IllustrationWHILE DRIVING, A NYLON RACHET STRAP BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE TRAILER AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE.*JB (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT#10-90-422)
1997 Fontaine Trailer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Trailer years →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 2 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.
- Equipment. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. 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 reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
2 reportsWHILE DRIVING ON TURNPIKE, A PASSERBY SIGNALED CONSUMER TO PULL OVER, ONCE HE PULLED OVER AND GOT OUT OF TRUCK, HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TRAILERS FIFTH WHEEL AXLE AROUND THE LEFT INSIDE TIRE, CONSUMER WENT BACK TO THE TRAILER AND SAW FLAMES, CONSUMER TRIED TO EXTINGUISH FIRE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO T…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING ON TURNPIKE, A PASSERBY SIGNALED CONSUMER TO PULL OVER, ONCE HE PULLED OVER AND GOT OUT OF TRUCK, HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TRAILERS FIFTH WHEEL AXLE AROUND THE LEFT INSIDE TIRE, CONSUMER WENT BACK TO THE TRAILER AND SAW FLAMES, CONSUMER TRIED TO EXTINGUISH FIRE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK ONLY THE TRAILER, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE AN IGNITION SOURCE FOR THE FIRE.(OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-92-339)*JB
Official recalls
198V159000 · Trailer Hitches
Jul 15, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PLATFORM TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH KING PINS MARKED WITH CHA, CHN, & CHP AND SUPPLIED TO FONTAINE BY TEFACO. THE KING PIN SEPARATES AS SOON AS THE TRAILER IS APPLIED, ALLOWING THE TRAILER TO SEPARATE FROM THE TOW VEHICLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF A TRAILER SEPARATES FROM THE TOWING VEHICLE, A CRASH OR PROPERTY DAMAGE COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE KING PINS.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.