RoadVitals

1985 Fleetwood Southwind Recalls

Safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA that cover this model year

Data refreshed

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
Recall campaignsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Newest Oct 25, 1985
Carrying an NHTSA advisoryCampaigns where NHTSA told owners not to drive the vehicle, or to park it outside, until the repair is done.
0
Open investigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
1 investigation on file

Recall campaigns

3 campaigns cover this model year — what the defect is, what it could cause, and what the remedy is

85V138000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

Oct 25, 1985
12,459 units potentially affected
The defect: GENERATOR TAILPIPE CAN BECOME DAMAGED SO THAT IT TERMINATES UNDER THE MOTORHOME BODY ALLOWING EXHAUST GASES TO LEAK UNDER THE MOTORHOME AND SEEP INTO THE MOTOR HOME. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: GENERATOR EXHAUST GASES INSIDE OF THE MOTORHOME CAUSES CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING WHICH COULD RESULT IN DEATH TO OCCUPANTS.
The remedy: REROUTE AND/OR MODIFY GENERATOR EXHAUST SYSTEM TO ASSURE THAT EXHAUST PIPE REMAINS OPEN, UNBROKEN, AND EXTENDS PAST THE SIDE OR END OF THE BODY.
FLEETWOOD ENT., INC.View on NHTSA.gov
85V106000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

Aug 27, 1985
28,545 units potentially affected
The defect: MAIN FUEL TANK FILLER CAP MAY DISENGAGE SUDDENLY WHEN REMOVING THE CAP FOR REFUELING. THE SUDDEN CAP DISENGAGEMENT PERMITS EXPULSION OF VAPOR AND UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, SPRAYS GASOLINE AROUND THE SURROUNDING AREA OR PERSONS. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: THE GASOLINE SPILLAGE MAY CAUSE A FIRE AND/OR AN EXPLOSION IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT.
The remedy: REQUIRES THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SINGLE STAGE BAYONET CAP WITH A TWO STAGE CAP WHICH REQUIRES AN ADDITIONAL ROTATION PRIOR TO REMOVAL. ALSO A WARNING LABEL STICKER WILL BE ISSUED TO BE INSTALLED JUST ABOVE THE GASOLINE FILL OPENING.
FLEETWOOD ENT., INC.View on NHTSA.gov
85V056000

TRAILER HITCHES

May 1, 1985
15,857 units potentially affected
The defect: TRAILER HITCHES CAN CRACK AT THE MOUNTING FLANGES AND SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORHOME WHILE BEING USED IN TRAILER OR CAR TOWING SERVICE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF COMPLETE SEPARATION OCCURS, CONTROL WOULD BE LOST OF THE TOWED VEHICLE; THIS COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH.
The remedy: MODIFY OR REPLACE HITCH, AS REQUIRED.
FLEETWOOD ENT., INC.View on NHTSA.gov

What a recall is

Safety recall
A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
Safety investigation
NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
Manufacturer communication
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and it is not a recall.

PE86060ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

CO INTRUSION

Opened Jun 18, 1986
Closed Dec 19, 1986

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER:THE MANUFACTURER ADVISEDTHAT THE AUXILIARY POWER UNITS (APU'S) AND THEIR EXHAUST SYSTEMS ARE ALLFACTORY INSTALLED.IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED TWO INSTANCESOF CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) ASPHYXIATION WITH THREE FATALITIES.HOWEVER,THESE WERE NOT IN THE SUBJECT 1985 MODEL VEHICLES BUT IN EARLIER MODELS.IT WAS DISCLOSED THAT ONE HAD BEEN AN AFTERMARKET TAILPIPE REPLACEMENTPROBLEM AND THE OTHER RELATED TO PARKING IN A SNOWBANK.ANALYSIS:A MODEL 33 UNIT IN RICHLAND, WA, WAS EXAMINED.THE INVESTI-GATOR CONFIRMED THAT THE UNIT HAD NOT BEEN MODIFIED IN ACCORDANCE WITHINSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN(85V-138).PICTURES TAKEN SHOWED THAT THE APU EXHAUST OUTLETS FOR BOTHTHE PRODUCTION AND MODIFIED VERSIONS SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS EXPRESSED INTHE ANSI STANDARD FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, CHAPTER 3, SECTION 4.3.TESTS FOR CO INTRUSION WITH THE APU IN OPERATION SHOWED OFF-SCALE (ABOVE500 PARTS PER MILLION) READINGS IN THE REAR CENTER TO LEFT REAR CORNERWHICH IS IMMEDIATELY ABOVE A TRANSVERSELY LOCATED BED.THE VEHICLECUSTODIAN WOULD PERMIT NO DISTURBANCE OF THE BED.PICTURES AND VISUALEXAMINATION OF THE UNDERBODY REVEALED THE APU TAIL PIPE TO BE CRUSHED ANDMISLOCATED INSIDE THE CORNER OF THE SKIRTING SURROUNDING THE BODY.THEVEHICLE WAS IDENTIFIED AS ONE TO WHICH THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL APPLIED;THE ANGLED TAILPIPE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY ONE WHICH EXITS AT NINETYDEGREES FROM THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND FORWARD OF THE APU.A SECOND ISSUE CONCERNING THIS VEHICLE WAS RAISED BY THE ATTORNEY REPRE-SENTING THE DECEASED'S ESTATE.HE CLAIMED THAT IMPACT WITH A FIXEDOBJECT CAUSED THE REAR WALL TO BE SEPARATED SO THAT THE LOWER SILL OF THEREAR WINDOW COULD BE OBSERVED FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE.INFORMATION FROMTHE MANUFACTURER REVEALED THAT AN OUTER COSMETIC SKIN HAD BEEN ADDEDTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AS A BEAUTY TREATMENT.THE OBSERVED LOWERSILL WAS IN FACT PART OF THE METAL REINFORCEMENT FOR THE REAR WALL.THEMULTIPLICITY OF WITNESS MARKS ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE BODY SKIRT INDICATESTHAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN GROUNDED MORE THAN ONCE.EXAMINATION OF THE CURBIN FRONT OF THE DECEASED'S RESIDENCE REVEALED A NUMBER OF SCRAPE MARKSRESULTING FROM CONTACT BY THE REAR OF THE MOTOR HOME.ANOTHER ISSUE CONCERNING A SOUTHWIND J MODEL WAS RAISED BY A FLORIDAATTORNEY.HE CORRECTLY POINTED OUT THAT THE DESIGNATION, J, HAD BEENOMITTED FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY DEFECT NOTIFICATION.INQUIRY TO THEMANUFACTURER REVEALED THAT THE DESIGNATION HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY OMITTEDFROM THE RECALL NOTICE BUT THAT ALL THE J MODELS HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THERECALL BECAUSE THE J MODEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS WERE INCLUDED IN THELISTING USED FOR CONSUMER MAILINGS.RECOMMENDATION:CLOSE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.===

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .