1997 Winnebago Adventurer: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Winnebago Adventurer filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about parking brake and equipment. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 11
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Parking brake 27% of all complaints
2 Equipment 18% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
5 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 9% of all complaints

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

Parking brake: 3 complaints (27% of all).
Equipment: 2 complaints (18% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Fuel system: 1 complaints (9% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

fuel system, fuel smell2 · 18%
won't start1 · 9%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 9%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 9%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Parking brake	3	0
Equipment	2	0
Electrical system	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Powertrain	1	1
Service brakes	1	0
Other	1	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 parked, engine running, when it started to roll backwards and hit another vehicle. No injuries, damage unknown at this time. Consumer unsure if emergency brake was applied.
Powertrain · crash · 2002-06-10 · NHTSA complaint #8011370
I had parked the vehicle in auto park in a gas station in anchorage ak. Gotten out and went to the pumps, the vehicle began to roll. I raced around the vehicle and was able to get into the drivers seat and slammed on the brake; it stopped, releasing the brake it began to roll into traffic.
Service brakes · 2014-03-22 · NHTSA complaint #10574153
The vehicle would roll whether the park brake was used or not. The vehicle was taken to dealer numerous times, the emergency brake gear was replaced 3-4 times, but the problem continued. The consumer received a letter from chevrolet in january 2001 advising of park brake problems.
Parking brake · 2003-10-27 · NHTSA complaint #10044794
The park brake light illuminated and the vehicle would not shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the park brake unit. Ph
Parking brake · 2003-05-16 · NHTSA complaint #10019993
Parking brakes doesn't hold as good as it should, advise r&r trans brake & inspected, adjust trans brake shoes, emergency brake cable & auto park cable.
Parking brake · 2001-12-12 · NHTSA complaint #9004368
Engine simply quit without warning, however it restarted fairly quickly each of the 6 or 7 times that it quit, on 11/25/00 the engine would not restart and had to be towed to a repair facility, which revealed that the fuel pump was inoperable, unit the pump attaches to showed indication of electronic shorting at the…
Fuel system · 2001-02-28 · NHTSA complaint #559205
Fuel pump failed two times, second fuel pump failed due to faulty power line which resulted in pump fire.
Electrical system · 1998-10-30 · NHTSA complaint #541809
Spare tire , located at extreme rear of 371/2 foot motorhome, dropped down 12 to 14 inches below the chassis before being discovered due to spare tire carrier hoist becoming loose prior to/after recall (97v-012).
Equipment · 1998-09-24 · NHTSA complaint #828177

When owners complained

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

19984
20001
20012
20021
20032
20141

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Adventurer has 7 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 11, above average.

What to check before buying

Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Winnebago Adventurer?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: parking brake, equipment, electrical system. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (18%), won't start (9%), rollaway, parking brake (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Winnebago Adventurer?

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 Winnebago Adventurer 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.