2016 Thor Motor Coach Ace problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure:body (1) · Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch (1)
Safety recalls (5)
Equipment 2017-11-22 · campaign 17V758000 · 110,400 vehicles
Defect: Thor Motor Coach (Thor) is recalling various 2003-2018 recreational vehicles, equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. See a list of the affected trailer models at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V758-5764.pdf. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or excessive force may be needed to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve
Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Thor will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2018. Owners may contact Thor customer service at 1-877-500-1020, or Kidde customer service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/Washer 2017-09-07 · campaign 17V555000 · 1,105 vehicles
Defect: Thor Motor Coach (TMC) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Ace, Challenger, Daybreak, Hurricane, Miramar, Outlaw, Windsport, Palazzo, Tuscany, and Tuscany XTE motorhomes. The windshield wipers may fail due to the system being incorrectly installed or secured.
Risk: If the windshield wipers cannot be used, driver visibility would be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: TMC will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiper system to verify it is installed correctly, repairing or replacing the system as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on September 27, 2017. Owners may contact TMC customer service at 1-877-855-2867. TMC's number for this recall is RC000146. Note: Although some of the vehicles included in this recall have previously been remedied under recalls 17V-096 or 17V-162, the vehicles may need additional repairs under this campaign.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/Washer 2017-03-13 · campaign 17V162000 · 8,617 vehicles
Defect: Thor Motor Coach (TMC) is recalling certain 2014-2015 ACE, Hurricane, Challenger, Daybreak, Miramar, Outlaw, and Windsport motorhomes. These vehicles have windshield wiper systems that may have been improperly installed and secured, possibly causing the wipers to fail during use.
Risk: Failure of the windshield wipers may impair the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: TMC has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the wiper arm securing nuts, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2017. Owners may contact TMC customer service at 1-877-855-2867.
Equipment:recreational Vehicle/Trailer 2016-08-02 · campaign 16V571000 · 5,633 vehicles
Defect: Thor Motor Coach (Thor) is recalling certain model year 2012-2017 Ace, 2013 Citation, 2012-2013 Siesta and 2017 Four Winds and Road Bear Rental motorhomes. The affected vehicles are equipped with shower curtains that may not adequately resist catching fire in the presence of an ignition source. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 302, "Flammability of Interior Materials."
Risk: A flammable shower curtain may further fuel a fire, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Thor will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shower curtains with curtains made with fire retardant, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2016. Owners may contact Thor customer service at 1-877-500-1020. Thor's number for this recall is RC000121.
Power Train:automatic Transmission 2015-10-30 · campaign 15V719000 · 209 vehicles
Defect: Thor Motor Coach (TMC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ace, Challenger, Hurricane, Miramar, Outlaw, and Windsport vehicles manufactured July 14, 2015, to October 16, 2015. Due to an incorrect shift cable bracket and an improper shift cable adjustment, the affected vehicles can be shifted out of 'PARK' without applying the brakes.
Risk: If the vehicle can be shifted into reverse without the brakes being applied, the vehicle may unintentionally move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners on TMC's behalf, and Ford dealers will replace the transmission shift control bracket and adjust the transmission shift cable, free of charge. The recall began on November 12, 2015. Owners may contact TMC customer service at 1-877-500-1020. TMC's number for this recall is RC000110.
Service bulletins (2)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Equipment 2019-12-05 · LTR 120519 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this letter stated that there were no service bulletins or technical service bulletins issued for the month of november, 2019.
Equipment:other:owners/Service/Other Manual 2017-11-03 · LTR 110317 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this letter stated that there was one (1) service notification issued for the month of october, 2017.
What owners report
2019-02-17 · Unknown Or Other · 13,000 mi“the slide motor needed replacing. it was replaced once under warranty and the same motor required replacement again. shortly out of warranty. out of warranty i was able to determine that water from the roof was able to leak into the motor housing and was causing the motors to short out. the motors required replacing are lippert high torque 500:…”
2019-02-17 · Unknown Or Other · 10,000 mi“the door lock mechanism broke. the metal broke resulting in the lock becoming unusable. door needed a full replacement lock. new trimark rv entry door lock 60-650 was replaced to fix the issue.…”
2018-09-29 · Structure:body · 5,500 mi“on september 22, 2018 i found myself trapped inside my 2016 thor ace 30.1 motorhome. the door lever the door, which was not locked, would not open. it was obvious from the way the door level pulled that it was no longer connected to the latch. fortunately at 73 years of age i am still agile enough to climb out the rear escape window, something tha…”
2018-09-18 · Unknown Or Other · 8,700 mi“the exterior door lock made by tri-mark broke trapping me and my family inside. the rv was parked at the time. the door lock had to be disassembled for us to be able to open the door. had their been a fire or some other emergency this would have caused loss of life. this is a well known issue for many of their locks.…”
2018-07-09 · Unknown Or Other · 3,600 mi“door lock mechanism broke while vehicle stationary camping. family of 5 locked out, dog locked in 101 degree weather, had to break window and break door mechanism to get dog out. known recurrent problem. we could have as easily been locked in. could not open from either side. trimark is lock brand name. metal part inside snapped in two.…”
2018-04-17 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch · 14,391 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2016 thor ace (model 29.4) recreational vehicle. the contact stated that the passenger side rear entry door was unable to be opened from inside or outside the vehicle due to the door latch being fractured. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. the contact left a voice…”
2016-11-14 · Unknown Or Other · 6,500 mi“windshield wipers stopped working while driving on i-95 in nc doing about 65 mph in a very heavy rain storm at night. the nut that holds the wiper arm assembly to the wiper motor came off and the wiper arm assembly seperated from the wiper motor causing the windshield wipers to stopped working. visibility when to zero. luckily there was an exit …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.