The 1996 Winnebago Adventurer has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 29,051 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
EQUIPMENT10V5250002010-10-2618,461 affected
Defect
WINNEBAGO IS RECALLING CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1200-SERIES NORCOLD REFRIGERATORS. THE POPULATION OF REFRIGERATORS BEING ADDRESSED CONTAINS EITHER A SENSING ALGORITHM OR THERMAL SWITCH TO SHUT OFF POWER TO THE REFRIGERATOR WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE DETECTED IN ORDER TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL FIRE. …
Consequence
THE SENSING ALGORITHM OR THERMAL SWITCH INSTALLED TO SHUT OFF POWER TO THE REFRIGERATOR WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE DETECTED DUE TO A POSSIBLE HYDROGEN GAS LEAK MAY NOT SHUT OFF IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO PREVENT A FIRE.
Remedy
WINNEBAGO IS WORKING WITH NORCOLD TO IDENTIFY AND NOTIFY ANY AFFECTED OWNERS. OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT NORCOLD DEALERS TO RECEIVE THE REMEDY FREE OF CHARGE. PLEASE SEE NORCOLD'S DEFECT REPORT 10E-049 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING DECEMBER 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NORCOLD AT…
EQUIPMENT97V0120001997-02-0310,590 affected
Defect
THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER HOIST COMPONENTS CAN BECOME LOOSE WHILE TRAVELING AND ALLOW THE SPARE TIRE TO MOVE FROM ITS STORED POSITION TO THE ROAD SURFACE.
Consequence
THE SPARE TIRE CAN CONTACT THE ROAD SURFACE INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH OR PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL ADD A PRIMARY SPARE TIRE SUPPORT BRACKET.
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2
SUSPENSION
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
1
PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1
1fires
Total complaints15
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“We purchased an rv from arizona rv outlet 5 weeks ago that had some terrible brake issues, there was a minor fire from brake issues. They claimed to have gone through the vehicle with a fine tooth comb.*ak this is a safety issue. They have refused to help us and even further, we paid for a 4 year…”
“On my 1996 winnebago motor home (34 feet) (16,000 gvw) I lost the "serpentine fan belt" while traveling at 65 mph on interstate 81 in virginia. This caused a loss of my power steering , and I lost my power brakes! It was a little difficult to steer the vehicle but it was virtually impossible to…”
“While driving 65 mph, the vehicle's fan belt failed. This caused the power steering and power brakes to become inoperative. Please provide additional information. *jb”
“While traveling on the highway and without prior warning, the vehicle overheated. There was no reverse while shifting the gear. *ak when attempted to reverse, nothing happened. The transmission was rebuilt. The problem recurred after the repair. (the vehicle cooled for 30 minutes, then the reverse…”
“I purchased a 1996 winnebago adventurer rv with 16,209 miles on the odometer. The second time that I used the vehicle, the reverse did not work after it had been running. I took it to a repair facility and there is a tek tip, from toledo trans-kit, which illustrates the problem. "transmission has…”
“Exhaust manifold cracked six times. Dealer has repaired vehicle each time.*ak the dealer repaired all six failures as charging the consumer. Also fumes get into the motor home causing sickness to consumer and family. Valve cover gasket is leaking. *yh”
“Exhaust manifold cracked six times. Dealer has repaired vehicle each time.*ak the dealer repaired all six failures as charging the consumer. Also fumes get into the motor home causing sickness to consumer and family. Valve cover gasket is leaking. *yh”
“Vehicle had a fuel leak and fumes due to a hole in the fuel line. Ford was contacted and was not aware of the problem. Winnebego was also contacted and was not aware of the problem. Several attempts made to find the problem within 1 year time frame. *ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Winnebago Adventurer as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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