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1985 Fleetwood Southwind

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 1 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Tires. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

1 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2005
Tires

I HAVE A 26 FT. MOTORHOME WITH 4 OF DAYTONA RADIAL STAG 7.50R16LT RIB TIRES ON THE REAR DUALS. THREE OF THE TIRES HAVE BLOWN OUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELLS AND RUPTURING A PROPANE LINE. ALL THIS HAS OCCURRED WITHIN 2500 MILES. I HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM WITH TIRE PRESSURE AND CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE ON THE LAST TIRE TO…

Read full complaint

I HAVE A 26 FT. MOTORHOME WITH 4 OF DAYTONA RADIAL STAG 7.50R16LT RIB TIRES ON THE REAR DUALS. THREE OF THE TIRES HAVE BLOWN OUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELLS AND RUPTURING A PROPANE LINE. ALL THIS HAS OCCURRED WITHIN 2500 MILES. I HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM WITH TIRE PRESSURE AND CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE ON THE LAST TIRE TO BLOW OUT WITHIN 100 MILES OF THE BLOWOUT. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10132903

Official recalls

3

85V138000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe

Oct 25, 1985

GENERATOR TAILPIPE CAN BECOME DAMAGED SO THAT IT TERMINATES UNDER THE MOTORHOME BODY ALLOWING EXHAUST GASES TO LEAK UNDER THE MOTORHOME AND SEEP INTO THE MOTOR HOME. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: GENERATOR EXHAUST GASES INSIDE OF THE MOTORHOME CAUSES CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING WHICH COULD RESULT IN DEATH TO OCCUPANTS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Not supplied

Remedy: REROUTE AND/OR MODIFY GENERATOR EXHAUST SYSTEM TO ASSURE THAT EXHAUST PIPE REMAINS OPEN, UNBROKEN, AND EXTENDS PAST THE SIDE OR END OF THE BODY.

85V106000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap

Aug 27, 1985

MAIN FUEL TANK FILLER CAP MAY DISENGAGE SUDDENLY WHEN REMOVING THE CAP FOR REFUELING. THE SUDDEN CAP DISENGAGEMENT PERMITS EXPULSION OF VAPOR AND UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, SPRAYS GASOLINE AROUND THE SURROUNDING AREA OR PERSONS. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: THE GASOLINE SPILLAGE MAY CAUSE A FIRE AND/OR AN EXPLOSION IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Not supplied

Remedy: REQUIRES THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SINGLE STAGE BAYONET CAP WITH A TWO STAGE CAP WHICH REQUIRES AN ADDITIONAL ROTATION PRIOR TO REMOVAL. ALSO A WARNING LABEL STICKER WILL BE ISSUED TO BE INSTALLED JUST ABOVE THE GASOLINE FILL OPENING.

85V056000 · Trailer Hitches

May 1, 1985

TRAILER HITCHES CAN CRACK AT THE MOUNTING FLANGES AND SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORHOME WHILE BEING USED IN TRAILER OR CAR TOWING SERVICE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF COMPLETE SEPARATION OCCURS, CONTROL WOULD BE LOST OF THE TOWED VEHICLE; THIS COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Not supplied

Remedy: MODIFY OR REPLACE HITCH, AS REQUIRED.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

PE86060 · Co Intrusion

Opened Jun 18, 1986 · Closed Dec 19, 1986

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER:THE MANUFACTURER ADVISEDTHAT THE AUXILIARY POWER UNITS (APU'S) AND THEIR EXHAUST SYSTEMS ARE ALLFACTORY INSTALLED.IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED TWO INSTANCESOF CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) ASPHYXIATION WITH THREE FATALITIES.HOWEVER,THESE WERE NOT IN THE SUBJECT 1985 MODEL VEHICLES BUT IN EARLIER MODELS.IT WAS DISCLOSED THAT ONE HAD BEEN AN AFTERMARKET TAILPIPE REPLACEMENTPROBLEM AND THE OTHER RELATED TO PARKING IN A SNOWBANK.ANALYSIS:A MODEL 33 UNIT IN RICHLAND, WA, WAS EXAMINED.THE INVESTI-GATOR CONFIRMED THAT THE UNIT HAD NOT BEEN MODIFIED IN ACCORDANCE WITHINSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN(85V-138).PICTURES TAKEN SHOWED THAT THE APU EXHAUST OUTLETS FOR BOTHTHE PRODUCTION AND MODIFIED VERSIONS SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS EXPRESSED INTHE ANSI STANDARD FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, CHAPTER 3, SECTION 4.3.TESTS FOR CO INTRUSION WITH THE APU IN OPERATION SHOWED OFF-SCALE (ABOVE500 PARTS PER MILLION) READINGS IN THE REAR CENTER TO LEFT REAR CORNERWHICH IS IMMEDIATELY ABOVE A TRANSVERSELY LOCATED BED.THE VEHICLECUSTODIAN WOULD PERMIT NO DISTURBANCE OF THE BED.PICTURES AND VISUALEXAMINATION OF THE UNDERBODY REVEALED THE APU TAIL PIPE TO BE CRUSHED ANDMISLOCATED INSIDE THE CORNER OF THE SKIRTING SURROUNDING THE BODY.THEVEHICLE WAS IDENTIFIED AS ONE TO WHICH THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL APPLIED;THE ANGLED TAILPIPE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY ONE WHICH EXITS AT NINETYDEGREES FROM THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND FORWARD OF THE APU.A SECOND ISSUE CONCERNING THIS VEHICLE WAS RAISED BY THE ATTORNEY REPRE-SENTING THE DECEASED'S ESTATE.HE CLAIMED THAT IMPACT WITH A FIXEDOBJECT CAUSED THE REAR WALL TO BE SEPARATED SO THAT THE LOWER SILL OF THEREAR WINDOW COULD BE OBSERVED FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE.INFORMATION FROMTHE MANUFACTURER REVEALED THAT AN OUTER COSMETIC SKIN HAD BEEN ADDEDTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AS A BEAUTY TREATMENT.THE OBSERVED LOWERSILL WAS IN FACT PART OF THE METAL REINFORCEMENT FOR THE REAR WALL.THEMULTIPLICITY OF WITNESS MARKS ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE BODY SKIRT INDICATESTHAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN GROUNDED MORE THAN ONCE.EXAMINATION OF THE CURBIN FRONT OF THE DECEASED'S RESIDENCE REVEALED A NUMBER OF SCRAPE MARKSRESULTING FROM CONTACT BY THE REAR OF THE MOTOR HOME.ANOTHER ISSUE CONCERNING A SOUTHWIND J MODEL WAS RAISED BY A FLORIDAATTORNEY.HE CORRECTLY POINTED OUT THAT THE DESIGNATION, J, HAD BEENOMITTED FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY DEFECT NOTIFICATION.INQUIRY TO THEMANUFACTURER REVEALED THAT THE DESIGNATION HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY OMITTEDFROM THE RECALL NOTICE BUT THAT ALL THE J MODELS HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THERECALL BECAUSE THE J MODEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS WERE INCLUDED IN THELISTING USED FOR CONSUMER MAILINGS.RECOMMENDATION:CLOSE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.===