2022 Winnebago Ekko

46 complaints on file, page 1 of 3.

1. Filed Sep 12, 2026Failure Aug 2, 2026Birmingham, ALElectrical system

   Following recall repairs for NHTSA ID Number: 24V541000, melting wires were noticed coming out of the roof solar port. These are approximately 6” of 10 gauge wires taking current from the solar roof port to the upgraded wiring from the previous recall. This section of 10 gauge wiring is undersized for the peak electrical load.

   NHTSA complaint 11763793
2. Filed Jun 20, 2026Failure Jun 7, 2026Fayetteville, ARBlind spot detection

   I am the owner of a 2022 Winnebago Ekko. My vehicle is subject to NHTSA Recall 24V-024 (Winnebago Campaign #181) regarding the Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system. I am writing to request your guidance on how to proceed, as I am currently unable to obtain the required safety remedy. My local authorized dealer, has declined to open a repair order, stating that their internal system marks the recall as 'closed' due to a previous service campaign (74-05). Despite providing them with the official NHTSA Dealer Notification for Campaign #181, which clearly states this recall supersedes the previous campaign and must be performed regardless of ownership, they have refused to diagnose the system. Could you please provide guidance on the appropriate next steps to ensure this safety mandate is honored, or advise if there is an escalation process I should follow with the manufacturer to resolve this impasse? I am concerned about the safety risk of operating a vehicle with a known, failing BSM system and would appreciate your assistance in rectifying this." I took the vehicle on vacation last week. My wife drove while I navigated. The BSM worked well. After we arrived and were driving in heavy traffic we noticed the BSM wasn't indicating when lane changes were unsafe. Ive read on user forums that rain has affected their BSM units. I contacted Winnebago Customer Care prior to this, who wrote "From: Winnebago Motorhome Customer Care <[XXX]> Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 9:46 AM To: Redacted Subject: Case:[XXX] Blind Spot Assist issue with Winnebago Ekko Hello, All recalls are complete for this coach. If the owner is experiencing issues it must be brought back to the repair dealer to diagnose the issue. Any warranty is given from the repairing dealer. As the dealer that performed the work is in Indiana & I am in Arkansas. It would be very inconvenient although If necessary I would try that too. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

   NHTSA complaint 11745378
3. Filed Nov 2, 2025Failure Nov 1, 2025Palm Harbor, FLElectrical system

   The Balmar alternator installed on our RV, which provides electrical power to charge the coach battery started a noticeable whine at idle, it stopped providing a charge to the coach battery, and upon further inspection, after opening the hood, we noticed a faint burning electrical smell. To confirm that the Balmar alternator was failing, I checked its electrical output to the battery, and it was not charging. I then proceeded to unplug the regulator for the alternator to see if the whine and smell were still present. They were not. Since the whine was not present with the Balmar alternator unplugged, the burning smell had dissipated, and no charge coming from the alternator when plugged in, I determined it was starting or already failed. Knowing that there have been multiple reports from other owners that their EKKO's caught fire or had severe smoke coming from the engine compartment, that was later found to be the Balmar alternator, I made the decision to leave it unplugged. I was concerned about our safety and the real possibility of a fire if we continued with it plugged in and running. This just happened to us so we have not had it looked at by a dealer or independent service center yet, but we could make it available for inspection upon request. Please note, this is the second Balmar that has failed on us in our four year ownership of this RV, and we have a friend that has had five Balmar's fail on him! Winnebago needs to be held accountable and should be required to remove and replace the Balmar alternator from all owners RV's and replace it with a more suitable and capable alternator that will provide the secondary power they advertise when they sell this model to consumers.

   NHTSA complaint 11697004
4. Filed Oct 11, 2025Failure Oct 10, 2025Madison, WIElectrical system, Engine

   October 10, 2025. The vehicle is a 2022 Winnebago EKKO RV on a 2021 Ford Transit with 49,000 miles. The incident occurred after driving the vehicle for about 5 minutes with outside temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and noticed an unusual high pitch whine. When I opened the hood the Balmar MC-618 Alternator unit was extremely hot, smoking, and had a strong burning smell. Since the EKKO models have had numerous reports of secondary alternator/Balmar malfunctions I knew enough to disable the alternator by unplugging the 4 pin connector on the Balmar 618 regulator before traveling any further. The following morning I plugged the Balmar unit back in and the whining sound and burning smell immediately returned. There is a NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234, Campaign # 174 EKKO 12V Charging System, sent out by Winnebago for this very safety issue due to fires. This recall was completed during the time that the original owner had this 2022 Winnebago EKKO (prior to our purchasing this 2022 Winnebago EKKO in June 2024). There have been numerous failures on Balmar units that have had the campaign #174 recall completed, including ones performed at the factory. The Winnebago fix is obviously not working and is still an extreme fire issue.

   NHTSA complaint 11692854
5. Filed Sep 17, 2025Failure Jul 20, 2025Reno, NVRecreational vehicle/trailer, Fuel system, Hoses, Lines/piping

   SUMMARY: Propane leaks from outside LP hose when factory zip-tie failed resulting in LP hose detached and damaged from rubbing against the tire. 2022 Winnebago EKKO. DETAILS: RV has a LP hose that routes above the passenger side rear tires from the propane tanks to other locations of the RV. This hose was held back from the rear tire at two locations each with a thin metal tab and a single plastic zip-tie. One of the zip-tie failed, resulting in the LP hose rubbing on the tire when driving. The rubbing made a hole on the hose and propane leaked from the hole. I was cooking next to the RV at a campground when propane was leaking from the damaged hose. The leak could have caused an explosion and serious injury to anyone nearby. The design to use plastic zip-tie to keep the LP hose from the tires is unsafe. I have taken photos of the damage and reported this incident to Winnebago customer service via email on 9/11/25. This issue was not reported to the police or insurance company due to no injury. Prior to the propane leak there was no warning or message or other symptoms of the problem. Problem first appeared during a camping trip in late July 2025 when I was camping at White River campground in Mt Rainier National Park in WA.

   NHTSA complaint 11687962
6. Filed Jul 8, 2025Failure Jul 6, 2025Great Falls, VATires

   The front driver side tire (Hankook Dynapro HT 205/75R16) on our RV suddenly caused a wobbly ride while driving. Upon close inspection we noticed a bulge which had formed on the tread of the tire. We then noticed a large part of the side wall and tread to start separating on the inside of the tire. A technician at the tire store advised us to replace the tire immediately.

   NHTSA complaint 11671934
7. Filed Mar 27, 2025Failure Mar 1, 2025Lebanon, PAElectrical system

   This is to report a failure after NHTSA campaign number 23V234000 was addressed by Winnebago through their campaign number 174. I had the fix performed by Winnebago at their factory service center about 20k miles ago and the alternator failed again with the exact same symptoms. This is my 5th alternator failure in 60,000 miles and 3 years.

   NHTSA complaint 11650999
8. Filed Feb 3, 2025Failure Feb 3, 2025Cape May, NJElectrical system

   1The stock Balmar alternator failed on or around [XXX]. That alternator was replaced on or about November 22, 2022 by a certified Winnebago service center in Connecticut. 2The second failed on or about [XXX] following Service Campaign 7303 work performed at Forest City. It was replaced under the 174 recall on or about February 7, 2024 at a certified Winnebago service center in Las Vegas.  3The third alternator failed on or about [XXX]. 4The fourth was installed October 7, 2024 by a certified Winnebago service center in New Jersey. 5. The fourth alternator failed sometime between [XXX] and [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

   NHTSA complaint 11640521
9. Filed Dec 15, 2024Failure Dec 13, 2024Pasco, WAElectrical system, Engine

   The vehicle is a 2021 Ford Transit with a 2022 Winnebago Ekko RV. The incident occurred when I started the engine and noticed an unusual high pitch whine. When I opened the hood the Balmar unit was extremely hot with a strong burning smell. Since the Ekko models have had numerous reports of secondary alternator / Balmar malfunctions I knew enough to disable the alternator by unplugging the 4 pin connector on the Balmar 618 regulator before traveling any further. The following morning I plugged the Balmar unit back in place to see if the high pitch sound reoccurred. The sound immediately returned and I used my infrared thermometer which read 438 degrees Fahrenheit on the Balmar alternator. The Lithionics battery app indicated the batteries were 90 percent full but would no longer charge, leaving me only shore power to recharge the batteries. There is a NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234, Campaign # 174 Ekko 12V Charging System, sent out by Winnebago for this very safety issue due to fires. We had this recall completed at the Forest City Iowa Winnebago factory in April of 2024. There have been numerous failures on Balmar units that have had the campaign #174 recall completed, including ones performed at the factory. The Winnebago fix is obviously not working and is still an extreme fire issue.

   NHTSA complaint 11630850
10. Filed Nov 21, 2024Failure Nov 21, 2024Salida, COElectrical system, Engine

    The Winnebago factory installed secondary alternator (manufactured by Balmar) responsible for charging the batteries in my motorhome started to whine and overheat. Luckily the week prior, I had read about another EKKO owner experiencing the same symptoms before it created enough smoke that caused the driver to immediately pull off the road and extinguish the engine bay with a fire extinguisher. In an effort to avoid that, I disconnected the Balmer until it was able to be replaced. This original problem was supposed to be addressed in recall 174. Over a year later the recall supposedly addressed the issues by moving the regulator out of the engine bay, replacing the Balmer and a major reworking of the electrical system. After multiple components failed during the recall repair, my EKKO took over 6 weeks to get a working solution at a Winnebago dealership. That was a year ago. 10 days ago the same symptoms of whining and overheating returned resulting in me returning to the same dealer with them diagnosing the Balmer as defective and a health risk. Had I not disconnected the Balmer it would’ve overheated and resulted in melting the primary drive belt and potentially damaging the engine and other major components as documented by numerous other EKKO owners.

    NHTSA complaint 11626738
11. Filed Nov 19, 2024Failure Nov 17, 2024Fruita, COTread/belt

    TIRE BLOW OUT AND TREAD SEPERATION AT 70 MPH. 35000 MILES. STARTLING EXPLOSION HARD TO CONTROL BUT MANAGED TO SLOW AND PULL OFF ROAD. HAS HAPPENED TO MANY EKKO OWNERS. NO WARNINGS, TIRES INSPECTED BEFORE TRIP WITH NO INDICATION OF ABNORMALITIES. $1400 IN DAMAGES TO VEHICLE FRONT END.

    NHTSA complaint 11626291
12. Filed Oct 8, 2024Failure Jun 27, 2024Northfield, NJElectrical system

    8 October 2024 Winnebago Ekko owners are looking for clarification on NHTSA recall 23V-234. The number of owners who have experienced Balmar alternator failure after the recall work is growing. We are among them. A post-recall fire has also been reported (October 6 2024 in Washington State) Manufacturer's response to this situation has been, so far: 1) Replace the alternator at no charge 2) Replace the alternator at no charge, with a verbal warning that no more alternators will be furnished free of charge, directing owners to instead contact the component manufacturer (Balmar) for additional relief. Both are unacceptable. The recall was ordered to prevent 1) alternator failure and 2) a potential fire. The recall does neither and the RV manufacturer must be held accountable. Our 23V-234 recall work was completed in February 2024. The alternator failed in June 2024. Yesterday, October 7, the dealer installed a manufacturer-authorized replacement alternator (our fourth, to date, since the RV purchase.) No other work was performed, to our knowledge. We asked the dealer what work the manufacturer was planning to complete to fix the root cause of the alternator failures. Answer: no additional work; only an alternator replacement. Wrong answer. If the manufacturer is planning modifications to address the root cause of multiple alternator failures (and fire risk) the owners have a right to know. To date we have received no indication that any such plan is underway. I am not suggesting they are -not- planning a fix. But we have no indication to the contrary and we have a right to information. In fact we have indications to the contrary. This is not just a major inconvenience (it is - when the alternator fails, it makes everyday life in the RV very challenging.) It's much more than that - it's a fire risk that could impact both life and property. What remedy is the manufacturer planning, and when? Thank you.

    NHTSA complaint 11618741
13. Filed Sep 29, 2024Failure Sep 24, 2024cape coral, FLRecreational vehicle/trailer, Unknown or other

    I put Other, as my husband was driving the 2022 EKKO when the sound bar above him fell down...he caught it and had to drive one handed to get to a safe spot to stop. wires were hanging as was the sound bar

    NHTSA complaint 11617116
14. Filed Sep 28, 2024Failure Sep 27, 2024Green Valley, AZElectrical system

    Winnebago adds a 2nd alternator to the engine for charging the coach/house Lithionics batteries. This 2nd alternator is a Balmer brand. The Balmer alternator suddenly developed a high pitched whine. Once whining it ceased to charge the batteries. The Balmer regulator begins to smoke quickly once the alternator is whining. We’ve been told to disconnect the regulator quickly or a fire can happen (we’ve been told others have had fires). This is our 2nd Balmer alternator failure. The first failed alternator was replaced at the factory end of July 2024 (apx 60 days ago). Changing the alternator is not addressing the root cause and the danger of a fire. Winnebago and Balmer have been aware of this risk for months and have not been able to identify the root cause.

    NHTSA complaint 11616992
15. Filed Sep 14, 2024Failure Sep 10, 2024Allen, TXElectrical system, EngineFire

    Winnebago recall 174 (NHTSA campaign 23V234000) regarding improper electrical wiring design and installation by Winnebago was recently completed on my RV. After completion of this recall I experienced another electrical fire in the engine compartment (my alternator had previously caught fire due to wiring and design defects noted in Winnebago recall 174). After extinguishing the fire I observed the Winnebago recall 174 remedy had been completed in such a way that an engine compartment wiring harness was under tension and in contact with the threads of a bolt on the backside of the new alternator installed as part of the Winnebago recall 174 remedy. This seems to have resulted in electrical anomalies and eventual ignition of the wiring harness. There were repeated brief intermittent brake and rear hatch warnings shortly before the fire (there is no rear hatch). The windshield washer system failed after uncommanded operation of the windshield wipers. Multiple other warnings and cautions flashed on the screen too fast for me to identify them. This all happened just prior to the fire which occurred during an engine start attempt while parked. I have video documentation of the smoke and photos showing fire damaged wiring and its location relative to the alternator bolt. Components are available for inspection. I have not yet contacted a dealer, service center or manufacturer yet since this event happened only days ago. My safety has been compromised by two engine compartment fires involving the same defect both before and after the Winnebago recall 174 remedy. For this to happen I have to assume either faulty mechanical completion of the recall or the recall remedy itself. This is but the latest fire hazard I have experienced with this unit (two actual fires, loose propane fitting which slowly flooded the coach with propane, overheated air conditioner that melted insulation in the ceiling and impending NHTSA campaign 24V541000 for solar fuse fire hazard).

    NHTSA complaint 11614645
16. Filed Sep 14, 2024Failure Sep 11, 2024Richmond, VATread/belt

    started vibrating Gradually getting worse. Stopped & inspected several times, checked psi, all good. Plenty of tread. No bubbles or delaminating visible on outside. Eventually tire blew apart at 23K. 205/75R16

    NHTSA complaint 11614634
17. Filed Aug 1, 2024Failure Aug 1, 2024Inverness, FLElectrical system, Engine, Unknown or other

    Balmar alternator or regulator fails to work as designed. No charging of batteries when idling or driving. This is a Safety Issue because fires have been reported as a result of these electrical system failures. Lithionics (battery) app confirms no charge reaching the batteries, see attached screenshots. Potential Risk of Fire when not working properly as evidenced by others with Balmar failures as reported to NHTSA. This is the 3rd failure we have encountered: 1st failure confirmed by Winnebago, and was replaced with like parts. 2nd failure occurred just prior to the 2023 recall, and was addressed by Winnebago Factory Service during recall by replacing parts again. 3rd failure occurred today. The current failure happened when the unit (2022 Winnebago EKKO) was parked in our driveway, not while travelling. Upon starting the vehicle, the alternator emitted a loud whining sound and subsequently provided no charging to the batteries. We are aware of the symptoms based upon our previous failures, and know of others who also had a Balmar failure after having the prior recall completed. We desire a lasting permanent solution for this problem as it has not been adequately addressed by the previous Winnebago recall.

    NHTSA complaint 11606008
18. Filed Jul 24, 2024Failure Jul 17, 2024Sioux Falls, SDElectrical system

    The prior recall #174 was completed at the Winnebago Factory Service Center in September of 2023. The replacement alternator failed and has now been replaced as a warranty item but the Factory Service Center. This is the 3rd Balmar alternator for this unit. The first replacement was approximately in October of 2022, then the recall was performed in September of 2023 which included replacement of the Balmar alternator, now that has malfunctioned once again necessitating replacement. All seem fail in one year increments.

    NHTSA complaint 11604336
19. Filed Jul 2, 2024Failure Jul 2, 2024Stratford, NJElectrical system, Recreational vehicle/trailer

    40 amp fuse for Solar charger burned. Replaced fuse and fuse holder became too hot to hold with bare hand but didn't blow the fuse. This type of heat causes a risk of fire inside the motorhome. Currently unable to use solar, a significant element of our ability to enjoy the rig.

    NHTSA complaint 11598336
20. Filed Jun 28, 2024Failure Jun 27, 2024Northfield, NJElectrical system

    Winnebago serial number: [XXX] This vehicle has already had the recall work done as described in NHTSA Campaign Number 23V-234. This work was performed at NIRVC in Las Vegas on or around February 7, 2024. Their work was excellent, however the Balmar alternator has once again failed. The prior electrical system recall was completed at the factory service center in Forest City Iowa. Additional service was performed before the recalls were issued at Colonial Airstream (selling dealer) in New Jersey and at Roam Rig in Connecticut. Please pressure the manufacturer to revise the recall and fix what has been a never-ending headache for almost all owners, since purchase. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

    NHTSA complaint 11597499