AI Damage1997 Fleetwood Southwind: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Fleetwood Southwind filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about parking brake and equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Parking brake 50% of all complaints
- 2 Equipment 25% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 13% of all complaints
- Parking brake: 4 complaints (50% of all).
- Equipment: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Structure: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking brake | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
Vehicle was exiting to investigate a severe front end vibration just proir to the failure. Tires were monitored for pressure and temp. And showed no low pressure or high temp. Signs. All bct tires were replaced in williamsport, pa on 8/19/13, at 38000 miles.
The automatic electric step did not come out when suppose to upon opening the doors. This caused the consumer to fall out, and break his leg. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
The automatic 12 volt step at the entrance door failed to extend when the door was opened in the dark . Causing my wife to fall since there was no step. Requiring surgery, a plate and screws to be put in her ankle.
The automatic park brake came on while driving and would not release when placed in reverse. A new part was placed on the vehicle, but problem still exists. There were times where the vehicle was warmed and would not go into gear and the brake would not release.
Automatic park brake did not engage, and the emergency parking brake did not prevent the vehicle from rolling from an incline. Vehicle was back and forth to the dealer on several occasions, but problem recurred.
The "auto park brake" and the manually foot operated parking brake have failed three (3) times allowing the motorhome to drift freely or nearly so.
The valve on the front burner heated and the burner could not be turned off
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 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Southwind has 5 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.
What to check before buying
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
- Southwind 19843 sources
- Southwind 19893 sources
- Southwind 19904 sources
- Southwind 19916 sources
- Southwind 19935 sources
- Southwind 19949 sources
- Southwind 199515 sources
- Southwind 199611 sources
- Southwind 199813 sources
- Southwind 19997 sources
- Southwind 20008 sources
- Southwind 20014 sources
- Southwind 20024 sources
- Southwind 200324 sources
- Southwind 200413 sources
- Southwind 20058 sources
- Southwind 20064 sources
- Southwind 20073 sources
- Southwind 20123 sources
- Southwind 20204 sources
- Southwind 20215 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Fleetwood Southwind?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: parking brake, equipment, service brakes. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rollaway, parking brake (25%), vibration (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Fleetwood Southwind?
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 Southwind 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.