1997 Safari CONTINENTAL: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1997 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Suspension:Front is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Suspension:Front | 1 |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 1 |
Suspension:Front: 1; Tires:Tread/Belt: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
2000: 1
Pattern summary
Suspension:Front leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 873559 · 2000-10-23 (October 23, 2000)
THERE IS AN OVERWEIGHT PROBLEM WITH MOTOR HOME, WHICH CAUSED FRONT TIRES TO BECOME HOT FROM TOO MUCH WEIGHT. TREAD CAME OFF BOTH TIRES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. TIRES WERE TOYO, 25570R22.5. TIRES WERE TOO SMALL FOR WEIGHT OF COACH. OWNER HAS REPLACED THE TIRE WITH MICHELIN, 27570R22.5, WHICH MADE THE COACH MUCH MORE STABLE. SAFARI WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 873559 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
03V166000 · Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer
Reported: 2003-05-08 (May 8, 2003)
ON CERTAIN MOTORHOMES, FIFTH WHEELS AND TRAVEL TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR COOLING UNITS MODEL NUMBERS 1200LR AND 1200RIM, THESE REFRIGERATORS CAN EXPERIENCE LOW CYCLE FATIGUE FAILURE WHICH CAN LEAD TO THE LIQUID SOLUTION SLOWLY LEAKING FROM THE SEALED, PRESSURIZED COOLING UNIT THROUGH A SMALL CRACK.
Consequence: IF A LEAK OCCURS AND THE UNIT IS CONTINUALLY OPERATED, HYDROGEN GAS MAY BE EXPELLED AND CAN BE IGNITED, RESULTING IN A FIRE, POSSIBLY CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy: NORCOLD WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT COOLING UNIT 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 MONACO AT 574-862-7211.
NHTSA campaign record ↗98V167009 · Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer:Lpg Systems:Furnace
Reported: 1999-03-31 (March 31, 1999)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH AQUA-HOT HEATING SYSTEMS, MODEL 431-3 ZONE WITH ENGINE LOOP. FIBERGLASS INSULATING MATERIAL LOCATED UNDER THE BURNER HEAD ON THE FLOOR OF THE HEATER ENCLOSURE, CAN BECOME SOAKED WITH FLUIDS (ETHYLENE GLYCOL AND/OR DIESEL FUEL).
Consequence: IF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT OCCURS, A FIRE COULD RESULT.
Remedy: VEHICLE SYSTEMS INC. WILL CONDUCT THE OWNER NOTIFICATION FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE INSULATION FROM BENEATH THE DIESEL HEATING UNIT AS WELL AS FROM BEHIND THE CONTROL THERMOSTAT AND AIR-CONDITIONING HEATING ELEMENT ACCESS COVERS.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1996 | 1997 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 250.0%ODI 101345521999 SAFARI CONTINTENTAL BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE BRAKES OVERHEATED AND RUPTURED THE FRONT HUB OIL SEALS, DRAINING THE OIL FROM THE HUBS. RECALL#02V278000. *SC | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 873559THERE IS AN OVERWEIGHT PROBLEM WITH MOTOR HOME, WHICH CAUSED FRONT TIRES TO BECOME HOT FROM TOO MUCH WEIGHT. TREAD CAME OFF BOTH TIRES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. TIRES WERE TOYO, 25570R22.5. TIRES WERE TOO SMALL FOR WEIGHT OF COACH. OWNER HAS REPLACED THE TIRE WITH MICHELIN, 27570R22.5, WHICH MADE THE COACH MUCH MORE STABLE. SAFARI WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 8023717CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH CONTINENTAL TIRE NORTH AMERICA. CONSUMER CALLED MANY TIMES TO OBTAIN THE FORM FOR THE CASH REIMBURSEMENT ON THE GENERAL GRABBER P275/60R17. CONSUMER CALL AT [phone removed] AND NO BODY ANSWER THE PHONE NEITHER THE SPECIAL WEBSITE IF WORKING ON THIS ISSUE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10095336THE EXHAUST PIPE SEPARATED FROM THE FURNACE AND FELL OFF. *NM THE CONSUMER STATED THAT ON DURING THE FIRST TRIP IN THE RV THE MOTOR HOME ALMOST CAUGHT FIRE AS WELL AS A GRASS FIRE DUE TO THE SEPARATION OF THE EXHAUST PIPE SEPARATING FROM THE FURNACE AND FALLING OFF. THE FALLING OFF OF THE PIPE ALLOWED THE EXHAUST FIRE DIRECTLY FROM THE FURNACE TO BLOW BY THE EXHAUST PIPE TO THE GROUND WITH PARTICLES OF THE FIRE STRIKING THE ELBOW OF THE EXHAUST PIPE AND TO THE SUB FLOOR OF THE COACH WHICH IS PAINTED PLYWOOD. IN THE SECOND OCCURANCE THE CONS… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer:Lpg Systems:Furnace | 1100.0%ODI 545930RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT COMPLETED PROPERLY (98V-167009), INSULATION WAS LEFT BEHIND. MJS | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Parking Brake:Conventional | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 730263PARKING BRAKE CALIPER MOUNTING BOLTS LOOSEN AND FALL OUT ALLOWING THE CALIPER TO BE PARTIALLY DISLODGED FROM THE ROTOR, WHEN THE SERVICE BRAKE IS RELEASED THE CALIPER SLIPS OFF THE ROTOR AND THE VEHICLE IS FREE TO ROLL. THERE ARE MANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THIS WILL RESULT IN A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. IN DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CHASSIS BUILDER (MAGNUM), THE BRACKET THAT SUPPORTS THE BRAKE CALIPER IS UNDERDESIGNED AND RESULTS IN THE BOLTS LOOSENING FROM SERVICE LOADING. WHEN THE COMPANY SHIPPED THE FIRST REPLACEMENT CA… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 10213663 · 90,000 miONE SMALL BATTERY WIRE COLD CRIMP CAME LOSE WHEN I WENT OVER A RAILROAD TRACK AT 45 MPH AND TOTAL BRAKE SYSTEM AND ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED. NO ADEQUATE EMERGENCY BRAKING FAIL-SAFE TYPE SYSTEM EXISTS ON THIS VEHICLE UNDER THIS CONDITION AND THE VEHICLE WEIGHS WELL OVER 26000 POUNDS. I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP AND LUCKILY THE HIGHWAY WAS CLEAR. *CN | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Front | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 873559THERE IS AN OVERWEIGHT PROBLEM WITH MOTOR HOME, WHICH CAUSED FRONT TIRES TO BECOME HOT FROM TOO MUCH WEIGHT. TREAD CAME OFF BOTH TIRES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. TIRES WERE TOYO, 25570R22.5. TIRES WERE TOO SMALL FOR WEIGHT OF COACH. OWNER HAS REPLACED THE TIRE WITH MICHELIN, 27570R22.5, WHICH MADE THE COACH MUCH MORE STABLE. SAFARI WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Tires | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 10120480 · 38,500 miON MAY 7, 2005, I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 SAFARI MOTORHOME WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH A 1999 FORD E-450 CHASSIS. I WAS ON I-64 AT BECKLEY, WV AND DRIVING APP. 55 MILES PER HOUR. FIVE OF THE 6 TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE ARE FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S BRAND AND ONE OF THEM HAD AN APPERENT TREAD SEPARATION, AND SUBSEQUENT BLOWOUT. I MANAGED TO GET KEEP THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL, MAINLY BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE BACK AND IT IS A DUAL WHEEL CHASSIS. THE TIRES HAVE 38,000 MILES AND ARE 6 YEARS OLD, BUT THE TREASD IS STILL GOOD. WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED, IT TORN… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2000: 0 complaints · 2001: 1 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Suspension:Front | Tires:Tread/Belt |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension:Front | — | 1ODI 873559THERE IS AN OVERWEIGHT PROBLEM WITH MOTOR HOME, WHICH CAUSED FRONT TIRES TO BECOME HOT FROM TOO MUCH WEIGHT. TREAD CAME OFF BOTH TIRES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. TIRES WERE TOYO, 25570R22.5. TIRES WERE TOO SMALL FOR WEIGHT OF COACH. OWNER HAS REPLACED THE TIRE WITH MICHELIN, 27570R22.5, WHICH MADE THE COACH MUCH MORE STABLE. SAFARI WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. *AK |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 1ODI 873559THERE IS AN OVERWEIGHT PROBLEM WITH MOTOR HOME, WHICH CAUSED FRONT TIRES TO BECOME HOT FROM TOO MUCH WEIGHT. TREAD CAME OFF BOTH TIRES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. TIRES WERE TOYO, 25570R22.5. TIRES WERE TOO SMALL FOR WEIGHT OF COACH. OWNER HAS REPLACED THE TIRE WITH MICHELIN, 27570R22.5, WHICH MADE THE COACH MUCH MORE STABLE. SAFARI WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. *AK | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.