2005 Winnebago Adventurer: common problems

Owners of the 2005 Winnebago Adventurer filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about equipment and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 7

What fails most often

1 Equipment 43% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 29% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints

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

Equipment: 3 complaints (43% of all).
Service brakes: 2 complaints (29% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (14% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 7 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 29%
A/C or heater1 · 14%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 14%
vibration1 · 14%
warning lights, check engine1 · 14%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Equipment	3	0	0
Service brakes	2	0	0
Electrical system	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.

Concerning recall 51101-c. The dealers are telling me the only thing covered under this recall is the calipers, even though because of the calipers, the rotors are also damaged. And the abs sensor is melted. Just wondering what your interpretation of this recall is. Thanks for your time.
Service brakes · 2016-12-27 · NHTSA complaint #10937673
The contacted stated that when shifting from park to drive, the parking brake warning light illuminated, indicating that the parking brake was a still engaged. The vehicle was taken directly to the dealer for diagnosis where the contact was advised that the auto park brake system failed.
Service brakes · 2011-08-04 · NHTSA complaint #10417020
The digital instrument cluster failed and we could not tell the millage nor what gear we were in. This is definitly a safety concern as one can think they were in drive and really be in reverse
Electrical system · 2010-12-17 · NHTSA complaint #10371604
2005 winnebago adventurer. Consumer states that the norcold refrigerator in his motorhome has gone out twice and he paid to have it fixed. He phoned norcold and was told they would reimburse him. He has not been reimbursed yet.
Equipment · 2010-12-08 · NHTSA complaint #10370007
Now they say it could cause a fire. We have been using this for over five years and they are just now telling us it is dangerous? Also, we have reservations to go to florida that were made long before we got the recall.
Equipment · 2010-12-02 · NHTSA complaint #10368701
The burner for the hot water heater would not stay lit. When the tank wa lit the burner remained on until the consumer closed the outside compartment door. At that time the consumer could hear the flame smother out. The tank would light again for a short period of time then go out again.
Equipment · 2005-09-16 · NHTSA complaint #10136700

When owners complained

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

20051
20103
20111
20162

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 12,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).

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

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Winnebago Adventurer?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: equipment, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (29%), A/C or heater (14%), rollaway, parking brake (14%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.