Free Supplement - District Court of Arizona - Arizona

A·4
Case 2:04-cv-00161-ROS Document 146-7 Filed 11/07/2005 Page1 0f4 -

Statement of Fact from Lane L Sennett
October 9m, 2005
After reviewing the inspection reports f`rom Fleetwood and Workhorse on my 2003
Fleetwood Pace Arrow motor home, the following facts must be noted: `
• It has been almost a year since these inspections were done.
• When the motor home was returned to me the brakes were burnt up and in an ?
extremely dangerous condition. It was immediately taken for repairs at Coggin
Chevrolet. The service manager there said that the brakes could have caught on
fne at any time and burned the entire coach to the ground on the side ofthe road. ,
Although I am unsure whether this is true or not, my confidence in the motor
home is destroyed. Q
• The fact that neither inspector noticed the brake problem or commented on it calls
into question their credibility and ability to perform a valid and complete
inspection as I, the owner of the motor home and a driver of it for more than 10 I
miles, consistently experience brake issues and in fact experienced brake issues l
immediately after the inspections. l
Since the motor home was so unreliable dining it’s initial use period (March to Sept
2003), I have not used it f`or any travel. It has only been driven for regular maintenance,
or to take it for required repairs since September of`2003. Because of this I cannot say if
any ofthe reported problems are completely fixed. l
I have been told the issue at hand is that this motor home chassis and structure were y
poorly constructed (although I am unsure about the truth ofthis statement, it does shake
my faith in the motor home) which lead to numerous system failures and unsafe
conditions immediately after it was purchased. No consumer buying a brand new vehicle
should encounter the number of problems documented, or the inadequate service and
repair provided by Fleetwood and Workhorse. i
Although some of`the problems were repaired over the last two years, this could not be .
considered normal on a brand new vehicle to have the extensive, continuing issues with ;
so many systems as those that arose with this unit.
The Workhorse report did not seem to reflect any extensive inspection ofthe fuel system i
or other mechanical systems other than driving the motor home. L
Fuel system — This may or may not be completely fixed. Remaining contamination in the
fuel tank could still cause future problems. The inspection report is incorrect and
incomplete. The fuel filter was replaced 4 times in various locations across the country
and the fuel pump was replaced in Charleston, SC in June 2003.
Air Conditioning — The system was inspected in the winter and not din ing the more harsh
conditions experienced in over 100 degree temperatures in the srnnmer. Even in the _
winter it should not take the AC 15 minutes to cool off. The release offreon into the .
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passenger compartment that occurred in May of`20U3 could happen again because no one
ever determined what caused that to happen, and since I have not used the motor home
f`or extensive travel over different types of conditions I cannot know whether there will be
reoccurring problems.
Belt Tensioner & Serpentine Belt — This appears to have been fixed, but since I have not
used the motor home for extensive travel over different types of conditions I cannot know _
whether there will be reoccurring problems i
The Fleetwood inspection indicates that it was only driven I0 miles The extensive
problems with the coach components could not all be seen during this limited amount of S
driving on just local roads. This isn’t a car intended for transportation to and from work, .
it’s a motor home intended for long distance travel
Also, I note that throughout the inspection report problems that I had requested be
repaired were included and recognized, but after this inspection Fleetwood and their
authorized service center (Dick Gore’s RV) refused to make any ofthese repairs. ’
Front Slide rubs on overhead lights — This is not fixed and would not have been noticed if
they didn’t only drive on smooth roads.
Cabinet doors & Drawers will not stay closed — As noted, this is still a problem and is not
fixed.
Bedroom Door — the problem is that the latch has broken twice and once it breaks it will I
not stay closed.
Front Mud Flap — this was repaired recently, but will reoccur due to bad design
Defective Steering & Suspension - we took the motor home to another repair facility and I
they worked on the front end to determine what was causing the banging noise. They Q
determined that the front end tie rod ends had never been greased when the coach was
built. This finding is consistent with other repairs that revealed that the entire front end
ofthe coach had not been constructed properly. We paid for this work because ?
Fleetwood refused to investigate or correct the problem.
Camera Function -»— this works intermittently and may have functioned for the 10 mile test Q
drive, but may fail again and probably would have had they driven more than 10 miles.
Windshield wipers — unknown whether this is fixed or not. The problem with the wipers U
only occurs when it rains They tested them when it was dry so they would not encounter .
the problem.
Bedroom Slide Leak — this was fixed by Dick Gore’s RV and had to be completely taken
apart, new parts & seals ordered and then rebuilt. The service manager there told us that
the slide was not properly constructed at the factory. Although I am unsure ofthe truth of`
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this statement, my confidence in the motor home is totally shaken. Tom, the service
manager, took many pictures ofthis process to justify the warranty work to Fleetwood.
Leak in Roofover Drivers Seat- this was repaired by another repair facility We paid for
this work because Fleetwood refused to investigate or correct the problem. The problem
was not due to weathering, but to improper installation ofthe components on the roof.
Rusted & Missing Screws — both on the door handle & the camera these are not fixed and
I have been told are the result of improper installation and repair (not stainless steel
screws and incorrect sized screws)
Generator- may or may not be fixed It has been maintained as required, and since I
have not used the motor home for extensive travel over different types of conditions I
cannot know whether there will be reoccurring problems
Dashboard Loose & Creaks — not fixed, loose components and wires continue to come
out from under the dashboard after only a short drive, and the squeaking cannot seem to
be stopped
The air conditioning ducts were broken out ofthe dashboard when we received the motor
home back after the Workhorse and Fleetwood inspectors test drives We paid to have E
another facility repair this problem. j
Since this inspection we received another Urgent Safety Recall related to the installed
Trailer Hitch. The hitch had to be replaced as it was not originally designed and installed
correctly to handle the towing weight advertised
I strongly disagree with the conclusions ofl\/Ir. Bryan Gaughan. This motor home was ·
bought new and was substantially impaired at the time of sale as evidenced by the long ;
list ofsystems that failed and had to be repaired during just the first few months ofuse.
Also, because ofthose failures my family and I were placed in dangerous and unsafe Q
conditions repeatedly. Owner maintenance was done as required and designated in the
Fleetwood owner’s manual and was not neglected as implied in Mr. Gaughan’s letter. ‘
A brand new motor home should not have to he repaired and rebuilt within its first year -
of service. I acknowledge that some failed items have been repaired, but the primary -
point ofmy complaint is that they should not have needed repair in the first place. j
Fleetwood and Workhorse were negligent in their design and construction of this unit, E
l and should not be allowed to provide defective merchandise as first quality, charging the .
price of a new vehicle.
Sincerely, g
Lane Sennett i
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