New Dometic Recall Initiated March 11, 2008

[MELM]

Thanks to the members who have provided info on this new one.

Dometic has a new recall for refrigerators made between June 1, 2003 through September 30, 2006. Many of these are the same models as were in the older recall (Recall number 06E076000). (Technically, Dometic’s letter indicates an extension of the original, but NHTSA assigned a new Recall Number and the information is under that new number.)

Since it has a new NHTSA number, I’m starting a new thread on this one; but the actual work appears to be the same as in the first recall.

Text from the NHTSA website Recall 08E03200.

Make / Models : Model/Build Years:
DOMETIC / NDR1062 9999
DOMETIC / RM2652 9999
DOMETIC / RM2662 9999
DOMETIC / RM2852 9999
DOMETIC / RM2862 9999
DOMETIC / RM3662 9999
DOMETIC / RM3663 9999
DOMETIC / RM3862 9999
Recall Number: 08E032000
Summary:
DOMETIC HAS REPORTED A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT COVERING 745,574 TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATORS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JUNE 1, 2003 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2006, WITH SERIAL NOS. 320XXXXX THROUGH 352XXXXX; 401XXXXX THROUGH 452XXXXX; 501XXXXX THROUGH 552XXXXX; AND 601XXXXX THROUGH 639XXXXX, INSTALLED IN CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT. A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE BOILER TUBE WHICH MAY RELEASE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF PRESSURIZED COOLANT SOLUTION INTO AN AREA WHERE AN IGNITION SOURCE (GAS FLAME) IS PRESENT.
Consequence:
THE RELEASE OF COOLANT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE AND RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy:
THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES THAT HAD THE REFRIGERATORS INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND DOMETIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE AFTERMARKET REFRIGERATORS. DOMETIC WILL INSTALL A SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL/MAY 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOMETIC AT 888-446-5157.
Notes:
CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

Some more links:

Dometic Recall Site

Dometic letter of April 11, 2008

NHTSA Response letter of April 21, 2008.

And here is a link to the original recall thread: Dometic Refer Recall - Possible Fire Hazard -Update 2/13/07

Edited to add a link to the original thread.

[busman587]

Has anyone had a problem with the Dometic fridges built after 2006, namely NDR 1292? I have a 2007 Georgetown 378XL with this fridge and now 5 weeks after the 3 year warranty has run out there's a coolant leak and Dometic won't talk to me about possible problems with this model. If there are some other owners who have this model and develop fatigue cracks which I think mine has, then I plan to push this issue with Dometic. If their product can't be trusted for more than 3 years without a bigger expense of extended warranty than it doesn't say much for their company. Sour grapes? Maybe, but I get annoyed at products that don't perform for a reasonable length of time and even after I maintain it and 3 years is not a reasonable time at least to my thinking. I hope I can 'bend some ears' at Dometic.

[CJW8]

I had the recall fix installed. What a joke! My coolant leaked a year later and caught fire. Had I not been standing right there and had a fire extinguisher handy, my trailer would have burned to the ground. There was no containment. Fortunatly, there was very little damage and my extended warranty purchased from Dometic replaced my cooling unit.

[jetcare]

Elvis-N-Amy in Texas wrote:
Would someone post the part number for the older and lower amperage AC heater? I will be scheduling my recall visit and I understand the later higher amperage heater may contribute to the coil failure.
I have a Dometic RM 2652.

Thank in advance
Elvis

I might suggest you start a new topic on this request so people will see it.

Matt

[Elvis-N-Amy_in_]

Would someone post the part number for the older and lower amperage AC heater? I will be scheduling my recall visit and I understand the later higher amperage heater may contribute to the coil failure.
I have a Dometic RM 2652.

Thank in advance
Elvis

[JTMO]

If it is out of Warranty, it is not covered for failure. They are not fixing the root cause, the coolant leak.
As stated, they only put a patch on the problem to 'help' prevent a fire.

[ourtobydog]

all they do is put in metal around the outsides of it and change temp thing on the chimney.dont fix the problem!!

[Leftcoaster]

Just got a letter from my coach mfgr. that we are included in the recall. Unfortunately, we replaced the unit last Feb. after the coolant leaked out as we slept and all the food in the freezer was thawed. Cost us over $1800 to replace the fridge and Dometic said at the time" too bad, not our problem". Now, it seems I am going to have to go after them for the cost of the unit. Anyone else had any satisfaction from them in this circumstance?

[gettinmykxs58]

Phantom59 wrote:
I have read where there were fires and it may have been here where someones trailer and house burned because of a dometic defect. You are lucky if you can leave your unit in the coach some of them smell so bad they have to be removed.

Well on that note I guess I am lucky as I caught in the nick of time, as the smell of animonia caught my attention real quick. The cooling unit was going out, and although I lost alot of food, I called a mobile repair service, paid 60 for nothing due to the warranty being out of date but I haven't had any other problems. It doesn't have LP running in it and it's unplugged. Susan

[Phantom59]

I have read where there were fires and it may have been here where someones trailer and house burned because of a dometic defect. You are lucky if you can leave your unit in the coach some of them smell so bad they have to be removed.

[gettinmykxs58]

speediq99 wrote:
Hello everyone,

I somehow missed this thread. I have one of the recalled units so I am heading to the dealer next week. My problems, which may or may not be related are:

1. Insufficient cooling
2. LP Gas detector going off

I am outraged to hear that this company has acknowledged a problem with one of their products and won't repair and/or replaced a failed cooling unit unless the fridge is under warranty. This is ridiculous and very serious. Instead of just writing here, we should all visit the NHTSA website and complain there.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

If there is a recall because there could be a failure, the recall should replace the part that could fail, not shield it so it doesn't explode on us. All units in the recall are part of the recall for a reason. Dometic knows that sooner or later the parts involved will fail.

If anyone wants to start a class action, sign me up.

Mike

I couldn't agree more with this post. My domectic went out and someone said I was out of luck regardless because my warranty had expired. Maybe Domectic would be singing a different tune regardless if a warranty was out of date if someone was killed or seriously injured. I saw another post that said I never ran my refrig on LP only electric, well I did too, on electric only and the refrig still went out regardless. So I have a useless piece of junk sitting in my coach and I am a fulltimer, and don't have $$$$ to replace it with a brand new one, but it sure does make a great storage area for extra food and stuff. As for the recall it should include everyone that is effected, regardless if they have it under warranty or not. Our lives are worth more then having your coach burn you to the ground. If its a recall regardless of a warranty it should cover anyone's refrig made by domectic regardless but that's just my own opinion. Susy

Susan, Sammy & Twosoxs, Ms. Lil and Smokey
2004 Forest River Salem 37'
2003 Dodge Ram 2500 w/ banks stinger

[Chris_Bryant]

The original cover should still be there, though t will be modified a bit.

[movingon99]

Question? Had my dometic recall done last week and my question is I see the plate they installed behind door for recall but are they to remove the cover that went over the burner or leave it with the new installed cover. They removed
mine. The reason for my concern is the new cover is called the secondary cover
install. any feedback would be appreciated.

movinon99 2006 class A

[movingon99]

jolooote wrote:
And how does this addition complicate trouble shooting a future problem if refer stops working???

[timsrv]

IMO rebuilt cooling cores can be as good as, or even better than the original. It all depends on the commitment of the re-builder to produce a quality product. If they are simply identifying holes, welding them up, and re-charging, then the unit is inferior and will most likely fail within the 1st couple of years. If they are completely replacing the tubes inside the foam pack, and, in the case of these recall units, replacing the entire boiler with thicker material, AND have well trained conscientious employees performing the work, then I might consider it superior to a new core. The problem is, it's hard (if not impossible) to know which (if any) remanufacturers are doing a good job. In addition, things have a way of changing (quality workers are replaced with unskilled / untrained workers, management substitutes cheaper materials, etc....). Hhhmmmmm, I wonder if any of this sounds familiar to some of the original equipment manufacturers?

Another thing to consider is cost. If they really do produce a superior unit, then the cost would most likely rival or exceed new. If I had the time to personally tour the factory, talk to the employees, and I was satisfied by what I saw and heard, then maybe I would consider rebuilt. Obviously that's not going to happen, so all things considered, I would probably just spend the extra ~$200 and purchase a new core. For that matter, if I were going to spend that much, why not just spend another ~$300 and get a whole new refer installed with a 3 year warranty?

I hate rewarding anybody that demonstrates poor customer support, but IMO there's not a lot of good alternate choices currently available. Considering the staggering cost of such a large scale recall, I think it's safe to assume Dometic is finally taking this quality issue very seriously. If I went with a new core, the only thing I would worry about is getting one that's been sitting in a warehouse somewhere. I would certainly try to verify it has a recent manufacture date before spending my money. In addition, I would also get rid of the old heating element and replace it with the latest one recommended by Dometic.

For what it's worth, I used to purchase and install about 10 - 20 rebuilt cooling cores every year from a "reputable" remanufacturer. I had very good luck with them for about 7 years. Sometime around 2000 I started noticing quality problems (fit problems mostly). There were also a few times I noticed questionable welds, bent pipes, etc. Sometime around 2002, and a very high percentage of these units (less than 2 years old) started failing and coming back. After eating several of these and doing several more at cost I had enough. I decided from that point on I would only recommend new cores or complete refer replacements. I know my experience could have just been an isolated case, but my reputation is too important to put at unnecessary risk. Unfortunately, the option to purchase quality anything in today's market is becoming rare. I have my opinions, but admit it's really just a******shoot, so go with your gut. As Dirty Harry would say "Do you feel lucky?" "Well, do ya?"..............Tim