1998 Utility 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 1998 Utility 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
- Tires & wheels433.3%
- Heating & air conditioning216.7%
- Brakes216.7%
- Suspension18.3%
- Interior & seats18.3%
- Body & structure18.3%
- Powertrain (other)18.3%
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
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
1998 UTILTY TRAILER'S RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT DAMAGING THE UNIT. *KB THE CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE TIRE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *NM
TWO KELLY SPRINGFIELD TIRES ON 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION WITH ONLY 6,000 MILES ON TIRES. TREAD WAS COMING OFF TIRE BECAUSE STEEL BELT UNDERNEATH TREAD WAS NOT PROPERLY ATTACHED TO SIDEWALL. TIRE SIZE: ST225/75R15, DOT NUMBER: PUHHP1KR. BOTH TIMES TIRES CAME APART, CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND TIRES WERE NOT OVERLOADED. TIRES WERE ONLY CARRYING 1900 TO 2000 LBS, APPROXIMATELY 70 DEGREES, WHEN RATED TO CARRY 2540 AT 65 PSI.*AK KELLY SPRINGFIELD TIRES ARE LABELED AS TOWMASTER, GOODYEAR AND KELLY DEALERS HAVE DENIED CONSUMER REPLACEMENT TIRES. *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
POP OFF VALVE FOR WATER HEATER. (NASH 5TH WHEEL TRAILER) YH
WATER HEATER PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE FAILED. *YC
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
THE 1998 HYUNDAI CONTAINER TRAILER AIR BRAKES LEAKED CAUSING LOCK UP RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH GUARDRAIL (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
BRAKES NOT WORKING PROPERLY DUE TO BARE WIRE AND BAD CONTROLLER.
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
(MAKE: COLE MODEL: GRANDVIEW TENT TRAILER)LP COVER BLEW OFF DUE TO LATCH FAILURE. MJS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
TERRY TRAILER REAR DOOR POPPED, LATCHES ON BOTH SIDES FAILED. YH
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
(STOUGHTON BOX/UTILITY TRAILER) TRAILER UNIT WAS TOO HIGH AND DENIED ACCESS ONTO ROADWAY, HOWEVER DURING TRAVEL UNIT MUST HAVE STRUCK BRIDGE/ROADWAY AT THE TOP OF THE UNIT CAUSING DAMAGE WHICH RESULTED IN BUCKLE/BOWING OF TRAILER AND COLLAPSING. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
SUNLINE RECREATIONAL TRAILER (T2553), 1998 YEAR BUILT, DEXTER AXLE HAD NO LUBRICANT IN BEARINGS OR MINUMAL AMOUNT CAUSING BEARING TO OVERHEAT AND BURN UP ALMOST DETACHING WHEEL.
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 .