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2003 problems

FaultScore report

2003 Fleetwood Discovery problems

Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 2003 Fleetwood Discovery with NHTSA between 2004 and 2014. The largest single group is the electrical system. Across this model's run it ranks 2 of 8 worst.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Fleetwood Discovery All 2003 cars

FaultScore 53/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Fleetwood Discovery.

How this is worked out

The numbers

Complaints

Crashes reported

Fires reported

Injuries reported

1,500 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

83%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.

Complaint volume — 40: Against the median year of the Fleetwood Discovery. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 43: 8.3% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 100: 83% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2003 compares with every other Fleetwood Discovery

Click any bar to open that year's report.

3 15 21 18 10 9 2 12 15 19 10 4 3 1 2 1 2 3 1

96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 13 14 17 19 20 21

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2003 Fleetwood Discovery

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Electrical System 5 41.7%

0 crashes, 1 fires · median 1,500 mi

Lights 4 33.3%

Median failure at 1,200 miles

Other & Unspecified 1 8.3%

Median failure at 104,200 miles

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 1 8.3%

Median failure at 15,000 miles

Suspension 1 8.3%

Median failure at 30,800 miles

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

1,000 – 9,999 miles 8 66.7%

10,000 – 24,999 miles 1 8.3%

25,000 – 49,999 miles 1 8.3%

50,000 – 74,999 miles 1 8.3%

100,000 – 149,999 miles 1 8.3%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Jan 2004 peak 5 Jun 2014

NHTSA investigations into the 2003 Fleetwood Discovery

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

PE06005 Opened 20 Jan 2006 Closed 2 May 2006 EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

INADVERTENT SLIDE-OUT EXTENSION MOVEMENT

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF A CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENT.THE CONSTITUENT REPORTED INCIDENTS WHERE THE SLIDE OUT ROOM OF HIS MOTOR HOME WOULD INADVERTENTLY MOVE (EXTEND) DURING HIGHWAY USE.ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT A FULLY EXTENDED SLIDE OUT WOULD DEGRADE THE VEHICLE'S DYNAMIC HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND/OR POSSIBLY IMPACT AN OBJECT OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH.ODI CONTACTED FLEETWOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT SLIDE OUT ROOMS WERE INSTALLED IN MOTOR HOMES, TRAVEL TRAILERS AND FOLDING TRAILERS. AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION ODI VISITED A RV SHO...

Recalls on the 2003 Fleetwood Discovery

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2009229 4 Aug 2009 13 units in Canada

Other

On certain motorhomes equipped with a Norcold Inc. refrigerator, a fatigue crack in the section of the cooling unit which contains the refrigerant could allow the liquid solution to slowly leak. If a leak occurs and the refrigerator continues to be operated after solution circulation has ceased, hydrogen gas may be expelled and can be ignited. This could result in a fire, causing property damage, personal injury, or death. Correction: Dealers will retrofit the cooling unit with a thermal switch kit.

Recall 2008246 10 Jul 2008 11,692 units in Canada

Other

On certain motorhomes, conventional travel trailers and fifth wheel travel trailers equipped with a Dometic Corporation refrigerator, a fatigue crack can develop in the boiler tube. This could allow the release of pressurized coolant solution into an area where an ignition source is present, which could result in a fire. Correction: Dealers will install a secondary burner housing.

Recall 2007047 28 Feb 2007 16,870 units in Canada

Other

Recall 2004201 17 Jun 2004 123 units in Canada

Brakes

On certain vehicles built on FCCC XC motorhome chassis, in a situation where multiple alarms are active, a Check Engine, Stop Engine, or similar warning indicator is given priority over the Low Air alarm by the instrument system controller software. If the operator does not acknowledge these higher priority alarms a Low Air alarm may not be displayed. This is a non-compliance with the low air warning requirements of CMVSS 121. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the Multi-Module Data Controller (MMDC).

Recall 2003137 22 May 2003 11 units in Canada

Other

On certain vehicles, the reinforced liquid propane gas rubber hose can be pinched during slide out room operation. This could lead to a liquid propane gas leak and the potential for an explosion and/or fire. Correction: Dealer will replace and reroute the liquid propane gas rubber hose.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Filed 25 Jul 2006 at 63,000 miles Avenue, MD Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 FLEETWOOD DISCOVERY HOME AND THE MOTORHOME CUT OFF AND BACK ON AND THEN DID IT AGAIN. BEFORE I COULD PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE ALARM FOR THE REAR AIR BRAKES SOUNDED AND THE GAUGE WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ZERO, AND THEN IT COMPLETELY LOST ALL ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL POWER. I DRIFTED TO A STOP. IN MY SIDE MIRROR I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE REAR DRIVERS COMPARTMENT. I RAN TO THE REAR OF THE MOTORHOME AND SAW FIRE COMING OUT OF THE SECOND COMPARTMENT FROM THE REAR. I OPENED THE DOOR AND FLAMES SHOT OUT. THE FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE ELECTRICAL WIRES AND ELECTRICAL BOXES AND POWER INVERTER. I TRIED TO PUT IT OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. BUT IT WENT OUT AND FIRED RIGHT BACK UP. I CALLED 911 AND THEN GRABBED A SECOND AND THIRD ONE WITH THE SAME RESULTS. WHEN I GOT THERE WITH THE FOURTH ONE THE FIRE HAD SPREAD TO THE TOP OF THE MOTOR. AS I WAS STILL TRYING TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL A COUNTY SHERIFF CAME UP AND TRIED TO HELP WITH ANOTHER FIRE EXTINGUISHER. WHEN THE FIRE KEPT BUILDING HE TOLD ME TO GET AWAY. WITH IN 5 TO 7 MIN. THE FIRE DEPT. GOT THERE AND TOOK OVER. IT TOOK THEM ABOUT 30 TO 40 MIN. TO PUT IT OUT. THE FIREMEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS AND ELECTRICAL FIRE. WHEN IT WAS OVER IT WAS TOO FAR GONE TO SAVE. I FEEL THAT IT WAS AND ELECTRICAL DEFECT AND WOULD LIKE IT TO BE INVESTIGATED.

NHTSA complaint #10163440 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Filed 19 Jun 2014 at 104,200 miles Masury, OH

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN I-77 NEARING STATESVILLE, NC, THE CONVECTION OVEN/MICROWAVE FELL OUT OF THE CEILING FACE DOWN ONTO THE STOVE. IT APPEARS THAT THE BRACKETS PULLED OUT OF THE OVEN CAUSING IT TO FALL. THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY REASON FOR A CONVECTION OVEN TO FALL OUT OF THE CEILING OF A MOTORHOME UNLESS OF A DESIGN FLAW OR SOMEONE NOT MOUNTING THE OVEN CORRECTLY. AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT, THIS OVEN HAS ALWAYS BOUNCED AND MADE SQUEAKING NOISES WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD, HOWEVER, I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD FALL OUT OF THE CEILING. IT COULD NOT BE MOUNTED CORRECTLY AS WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO GET A NEW ONE INSTALLED, THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING.

NHTSA complaint #10604437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 25 Jul 2006 at 63,000 miles Avenue, MD Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

NHTSA complaint #10163440 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 28 Dec 2004 at 15,000 miles Chagrin Falls, OH

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GETS COLD THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT TOUCH THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY RECOMMENDED THE WINTER PACKAGE, WHICH WAS DONE, AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST, NOW THEY RECOMMEND OILING THE PIVOTS.

NHTSA complaint #10105395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 19 Nov 2004 at 1,500 miles SAN Jose, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

WHILE IN MOTION AND DURING OPERATION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/DASH INSTRUMENTATION, AND WARNING EQUIPMENT, ENGINE AND POWER FAILS AND WILL NOT OPERATE UNLESS ALLOWED TO BACK POWER THE UNIT THROUGH THE LIGHTING SYSTEM. MANUFACTURER HAS MADE 5 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR. MS* NM*AND CA* FIRST STARTED JUNE 03 AND PROBLEM CONTINUES TO DATE (NOVEMBER 04).

NHTSA complaint #10100232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 19 Nov 2004 at 1,500 miles SAN Jose, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

NHTSA complaint #10100232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 19 Nov 2004 at 1,500 miles SAN Jose, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS

NHTSA complaint #10100232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 12 Jul 2004 at 1,200 miles SAN Francisco, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

DURING ACTIVE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE, DASH INSTRUMENTATION FAILS AND BECOMES NON-FUNCTIONING. LIGHTS, BRAKE AND BLINKING, FAIL TO OPERATE. ENGINE START WILL FAIL UNLESS POWER IS ALLOWED TO BACK TRAVEL THROUGH LIGHTING CIRCUIT. ALL SAFETY INSTRUMENTATION FAILS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THERE HAVE BEEN 4 ATTEMPTS BY THE MANUFACTURER TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. NO RESOLUTION IS IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.