AI Damage1998 Fleetwood Discovery: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Fleetwood Discovery filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about equipment and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
What fails most often
- 1 Equipment 44% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 22% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 11% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 6% of all complaints
- Equipment: 8 complaints (44% of all).
- Tires: 4 complaints (22% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (6% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 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.
Dometic recall refrigerator ref.#26168178 mod: rm3862 ser: 80800266 gas leak/ ammonia leak/ dometic recommends not using as there is a fire / death by gas leaking but will not fix.
1998 discovery fleetwood motorhome power steering hose failed. The consumer experienced what is explained in recall campaign# 00v204000. The hose ruptured. The dealer suggested that the vehicle was out of warranty and they would do nothing to remedy the problem.
Steel belt rusted and as a result the front driver's side tire blewout while driving 65 mph .
1998 discovery motorhome nar 06/26/2003 consumer received a recall to have the welding done on the frame to the sub flooring.
While driving at night, headlights are malfunctioning, causing a decrease in lighting on road for oncoming traffic. Dealer has been notified. Consumer states that fleetwood purchased a headlight unit used on ford pickups, the lexon lez cover has clouded over blocking light intensity, consumer feels the lights were…
No brake light, check unit found a bad diode in the brake light system wiring. Had to remove dash cover and instrument panel to access wire harness. Found diode in harness at lower steering column area. Remove diode and install new harness assemble and recheck operation all ok at this time.
At least 25 have experienced blowouts. Michelin blames this on "incorrect pressure" or "you must have hit something". But none of this is true. All of the tire failures are a zipper type blowout, and almost all of the tires were produced prior to may, 1998 when michelin alledgedly had a redesign to the tire sidewall.
Burner on magic chief stove model number llz8502abd, overheated because adjuster knob failed to operate. Burner could not be either turned off or turned down, cause unknown. Manufacturer has been notified. Please give any further details.
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 8,622 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Discovery has 7 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 18, above average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
- Discovery 19963 sources
- Discovery 199713 sources
- Discovery 199916 sources
- Discovery 20009 sources
- Discovery 20019 sources
- Discovery 20036 sources
- Discovery 200412 sources
- Discovery 200517 sources
- Discovery 20069 sources
- Discovery 20074 sources
- Discovery 20083 sources
- Discovery 20207 sources
- Discovery 20215 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Fleetwood Discovery?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: equipment, tires, fuel system. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (11%), tires: bulges, blowouts (11%), headlights and tail lights (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Fleetwood Discovery?
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 Discovery 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.