AI Damage1997 Fleetwood Terry: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Fleetwood Terry filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- 2 Equipment 17% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 17% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 17% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (50% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
While the camper was parked, the contact noticed smoke coming from the top of the refrigerator. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The camper was destroyed. There was no failure mileage.
While driving, the trailer's braking system failed. On investigation, the brake tensioners on all 4 wheels had fallen out of position and into the bottom of the drum. The springs were also in the bottom of the drums. One of the brake magnets was bound up in the wheel and melted down.
Small section of rear leaf spring breaks, causing vehicle to shift to forward spring, the added weight causes right front trailer tire to separate and come apart.
The brake adjustment springs were broken on all 4 wheels, causing the adjusters to fall out of place, and resulting in brake failure.
Brake spring jammed the coil and brakes locked up caused burned the intire brake system. Yh
Goodyear marathon tires model# st225/75r15 keep blowing out while driving. Manufacturer is aware, and has replaced the tires on this vehicle. But, keeps selling the old tires to other consumers. Asking nhtsa to look into this matter.
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 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Terry has 4 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 6, 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.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Fleetwood Terry?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, equipment, suspension. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (17%), smoke, burning smell, fire (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Fleetwood Terry?
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 Terry 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.