-585-6939.

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly00V273004
Filed Oct 13, 20006,550 vehiclesWinnebago Industries, Inc.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CLASS A MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLIES BUILT 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. DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seat Belts
Filed Mar 22, 2014IL

WE JUST PURCHASED THIS MOTORHOME & BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT MOUNTINGS WERE TAPED UP WITH DUCT TAPE. WE WERE RESEARCHING HOW TO REPLACE THEM & WE CAME ACROSS THE RECALL NOTIFICATIONS ON THE SEAT BELTS FOR OUR MODEL. WE ARE WONDERING HOW TO FIND OUT IF OUR MOTORHOME WAS AFFECTED & IF SO, HAS THE ISSUE BEEN CORRECTED. IS THERE A WAY YOU CAN SEE IF WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE OR IF WE CAN JUST ORDER NEW MOUNTINGS? THANK YOU!! *TR

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery › CablesFire
Filed Oct 11, 200545,000 milesFL

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE DASHBOARD OF MOTOR HOME. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE CABLE HARNESS. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. MANUFACTURER TOOK INFORMATION AND OFFERED NO HELP AT THEIR EXPENSE. *AK

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Jan 2, 2002VA

SLIDE OUTS ON THE MOTOR WILL AT TIMES AUTOMATICALLY SLIDE OUT. THIS PROBLEM CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK *SLC

Equipment › Mechanical › Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift
Filed Jan 2, 2002VA

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEEDS HYDRAULIC JACK WILL AUTOMATICALLY START TO LOWER ITSELF, SETTING OFF A TINY ALARM NOTIFYING CONSUMER OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.*AK

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1999
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20110100Routine
20100100Routine
20090100Routine
20080100Routine
20070100Routine
20060100Routine
20050300Routine
20040300Routine
20030200Routine
20021200Routine
20010400Routine
2000 — this page4510Routine
199913310Routine
19984300Routine
19970200Routine
19960200Routine
19940100Routine

Compare every Chieftain 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: Oct 26, 2010. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.