AI Damage2004 Itasca Meridian: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Itasca Meridian filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 25% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 25% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 25% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Structure: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Our entire motorhome burned completely, we barely escaped with our lives, when the norcold refrigerator caught fire in the night while we were asleep. We were parked on remote private property. Consumer stated from 2004- 2020 there was no issues with the refrigerator.
The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the fog headlights failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The dealer did not provide a diagnosis for the failure. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 35,000.
A propane leak odor, coming from my motorhome, was brought to my attention by a camper in an adjoining campsite. I used a water and soap solution and found my propane tank was leaking at the rear bracket weld.
With a warning from other users on an rv forum, a physical inspection caught this problem before a brake failure happened and possible property damage or loss of life could occur. Both of these hoses must be replaced and the hoses must be re-routed to keep this from recurring.
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 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Meridian has 2 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 4, above average.
What to check before buying
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Itasca Meridian?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, fuel system, powertrain. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (25%), headlights and tail lights (25%), smoke, burning smell, fire (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Itasca Meridian?
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 2004 Itasca Meridian 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 2004 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.