2017 Thor Motor Coach Hurricane
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Thor Motor Coach › Hurricane › 2017
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2017 Thor Motor Coach Hurricane. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
There are severe cracks (photos attached) on the frame found where the trailer hitch is bolted to the frame. There is approximately 20,000 miles on the motorhome. Thor Motor Coach brochure advertises "8,000-lb. Trailer Hitch With 7-pin Round Connector" (see Attached). This implies the Coach can tow 8,000Lbs. Websites (www.rvusa.com and www.thorrvsource.com) actually state the "Towing capacity is 8,000 Lbs." I have an aluminum car trailer that is rated for 7,000 lbs. and unladen weight is 1460 lbs. The car that I trailer (2017 Hyundai Sante Fe) weights about 4000 lbs. for a total weight of 5,460 lbs. Less than the 8,000 lbs. that the brochure lists. These cracks could lead to a catastrophic failure with the trailer breaking away from the coach and would still be connected to the trailer hitch and would be completely out of control. I contacted Thor Motor Coach[XXX]and they disagree that their brochure is OK. I checked and their present brochure still has the 8,000-lb trailer hitch listed. No other towing information is included in their manuals. My Coach is being repaired at River's Truck Center. Attached is their estimate. My problem is I see other Coach's with trailers and vehicles on the highway and worry that their frames may be cracked and not realize the problem. I feel that Thor needs to send out notification to prevent serious accidents. I am not sure if other manufacturers have similar problem. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation, PE24023, on August 14, 2024, to investigate allegations of Thor Motor Coach motorhome frame or trailer hitch structure cracking and separating. The hitch was manufactured by Lippert and installed by Thor as standard original equipment. ODI received eight Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) describing the hitch structure cracking. If not caught in time, a cracked hitch can fully fracture and separate from the vehicle. ODI sent information requests to Thor and Lippert on September 6, 2024 and September 27, 2024, respectively. Thor's full response was received October 31, 2024, and Lippert's full response was received December 6, 2024. ODI reviewed the responses and learned of improvements introduced to increase the overall strength of the system. The manufacturers reported 32 total incidents, and ODI is aware of 37 non-duplicative subject vehicle incidents in total, including four crash incidents where the towed vehicle separated and struck a roadside feature. The overall failure rate for all subject vehicles is low, and ODI isnot aware of any failures on vehicles produced in the last 30 months. Although a defect has not been identified, the manufacturers understand the seriousness of a potential hitch receiver structure failure. As a result, Thor, supported by Lippert, is conducting a customer satisfaction campaign that instructs consumers to inspect their hitch structure and informs what to look for and what to do if issues are found. If consumers areuncomfortable performing this inspection, Thor dealers can inspect the trailer hitch for them. The inspection and repair will be done at no expense to the consumer. ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) with this manufacturer action. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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