AI Damage1999 Coachmen Santara: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Coachmen Santara filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 40% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 20% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 20% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Tl contact owns a 1999 coachmen santara. The contact received a recall notice for the vehicle speed control in september of 2007. The dealer advised him to bring in the vehicle and they disconnected the cruise control.
Brake line chaffing against cab hood hinge caused brake line failure, all brake fluid leaked out of master cylinder resulting in no brakes
Upon pulling out of the camp ground and when the brake pedal was depressed brake warning light came on, and the brake failed to stop the motor home. The emergency brake had to be engaged to stop the motor home. Dealership inspected the brake system.
While driving at 70 mph, the front left tire blew out. Several months later, the same thing happened to the rear right inside tire. On both tires the sidewall ruptured, causing the blow out.
Power steering pressure hose installed in such a manner that the edge of the bracket that attaches the steering dampener to the steering control arm rubbed the hose causing it to suddenly rupture resulting in loss of power steering and hydra boost to braking system.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Santara has 3 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 5, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Coachmen Santara?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, tires. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (40%), loss of power / limp mode (20%), rust, corrosion (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Coachmen Santara?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Coachmen Santara from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.