RoadVitals

1997 Fleetwood Discovery Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Jun 23, 2011
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
4
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Dec 20, 1996

What this page shows

Our database holds 13 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Fleetwood Discovery. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–13 of 13

Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 23, 2011
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. HE THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE HEADLIGHT WIRES WERE MELTED. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE FAILURE AND BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,663.

NHTSA ID
10408711
Incident
Jun 17, 2011
Mileage
105,200 mi
Visibility
Filed Apr 15, 2002

FRONT WINDSHIELD KEEPS POPPING OUT.*AK *TT

NHTSA ID
8007672
Incident
Dec 15, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 20, 2001

DURING A RECENT TRIP THE MOTORHOME EXPERIENCED THREE BLOWOUTS, THE TIRES HAD 33000 MILES ON IT (MICHELIN SIZE 235/80R/22.5 XTRV TIRES).

NHTSA ID
562599
Electrical
Filed May 28, 2001
Fire reported

ON THE DATE INDICATED, WHILE THE MOTORHOME WAS PLUGGED INTO 115V 30 AMP A/C POWER, WITH ONE ROOF AIR CONDITIONER OPERATING, AN ELECTRICAL FIRE OCCURRED IN THE JUNCTION BOX. THE FIRE, APPARENTLY CAUSED BY A SHORT CIRCUIT, CONSUMED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WIRING INSULATION. FORTUNATELY, THE FIRE DID NOT SPREAD TO OTHER MATERIAL. DAMAGE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE POWERTEK BREAKER BOX AND REPAIR OF THE WIRING. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAD OCCURRED IN THIS MOTORHOME. A VERY SIMILAR ELECTRICAL SHORT AND FIRE OCCURRED IN JULY 2000. DAMAGE WAS NOT AS EXTENSIVE AND ONLY THE WIRING NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THESE INCIDENTS ARE BEING REPORTED TO NHTSA AS A SAFETY HAZARD. OTHER OWNERS OF THE DISCOVERY MOTORHOME HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR INCIDENTS. FLEETWOOD HAS REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CORRECT THE DAMAGE RESULTING FROM THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, FLEETWOOD HAS NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM. NO RECALL HAS EVER BEEN ISSUED. THERE ARE NO SPECIAL PERIODIC MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL NOR HAVE ANY BEEN SENT TO OWNERS. *AK

NHTSA ID
746007
Incident
Apr 28, 2001
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed May 8, 2001

WHEN HEADLIGHTS WERE TURNED ON ELECTRICAL WIRING AND HEADLIGHT SWITCH STARTED MELTING, THERE WAS SMOKE UNDER DASH. CONSUMER COULD ONLY DRIVE DURING DAY TIME.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID
887697
Incident
Nov 1, 2000
Visibility
Filed May 8, 2001
Fire reported

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN CONSUMER'S DRIVEWAY IT CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. AN ALLSTATE INSURANCE INSPECTOR STATED THAT CIRCUIT BOARD IN FRONT HEATING VENT WAS FAULTY AND FAILED. THIS RESULTED IN FAN COMING ON AND REMAINING ON .*AK *JB

NHTSA ID
887672
Incident
Apr 15, 2001
Visibility
Filed May 6, 2001
Fire reported

INSURANCE INVESTAGATER SAID FIRE DUE TO FAULTY HEATER CIRCUT BOARD, THIS CAUSED FAN TO COME ON BLOWING FIRE THROUGH MOTORHOME, OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF MOTORHOME SHOULD BE INFORMED TO THE POSIBLITY OF FIRES, IF WE WERE IN THE MOTORHOME WE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. FLEETWOOD SAID NO RESPONSEABILITY WOULD BE TAKEN ON THEIR PART, FLEETWOOD DID TAKE AN ACCIDENT REPORT.

NHTSA ID
744999
Incident
Apr 22, 2001
Fuel system
Filed Jul 18, 2000

WHILE OPERATING MOTORHOME AT HIGHWAY SPEED, ITS FUEL LINE RUPTURED, RESULTING IN DIESEL FUEL SEEPAGE THROUGHOUT MOTORHOME.*AK

NHTSA ID
725632
Incident
Jul 7, 2000
Other / unspecified
Filed Jul 3, 2000

MAGIC CHEF RANGE: TOP FORWARD VALVE STICKS IN ON POSITION AND CAN'T BE TURNED OFF. TURNED ALL THE PROPANE OFF, AND STILL IT WAS ON. CONTACTED DEALER, AND REPLACED THE FORWARD VALVE. HOWEVER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SERIAL# TO THE RANGE 10885756SH AND MODEL#85TB3BK. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID
864685
Incident
Aug 4, 1999
Other / unspecified
Filed Mar 30, 2000

THE LARGE BURNER CONTROL VALVE STARTED TO STICK IN THE ON POSITION DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT TO THE POINT THAT IT PARTIALLY MELTED THE PLASTIC KNOB, THIS IS POSSIBLY A DESIGN FLAW AND POTENTIALLY A SAFETY HAZARD. NLM

NHTSA ID
551639
Brakes
Filed Jul 17, 1998

BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL DUE TO DESIGN FLAW, DIODE KIT NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED.

NHTSA ID
537996
Interior & seats
Filed Mar 11, 1997

SIDE DOOR OPENS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.

NHTSA ID
515481
Visibility
Filed Dec 20, 1996

LEFT SIDE DRIVERS MIRROR IS MOUNTED SO DRIVER IS LOOKING YHROUGH THE SIDE TINTED WINDOW AND REFLECTS CURBSIDE TRAFFIC INTO THE LEFT SIDE MIRROR.

NHTSA ID
513155

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .