1997 Fleetwood Southwind

Routine

Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the parking brake › conventional. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Parking Brake2
000
Tires1
000
Structure1
001
Parking Brake › Driveline › Hydraulic1
000
Parking Brake › Conventional1
000
Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer1
000
Equipment1
001

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer07V120000
Filed Mar 19, 2007167,096 vehiclesFleetwood Enterprises, Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES AND TRAVEL TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH A TWO-DOOR REFRIGERATOR, MANUFACTURED BY THE DOMETIC CORPORATION, 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.

Remedy. FLEETWOOD 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 YOU 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 FLEETWOOD AT 1-800-322-8216.

Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls96V236000
Filed Nov 22, 1996241 vehiclesFleetwood Ent., Inc.

Defect. THE E-Z SLIDE-OUT ROOM CAN OPERATE UNEXPECTEDLY. WATER CAN CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE SLIDE-OUT ROOM CONTROL RELAY.

Risk. IF THE SLIDE-OUT ROOM OPERATES UNEXPECTEDLY, THE MOTOR HOME WIDTH WILL INCREASE WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT IF TRAVELING OR PROPERTY DAMAGE COULD OCCUR WHILE THE MOTOR HOME IS PARKED.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REPLACEMENT CONTROL RELAY IN A WATERPROOF LOCATION ON THESE MOTOR HOMES.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed Aug 30, 201338,000 milesNY

SIX (6) BCT RADIAL A/P TIRES WERE INSTALLED ON 97 FLEETWOOD SOUTHWIND MOTORHOME (MODEL 32VS) ON 3/19/11 AT APPROX. 33000 MILES. ONE TIRE FAILED WITH TREAD SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING ON RT. 90,10 MILES WEST OF ROCHESTER, NY, ON 7/2/13. TREAD SEPARATION CAUSED WIRING DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT REAR WHEELWELL AREA. WIRING WAS REPAIRED, TIRE WAS REPLACED AND A TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED. SECOND TIRE FAILED (SIDEWALL RUPTURE) ON THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WHILE EXITING RT. 180 IN WILLIAMSPORT, PA ON 8/19/13. VEHICLE WAS EXITING TO INVESTIGATE A SEVERE FRONT END VIBRATION JUST PROIR TO THE FAILURE. TIRES WERE MONITORED FOR PRESSURE AND TEMP. AND SHOWED NO LOW PRESSURE OR HIGH TEMP. SIGNS. ALL BCT TIRES WERE REPLACED IN WILLIAMSPORT, PA ON 8/19/13, AT 38000 MILES.

Structure1 injured
Filed Jan 11, 200560,000 milesIL

THE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC STEP DID NOT COME OUT WHEN SUPPOSE TO UPON OPENING THE DOORS. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO FALL OUT, AND BREAK HIS LEG. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Equipment1 injured
Filed Dec 28, 200455,000 milesIL

THE AUTOMATIC 12 VOLT STEP AT THE ENTRANCE DOOR FAILED TO EXTEND WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED IN THE DARK . CAUSING MY WIFE TO FALL SINCE THERE WAS NO STEP. REQUIRING SURGERY, A PLATE AND SCREWS TO BE PUT IN HER ANKLE. *JB

Parking Brake
Filed Sep 28, 200415,000 milesMO

THE AUTOMATIC PARK BRAKE CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT RELEASE WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE. A NEW PART WAS PLACED ON THE VEHICLE, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK THERE WERE TIMES WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS WARMED AND WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AND THE BRAKE WOULD NOT RELEASE. *SC *JB

Parking Brake
Filed Jun 28, 200485,000 milesFL

AUTOMATIC PARK BRAKE DID NOT ENGAGE, AND THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE DID NOT PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING FROM AN INCLINE. VEHICLE WAS BACK AND FORTH TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

Parking Brake › Driveline › Hydraulic
Filed Aug 18, 200352,500 milesIL

THE AUTOPARK BRAKE AND MANUAL PARK BRAKE HAVE FAILED SEVERAL TIMES ALLOWING MOTORHOME TO DRIFT (ONE TIME HITTING ANOTHER ) .LAST TIME 7/16/03. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO YOU!*AK

Parking Brake › Conventional
Filed Aug 31, 2001IL

THE "AUTO PARK BRAKE" AND THE MANUALLY FOOT OPERATED PARKING BRAKE HAVE FAILED THREE (3) TIMES ALLOWING THE MOTORHOME TO DRIFT FREELY OR NEARLY SO.

Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer
Filed Sep 14, 1999NY

THE VALVE ON THE FRONT BURNER HEATED AND THE BURNER COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF

8 of 8 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
1997 — this page8200Routine
199611102Fatalities reported
199515000Routine
19949010Routine
19935210Routine
19922100Routine
19916110Routine
19904110Routine

Compare every Southwind year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

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: Mar 19, 2007. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.