Owners have filed 13 complaints
about the 1998 Fleetwood Prowler with NHTSA between 1999 and 2009.
The largest single group is the tires.
Across this model's run it ranks 1 of 5 worst.
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 — 44
Against the median year of the Fleetwood Prowler. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 100
23.1% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
How 1998 compares with every other Fleetwood Prowler
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 1998 Fleetwood Prowler
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Tires
430.8%
Other & Unspecified
215.4%
Equipment & Accessories
215.4%
Electrical System
215.4%
0 crashes, 2 fires
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
17.7%
Suspension
17.7%
Body & Structure
17.7%
0 crashes, 1 fires
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.
Jun 1999peak 5Jun 2009
Recalls on the 1998 Fleetwood Prowler
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 200704716,870 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 replace the refrigerator's boiler tube assembly.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Somerset, PAFire
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THE FRAME GUSSETS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRAILER BROKE OFF FROM IN FRONT OF THE TIRES TO THE REAR OF THE TRAILER CAUSING THE SIDES TO MOVE DOWNWARD. THE TIRES WERE FORCED IN THE WHEEL WELL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRAILER CAUSING THEM TO BURN THROUGH THE PLASTIC WHEEL WELL. THE TIRES THEN CONTACTED THE WOOD FLOORING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TIRES AND THE WOOD FLOORING TO BURN. THE MANUFACTURER FEELS NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE TRAILER.
NHTSA complaint #729863 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Coraham, WAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE TRAILER HAS HAD MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSING SEVERAL COMPONENT WIRING FAILURES,RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL FIRE. YH
NHTSA complaint #546364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Graham, WAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF ELECTRICAL WIRING FAILURES CAUSING BURNING AND SMALL FIRES, AND COMPONENT FAILURES (SLIDE OUT MOTOR AND SMOKE/ALARM). MJS
NHTSA complaint #545949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
NEW Hope, KY
TIRES
4 GOODYEAR MARATHON MILER TRAILER SERVICE TIRES PURCHASED AROUND JULY 2006. 1 TIRE WITH LOT CODE 1305 HAS LARGE BULGING NOT ON OUTSIDE AND TIRE IS SEPARATING FROM INNER LINER. 1 TIRE WITH LOT CODE 2104 HAS SIGNS OF SEPARATION FROM LINER AND DRY CRACKING SHOWING. ALSO TREAD IS BULGING HIGHER ON 1 SIDE THAN THE OTHER. 2 OTHER TIRES, 1 WITH 1604 LOT CODE AND 1 WITH 2104 LOT CODE HAVE SHOWN ONLY SOME SIGNS OF DRY CRACKS.
NHTSA complaint #10272604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Covington, LA
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
AFTER EXPERIENCING A BLOW OUT ON MY TRAILER MYSELF (GOODYEAR), I FOUND I WAS IN GOOD COMPANY. IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON MALADY. PLEASE LOOK AT THESE POSTINGS. HTTP://WWW.CAMPINGWORLD.COM/CFORUM/INDEX.CFM/FUSEACTION/THREAD/TID/14464 015.CFM IT IS ALMOST COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT TRAILERS HAVE BLOW OUTS VERY OFTEN. I HAVE NEVER HAD A BLOW OUT ON ANY VEHICLE AFTER 46 YEARS OF DRIVING. WHY DID I HAVE ONE ON MY TRAILER WHICH HAD PERFECTLY GOOD LOOKING TIRES WHICH WERE PROPERLY INFLATED? I SUSPECT THE MANUFACTURES ARE GETTING AWAY WITH SELLING JUNK TIRES BECAUSE THEY CAN BLAME IT ON OTHER THINGS. IE. UNDER INFLATION, OVERLOADING ETC. IT IS SO DANGEROUS WHEN A BLOW OUT OCCURS AND COULD LEAVE YOU ON A BAD HIGHWAY TRYING TO REPLACE THE TIRE. I SURE HOPE YOU PEOPLE CAN START REGULATING THIS AND PROTECTING THE CONSUMER. JAY HAINDEL
NHTSA complaint #10128950 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mukilteo, WA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
HELLO. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT AN UNSAFE CONDITION WITH A TRAVEL TRAILER MADE BY FLEETWOOD. THE SPECIFIC MODEL IS A FLEETWOOD PROWLER 24LZ. MY PARTICULAR SERIAL NUMBER IS 2388699. THE SITUATION: I WAS DRIVING AWAY FROM MY CAMPGROUND ON MEMORIAL DAY (5/30/05). ABOUT 7 MILES INTO THE TRIP, WE RECEIVED A CALL ON OUR CELL PHONE FROM CAMPERS IN OUR PARTY WHO WERE FOLLOWING US. THEY SAID THAT WE WERE DRAGGING SOMETHING LARGE, AND THAT WE SHOULD PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY. WE PULLED OVER ONTO A NARROW SHOULDER, AND WERE SHOCKED AT WHAT WE SAW. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF OUR 30 GALLON GRAY WATER TANK HAD COME OUT OF ITS CAPTURE, AND WAS DRAGGING ALONG THE ROAD. DUE TO THE FRICTION, THERE WAS A LARGE GASH IN THE TANK, AND ALL THE CONTENTS OF THE GRAY WATER HAD SPILLED OUT ONTO THE ROAD. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE TANK ON THE AFT END WAS THE PLUMBING THAT IT WAS AFFIXED TO. THE ONLY OPTION WE HAD WAS TO HACK SAW THROUGH THE PLUMBING, DETACH THE TANK, AND STOW IT IN OUR TRAILER. FORTUNATELY, SOMEONE IN OUR CAMPING PARTY HAD A HACKSAW, AND WE DID JUST THAT. WHAT WAS SHOCKING TO ME, WAS WHY THE TANK CAME UNDONE FROM ITS CAPTURE, WHEN IT WAS ONLY ONE THIRD FULL. A CLOSER LOOK GAVE US THE OBVIOUS REASON - A DESIGN DEFICIENCY. WHILE THIS IS HARD TO DESCRIBE WITHOUT A SKETCH, I WILL ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN HOW THE TANK IS HELD IN PLACE. THERE ARE TWO CHANNEL SECTIONS ATTACHED TRANSVERSELY TO THE UNDERSIDE FLOOR OF THE TRAILER. ONE CAPTURES A LIP ON THE FRONT END OF THE TANK, AND THE OTHER CAPTURES A LIP ON THE AFT END OF THE TANK. THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE FACT THAT THE FRONT AND AFT EDGES OF THE LIPS HAVE ROUNDED EDGES ON THE LOWER SIDE. THE ONLY WAY THE TANK COULD HAVE COME OUT OF ITS CAPTURE FROM THE CHANNEL SECTION WAS IF THE CHASSIS FLEXED ENOUGH TO CAUSE ONLY THE ROUNDED EDGE OF THE TANK TO BE ENGAGED IN THE CHANNEL SECTION, CAUSING IT TO SLIP OUT. IN MY OPINION AS AN ENGINEER, THIS IS A DESIGN DEFICIENCY. THERE WAS NO OTHER REDUNDANT METHOD TO RETAIN THE TANK IN THE CASE OF . CONTINUED.
NHTSA complaint #10124191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brookings, OR
SUSPENSION
PROWLER 31 5R 5TH WHEEL RV.*MR WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CONSUMER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE WHEELS, THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED DAMAGED TO THE SPRING HANGER WHICH SUPPORT THE SPRINGS AND AXLES OF THE TRAILER. *CB *JB
NHTSA complaint #10051888 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dearborn, MI
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
LEFT REAR TIRE FELL APART AND KNOCKED THE GENERATOR FUEL TANK FILLER NECK OFF, SPILLING FUEL ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE TREAD OF THE TIRE JUST CAME OFF. IT ALSO TORE OFF THE ELECTRIC BRAKE WIRES AND DISABLED THE BRAKES. THERE WAS A BIG POTENTIAL FOR FIRE AND EXPLOSION AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE(RIM SPARK ON PAVEMENT, CIGARETTE BUTT THROWN FROM OTHER CARS, ECT). FLEETWOOD HAS NOT RESPONDED TO ME YET. I ALSO FEEL THAT THIS TRAILER WAS MANUFACTURED WITH AN UNDERATED TIRE INSTALLED ON IT. THE TRAILER HAS A GVWR OF 9600LBS AND THE TIRES ARE RATED AT 2150LBS TIMES FOUR. THIS IS A SPORT UTILITY TRAILER. NLM
NHTSA complaint #767662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Freeport, IL
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE SIZE 22575R15, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1998, FLEETWOOD, PROWLER. WHILE DRIVING WITH TRAILER HITCHED TO A 1995, FORD, F250 SIDEWALL SEPARATED ON FRONT AND REAR TIRES. *AK TIRES ARE GOODYEAR. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #887307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Somerset, PAFire
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THE FRAME GUSSETS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRAILER BROKE OFF FROM IN FRONT OF THE TIRES TO THE REAR OF THE TRAILER CAUSING THE SIDES TO MOVE DOWNWARD. THE TIRES WERE FORCED IN THE WHEEL WELL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRAILER CAUSING THEM TO BURN THROUGH THE PLASTIC WHEEL WELL. THE TIRES THEN CONTACTED THE WOOD FLOORING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TIRES AND THE WOOD FLOORING TO BURN. THE MANUFACTURER FEELS NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE TRAILER.
NHTSA complaint #729863 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
West Covin, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
AWNING CENTER SUPPORT FAILED. YH
NHTSA complaint #608700 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Coraham, WAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE TRAILER HAS HAD MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSING SEVERAL COMPONENT WIRING FAILURES,RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL FIRE. YH
NHTSA complaint #546364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
West Covin, CA
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
FORCED AIR HEATER FAILED. YH
NHTSA complaint #608700 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Coraham, WA
EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER
IGNITOR ASSEMBLY BROKEN. (STOVE)
NHTSA complaint #546364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Coraham, WA
EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER
BED SCREWS FAILED. YH
NHTSA complaint #546364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Graham, WAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF ELECTRICAL WIRING FAILURES CAUSING BURNING AND SMALL FIRES, AND COMPONENT FAILURES (SLIDE OUT MOTOR AND SMOKE/ALARM). MJS
NHTSA complaint #545949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.