1997 Jayco Designer 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 1997 Jayco Designer, 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
- Tires & wheels430.8%
- Electrical323.1%
- Body & structure215.4%
- Other / unspecified215.4%
- Brakes17.7%
- Engine17.7%
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
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON SEPT.16,2002, I HAD A LEFT FRONT TIRE, FIRESTONE STEELTEX 225/75/16, TREAD SEPARATE FROM THE STEEL BELT. JULY 27TH THIS YEAR, TWO BACK DUALS, LEFT SIDE, SEPERATED. THEN ON AUG. 16TH, 124 MILES MORE, TWO MORE TIRES SEPERATED. FOR AS TOTAL OF 5 TIRES WITH LESS THAN 19,000 MILES. THESE TIRES WERE ON MY RV. WHEN I BOUGHT IT NEW. *AK
FRONT REAR THREE COVERS UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE CAME OFF WHILE TRAVELING AND TWO SLIDE OUT MOTORS BURNT UP. *YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A RECALL, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 98V122001 REGARDING THE FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE VEHICLE IS NOT HAVING THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. UPDATED 5/3/2006 - THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED. *NM
RETURNED TO MOTORHOME FROM DINNER WITH A/C ON AND FOUND A COACH FULL OF SMOKE. DISCONNECTED ALL POWER, TRAVELED 2 DAYS WITHOUT AIR IN OVER 100' TEMPS. BROUGHT COACH IN FOR REPAIR AND FOUND ONLINE WITH GOODSAMS CLUB, 2 RECALLS FOR THIS UNIT. NHTSA-- 98V122001. OUR VIN # IS [XXX]. NOTIFIED JAYCO (29FT. JAYCO, CLASS C DESIGNER SERIES MOTORHOME) AND THEY SAID OUR UNIT DID NOT FALL INTO THAT RECALL. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RECALL IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. THE WHOLE COACH COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. ALSO, THERE IS ANOTHER RECALL--NHTSA CAMP. ID-97V062000. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS ONE ALSO. *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS
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
THE 6" CHANNEL WELDED ACROSS THE FRONT OF THE FIFTH WHEEL PIN BOX BROKE IN HALF CAUSING THE TRAILER TO DROP.THIS IS THE POINT OF ATTACHMENT OF THE FIFTH WHEEL TO THE TOW VEHICLE. THE CHANNEL SUPPORTS THE FRONT PART OF THE KING PIN BOX. ON REMOVAL OF THE SHEET METAL UNDER THE GOOSENECK PART OF THE TRAILER IT EXPOSED THE CHANNEL BROKE INTO ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PIN BOX, THE METAL ON THE LEFT SIDE RIPPED OPEN, THE BACK OF THE PIN BOX ATTACHMENT BROKE LOOSE AND METAL RIPPED OUT. ONE WELD WAS BROKEN. I HAVE BEEN INTOUCH WITH JAYCO BUT THEY SAY IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THEY SAY THAT THIS UNIT IS 13 YEARS OLD AND I WILL HAVE TO REPAIR. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE METAL USED FOR THIS MAJOR STRESS POINT IS TO THIN AND INFERIOR. THE CONTINUED FLEXING OF THESE COMPONENTS CAUSE THEM TO BREAK AFTER TIME AND THE RESULT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE TOW VEHICLE AS WELL AS OTHER UNSUSPECTING MOTORIST. REPAIR OF THIS WILL ONLY MOVE THE FLEX POINT TO THE SIDE OF THE WELD AND AGAIN AFTER CONTINUOUS FLEXING BREAK AGAIN. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE HANDLED ASAP. THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW MANY UNITS ARE TRAVELING OUR HIGHWAYS THAT ARE ONLY SECONDS AWAY FROM TRAGEDY. I HAVE PICTURES TO SHOW IF SO NEEDED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 JAYCO DESIGNER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE # 01V251000 (STRUCTURE). FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, THE CONTACT HAD BEEN TO THREE DEALERS AND THE VEHICLE STILL HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER FINALLY RECEIVED THE PART, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER STATES AFTER SOME MOUNTAIN DRIVING THE FRAME TO THE TRAILER THAT THE HITCH IS ATTACHED TO CRACKED AND COLLASPED. *MR
FRONT REAR THREE COVERS UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE CAME OFF WHILE TRAVELING AND TWO SLIDE OUT MOTORS BURNT UP. *YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 9, 1999 THE HYDRAULIC SURGE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP. ON OCTOBER 22, 2000 THE SAME WHEEL CYLINDER FAILED WHILE CRUISING AT 60MPH. DEALER ORIG. SAID OTHERS IN SERIES HAD SAME PROBLEM IN 1999.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR IS PICKING UP AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF CARBON MONOXIDE IN MOTOR HOME. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
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 .