FaultScore

FaultScore report

2021 Winnebago Ekko problems

Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 2021 Winnebago Ekko with NHTSA between 2021 and 2025. The largest single group is the electrical system. Across this model's run it ranks 5 of 5 worst.

B

FaultScore 40/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Winnebago Ekko.

How this is worked out

The numbers

15

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

2

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 22 vs 50 Severity 69 vs 50 Early failure not reported
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 22
Against the median year of the Winnebago Ekko. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 69
13.3% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.

How 2021 compares with every other Winnebago Ekko

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2021 Winnebago Ekko

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Electrical System 6 40.0%

0 crashes, 1 fires

Other & Unspecified 2 13.3%
Equipment & Accessories 2 13.3%
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance 1 6.7%
Seat Belts 1 6.7%
Wheels 1 6.7%
Tires 1 6.7%
Engine & Cooling 1 6.7%

0 crashes, 1 fires

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Dec 2021 peak 2 Aug 2025

Recalls on the 2021 Winnebago Ekko

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2024419 98 units in Canada

Electrical

Issue: On certain motorhomes, the solar charging system may not have proper circuit protection. As a result, the fuse for the solar charging system could overheat and melt. Safety Risk: A fuse that overheats and melts could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Winnebago will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development.

Recall 2024019 36 units in Canada

Electrical

Issue: On certain motorhomes, a wiring problem in the blind spot monitoring system may cause it to fail. Safety Risk: A blind spot monitoring system that doesn't work could reduce a driver's awareness when changing lanes and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Winnebago will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your motorhome to a dealership to replace the blind spot monitoring system wiring.

Recall 2023270 160 units in Canada

Accessories

Issue: On certain motorhomes, a fuel hose on the generator may not be properly secured and could leak fuel. Note: This recall only affects motorhomes equipped with an Onan QG 2800i generator. Safety Risk: A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Cummins will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your motorhome to a Cummins authorized service center to inspect the fuel hose between the generator fuel filter and injection pump module. The fuel hose and clamps will be replaced, if necessary. To reduce the safety risk, Winnebago advises that you should not use the generator until the recall inspection is completed.

Recall 2023203 57 units in Canada

Electrical

Issue: On certain motorhomes, the wiring for the house 12 V battery charging system may have been routed incorrectly, and the electrical connections may be loose. As a result, the wiring could overheat and melt. Safety Risk: Wiring that overheats and melts could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Winnebago will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your motorhome to a dealership to reroute the wiring for the house 12 V battery charging system. The dealership will also inspect the connections, and tighten them if necessary. Winnebago recommends that you should check the charging status of the house 12 V batteries, and turn them off if they don't charge while driving.

Recall 2022269 13 units in Canada

Accessories

Issue: On certain motorhomes, a quick disconnect fitting on the propane (LP) hose for the outside cooktop may be defective. As a result, the fitting could crack and leak propane. Safety Risk: A propane gas leak could create the risk of a fire or explosion. Corrective Actions: Winnebago will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take the propane hose for the outdoor cooktop to a Winnebago dealership. The dealer will replace the hose assembly, free of charge. Winnebago recommends that you should not use the outdoor cooktop until this recall is completed.

Recall 2021411 32 units in Canada

Seats And Restraints

Issue: On certain motorhomes, the seat belts on the double seat may not been installed correctly. As a result, the seat belt retractor may lock up when the vehicle is on a slight incline. If this happens, it may be difficult to release the seat belt buckle. Safety Risk: A seat belt that is difficult to remove could delay exiting the vehicle in an emergency. This could increase the risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Winnebago will notify owners by mail and instruct you to contact Freedman Seating Company to coordinate recall repairs.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Sayre, OK Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

We have a Winnebago EKKO year 2022 and had the 174 recall completed in August of 2023 and now the second alternator Balmar has failed again we smelled the same smoke again and whine like the first one. We disconnected it before it caught fire.

NHTSA complaint #11591595 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sayre, OK Fire

ENGINE

We have a Winnebago EKKO year 2022 and had the 174 recall completed in August of 2023 and now the second alternator Balmar has failed again we smelled the same smoke again and whine like the first one. We disconnected it before it caught fire.

NHTSA complaint #11591595 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Lincoln, CA

WHEELS

While driving the RV at highway speeds, I noticed a lot of vibration and shaking. I pulled into a tire store to have the tires balanced. They found the left front tire (hankook dynapro ht 205/75/r16) with tread separation. I had it replaced with the spare. I had 27,400 miles on the tire with 7 32nds of tread left.

NHTSA complaint #11678087 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lincoln, CA

TIRES

While driving the RV at highway speeds, I noticed a lot of vibration and shaking. I pulled into a tire store to have the tires balanced. They found the left front tire (hankook dynapro ht 205/75/r16) with tread separation. I had it replaced with the spare. I had 27,400 miles on the tire with 7 32nds of tread left.

NHTSA complaint #11678087 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Portland, OR

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

Blind spot monitoring system has failed again after being replaced on a previous winnebago ekko recall. This safety feature no longer available for use No warning messages or symptoms prior to the failure

NHTSA complaint #11671666 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Portland, OR

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

Blind spot monitoring system has failed again after being replaced on a previous winnebago ekko recall. This safety feature no longer available for use No warning messages or symptoms prior to the failure

NHTSA complaint #11671666 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

San Francisco, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Alternator failing repeatedly due to overheating

NHTSA complaint #11664523 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Terrebonne, OR

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SUDDEN LOUD WHINE VARYING WITH ENGINE SPEED, COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, TRACED TO SECONDARY BALMAR ALTERNATOR. ALTERNATOR WAS EXTREMELY HOT, WE SHUT ENGINE OFF AND ELECTRICALLY DISCONNECTED ALTERNATOR. WE KNEW TO DO THIS BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE POSTED THIS INFORMATION, SOME HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. THIS WAS CLOSE TO COMBUSTING AS WELL. NO NOISE IS PRESENT WHEN ELECTRICALLY DISCONNECTED, BUT NOISE RESUMES IF CONNECTED AND LOAD PLACED ON ALTERNATOR. THIS WAS THE SUBJECT OF WINNEBAGO PRIOR RECALL 174 (WHICH WAS PERFORMED IN 2024). WE BELIEVE IT IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITH THIS ALTERNATOR CONNECTED, THAT IT WILL RESULT IN AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

NHTSA complaint #11628103 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Louisville, KY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The RV's second alternator, a Balmer product, began whinning loudly and a burning/hot smell was coming from the vehicle. Based on knowledge of similar issues happening to many other EKKO owners of same type of unit, we knew the alternator was failing and could start a fire. We therefore unplugged a connector to the regulator which ceased load to the secondary alternator. This is the THIRD time we have had a secondary alternator/regulator issue. There was a recall regarding this matter by Winnebago, #174, which WE DID have completed in Sept 2023, at Winnebago Factory Service. Sadly, the system has failed again. Fortunately, we knew to unplug the connector and avoid the possibility of a fire.

NHTSA complaint #11606574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sayre, OK Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

We have a Winnebago EKKO year 2022 and had the 174 recall completed in August of 2023 and now the second alternator Balmar has failed again we smelled the same smoke again and whine like the first one. We disconnected it before it caught fire.

NHTSA complaint #11591595 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sayre, OK Fire

ENGINE

We have a Winnebago EKKO year 2022 and had the 174 recall completed in August of 2023 and now the second alternator Balmar has failed again we smelled the same smoke again and whine like the first one. We disconnected it before it caught fire.

NHTSA complaint #11591595 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Woodridge, IL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Sound bar mounting bolts broke while driving. The sound bar fell on my head while driving on the highway.

NHTSA complaint #11548482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Woodridge, IL

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

Sound bar mounting bolts broke while driving. The sound bar fell on my head while driving on the highway.

NHTSA complaint #11548482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

This vehicle has a known fire safety hazard since 2022 as established in public information and documented at NHTSA as of March 31 2023, Overloaded electrical circuits that damage components increase the risk of a fire; NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V234000. We have made numerous attempts to contact the manufacturer regarding this matter but have been ignored. Winnebago has no remedial action plan for this as of this writing and do not seemed to be concerned despite the known fire hazard therein. We are hesitant to use/sleep in this vehicle without a resolution. 5 supporting NHTSA files attached. This serious enough to cause an NHTSA Stop Sale Notification. Winnebago should be compelled to take affirmative action.

NHTSA complaint #11539637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This vehicle has a known fire safety hazard since 2022 as established in public information and documented at NHTSA as of March 31 2023, Overloaded electrical circuits that damage components increase the risk of a fire; NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V234000. We have made numerous attempts to contact the manufacturer regarding this matter but have been ignored. Winnebago has no remedial action plan for this as of this writing and do not seemed to be concerned despite the known fire hazard therein. We are hesitant to use/sleep in this vehicle without a resolution. 5 supporting NHTSA files attached. This serious enough to cause an NHTSA Stop Sale Notification. Winnebago should be compelled to take affirmative action.

NHTSA complaint #11539637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stony Point, NY

SEAT BELTS

First Issue: Water leaks from shower/pump onto electrical inverter below. As per inverter manufacturer(zantrax) warning:exposing inverter to water may cause a fire. Winnebago has known about this situation since JULY 2021 Second Issue: three point Seat belts on rear jump seats do not retract to secure passengers.

NHTSA complaint #11444061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stony Point, NY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

First Issue: Water leaks from shower/pump onto electrical inverter below. As per inverter manufacturer(zantrax) warning:exposing inverter to water may cause a fire. Winnebago has known about this situation since JULY 2021 Second Issue: three point Seat belts on rear jump seats do not retract to secure passengers.

NHTSA complaint #11444061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.