1999 Fontaine Trailer 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 1999 Fontaine Trailer, 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
- Electrical133.3%
- Suspension133.3%
- Tires & wheels133.3%
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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WIRING HARNESS FAILURE IS CAUSING LIGHTING AND ABS PROBLEMS. YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
1999 FONTAINE TRAILER AXLE BROKE CAUSING THE TWO REAR TIRES TO COME OFF THE VEHICLE. ONE OF THE TIRES CROSSED OVER THE MEDIAN AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. *KB THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO NO GREASE ON THE BALL JOINTS. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *JB
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
IN FEBRUARY OF 1999 I PURCHASED A COBALT 226 AND AN EAGLE TRAILER. THIS EAGLE TRAILER WAS MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR MY BOAT, IT HAS CARLISLE ST205/75R14 TIRES.. SINCE I LIVE IN PA, MY BOATING YEAR IS 3-4 MONTHS LONG AND BY BOAT IS STORED INDOORS DURING THE WINTER. MY AVERAGE MILEAGE EACH YEAR IS APPROX. 1000 MILES. IN MAY, 2002. I BLEW OUT THE FIRST TIRE. I DID NOT KNOW WHY AND THE TIRE WAS A TOTAL LOSS, SO WE JUST BOUGHT A NEW CARLISLE TIRE TO REPLACE IT. IN JULY THE SECOND BLEW OUT FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER IN AUGUST 2002. WITHIN THE LAST TWO BLOW OUTS, MY FIBER GLASS FENDERS WERE DESTROYED ALONG WITH THE BREAK INE AND ALL OF THE WIRES WERE RIPPED OUT OF THE TRAILER. WE AGAIN PURCHASED NEW CARLISLE TIRES . THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT OF THE TIRES TO TAKE TO THE DEALER. THE COST TO REPLACE MY FENDERS WAS $783 PLUS MY LABOR TO TAKE THE OLD ONES OFF, REPAIR THE BRAKE LINE AND REWIRE THE LIGHTS. FINALLY ON AUG 29,2004, I AM ABOUT TO TAKE MY BOAT TO THE LAKE AND MY WIFE, WHILE WINDING THE TRAILER UP TO HOOK IT UP TO THE TRUCK, NOTICED THAT THE SPARE TIRE LOOKED CROOKED. I CHECK IT OUT AND FOUND THAT THE AMPLE TREAD WAS SEPARATED IN NUMEROUS PLACES. THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER ORIGINAL TIRE ON THE BOAT AND WHEN I LOOKED AT IT IT WAS IN THE SAME CONDITION. THIS TIME I HAD EVIDENCE TO TAKE TO THE CARLISLE DEALERSHIP. THEY SENT THE TIRES TO CARLISLE AND CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT CARLISLE SAID THAT THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE 2 NEW ONES. I DO NOT HAVE A CHECK AS OF THIS DATE. WHEN I CHECK THE NHTSA WEBSITE, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME TIRE STARTING BACK IN 2001 WITH STORIES MUCH THE SAME AS MINE. CARLISLE MUST BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A POORLY MANUFACTURED TIRE. *JB
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 .