2000 Utility Trailer: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2000 Utility Trailer
Only 4 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2000 Utility Trailer, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported other wheel or tire problem.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 2.3 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Wheel, stud or lug nut failure | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.8 | $150–$1,500 | Critical |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
Recalls on the 2000 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2000 Utility Trailer, affecting an estimated 1,344 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover service brakes, air:supply:check valve. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE
206 vehicles 2002-08-15- Defect
- On certain trailers equipped with spring brake control valve assemblies, there is a recessed area on top of the valve in which a brass guide pin fits down inside the body of the valve and is held in place by a steel snap ring. The recessed area allows accumulation of water, dirt, and/or chemicals to build up behind the snap ring to the point where it will no longer contain the guide pin resulting in a failure of the air valve.
- Consequence
- Failure of the valve in an empty or lightly loaded trailer while the vehicle is in motion could result in a hard application of the spring brakes, possibly locking up the trailer wheels and resulting in a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Sealco will provide a repair kit and installation instructions to its customers 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 sealco at 602-253-1007 or utility at 626-965-1541.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE
2,620 vehicles 2002-05-16- Defect
- On certain trailers equipped with bendix sr-5 trailer spring brake valve assemblies, the molded rubber face of the inlet/exhaust valve (I/e valve) component of the affected valves can separate from the valve's metal insert. Air can be trapped by a separated I/e valve causing it to balloon and block the exhaust passage of the trailer spring brake circuit.
- Consequence
- This condition can result in the affected vehicles being unable to apply the trailer parking/emergency spring brakes during parking in the event of a trailer supply line failure. Unintended rollaway could occur, possibly resulting in personal injury or death to the vehicle occupant or any bystanders.
- Remedy
- Bendix will notify customers and provide a repair kit and installation instructions 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 bendix at 440-329-9000 or utility trailer at 1-800-423-6591.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the Utility Trailer
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 1996-2001 generation, 1999 Utility Trailer scores best at 60 and 1997 Utility Trailer worst at 63.
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 2000 Utility Trailer are other wheel or tire problem (3 reports) and wheel, stud or lug nut failure (1 report). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Other years of the same model do have enough: 1997 and 1999. The mechanical parts are often shared across those years, so their pages are the better guide to what this one is likely to do, with the caveat that a shared part is not a shared production line.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed