CHARLESTON — A Putnam County couple is suing Thor Motor Coach for violations of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., Daimler Truck North America, Matheny Motor Truck Company and Western Branch Diesel were also named as defendants in the suit.
Bryan Price and Misty Price purchased a 2021 Thor Palazzo motorhome on April 12, 2021, according to a complaint filed in Kanawha Circuit Court.
The Prices claim they negotiated the sale of the motorhome on the phone and internet from their home in West Virginia and executed the sales documents in Illinois where the vehicle was listed for sale and purchased the vehicle so they could go on family vacations and weekend trips.
"Plaintiffs have experienced serious and repeated problems with the motorhome immediately since their purchase," the complaint states, including defective and inoperable slides, misalignment, discolored and cut linoleum, broken interior windows and other issues.
The problems have caused the Prices a great deal of annoyance, inconvenience, frustration and missed family time, according to the suit
The Prices claim despite repeat repair attempts the vehicle is still defective. They claim Western also failed to fully complete a safety recall campaign concerning the defective valve stem extensions.
"Plaintiffs attempted to work out many issues by entering into a settlement agreement with Thor whereby Thor, in part, promised to complete 'all unresolved repairs,'" the complaint states.
While the vehicle was with Thor for nearly three weeks in 2022, the necessary repairs were not made and the vehicle, in some ways, was in worse shape after the repair attempts, according to the suit.
The Prices are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as the cancelation of the purchase contract. They are represented by Kristina Thomas Whiteaker of the Grubb Law Group in Charleston.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Kenneth Ballard.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 23-C-110