NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR Complaints

CPSC#I1270407A. NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR N683. CONSUMER STATED HE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF AMMONIA AND SOMETHING BURNING. UPON INVESTIGATION, HE FOUND AMMONIA TUBES LEAKING ONTO THE HEATING ELEMENTS OF THE BURNER TUBE. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED IT CAUSED THE HEATING ELEMENTS TO SHORT OUT, WHICH CAUSED THE INSULATION TO BURN WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE CIRCUIT BOARD TO SHORT OUT.

NORCOLD CORP. ISSUED SAFETY RECALL # 10E-049 ON/ABOUT OCTOBER 21, 2010 FOR REFRIGERATOR UNITS IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES FOR A POTENTIAL "FIRE" IN THE COOLING UNIT(S). A CERTIFIED RV DEALER CONFIRMED FIRE DAMAGE TO UNIT OWNED AND OPERATED BY COMPLAINANT . NORCOLD CORP. HAS REFUSED TO HONOR SAFETY RECALL(S) AND REPAIR SAID DAMAGED UNITS. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO THE REFRIGERATOR UNIT ONLY HOWEVER ITS A TOTAL LOST. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF SIMILAR DEFECTIVE REFRIGERATOR UNITS BEING USED ON THE NATIONAL'S HIGHWAYS BY UNSUSPECTING RV OWNERS POSING A SERIOUS SAFETY AND HAZARDOUS POTENTIAL FOR A CATASTROPHIC EVENT THAT WILL ENDANGER THE TRAVELING PUBLIC. *TR

CPSC#I11C0080A. NORCOLD RV REFRIGERATOR. CONSUMER STATED THE DOOR BROKE OFF THE BOTTOM HINGE AND FELL ON HIS SONS FOOT. VICTIM WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. *LN UPON INSPECTING THE HINGES, THE BOTTOM HINGE WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN IN TWO, ALLOWING THE DOOR TO SLIDE OFF FROM THE TOP HINGE PIN AND DETACH COMPLETELY OFF THE MAIN BOX. THE DOOR HINGES WERE NON-REINFORCED HARD PLASTIC ATTACHED TO METAL PINS THAT WERE APART OF THE MAIN REFRIGERATOR BOX. MODEL # N84, SERIAL # 9827512. *JB

CPSC#I1160395A. TAHOE FIFTH WHEEL RV. CONSUMER STATED MAY 12TH THEY EXPERIENCED THE SMELL OF AMMONIA AND NO COOLING BY THE UNIT. ON MAY 15TH AT 1 A.M., THEIR DOGS WOKE THEM TO FIND THE WHOLE TRAILER ON FIRE. CONSUMER STATED THEY LOST EVERYTHING AND BARELY MADE IT OUT. *LN AN ELECTRICAL FORENSICS TEAM, FOUND THE UNIT TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.

NOTIFIED BY NORCOLD,INC. OF A FIRE HAZARD CAUSED BY MY REFRIGERATOR . THIS IS THE SECOND SUCH RECALL , BECAUSE THE FIRST ONE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO DO A CHEAP QUICK FIX AND IT DIDN'T WORK . NOW , THEY ARE DOING IT OVER TO CORRECT THEIR FIRST SCREW UP. THEY REFUSED TO COME TO ME TO FIX THE PROBLEM .CAUSING ME TO SPEND MY MONEY AND TIME TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED , MAYBE!! THE LETTER STATES " THE INSTALLATION OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURE SENSOR WILL BE AT NO COST TO YOU ". THEY LIED ! I DO HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED . I REALIZE THE NHTSA HAS NO POWER TO RESOLVE THESE PROBLEMS , SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO SEND A COMPLAINT TO YOU ANYWAY . NORCOLD INC. SAID IF I HAD A COMPLAINT I HAD TO NOTIFY YOU, THEY HAD NO FURTHER RESPONSIBILITY . THAN TO NOTIFY ME AND FURNISH THE PARTS AND IN-SHOP LABOR . ANY FOOD LOSS AND ADDITIONAL COSTS ARE AT MY EXPENSE . IF A LAW SUIT RESULTS FROM THEIR MISTAKES AND ERRORS THE ON -SITE COST WILL SEEM TRIVIAL . THANKS FOR YOUR TIME . *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 WINNEBAGO. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HIS NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR'S COOLING FLUID WAS LEAKING. THE REFRIGERATOR WAS INSPECTED BY THE CONTACTS PERSONAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE REFRIGERATOR HAD BEEN REPAIRED; HOWEVER THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A LIVE OPERATOR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIAMETLY 47,000. BW UPDATED 01/24/11 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MONACO COACH DYNASTY WITH A NORCOLD REFRIGERATORS, MODEL NUMBER 1200-LRM, SERIAL NUMBER 1040913. THE CONTACT REFERENCED RECALL 08V257000, EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE AND STATED HE HAD THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED IN 2009. HE RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL LETTER WITH ACTION NUMBER EQ08009 AND WAS NOT PLEASED THAT THE MANUFACTURER MAILED A SECOND RECALL NOTICE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WERE ONLY REPLACING THE SENSOR AND NOT REPLACING THE PART THAT WAS CAUSING THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO FAILURES AT THIS TIME.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DUTCHMEN 26LDSL TRAVEL TRAILER. A THETFORD/NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER, SERIAL # 11162687 MODEL #N611 LT GROUP CODE: 080225 WAS INSTALLED IN THE TRAILER. AN ODOR WAS IN THE REFRIGERATOR THAT THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE. THE REFRIGERATOR MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL POWER OUTAGE AND EVERYTHING WAS DESTROYED. FOR TWO WEEKS THEY HAVE MADE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CLEAN THE REFRIGERATOR BECAUSE OF THE ODOR AND SPOILED FOOD INSIDE THE REFRIGERATOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REMOVE THE PANEL; YET, THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT TO USE ODO BAN TO GET RID OF THE ODOR. THERE WAS NO MILEAGE ON THE TRAVEL TRAILER.

MY NAME IS BILL COMPTON AND I AM A DEPUTY WITH THE KENTUCKY FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. I WAS DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING A FIRE IN A 5TH WHEEL CAMPER. THE 5TH WHEEL CAMPER WAS JAYCO DESIGNER SERIES PRODUCED ON 4-21-95 WITH A VIN# INDICATIONS ARE THE FIRE STARTED IN THE REFRIGERATOR OF THE UNIT. THE REFRIGERATOR WAS PRODUCED BY NORCOLD, MODEL#6162 AND SERIAL#167291BRBKD5. I AM AWARE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS INVOLVING NORCOLD UNITS AND FELT IT NECESSARY TO REPORT THE INCIDENT EVEN THOUGH INDICATIONS WERE THAT THIS SERIAL NUMBER WAS NOT INVOLVED IN PREVIOUS RECALLS. MY CONCERN IS THAT FACT THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER FIRES INVOLVING THIS MODEL OF PRODUCT BUT JUST NOT ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY A RECALL PRESENTLY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ALLEGRO RV TIFFIN MODEL EQUIPPED WITH AN NORCOLD COOLING UNIT THAT EXPLODED TWO DAYS AFTER SHE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 09E027000 EQUIPMENT. SHE WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITHOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT HER SERIAL NUMBER WAS OUT OF THE RECALL RANGE; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER GAVE HER A NEW COOLING UNIT THAT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN ICING UNIT OR DOOR. UPDATED 10/23/09 *CN THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT A NEW COOLING UNIT WOULD COST. UPDATED 10/27/09.*JB