2002 Winnebago Adventurer: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Winnebago Adventurer filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 18

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 17% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
4 Visibility 11% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
6 Equipment 6% of all complaints
7 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
8 Seat belts 6% of all complaints

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

Service brakes: 6 complaints (33% of all).
Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (17% of all).
Electrical system: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Visibility: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Engine and cooling: 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).

headlights and tail lights2 · 11%
overheating, coolant loss2 · 11%
windows, sunroof2 · 11%
A/C or heater1 · 6%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 6%
seat belts1 · 6%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 6%
steering or power steering problems1 · 6%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Service brakes	6	0	0
Exterior lighting	3	0	0
Electrical system	2	0	0
Visibility	2	0	0
Engine and cooling	1	0	0
Equipment	1	0	0
Fuel system	1	0	0
Seat belts	1	0	0
Structure	1	0	0
Suspension	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	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.

Upon inspection of the wheel seal problem, the authorized winnebago dealership's service department discovered that the new brake calipers had stuck again, thus overheating the brake pads and brake rotors. The rotors are glazed and have heat stress cracks.
Service brakes · 2014-06-23 · NHTSA complaint #10605445
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 winnebago adventurer. The contact stated that he was having braking failures and the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 03v060000 (service brakes, hydraulic:switches:brake warning). The failure recurred and the brake pads burned on the vehicle.
Service brakes · 2010-11-08 · NHTSA complaint #10364998
The contact stated that the front dual pane windows abnormally fog, which significantly reduces her visibility. She is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer to determine the cause of the failure. The vin was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 38,000. Updated 6/22/09 updated 06/25/09.
Visibility · 2009-06-05 · NHTSA complaint #10272948
This is a known problem with ford and they have done nothing to fix the problem which could cause a fire if vapors are ignited.
Engine and cooling · 2009-05-29 · NHTSA complaint #10272383
Recall of part [speed control deactivation switch] on a ford motor used in a 2002 winnebago motor home. Recall letter was received in october 2007. To date this problem has not been resolved as the part has been unavailable.
Vehicle speed control · 2008-01-18 · NHTSA complaint #10215324
The dealer stated that the front driver side caliper failed to release, which caused the brakes to overheat. They replaced the wheel sensor, caliper, and brake pads. Approximately two weeks later, the rear passenger side caliper failed and was replaced by the dealer.
Service brakes · 2007-09-10 · NHTSA complaint #10202367
While driving 10 mph, the dual pane window on the driver side fogged up and obscured the driver side mirror. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle. The contact believed that a leak caused the failure. The engine size was unknown. The failure mileage was 29,000 and current mileage was 30,896.
Visibility · 2007-09-04 · NHTSA complaint #10201832
Tl* - the contact read in highway rv magazine that reports about a recall for the dometic refrigerators. The contact has not had a failure to date. The 2002 winnebago, adventurer has a dometic refrigerator part #9211480-43, serial # 30300019. The dometic refrigerator model number was ndr1292.
Equipment · 2006-12-27 · NHTSA complaint #10177143

When owners complained

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

20024
20041
20053
20061
20072
20081
20093
20102
20141

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 Adventurer has 7 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 18, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Winnebago Adventurer?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, exterior lighting, electrical system. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (11%), overheating, coolant loss (11%), windows, sunroof (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.