1996 Fleetwood Southwind

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 11 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the visibility › windshield. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Windshield2
000
Suspension › Front1
000
Structure › Frame and Members1
000
Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections1
000
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar1
000
Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft1
000
Parking Brake › Driveline › Hydraulic1
000
Exterior Lighting › Headlights1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline1
000
Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers96V102000
Filed Jun 18, 1996881 vehiclesFleetwood Ent., Inc.

Defect. THE ELECTRIC WIRE USED TO POWER THE EXPANDABLE ROOM HYDRAULIC PUMP MOTOR WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A CIRCUIT BREAKER. OVERHEATING OF THE WIRE CAN OCCUR WITH INCORRECT EXPANDABLE ROOM OPERATION.

Risk. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE WIRE INSULATION TO MELT, CAUSING SMOKE AND POSSIBLE FIRE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A CIRCUIT BREAKER TO THE EXPANDABLE ROOM SYSTEM PUMP MOTOR WIRE. FLEETWOOD WILL ALSO PROVIDE A VEHICLE LABEL TO IDENTIFY THE LOCATION OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, AND WILL PROVIDE OWNER'S MANUAL LITERATURE TO IDENTIFY THE CIRCUIT BREAKER LOCATION.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator2 killed
Filed Feb 5, 2007FL

MY FATHER AND HIS FRIEND BOTH DIED FROM CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING WHILE SLEEPING IN A FLEETWOOD SOUTHWIND MOTORHOME IN NOVEMBER OF 1999. CARBON MONOXIDE FROM THE ONAN GENERATOR FILLED THE MOTOR HOME WITH THE DEADLY FUMES. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN LITIGATION WITH FLEETWOOD, ONAN AND THE DEALERSHIP. INVESTIGATIONS DURING THE COURSE OF THE LAWSUIT HAVE REVEALED MANY OTHER INSTANCES OF THE SAME FATE BEFALLING OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. FLEETWOOD AND ONAN HAVE SHOWN THEY HAVE NO REGARD FOR THE DEATH'S THEIR PRODUCTS ARE CAUSING. THEY WOULD RATHER LITIGATE THAN FIX THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HOLD THESE COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE AND PREVENT OTHER FAMILIES FROM GOING THROUGH THE TRAGEDY OUR FAMILY HAS HAD TO ENDURE. HTTP://WWW.MCSRR.ORG/PRESSRELEASES/NHTSA01P.HTML. *NM

Parking Brake › Driveline › Hydraulic
Filed Oct 19, 200440,690 milesNY

FAILURE OF THE AUTOMATIC PARK BRAKE ON A CHEVY P30 CHASSIS. *AK

Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft
Filed Oct 19, 200366,160 milesCA

PURCHASED A 1996 FLEETWOOD SOUTHWIND 34' MOTORHOME (GM CHASSIS) FROM GIANT RV IN UPLAND AND AFTER ONLY 100 MILES OF DRIVING, BOTH DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEELS SEPARATED FROM THE AXLE. I BELIEVE THE AXLE SHAFT BROKE BUT GIANT RV WILL NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT IT. *LA

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Feb 3, 200320,500 milesCA

WINDSHIELD FALLING OUT

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Jul 10, 2002MI

WINDSHIELD HAS STARTED TO SEPARATE FROM SEAL AT TOP ON BOTH SIDES. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER ADDS PASSENGER SIDE EXTERIOR RUBBER GASKET IS NOT STAYING ATTACHED TO FIBERGLASS BODY OF MOTORHOME, CAUSING WINDSHIELD TO TIP OUT AT TOP CORNER. DEALER TOOK GLASS OUT AND RESET. CONSUMER NOTICED FLAWED WINDSHIELD AT TIME OF PURCHASE. *TT

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jan 26, 2002OR

MOTORHOME HAD STALLED AND STOPPED IN THE CENTER LANES OF FREEWAY,A DANGEROUS CONDITION. THANKS TO HIGHWAY POLICE AND CELL PHONE.THIS HAPPEN TWICE.*AK

Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Apr 22, 1999GA

HEADLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY AFTER BEING ON FOR A WHILE. ALSO, DEFECT WITHIN WINDSHIELD CAUSES IT TO BECOME LOOSE FROM THE MOUNTING. REPAIRWORK DONE. MANUFACTURER AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS. PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections
Filed Jun 3, 1997AZ

DISCONNECTED RETURN HOSE ON POWER STEERING PUMP, CAUSING METALLIC NOISE, VIBRATION.

Suspension › Front
Filed Jan 10, 1997WI

FRONT WHEELS ALIGNED.

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Mar 21, 1996CO

STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN; FAILURE ON THE STEERING,CAUSING THE VHEICLETO PULL TO THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT. *AK

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Mar 21, 1996CO

MOTOR HOME CHASSIS TOO SMALL FOR BODY OF VEHICLE, CAUSING IT TO LOSE CONTROL EASILY. *DH

11 of 11 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20231600Routine
20221500Routine
20211600Routine
20201500Routine
20190200Routine
20180400Routine
20171100Routine
20161300Routine
20150200Routine
20141300Routine
20123100Routine
20110400Routine
20100300Routine
20090100Routine
20080200Routine
20073300Routine
20064600Routine
20058410Routine
200413810Routine
200324810Routine
20024500Routine
20014400Routine
20008400Routine
19997200Routine
199813110Routine
19978200Routine
1996 — this page11102Fatalities reported
199515000Routine
19949010Routine
19935210Routine
19922100Routine
19916110Routine
19904110Routine

Compare every Southwind year →

Reading this record

2 deaths reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jun 18, 1996. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.