AI Damage1998 Fleetwood American Eagle: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Fleetwood American Eagle filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 44% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 22% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 22% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 11% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- Tires: 4 complaints (44% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 2 complaints (22% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
I have no confidence in fleetwood's repair of defect that led to tire failurs and nine deaths from crashes. Can you provide me with complete reports of investigations at the scenes and your engineering analysis and contact numbers for followup of this report. (dot number: 99v277000 tiresize: g25975r225)
Brakes failed. Towed vehicle also sustained damage ($3000.00 worth). Goodyear refunded my $ 1000.00 insurance deductible through my insurance company without notifying me of admissoion of liability.
I was leaving the ta truckstop in new braunfels texas on sunday fed 1 at app. @1:30 pm , I was turning right on the I 35 service road and my unit went straight into the ditch. I unhooked my tow car and backed into the truckstop .
I was informed of 2 safety recalls for this vehicle, tuthill, and spartan chassis won't make the necessary repairs, citing the age of the vehicle, I wasn't aware of the recalls until this year, and now am worried about the safety of the vehicle, and can't afford to have the repairs done.
Recall 99v277000, the overloading of the front tire caused wear and tear to the rear axle, and tire and cannot hold the weight of the motorhome which may cause a crash.
Windshield not properly sealed, causing windshield to pop out and shift to passenger's side caused damage to vehicle. Consumer has contacted the dealer. Consumer also having other problems with vehicle. Please provide any further details.
Fuel expulsion from the tank fill hole prior to recall notice of vent, recall work performed however problems with gas expulsion continued.
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 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the American Eagle has 3 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 9, above average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Fleetwood American Eagle?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, service brakes, steering. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Fleetwood American Eagle?
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 1998 Fleetwood American Eagle 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 1998 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.