2003 Fleetwood Bounder 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 2003 Fleetwood Bounder, 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
- Brakes538.5%
- Driver assistance17.7%
- Fuel system17.7%
- Interior & seats17.7%
- Steering17.7%
- Tires & wheels17.7%
- Transmission17.7%
- Body & structure17.7%
- Visibility17.7%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER 35E RV. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE THEN SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER MELTED THE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V198000 (SERVICE BRAKES, AIR). THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO ACCEPT FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE REAR BRAKES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 13,760. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.
I OWN 2003 BOUNDER BUILT ON THE W/22 (WORKHORSE) CHASIS.. THREE TIMES NOW I HAVE HAD MY LEFT FRONT ABS (BOSCH SYSTEM) BRAKE WHEN APPLIED GOING DOWN STEEP GRADE DRAG. MEANING RATHER THAN THE PUMPING ACTION OF ABS IT WAS NOT RELEASING, AND ONE COULD HERE AND FEEL THE SOUND SIMILAR TO METAL ON METAL. PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD AND FELT ALL WHEELS. LEFT FRONT ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY BLISTERED MY FINGER TIPS. IN A FEW WEEKS I AM AS PART OF MY MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE HAVING THE BRAKE SYSTEM BLED. I AM HOPING THAT WHEN THEY PULL MY WHEELS THAT ALL IS WELL. THE MH HAS 23,385 MILES ON IT. TWO YEARS AGO A ZRK FITTING WAS INSTALLED ON THE BELL CRANK. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE SPEEDOMETER IS NOT REGISTERING THE PROPER SPEED WHILE DRIVING, AND THE FUEL GAUGE IS NOT REGISTERING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK. THE FUEL GAUGE NEEDLE WOULD DROP TO EMPTY WHILE A QUARTER TANK OR MORE OF FUEL REMAINS IN THE TANK. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO DEALER ON FIVE OCCASIONS, AND THEY CANNOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM.*AK THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO INDICATES WRONG SPEEDS. SPEED SHOWN IS 25-30 MPH SLOWER THAN THE VEHICLE IS ACUALLY GOING. *TC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE SPEEDOMETER IS NOT REGISTERING THE PROPER SPEED WHILE DRIVING, AND THE FUEL GAUGE IS NOT REGISTERING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK. THE FUEL GAUGE NEEDLE WOULD DROP TO EMPTY WHILE A QUARTER TANK OR MORE OF FUEL REMAINS IN THE TANK. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO DEALER ON FIVE OCCASIONS, AND THEY CANNOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM.*AK THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO INDICATES WRONG SPEEDS. SPEED SHOWN IS 25-30 MPH SLOWER THAN THE VEHICLE IS ACUALLY GOING. *TC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: INTERMITTENTLY THE DASHBOARD GAUGE PANEL WENT DEAD. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE GAUGE PACKAGE, AND TODAY IT WENT DEAD AGAIN. THEY REPLACED THE PANEL ON APRIL 4, 2005. SEPTEMBER 19, 2005 IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED SINCE IT WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THEY DID A FLASH THEN HAD A REPLACEMENT. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH POWER STEERING PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, THE POWER BRAKES FAILED. NO IMPACT REPORTED. THE PART HAD BEEN REPLACED OR REPAIRED SIX TIMES. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
SAFETY OF MICHELIN XRV 225/80 R 22.5 TIRES. *MR THE CONSUMER EXPRESSED CONCERNS RELATED TO THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE MICHELIN XRV TIRES. THE CONSUMER WITNESSED FIRST HAND THE BLOWOUT OF A PASSENGER SIDE INSIDE DUAL TIRE ON A 2001 BOUNDER. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES HIS TIRES MAY ALSO EXPERIENCE THIS TYPE OF FAILURE, HE THEREFORE CONTACTED HIS LOCAL MICHELIN TIRE DEALER. THE DEALER REFUSED TO TRADE THE TIRES STATING THAT THERE WAS NO MARKET FOR A USED MICHELIN XRV. *NM *JB *SC *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE WOULD OPERATE THE VEHICLE, HE WOULD NOTICE THAT THE LCD SHIFT INDICATOR WOULD TAKE UNUSUALLY LONG TO ILLUMINATE BEFORE FAILING COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE BOUGHT A NEW 2003 FLEETWOOD, BOUNDER MOTORHOME AND WE ARE EXPERIENCING MUCH DIFFICULTY IN HAVING A LEAK REPAIRED IN OUR REAR BEDROOM. OUR CARPETING HAS BEEN SOAKED IN A CERTAIN SPOT AND NOW WE BELIEVE MILDEW IS SETTING IN. *AK
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
THE DUAL PANE WINDOWS IN MY MOTOR HOME ARE FOGGED UP MAKING IT HARD TO SEE IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. THERE ARE MORE WINDOWS FOGGING UP BUT NOT ONES THAT WOULD AFFECT MY ABILITY TO SEE WHILE DRIVING. FLEETWOOD KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT CONTINUES TO DO BUSINESS WITH SI-GE WINDOWS AND IS NOT CONCERNED WITH THE PROBLEM. *TR
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 .