2003 Tiffin Phaeton Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Phaeton years
- Not enough data 9th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Tiffin Phaeton. That ranks 9th out of 28 Phaeton model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, air (1 complaints, 50%). There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 2owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Tiffin Phaeton problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 50% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 50% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 50% | 82,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Tiffin Phaeton recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:recreational vehicle/trailer
Problem: Tiffin motorhomes is recalling certain recreational vehicles equipped with 1200-series norcold refrigerators. The population of refrigerators being addressed contains either a sensing algorithm or thermal switch to shut off power to the refrigerator when high temperatures are detected in order to prevent a potential fire. The response times of the sensor algorithm and thermal switch devices to stop power are not sufficient.
Risk: The sensing algorithm or thermal switch installed to shut off power to the refrigerator when high temperatures are detected due to a possible hydrogen gas leak may not shut off in sufficient time to prevent a fire.
Fix: Tiffin motorhomes is working with norcold to identify and notify any affected owners. Owners will be instructed to contact norcold dealers to receive the remedy free of charge. Please see norcold's defect report 10e-049 for additional information. The safety recall began on february 17, 2011. Owners may contact norcold at 1-800-767-9101.
Equipment:recreational vehicle/trailer
Problem: Tiffin is recalling certain recreational vehicle equipped with norcold model 1200lr and 1200lrim refrigerators, manufactured from december 1, 2001, with serial numbers between 1273701 and 1536607, non-consecutively. A fatigue failure in the section of the cooling unit which contains the refrigerant could allow the liquid solution to slowly leak. If a leak occurs and the refrigerator continues to be operated after solution circulation has ceased the heat source could generate very high temperatures. At such high temperatures, the cooling unit could rupture.
Risk: If a leak occurs and the unit is continues to operate, hydrogen gas may be expelled and can be ignited, resulting in a fire, possibly causing serious injury or death.
Fix: Tiffin is working with norcold and tiffin will notify owners and the vehicle's refrigerator will be repaired free of charge by norcold. Please see norcold's defect report 09e-027. Owners may contact norcold's recall center at 1-800-767-9101.
Equipment:recreational vehicle/trailer
Problem: On certain motor homes equipped with a two-door refrigerator manufactured by the dometic corporation, these refrigerators may have a defect in the boiler tube. Pressurized coolant solution could be released into an area where an ignition source (gas flame) is present.
Risk: Release of coolant under certain conditions could ignite and result in a fire.
Fix: Tiffin motorhomes will be working with dometic in order to repair these refrigerators (please see 06e076). Dometic will repair these refrigerators by installing a secondary burn housing, a thermal fuse, and a melt fuse free of charge. Dometic has retained stericycle inc. To manage this campaign. Stericycle will assist the owner in locating dealerships or service centers and will provide assistance with scheduling of appointments. Owners may contact dometic/stericycle at 1-888-446-5157 or tiffin at 1-256-356-8661.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 tiffin phaeton. While driving the motor home and towing a vehicle by the flat tow, a pothole was encountered. The vehicle being towed swayed and the motor home was unable to be steered. The failure was persistent. The motor home was taken to a dealer, but was not…
The air hoses for the rear air brakes are placed too close together. They rub against each other and will fail when they rub a hole in a hose. When the hose fails the rear air brakes will not work properly. This could lead to an accident. I discovered that mine had been rubbing but had not failed…
Other Tiffin Phaeton years
← 2002 Phaeton · 2004 Phaeton →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Phaeton | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 Phaeton | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 Phaeton | 1 | 2 |
| 2024 Phaeton | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 Phaeton | 0 | 6 |
| 2022 Phaeton | 6 | 10 |
| 2021 Phaeton | 3 | 7 |
| 2020 Phaeton | 2 | 3 |
| 2019 Phaeton | 4 | 4 |
| 2018 Phaeton | 3 | 5 |
| 2017 Phaeton | 1 | 2 |
| 2016 Phaeton | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 Phaeton | 2 | 3 |
| 2014 Phaeton | 3 | 2 |
| 2013 Phaeton | 0 | 2 |
| 2012 Phaeton | 2 | 7 |
| 2011 Phaeton | 4 | 12 |
| 2010 Phaeton | 3 | 9 |
| 2009 Phaeton | 1 | 8 |
| 2008 Phaeton | 6 | 9 |
| 2007 Phaeton | 1 | 7 |
| 2006 Phaeton | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 Phaeton | 1 | 5 |
| 2004 Phaeton | 1 | 5 |
| 2003 | 2 | 3 |
| 2002 Phaeton | 0 | 3 |
| 2001 Phaeton | 1 | 3 |
| 2000 Phaeton | 0 | 2 |
See all Tiffin Phaeton problems by year, every Tiffin model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Tiffin models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Tiffin Phaeton?
Owners most often report service brakes, air, steering, suspension problems. The top one, service brakes, air, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Tiffin Phaeton?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Tiffin Phaeton a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Phaeton model years, the 2003 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.