2005 Fleetwood Bounder: common problems

Owners of the 2005 Fleetwood Bounder filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 17

What fails most often

1 Visibility 41% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 35% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
4 Equipment 6% of all complaints
5 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
6 Steering 6% of all complaints
7 Structure 6% of all complaints
8 Suspension 6% of all complaints

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

Visibility: 7 complaints (41% of all).
Service brakes: 6 complaints (35% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (6% of all).
Equipment: 1 complaints (6% of all).
Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (6% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 17 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

windows, sunroof7 · 41%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 12%
warning lights, check engine2 · 12%
brake failure1 · 6%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 6%
vibration1 · 6%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Visibility	7	0	0
Service brakes	6	0	0
Electrical system	1	0	0
Equipment	1	0	0
Exterior lighting	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0
Structure	1	0	0
Suspension	1	0	0
Other	2	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.

We were travelling on the i44 east of st.louis, on 04/14/16 when the first tire on the drivers side rear inside tire blew out, the tread had peeled off the tire and tore out the wiring in the wheel well for the 120 vac and the 12 vdc and damaged 2 compartments and about 5 feet of the tailpipe was crushed.
Electrical system · 2016-05-06 · NHTSA complaint #10863536
There was an abnormal burning smell as the front driver side brake seized. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the front driver side brake calipers, seal, brake pads, and hoses failed and needed to be replaced.
Service brakes · 2015-07-21 · NHTSA complaint #10735417
Driver side thermal pane window and passenger side thermal pane window seals have failed resulting in fog between the window panes. With no way to clear these windows, critical rear/side vision is diminished since side view mirrors must be viewed through these fogged panes.
Visibility · 2013-03-31 · NHTSA complaint #10505128
Drivers and passenger side windows fogged as well as window behind passenger and one over sink. Slowly I believe they will all fail. I made mike thompson rv aware of the problem on three different occasions, every time saying it is not covered under warranty.
Visibility · 2011-04-18 · NHTSA complaint #10396677
The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the windows on the driver side and passenger side became foggy and he could not see. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was outside the warranty. The failure mileage was 42,030. Updated 03/07/11
Visibility · 2010-12-29 · NHTSA complaint #10373339
The antilock brake system warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The engine was turned off and after waiting a few moments the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was able to resume in operation, although the brakes remained spongy.
Service brakes · 2010-03-31 · NHTSA complaint #10322975
We had total brake failure on our fleetwood bounder yesterday 11/29/09 that has a break recall on it and workhorse chasis refuses to fix. The brakes failed, brake pedal went to the floor, alarm sounded, abs light came on and also light stating "brake failure,.
Service brakes · 2009-11-30 · NHTSA complaint #10294011
The hitch that is factory installed broke away from the rv due to it not being properly welded to the frame. Our jeep broke completely away from the rv while we were driving the vehicle. We had a certified welder repair the rv and we also have pictures of the defective weld.
Equipment · 2007-05-04 · NHTSA complaint #10189727

When owners complained

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

20051
20061
20071
20092
20107
20111
20131
20151
20161
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 8,820 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Bounder has 9 complaints (36 years in the data). This year has 17, above average.

What to check before buying

Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Fleetwood Bounder?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (41%), smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), warning lights, check engine (12%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.