In a news release Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Thor Motor Coach is recalling certain models of recreational vehicle due to an issue with the windshield wiper motor that could cause reduced visibility for drivers and pose a crash hazard.
Subject to recall are 332 recreational vehicles including model year 2010 and 2011 Damon Astoria, Essence and Tuscany vehicles and model year 2011 and 2012 Thor Motor Coach Astoria and Tuscany vehicles. All of the recalled vehicles were manufactured from May 7, 2009, through August 12, 2011.
The windshield wiper motor circuit breaker is insufficient for the necessary electrical load. The vehicles were built with a breaker rated at 10 amps, but they should have been manufactured with one rated at 15 amps. The insufficient breaker could trip due to a circuit overload, causing the windshield wiper to stop working, possibly reducing a driver’s visibility and raising the risk of a crash.
Thor Motor Coach is expected to notify affected owners of the recall, but has not set a start date for the recall. Affected owners will be able to exchange the 10-amp breaker for a 15-amp one free of charge at a dealer.
As a Los Angeles car accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very aware of; I encourage owners of the recalled recreational vehicles to arrange for the replacement circuit breaker as soon as possible. Because of my experience as a product liability lawyer, I know that the effects of a faulty product can range from inconvenience and frustration to injury and sometimes death. I hope that no one has been harmed as a result of the windshield wiper motor issue.