1997 Fleetwood Bounder: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Fleetwood Bounder filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 29
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Suspension 21% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
3 Parking brake 14% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
6 Visibility 14% of all complaints
7 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
8 Steering 7% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Suspension: 6 complaints (21% of all).
Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (17% of all).
Parking brake: 4 complaints (14% of all).
Powertrain: 4 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 4 complaints (14% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 29 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

windows, sunroof4 · 14%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 10%
rollaway, parking brake2 · 7%
rust, corrosion2 · 7%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 3%
vibration1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Suspension	6	0
Engine and cooling	5	0
Parking brake	4	0
Powertrain	4	1
Service brakes	4	0
Visibility	4	0
Fuel system	2	1
Steering	2	0
Structure	2	0
Equipment	1	0
Tires	1	0
Other	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The transmission fluid started leaking, causing the vehicle to smoke . Owner contacted manfufacturer, manufacturer told owner that there was a recall campaing on the vehicle. The vehicle cut off two times prior to the accident.
Powertrain · crash · 1997-07-11 · NHTSA complaint #814068
The side windows have lost the seal and are now beyond repair . Visibility is impossible. Tried to find the windows and is impossible to find.seems odd that this has been written up many times.owned this vehicle for ten years and this started after second year of ownership.
Visibility · 2015-02-07 · NHTSA complaint #10681963
Tl contact owns a 1997 fleetwood bounder. The contact referenced nhtsa recall campaign id number: 97v178000, equipment:mechanical:jacks. The vehicle was purchased used in 2000 and the contact stated that the recall work was performed. While inspecting he found several cracked hoses and fluid leaking from the engine.
Engine and cooling · 2010-07-22 · NHTSA complaint #10344679
As a result of these incidents, considerable damage was done to the underside of the motor home, including rupture of a propane line, which could have resulted in a major fire.
Tires · 2009-07-19 · NHTSA complaint #10277340
The drivers side window has became clouded at different times of the day and travel direction it is almost impossible to see out into the rear view mirrors. There has been no accidents yet, and it is extremely difficult to see out.
Visibility · 2007-09-20 · NHTSA complaint #10203566
The parking brake on my 1997 bounder motor home that's built on a chevrolet p-30 chassis will fail without warning & allow the coach to roll. It has been rebuilt & works most of the time. It's that one time it won't work that worries me. I am using wheel chaulks whenever I park it. . Updated 01/11/08. Updated
Parking brake · 2007-09-04 · NHTSA complaint #10201760
Approximately three years ago,the contact began experienced visibility problems with the driver side window. He stated that the windows were dual, insulated pane, and the glass seals have failed, causing poor visibility while driving. The contact's vehicle had the same failure with the passenger's side window.
Visibility · 2007-04-17 · NHTSA complaint #10188100
When driving over bumps in the road the steering column became difficult to maneuver. . Please provide additional information.
Steering · 2004-10-20 · NHTSA complaint #10097251

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19973
19983
19993
20003
20012
20021
20047
20051
20073
20091
20101
20151

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Bounder has 9 complaints (36 years in the data). This year has 29, above average.

What to check before buying

Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Fleetwood Bounder?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, engine and cooling, parking brake. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (14%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%), rollaway, parking brake (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Fleetwood Bounder?

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 1997 Fleetwood Bounder 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 1997 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.