2004 Fleetwood Prowler
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Fleetwood › Prowler › 2004
These records cover every 2004 Fleetwood Prowler. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
9 recalls name the 2004 Fleetwood Prowler. Newest first.
Fleetwood IS recalling 70,101 my 2003-2007 southwind, pace arrow, bounder, flair, storm, fiesta, terra gas class a motor homes; bounder, discovery, providence, excursion, expedition, revolution, american eagle, american heritage, american tradition diesel class a motor homes; jamboree tioga class c motor homes; and prowler, wilderness, terry, mallard…
Risk and remedy
Risk
If this solution IS exposed to an ignition source under certain specific circumstances, it can result in a vehicle fire.
Remedy
Fleetwood IS working with dometic to repair these refrigerators (please see 08e032). dometic will repair these refrigerators by installing a secondary burn housing, a thermal fuse, and a melt fuse free of charge. dometic has retained stericycle inc. To manage this campaign. stericycle will assist the owner in locating dealerships or service centers and will provide assistance with scheduling of appointments. owners may contact dometic/stericycle at 1-888-446-5157 or fleetwood at 1-800-322-8216.
Certain motor homes and travel trailers equipped with a two-door refrigerator, manufactured by the dometic corporation, may have a defect in the boiler tube. pressurized coolant solution could be released into an area where an ignition source (gas flame) IS present.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Release of coolant under certain conditions could ignite and result in a fire.
Remedy
Fleetwood will be working with dometic in order to repair these refrigerators (please see 06e076). dometic will repair these refrigerators by installing a secondary burn housing, a thermal fuse, and a melt fuse free of charge. dometic has retained stericycle inc. To manage this campaign. stericycle will assist you in locating dealerships or service centers and will provide assistance with scheduling of appointments. owners may contact dometic/stericycle at 1-888-446-5157 or fleetwood at 1-800-322-8216.
Certain travel trailers fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120 "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars." the tire and loading information placard contains incorrect "load range "b" information regarding the maximum cargo carrying capacity. the correct tire IS a load range "c".
Risk and remedy
Risk
A fully loaded travel trailer will overload the tires, which could lead to tire failure, loss of vehicle control, and could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace tires that are marked "load range "b" and replace it with a "load range "c" tire. the recall began on november 30, 2005. owners may contact fleetwood at 1-800-445-3307.
On certain fifth wheel trailers, the propane gas lines that run through the floor of the slide out room penetrate the floor too far from the outside wall causing the potential for pinched lines during slide out room operation.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This could lead to a propane gas leak and the potential for an explosion and/or fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and, as necessary, reroute the propane gas line. this recall began on october 24, 2005. owners may contact fleetwood at 1-800-509-3418.
Certain fifth wheel travel trailers have missing welds on the chassis cross-members.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition can cause the cross-member to become dislodged, creating a road hazard if the fifth wheel travel trailer IS in motion, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Lippert components, in conjunction with fleetwood, will inspect the cross-members for missing welds, repair the welds if necessary, and add additional support to the affected area. owners may contact lippert directly at 1-866-524-7821 to make arrangements to have this inspection and repair performed. the recall began on august 4, 2005.
On certain fifth wheel and conventional travel trailers equipped with aluminum wheels may not have had the proper wheel lug nut torque applied. additionally, paint applied to the mating surface of the hub may cause the lug nuts to be more sensitive to loosening during the initial settling-in of components and after a wheel has been removed for service.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A wheel separation could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect, repair, or replace any damaged wheels, lug nuts, lug studs, and mating surfaces. dealers will also remove paint film from the mating surfaces. the recall began on august 5, 2004. owners should contact fleetwood at 1-800-509-3418.
On certain conventional and fifth wheel travel trailers equipped with siemens q circuit breaker, the circuit breakers were mis-marked.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This could result in an overheated conductor in a sustained overload condition which could cause personal injury and/or property damage.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the circuit breaker if necessary. owner notification IS expected to begin by april 5, 2004. owners should contact fleetwood at 1-800-322-8216.
On certain conventional and fifth wheel travel trailers, the owner manuals either do not contain the wheel lug nut torque information or contain incorrect wheel lug nut torque information for the optional "aluminum wheel"
Risk and remedy
Risk
Vehicle operation without the proper torque applied to the wheel lug nuts could result in the lug nuts becoming loose and a wheel separation that could result in a crash.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a label and insert to be added to the owner's manual. if the vehicle has the "aluminum wheel" option, owners are requested to bring their vehicle into a dealer to have the wheel lug nuts torqued to the proper specifications. owner notification began november 26, 2003. owners should contact fleetwood at 1-800-445-3307.
On certain travel trailers equipped with samsung microwave ovens, these ovens were produced with a defective panel. an electrical short can occur between circuit patterns on the membrane panel, especially overlapped by a "jumper" or jump wire. this may cause the oven to activate without pressing any key pads.
Risk and remedy
Risk
An electrical short can occur causing the oven to activate without pressing any key pads. this could result in excessive heat, smoke, or possibly a fire.
Remedy
Samsung will notify customers and repair the panel free of charge. in the meantime, consumers should unplug their microwave, if possible. if the consumer IS unable to unplug the microwave, they should leave the door ajar until the panel IS replaced. consumers should never use the microwave oven for storage or leave any towels, paper, cloth or other products in the microwave after use. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact samsung at 800-932-3837 or fleetwood at 1-800-629-8454.
Owner complaints
21 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Tires
Towmax st225/75r-15/10 dot numbers adb4gpb5014,jklfid2613 and 83b4gpb4011 700 to 1000 miles on the tires belt separated and tread loss 2 of 4 tires 80 psi in tires at all times according to sidewall requirements.
- Suspension · Wheels
This IS a continuation of events where I have found large structural cracks in different parts of the 5TH wheels frame..particularly the front pin box frame and lower front support frame. From what myself and others have observed, we feel that both poor welds, low quality steel, insufficient cross…
This IS a continuation of events where I have found large structural cracks in different parts of the 5TH wheels frame..particularly the front pin box frame and lower front support frame. From what myself and others have observed, we feel that both poor welds, low quality steel, insufficient cross bracing, and too light a gauge of metal to properly support the entire weight of this and other types of trailers. my frame has been welded in several different places over the past 4 years, I have lost axles from under it because of broken or insufficient cross bracing on the under carriage, the upper front frame was re welded and supposedly re braced a few years back by a factory dealer. we just returned from what was to be our vacation, after pulling off the highway to take a break on our trip when I noticed that the entire front of my trailer had torn lose and was about to completely rip free from my truck..after looking at what had transpired I feel very fortunate that we stopped when we did, the metal that had been repaired the last time this happened was completely torn like a sheet of paper, the welds that were to be fixed last time were looked over and never re braced or welded.. the frame manufacturer I am sure you folks have had plenty of complaints about this company. The name of company IS lippert frames.. Lippert frames at one time and still does manufacture frame for probably 60-75% of 5TH wheel and other trailers today..our concern IS that they as a manufacturer will not take responsibility for poor workmanship, low quality materials,or stand behind what they build, we have been extremely lucky that ourselves or any other motorist has not been killed or severely injured if one of these frames completely let lose. *tr
- Structure
TL* the contact owns a 2004 fleetwood prowler fifth wheel trailer. The contact stated that the welds of the cross members on the chassis were fractured. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign ID number: 05v289000 (structure) but the manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was not available.
- Equipment
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 fleetwood prowler rv. The vehicle was equipped with a dometic refrigerator, model number rm2652. The refrigerator was not cooling properly. Also, there was a strong odor of ammonia and yellow residue that was located on the bottom boiler tube in the back of the…
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 fleetwood prowler rv. The vehicle was equipped with a dometic refrigerator, model number rm2652. The refrigerator was not cooling properly. Also, there was a strong odor of ammonia and yellow residue that was located on the bottom boiler tube in the back of the refrigerator. The refrigerator was included in the recall defect under nhtsa campaign ID number 08e032000 (equipment). The manufacturer was notified and they stated the remedy consisted of a protection shield. The contact was displeased with the recall remedy due to the refrigerator being inoperative and it would not correct the problem. The refrigerator had not been replaced at the time of the complaint. The vin and failure mileage were unavailable.
- Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer
Im informed of a possible fire hazard on my dometic refrigerator and it IS the weekend and I cant get any information from anyone. To me this IS a crock. Our business hours our mon. Through fri.@#%&&^&(.its filled with food that I cant afford to waste. They say to at least turn off the gas part of it but I don't know how to get to it. *Tr
- Structure › Frame and members · Trailer hitches
2004 fleetwood prowler front frame and pin box failure. Resulting in having to disconnect 5TH wheel from tow vehicle and wait for repair services. 5TH wheel has been parked on property for over 2years, has very little actual towing time, the unit was not over loaded. Frame welds and layup were what…
2004 fleetwood prowler front frame and pin box failure. Resulting in having to disconnect 5TH wheel from tow vehicle and wait for repair services. 5TH wheel has been parked on property for over 2years, has very little actual towing time, the unit was not over loaded. Frame welds and layup were what I consider absolute garbage. My wife and I were stranded at the lake on our vacation,and are still waiting for a solution on how to get it to a repair shop. If I had continued towing this 5TH wheel , especially in the hills that we were traveling in, I am quite sure I would have lost it off the back of my truck.. To date I think I have read approx. 30 -50 complaints similar to mine with no response from either fleetwood or lippert frames. I would hate to think that it would take a severe wreck and the loss of lives to wake these manufacturers up...i am hoping my insurance will take care of the repairs on my rig ,i can guarantee neither fleetwood or lippert will. *tr
- Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer
Tl*the contact owns a dometic rm2652. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign ID number 06e076000 (equipment:recreational vehicle) in january of 2008. the manufacturer stated that the unit was included in the recall, but the repair had previously been performed on august 31, 2007.…
Tl*the contact owns a dometic rm2652. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign ID number 06e076000 (equipment:recreational vehicle) in january of 2008. the manufacturer stated that the unit was included in the recall, but the repair had previously been performed on august 31, 2007. the contact denied any repair work because there was no prior failure. the manufacturer refused to honor the recall. there had been no failure to date. the part number and location in the vehicle were unavailable. Updated 02/15/08. *lj
- Structure › Frame and members › Underbody shields
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 fleetwood prowler regal fifth wheel trailer. the contact stated that the front of the unit IS cracking. a welder arrived to place a temporary patch on the unit and he stated that the factory welds were too cold. when the unit separated, it fell down on top of the vehicle. there were no injuries. no other vehicle information was applicable.
- Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer
Recall of dometic refrigerator. charged 60.00 in order to have done and released. *Tr
- Service brakes, electric
2004 prowler lynx 5TH wheel, manufactured by fleetwood. while adjusting the electric brakes, I found that all 4 brake assemblies had been mounted on the wrong sides of the vehicle, i.e., the actuating arms faced toward the rear. the primary shoes faced the rear of the vehicle. assemblies marked…
2004 prowler lynx 5TH wheel, manufactured by fleetwood. while adjusting the electric brakes, I found that all 4 brake assemblies had been mounted on the wrong sides of the vehicle, i.e., the actuating arms faced toward the rear. the primary shoes faced the rear of the vehicle. assemblies marked l were on the right (passenger) side and vice versa. I called fleetwood and they said they would not be responsible for fixing the problem. If I had to guess, it appears the axles with brakes and hubs already mounted were installed backward during manufacturing. this assumptions IS supported by the fact that the wire openings are in the front of the axles. I've read that they are normally in the rear of the axle to face away from traffic debris. I'm in the process of replacing all assemblies, but the assemblies on the rear axle have not been changed and will not till mid may. I'll take pictures to document the current condition. thought other vehicles might have brake assemblies (and probably the axles also) installed the wrong direction. the fleetwood rep (monica) I talked with said the axles were manufactured by quality axles, 800-243-4883. *jb
- Equipment · Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer
TL* the contact owns a dometic refrigerator. recall 06e076000 was received for model# 2652. the letter informed him to call dometic. the contact stated that once he typed in the model number the information system would not accept any additional information, to speak with a representative…
TL* the contact owns a dometic refrigerator. recall 06e076000 was received for model# 2652. the letter informed him to call dometic. the contact stated that once he typed in the model number the information system would not accept any additional information, to speak with a representative, or allow an option to leave a message. the contacwas uncertain what to do with the recall notice or the refrigerator. the contact was advised that the recall began in april 2007.
- Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer
TL* - the contact read about a recall for the dometic refrigerator model # rm2652. the contact was concerned with the safety issue of waiting too long to have repaired. The trailer IS the contact's primary residence. Ak updated 01/31/07.*jb
- Equipment · Unknown or other
My trailer sewer discharge system IS almost touching the ground. *jb
- Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer
2004 prowler regal 270 sky light over shower leaked. Panel on rear of dinnette booth came off, panel under bed came off and latch will not stay fastened. *ts there was a leak from the slide out. The battery was dead. The shower door did not slide. The hitch ball was not tilted correctly, the steel rods were bent. *Jb
- Tires
No failure. This IS concerning a 2004 fleetwood prowler travel trailer we bought new. I remove the original tires and replaced with heavier tires(c load rating). I did this because of handling problems when pulling the trailer. The trailer would sway excessively when I was passed, especially by big…
No failure. This IS concerning a 2004 fleetwood prowler travel trailer we bought new. I remove the original tires and replaced with heavier tires(c load rating). I did this because of handling problems when pulling the trailer. The trailer would sway excessively when I was passed, especially by big trucks. Changing to heavier tires made a solved this problem. The travel trailer came with b load rated tires which according to the sticker on the trailer are capable of carrying 5920 lbs. Maximum. The sticker states the gvwr(gross vehicle weigh rating) of the travel trailer IS 6600 lbs. According to fleetwoods' own data with a fully loaded trailer the tires that came on the trailer are overloaded by 680 lbs. Thus the tires are not capable of carrying a fully loaded trailer. The sticker on the trailer states that the dry weight IS 4987 lbs.+384 lbs.(fresh water tank)+59 lbs.(propane)=5430 lbs. Then the trailer has a 40 gal. Grey water tank(333.2 lbs. Full) and a 40 gal. Blackwater tank(333.3 lbs. Full). All of this added together(6096.4 lbs.) which overloads the original tires before we load all of the food, clothes, books, etc. Fleetwood IS recalling(nhtsa #05v511000) some prowler trailers and replacing the b load rated tires with c load rated tires. I was told my tt was not on the recall list. I do still have the original tires taken off of the tt and the original spare IS still on the tt. I feel my tt should have the proper tires put on it by fleetwood or that I be reimbursed for the tires I replaced. *nm
- Tires
We have four tires on our 2004 regal prowler rv. we found a bubble and when the dealer we got the trailer to saw the tires, they all needed replaced. the rubber was rotten and could be pulled by hand off the rim once up on a rack. the bubbles were evident on all tires and could have caused a…
We have four tires on our 2004 regal prowler rv. we found a bubble and when the dealer we got the trailer to saw the tires, they all needed replaced. the rubber was rotten and could be pulled by hand off the rim once up on a rack. the bubbles were evident on all tires and could have caused a serious accident. the rig had not been used many times and the tires were not old enough to need replaced this soon. they are goodyear marathon radial (s), pdhh mlor 0203 size st 225/75r 15'S. I feel that something was way wrong with these tires and I should not have had to replace them this soon. they were basically rotten and a severe accident could have happened when towing this vehicle. *nm
- Structure
Dt: while driving at 75-80 mph on the interstate a frame failed on the fifth wheel fleetwood travel trailer. the trailers instability caused the consumer to pull off from the interstate. the frame broke apart while still attached to the vehicle. fleetwood sent a welder to weld the frame enough…
Dt: while driving at 75-80 mph on the interstate a frame failed on the fifth wheel fleetwood travel trailer. the trailers instability caused the consumer to pull off from the interstate. the frame broke apart while still attached to the vehicle. fleetwood sent a welder to weld the frame enough so the trailer could be moved to the fleetwood plant for further repairs, from there it was sent to lippert frame manufacturer for repairs. the trailer was to be given back to the consumer. the consumer brought a frame specialist with him to inspect the trailer and was warned not to accept the trailer. the consumer said the trailer had been back and forth for further repairs up to four times. the consumer called the dealer, who also inspected the vehicle. he refused to take the trailer as well. the dealer called fleetwood, and they refused a trade in or offer for a new one. a few months later, there was a recall notice sent on failure of the welding on this particular frame. the consumer did not have any further repair work performed as advised by the recall. the consumer left the trailer at the factory and wished to file a safety complaint at this time. *ak *jb
- Equipment
The pin box which was welded onto the 5TH wheel frame to be used to pull the trailer broke from the weld for the second time. *Jb
- Equipment · Suspension › Front › Shock absorber
While driving low speeds front shocks punctured the front passenger's side tire and damaged the wheel well. consumer had the tire changed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *Ak the slideouts came out about 8 inched while driving down the freeway. the consumer had to exit the vehicle and push them back in by hand. *nm
- Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer
Consumer stated microwave in motor home was on recall. However, after several months of trying to contact assistance for help on this microwave manufacturer refused to take responsibility, and did not help. consumer was irate. *Ak
- Wheels
While driving, the right rear wheel broke off from the axle, damaging the right rear side of the 5TH wheel and almost causing an accident. *Ak due to improper torque, the wheel and lug nuts came off. *ts *jb
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Inadvertent slide-out extension movement
This investigation was opened based on odi's receipt of a congressional letter on behalf of a constituent.the constituent reported incidents where the slide out room of his motor home would inadvertently move (extend) during highway use.odi was concerned that a fully extended slide out would degrade the vehicle's…
This investigation was opened based on odi's receipt of a congressional letter on behalf of a constituent.the constituent reported incidents where the slide out room of his motor home would inadvertently move (extend) during highway use.odi was concerned that a fully extended slide out would degrade the vehicle's dynamic handling characteristics and/or possibly impact an object or another vehicle, resulting in a crash.odi contacted fleetwood and discovered that slide out rooms were installed in motor homes, travel trailers and folding trailers. As part of the investigation odi visited a rv show and the fleetwood paxinos plant to examine slide outs in various new make and model vehicles and gain an understanding of how the systems work.during the investigation odi learned that there are two methods used to extend slide out rooms.some manufacturers use hydraulic systems and others, such as fleetwood, use an electric motor. (Continued on page 2)
- Wheel separations
On june 30, 2004, fleetwood filed a defect notice (04v-310) that outlines a notification and repair program intended to have 2002-2004 model year fleetwood fifth wheel and travel trailer units equipped with aluminum wheels inspected for the presence of paint and other foreign substances in the clamp joint, especially…
On june 30, 2004, fleetwood filed a defect notice (04v-310) that outlines a notification and repair program intended to have 2002-2004 model year fleetwood fifth wheel and travel trailer units equipped with aluminum wheels inspected for the presence of paint and other foreign substances in the clamp joint, especially between the wheel and hub clamp faces, and to inspect for, and correct, any damage that may have occurred to the wheels or hubs due to loosening. The campaign includes a provision to provide the affected vehicle owners with information about the method and importance of torquing the wheel nuts with a torque wrench as described in the campaign notice and in fleetwood's published owner's manual.odi expressed concern about the campaign program because it asks owners to perform the post-inspection and repair torquing of the wheel mounting nuts (at intervals of 10, 25, and 50 miles or until stabilized).to assure that this aspect of the campaign IS completed successfully, odi has asked fleetwood to notify odi of any incidents of wheel separations that occur on campaign-repaired vehicles whose owners were asked to perform the post-repair wheel nut torque procedure.
- Wheel separations
Fleetwood enterprises determined that the wheel mounting nuts had been inadequately torqued in fifth wheel and travel trailers built with aluminum wheels since june 2002.fleetwood alertedowners via a customer advisory notice in april and may of 2003.on october 29, 2003, fleetwood made a defect determination and…
Fleetwood enterprises determined that the wheel mounting nuts had been inadequately torqued in fifth wheel and travel trailers built with aluminum wheels since june 2002.fleetwood alertedowners via a customer advisory notice in april and may of 2003.on october 29, 2003, fleetwood made a defect determination and renotified owners. In response to odi's investigation, fleetwood provided certain preliminary information to odi, but this information does not adequately explain the reason(s) for wheel separations, and odi continues to be concerned that the corrective actions may not completely address the issue. Fleetwood's campaign directive requested that owners re-torque the wheel mounting nuts.although re-torquing IS consistent with good maintenance practice, odi IS concerned that the need to frequently re-torque the wheel mounting nuts may be indicative of underlying design, assembly, or application issues that could affect the retention integrity of the wheel mounting system.although fleetwood has advised odi that no additional wheel separations have occurred since their october 29, 2003 defect report and associated owner notification, odi will open an engineering analysis to further investigate the issues that may be contributing to wheel separations in fleetwood vehicles.
Every Fleetwood Prowler model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.