How many recalls does the 1997 Winnebago Journey have?

4 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 1997 Winnebago Journey, alongside 3 owner complaints.

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1997 Winnebago Journey Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Critical

3 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical10V525000

Equipment

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 & full details

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 1-800-767-9101 OR WINNEBAGO AT 1-641-585-3535.

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. THE RESPONSE TIMES OF THE SENSOR ALGORITHM AND THERMAL SWITCH DEVICES TO STOP POWER ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.

Critical02V276006

Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer

THE CONSEQUENCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE, POSSIBLY CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy & full details

NORCOLD WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT GAS VALVE FREE OF CHARGE. 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 NORCOLD SERVICE CENTER AT 1-800-667-3005 OR WINNEBAGO AT 641-585-3535.

CERTAIN MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR COOLING UNITS MODEL NUMBERS 442, 443, 452, EV452, 453, 462, EV462, 463, EV463, 482, EV482, 483, EV483, 874, AND 875. THESE REFRIGERATORS CAN EXPERIENCE A BREAK DOWN IN A RUBBER SEAL WITHIN THE GAS VALVE. AS THE RUBBER SEAL AGES, A LEAK MAY OCCUR, ALLOWING PROPANE GAS TO ACCUMULATE IN THE BURNER AREA.

Critical01V260000

Fuel System, Other:Storage:Tank Assembly:Mounting

IF THIS HAPPENS, THE TANK COULD FALL OFF, RESULTING IN A ROAD HAZARD OR A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LP TANK ATTACHMENT AND RE-TIGHTENED THE FASTENERS IN ADDITION TO ADDING LOCK NUTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 24, 2001. 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 WINNEBAGO AT 1-641-585-6939.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTOR HOMES (MODELS WKP36L, WKP36LD, AND IKP36LD). FOUR NUTS MAY HAVE LOOSENED FROM THE FOUR BOLTS THAT CONNECT THE LIQUID PROPANE (LP) TANK TO THE MOTOR HOME. IF THE ATTACHMENT HARDWARE IS LOOSENED, THE ROAD VIBRATION COULD PRODUCE UNDUE STRESS ON THE WELD JOINTS OF THE BRACKETS AND THEY COULD BREAK.

Serious01V128004

Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly

SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH COULD OCCUR IF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT IS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LAP BELTS AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IT WITH A NEW BELT ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 25, 2001. 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 AM-SAFE AT 1-219-266-8330 OR WINNEBAGO AT 1-641-585-6939.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CLASS A MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLIES BUILT BY AM-SAFE. ON SOME SEAT BELTS, THE BUCKLE AND CONNECTOR MAY UNLATCH DURING A COLLISION.

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes

0Fires

0Injuries

0Deaths

Across 3 complaints. Severity Index 0.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Structure — 1 reports
Steering — 1 reports
Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly — 1 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1996 (6) · 1997 · 2000 (4) · 2001 (4) · 2002 (3) · 2003 (4) · 2004 (4) · 2005 (4) · 2006 (7) · 2007 (5) · 2010 (2) · 2011 (3) · 2012 (2) · 2016 (6) · 2017 (4) · 2018 (4)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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