2002 Fleetwood Bounder: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Fleetwood Bounder filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 12

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 42% of all complaints
2 Suspension 25% of all complaints
3 Equipment 17% of all complaints
4 Structure 17% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
6 Steering 8% of all complaints
7 Tires 8% of all complaints
8 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints

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

Service brakes: 5 complaints (42% of all).
Suspension: 3 complaints (25% of all).
Equipment: 2 complaints (17% of all).
Structure: 2 complaints (17% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (8% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 12 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 17%
A/C or heater1 · 8%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 8%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 8%
vibration1 · 8%
warning lights, check engine1 · 8%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Service brakes	5	0	0
Suspension	3	0	0
Equipment	2	0	0
Structure	2	0	0
Engine and cooling	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0
Tires	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0	0
Wheels	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.

Owning this coach since 2003 near new I have had hundreds of episodes of rocking, tracking and steering control problems that have been near misses and roll over accidents. I have owned the same brand in other rvs previously through the years because I believed in the manufactured brand.
Service brakes · 2012-06-09 · NHTSA complaint #10461086
While on a trip through northern california, my abs light came on and breaking ability was compromised. This is despite me downshifting repeatedly while going down hills and applying breaks steadily (no pumping) as needed.
Service brakes · 2008-09-06 · NHTSA complaint #10241165
Tl contact owns a 2002 ford (na) bounder. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control). The dealer stated that the parts for the recall repair were unavailable and did not know when they would arrive. The contact felt that was unacceptable.
Vehicle speed control · 2007-10-26 · NHTSA complaint #10206983
He came home and noticed the odor of the coolant leaking. To avoid a fire he turned everything off. The entire unit had to be replaced. He later read in the good sam magazine about the recall. The contact stated the dometic voice mail message was vague, and the repair was finished on 12/2/06.
Equipment · 2007-01-31 · NHTSA complaint #10181281
2002 fleetwood bounder left inside rear tire blew out. This took out a considerable amount of electrical wiring. The consumer was concerned about the location of the electrical wiring next to an inside tire.
Tires · 2006-04-13 · NHTSA complaint #10155186
Dt: the contact stated the interior overhead console in the front passenger area dropped down from the ceiling about one inch. The contact feared that this might completely separate from the ceiling and injure the occupants. The vehicle has not been seen by a dealer.
Structure · 2005-12-06 · NHTSA complaint #10144550
While the consumer was driving the front brakes were smoking from the calipers and almost caught on fire. The consumer was waiting on the tow truck to pick up the vehicle. The dealer did not know when the parts will be available.
Service brakes · 2005-08-29 · NHTSA complaint #10134632
2002 fleetwood bounder 36 s purchased new 4-april-2003 dealer has refused warranty service since 5-april-2003,vehicle is still under the original new vehicle 12/15 warranty and now has only 1500 miles,it has taken over 8 months to get selling dealer to take vehicle in for warranty repairs,vehicle has as severe rebound…
Suspension · 2004-01-30 · NHTSA complaint #10056189

When owners complained

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

20021
20031
20041
20052
20061
20072
20081
20102
20121

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,160 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Bounder has 9 complaints (36 years in the data). This year has 12, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Fleetwood Bounder?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, equipment. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (17%), A/C or heater (8%), overheating, coolant loss (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.