What's up Winnebago?

[jtharley]

Last April I bought a dealer demo (vectra) from a dealer in Boston. Since the coach was never titled and only driven by the owner of the dealership I was given a full warranty (12 months, 15K miles). The coach had about 4K miles when I bought it. I now live in Michigan and took it to my local Winnebago dealer to complete a punch list before the one year warranty is up. The following needs to be fixed.

1. The auto sun visor will not go back up on the drivers side and in the center.
2. The slide locks work some of the time and some of the time they don't (probably a lose wire)
3. The latches on 2 drawers had the hardware springs shoot out and will not hold the drawer in and a vanity drawer never could be opened (I'm afraid if I pull too hard I will yank the front off.)
4. The biggest issue is that on our recent trip south we realized that ALL the exterior compartments leak! The luggage and everything else was soaked after we drove thru a storm and there is mold and stink in the compartments.

Now I have had nothing but wonderful experience with my Winnie Products, I moved up to a vectra when I sold my journey because of my level of satisfaction with the coach.

Winnebago told the dealer that the only thing they will cover under warranty are the slide locks and the sun visor. I guess I'm just a bit miffed that I buy a top of the line Winnebago product and the person who needs to approve the warranty work denied it. C'mon winnebago the latches on the drawers are gonna be what $5 bucks! It is a hardware issue not an "adjustment"

They say they only warranty "adjustments" for 90 days and that I need to pay for a diagnostic to see why my exterior compartments leak.........here's the diagnosis.......THEY LEAK!

Just blowing off a little steam but at 48 years old I'm sure the Vectra won't be my last coach (hint, hint winnebago). I'm surprised and disappointed with their response.

 

[jtharley]

Last April I bought a dealer demo (vectra) from a dealer in Boston. Since the coach was never titled and only driven by the owner of the dealership I was given a full warranty (12 months, 15K miles). The coach had about 4K miles when I bought it. I now live in Michigan and took it to my local Winnebago dealer to complete a punch list before the one year warranty is up. The following needs to be fixed.

1. The auto sun visor will not go back up on the drivers side and in the center.
2. The slide locks work some of the time and some of the time they don't (probably a lose wire)
3. The latches on 2 drawers had the hardware springs shoot out and will not hold the drawer in and a vanity drawer never could be opened (I'm afraid if I pull too hard I will yank the front off.)
4. The biggest issue is that on our recent trip south we realized that ALL the exterior compartments leak! The luggage and everything else was soaked after we drove thru a storm and there is mold and stink in the compartments.

Now I have had nothing but wonderful experience with my Winnie Products, I moved up to a vectra when I sold my journey because of my level of satisfaction with the coach.

Winnebago told the dealer that the only thing they will cover under warranty are the slide locks and the sun visor. I guess I'm just a bit miffed that I buy a top of the line Winnebago product and the person who needs to approve the warranty work denied it. C'mon winnebago the latches on the drawers are gonna be what $5 bucks! It is a hardware issue not an "adjustment"

They say they only warranty "adjustments" for 90 days and that I need to pay for a diagnostic to see why my exterior compartments leak.........here's the diagnosis.......THEY LEAK!

Just blowing off a little steam but at 48 years old I'm sure the Vectra won't be my last coach (hint, hint winnebago). I'm surprised and disappointed with their response.

 

[KIX-WO]

I'm guessing that you're probably dealing with a service writer or service manager. If I were in your shoes I would escalate the issue directly with Winne and not thru the non-selling dealership. Likke you, I feel that Winne should do a little better than the message you've gotten so far. Perhaps something is being lost in the translation. Good Luck!

 

[CaptBill-WO]

Jim, I'm sorry to hear that Winnebago won't honor their warraqnty. They should be covering all of those items without hesitating for one second, especially in times of declining motorhome sales. They should be doing everything they can to keep former customers, and attract new ones, and their not going to do that with this kind of treatment.

I know that we've all heard from people who have said they were going to buy such and such, but are taking some manufacturer off their list becase of this sort of think. I often wondered if some of these people just said that as their means of supporting the customer who was wronged.

Now I believe it, because we are one of those customers. My wife & I just returned from a 6 week trip in Florida, and have decided to replace our present MH with either a new Vectra or Tour, a used American Tradition, or a used Country Coach Intrigue. Both American Coach and CC offer superb factory support, even for buyers of previously owned motorhomes.

With pricing being about the same as a new Winnebago, going the used route is looking better and better to me. Especially if Winnebago is giving loyal customers like you, this kind of response.

Good luck.

 

[BigRedLancer]

I am sorry to hear about another bad experience with Winnebago. I was also treated terribly by Winnebago over a warranty issue. I will be looking at another MH vendor for my next purchase!

Good luck.

 

[NeilV]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jtharley:
Last April I bought a dealer demo (vectra) from a dealer in Boston. Since the coach was never titled and only driven by the owner of the dealership I was given a full warranty (12 months, 15K miles). The coach had about 4K miles when I bought it. I now live in Michigan and took it to my local Winnebago dealer to complete a punch list before the one year warranty is up. The following needs to be fixed.

1. The auto sun visor will not go back up on the drivers side and in the center.
2. The slide locks work some of the time and some of the time they don't (probably a lose wire)
3. The latches on 2 drawers had the hardware springs shoot out and will not hold the drawer in and a vanity drawer never could be opened (I'm afraid if I pull too hard I will yank the front off.)
4. The biggest issue is that on our recent trip south we realized that ALL the exterior compartments leak! The luggage and everything else was soaked after we drove thru a storm and there is mold and stink in the compartments.

Now I have had nothing but wonderful experience with my Winnie Products, I moved up to a vectra when I sold my journey because of my level of satisfaction with the coach.

Winnebago told the dealer that the only thing they will cover under warranty are the slide locks and the sun visor. I guess I'm just a bit miffed that I buy a top of the line Winnebago product and the person who needs to approve the warranty work denied it. C'mon winnebago the latches on the drawers are gonna be what $5 bucks! It is a hardware issue not an "adjustment"

They say they only warranty "adjustments" for 90 days and that I need to pay for a diagnostic to see why my exterior compartments leak.........here's the diagnosis.......THEY LEAK!

Just blowing off a little steam but at 48 years old I'm sure the Vectra won't be my last coach (hint, hint winnebago). I'm surprised and disappointed with their response. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I hope the Boston dealer gave you a great deal on a used coach. The owner of that dealership got somewhere around 3,000 miles of use out of the coach and more than likely bears some of the responsibility for the leaks due to usage.

Also the Michigan dealer could have shot you down when they presented your situation to Winnebago when they saw a new coach with 4000 miles on it comming from a selling dealer nowhere near that far from the factory (less than 900 miles). They may have smelled a rat here and presented this to Winnebago as suspicious.

The Boston Dealer even if he gave you the coach at 30 to 40 percent off list should be reparing the damage that most likely occured while the coach was personally being driven by the owner. That looks on the surface like between 50 to 100 hours of combination driving by the owner of the dealership which could be interpreted as several vacations and months of use before you bought this effectively used coach being titled as new.

Is it Winnebago or a less than ethical selling dealer trying to pass off to Winnebago the cost of supporting their joyriding owner.

Even if it could be countered that the driving was only for trade shows and demos the damages most likely incurred during those events, items 3 and 4, should have been repaired by the selling dealer not the manufacturer.

Personally I hope that Winnebago would start going after these dealers that damage products and then try to pass off the costs of their negligence to others.

An alternative view of what could be going down here. Who did the cheating and who is being cheated? It could be that both you and Winnebago are the victims of the Boston Dealership.

 

[jtharley]

Neil V....

Thanks for your response but if you add up the travel from the factory to boston, boston to Florida and back you just about have the miles that where presented on the coach to me. Basically the "story" jived. Also, Winnebago does allow their dealers to sell non titled coaches as "demos" and offer a full warranty. Don't get me wrong I love my Vectra and compared to some my punch list is pretty minor with the exception of the leaking compartments.

This is my 5th motorhome and second Winnie . I did an extensive 7 hour PDI when I picked it up, drove the coach for over 60 miles, got under it, over it ect......the coach was fine and not damaged by anyone.

My beef is with Winnie and not either of the dealers. When a customer buys your top of the line product, stand behind it....PERIOD. That is customer service, don't dicker with me paying for a diagnostic when it is most likely a small adjustment or at the worse some new rubber seals on the doors.

BTW I did email Winnie directly and am hoping for a response. I will keep you posted.

Jim

 

[Izzyblueye]

Hey! Hey! Neil V--- echo's my thoughts exactly. Winnebago will stand behind their products when it is their problem. I know.

 

[jtharley]

Homer.....I don't get your comment?

I have owned the coach for 10 months. It is STILL under warranty today. When I owned my Journey, Winnie stood behind it for some minor repairs after it was 14 months old and had 17K miles on it. The dealer repaired it during the warranty and the problem happened again after warranty and they fixed it. I have met lots of folks on my travels that bought demo coaches either from shows or dealers who used it as a demo and then sold it as new. I got a great deal, Winnie sold a coach and the dealer did their job. I'm not gonna sweat this and will have the coach fixed since most of the items are very small ones but it is the principle that matters to me. Seems pretty petty to me to not authorize the repairs under warranty and take the chance of loosing a good customer such as myself who will definately be purchasing more coaches in the future.

 

[tomsm]

Jim - any idea how ALL the compartments could be leaking? I've driven my Journey in horrendous rains and nary a drop in the compartments. I can see a seal being poorly installed on a particular compartment, but all of them? That boggles my mind. Maybe it was a training day for new seal installers...

 

[jtharley]

The only compartments that don't leak are the battery compartment......I think, hard to tell and the compartment which houses all the fuses, again hard to tell.

The outside entertainment is leaking (spots, dirt and water all over the TV), drivers side large compartment leaks, (luggage was soaked) small compartment in front of the battery tray, (carpet soaked) and I am assuming because of the smell and dampness that "some" water must be getting into all of them.

Also my tools and anything metal had rusted on this trip and left rust marks on the carpet in the compartments.

 

[Kyle241]

Jim,

I am in agreement with KIX, escalate this issue immediately! We as customers unfortunately must hold these companies responsible otherwise they will (dealer or manufacturer) push it off on the customer.

I have complaints about Winnie on the quality of some of the products they use (that's another topic altogether). They need to know for the money one pays for these rigs, they have to get it right.

Good luck and let us know the outcome.

Kyle

 

[swyates]

I agree with KIX , contact a Winnebago rep. I have found that there is a huge difference in RV dealers service centers, and also with service writers. Last spring I went to a Winne dealer and had a great experience with one service writer, but when I returned for a follow up visit in the fall at the same dealer, I got a horrible service writer that screwed us. We ended up going through the factory and got our repairs covered even though the warranty expired on the trip across the country since the problem was not properly repaired during the warranty term. I found that the support from Winne (and other manufacturers) is often better than the service centers.

 

[AFChap]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">contact a Winnebago rep. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Absolutely!! Anytime I have had a dealer tell me it won't be covered, I either called Winnebago Owner Relations myself and/or emailed them. And EVERY TIME, Winnebago was more than reasonable in taking responsibility. More than one dealer tried to blow smoke on coverage, and I believe one even lied to me and used me to get Winnebago involved.

I had some leaking compartments. I finally found a dealer after three years or attempts who totally removed the StoreMore compartment on the big slide and got it fixed. I never paid a penny for all those efforts by 4 different dealers. Some of the other leaks, I fixed myself after giving up on dealers. First I went over all exterior seams with black silicone caulk. In addition, on the compartments immediately beside a wheel well, I sprayed the outside of the compartment with spray undercoat. That cured the leaks there.
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[theroc]

Jim, I agree with those who've said to contact the Winnebago Owner Relationship representative over the phone.

I've talked with two in the past few months who have "bended over backwards" to help me out on issues.

One even said (I believe his name was Walt but I'll look it up for you in my notes if you'd like) that he'd make note in my file to "extend" the warranty coverage for the items I brought to his attention because I wanted it done by my selling dealer rather than just "any" dealer and my selling dealer is more than a thousand miles away so it would be summer by the time I got there. He told me that it wouldn't be a problem. Just have the dealership call and refer to his notes in my file. He even told me that "adjustments" were covered by the one-year warranty and that he'd make sure I was taken care of if there were issues.

So far, I've been very impressed with Winnebago's customer service when calling that toll-free number they give.

 

[jtharley]

Thanks Scirocco22

I did send Winnebago customer relations an email on Friday. I've also heard that adjustments ARE covered under warranty. The selling dealer in Mass. called me back on Saturday and where shocked to hear what the dealer in Michigan told me. He went as far to say that any of my costs would be covered by his dealership if they couldn't get Winnebago to cover the items I listed. I'm hoping to hear back from them but if I don't I will certainly call on Monday.

 

[theroc]

The service advisor at my dealership early on suggested to me that the better procedure would be for me to call Winnebago when I wanted to inquire about something being done under warranty.

He told me that Winnebago often will not offer to reimburse them for certain types of repairs or replacements where if a customer calls them directly, they usually will be much more responsive and give "permission" for any dealer to cover the repair.

My thinking is that a shady dealer could probably start suggesting a bunch of stuff to be repaired or replaced because they are making some money from doing warranty repairs and replacements ...I don't know.

At any rate, it was excellent advice because it has worked very well in my circumstances. So rather than asking the dealer to cover an item under warranty, I had Winnebago "order" the dealer to cover it under warranty. *laughs*

 

[jtharley]

UPDATE.....

I spoke to Winnebago this morning and was assured that the warranty claim has NOT been denied but simply is pending the diagnostic from the dealer. If it is an "adjustment" the selling dealer will cover it and if it is something else such as a seal or sealant as they put it then it will be covered under warranty.

Now I just wait to see what the diagnostic is. I'll keep you all posted on the results.

 

[jcar6109]

I hope Winne is listening and paying attention to things like this.

I am looking for a new MH a Journey or Tour or Vectra but don't know which right now.
If they can't stand behind there units any better than what I am reading then maybe I should look elsewhere.

It also sounds like they need to get after a bunch of dealers

 

[boulderado]

I just want to chime in that we have had very good experience with Winnebago as far as warranty work and everything else goes. The few items we've needed fixed have been taken care of without any problems.

In fact, our 2 1/2 year rig is having the weather-stripping around the windshield replaced today under warranty.

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