2007 American Coach American Tradition Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2007 American Coach American Tradition, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance133.3%
- Electrical133.3%
- Visibility133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
SMART STEERING WHEEL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. THE HORN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND CRUISE CONTROL ARE AFFECTED. ANY ONE OF WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN THESE VERY LARGE VEHICLES. MYSELF AND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS BRAND AND GENERATION HAVE COMPLAINED ON AN ON-LINE OWNERS FORUM. IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE WIRING TERMINAL CONNECTIONS TO THE SMART WHEEL CONTROLLER JUST STOP MAKING CONTACT DUE TO NON-ROBUST TERMINALS. SPARTAN CHASSIS TELLS THE CUSTOMER THAT IT'S A FAULTY MODULE, BUT A NEW MODULE IS AN EXPENSIVE AND VERY TEMPORARY FIX. REMOVING THE WIRING TERMINALS FROM THE MODULE, CLEANING THEM, AND REINSERTING THE CONNECTORS IS ALSO A TEMPORARY FIX. WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, MY COACH HAS UNEXPECTEDLY LOST WINDSHIELD WIPERS SEVERAL TIMES, JUST WHEN YOU NEED THEM THE MOST. ONCE, THE HORN FAILED, AND TWICE, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. AFTER PAYING SPARTAN TO INSTALL A NEW MODULE, THE PROBLEM RETURNED ONLY TWO MONTHS LATER. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO REMOVE AND REINSERT THE CONNECTORS TO THE MODULE SEVERAL TIMES TO GET ALL FUNCTIONS WORKING AGAIN. MANY OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO PREVENT TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS. SPARTAN NEEDS TO RECALL THESE UNITS AND REPLACE THE SMART WHEEL WIRING HARNESSES WITH MUCH MORE ROBUST TERMINAL CONNECTORS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
SMART STEERING WHEEL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. THE HORN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND CRUISE CONTROL ARE AFFECTED. ANY ONE OF WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN THESE VERY LARGE VEHICLES. MYSELF AND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS BRAND AND GENERATION HAVE COMPLAINED ON AN ON-LINE OWNERS FORUM. IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE WIRING TERMINAL CONNECTIONS TO THE SMART WHEEL CONTROLLER JUST STOP MAKING CONTACT DUE TO NON-ROBUST TERMINALS. SPARTAN CHASSIS TELLS THE CUSTOMER THAT IT'S A FAULTY MODULE, BUT A NEW MODULE IS AN EXPENSIVE AND VERY TEMPORARY FIX. REMOVING THE WIRING TERMINALS FROM THE MODULE, CLEANING THEM, AND REINSERTING THE CONNECTORS IS ALSO A TEMPORARY FIX. WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, MY COACH HAS UNEXPECTEDLY LOST WINDSHIELD WIPERS SEVERAL TIMES, JUST WHEN YOU NEED THEM THE MOST. ONCE, THE HORN FAILED, AND TWICE, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. AFTER PAYING SPARTAN TO INSTALL A NEW MODULE, THE PROBLEM RETURNED ONLY TWO MONTHS LATER. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO REMOVE AND REINSERT THE CONNECTORS TO THE MODULE SEVERAL TIMES TO GET ALL FUNCTIONS WORKING AGAIN. MANY OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO PREVENT TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS. SPARTAN NEEDS TO RECALL THESE UNITS AND REPLACE THE SMART WHEEL WIRING HARNESSES WITH MUCH MORE ROBUST TERMINAL CONNECTORS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
SMART STEERING WHEEL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. THE HORN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND CRUISE CONTROL ARE AFFECTED. ANY ONE OF WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN THESE VERY LARGE VEHICLES. MYSELF AND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS BRAND AND GENERATION HAVE COMPLAINED ON AN ON-LINE OWNERS FORUM. IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE WIRING TERMINAL CONNECTIONS TO THE SMART WHEEL CONTROLLER JUST STOP MAKING CONTACT DUE TO NON-ROBUST TERMINALS. SPARTAN CHASSIS TELLS THE CUSTOMER THAT IT'S A FAULTY MODULE, BUT A NEW MODULE IS AN EXPENSIVE AND VERY TEMPORARY FIX. REMOVING THE WIRING TERMINALS FROM THE MODULE, CLEANING THEM, AND REINSERTING THE CONNECTORS IS ALSO A TEMPORARY FIX. WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, MY COACH HAS UNEXPECTEDLY LOST WINDSHIELD WIPERS SEVERAL TIMES, JUST WHEN YOU NEED THEM THE MOST. ONCE, THE HORN FAILED, AND TWICE, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. AFTER PAYING SPARTAN TO INSTALL A NEW MODULE, THE PROBLEM RETURNED ONLY TWO MONTHS LATER. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO REMOVE AND REINSERT THE CONNECTORS TO THE MODULE SEVERAL TIMES TO GET ALL FUNCTIONS WORKING AGAIN. MANY OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO PREVENT TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS. SPARTAN NEEDS TO RECALL THESE UNITS AND REPLACE THE SMART WHEEL WIRING HARNESSES WITH MUCH MORE ROBUST TERMINAL CONNECTORS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .