RoadVitals

2020 Jayco Fifth Wheel Pinnacle Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
5
Latest Apr 27, 2025
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
2
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.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Jayco Fifth Wheel Pinnacle, 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

  • Body & structure480.0%
  • Suspension120.0%

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

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Jayco pinnacle 37mdqs, frame crack issues. Contacted Jayco while still under the 3-year structural warranty. Jayco stated, there was nothing they could do and sorry for the problem. Lippert frames are the issue and trailer is parked until it’s able to be fixed. Insurance won’t cover it due to being a known issue with frame mfr.

NHTSA ID 11657108 · filed Apr 27, 2025

Frame failure on my Jayco Pinnacle 36 5th wheel RV is the issue. The frame welds have cracked where the front overhangs and the pin box attaches to the truck pulling the 5th wheel thus causing outer cracking of the exterior fiberglass. The steel used in the frame does not stand up to the flexing as a result of moving down the highway. An investigation needs to be opened into this problem as the frames need to last more than a few years on a RV that is traveling down the roads and highways at a high rate of speed which could result in the RV becoming a safety hazard causing catastrophic injuries to the public. Manufacturers must take responsibility for their defective product and be held accountable to fixing what they know was wrong at the time of manufacturing. The consumer is the fall guy for the sale of poorly designed and engineered RV's. A lemon law should be enforced for RVs that fall into this category.

NHTSA ID 11643710 · filed Feb 19, 2025

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

My RV, 2020 Jayco Pinnacle, had to have new tires replaced after <12K miles due to bad axles, Dexter # 133178799. The new tires were replaced only to have the same wear patterns after 2,400 miles. I contacted Dexter & was offered one new axle (two are required) as a goodwill offer; not recognizing any quality issues with the axles. Also any replacement of tires or labor to install the new axle would be at my cost. I believe these axles are too light for this size 5th wheel and/or the product was damaged prior to my purchase due to the early initial tire wear.

NHTSA ID 11479133 · filed Aug 13, 2022

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

Data on this page last refreshed .