2018 Grand Design Imagine problems: recalls, complaints and what to check
NHTSA has 4 recalls and 8 owner complaints on file for the 2018 Grand Design Imagine. Here is what they are, what a technician checks for each kind of fault, and how to look one over before you buy it.
Other: 1 recall, 3 complaints
Recall 17V271000 (25/04/2017): EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Imagine travel trailers. The screws that secure the slide room mechanism columns may shear, allowing the slide room to extend while the trailer is being towed.
Fix: Grand Design will notify owners, and dealers will replace the slide mechanism column securing screws, free of charge. The recall began on May 15, 2017. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910009.
Axles, brakes, suspension and hitch: 6 complaints
What a tech checks: Bearings, brake magnets, worn shackle bolts and bent axles. A trailer that wears tires on the inside edge or pulls to one side usually has an axle or suspension problem. Before you buy: Bolts tight, springs not flat, brakes apply with the breakaway pin pulled.
Chassis and towing lessons · Trailer guide
LP gas and gas appliances: 1 recall
Recall 21V393000 (26/05/2021): EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER:LPG SYSTEMS
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Imagine, Transcend, and Momentum travel trailers. The LP regulator that controls the LP gas pressure may fail, allowing excessive gas pressure that causes the appliance flame to increase.
Fix: Dealers will replace the LP regulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2021. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910023.
What a tech checks: Regulator, lines and fittings, then the appliances: furnace, water heater, range. A proper pressure-drop leak test is the first thing a tech does on an LP complaint. Before you buy: Smell for gas with the tank open; have a shop do the leak test.
LP and furnace lessons · Furnace guide · Furnace 3D lab · Water heater 3D lab
Leveling and jacks: 1 recall
Recall 17V789000 (08/12/2017): EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:INTEGRATED JACK/LEVELER/STABILIZER
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Reflection and Imagine travel trailers equipped with a Smart-Jack model power tongue jack. The laminated plastic touch pad on the jack may crack or separate allowing water to enter, potentially causing the jack to operate unintentionally.
Fix: Grand Design will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power tongue jack, free of charge. The recall began on December 29, 2017. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 900012.
What a tech checks: Hydraulic leaks at the rams and fittings, low fluid, and the panel's fault codes. Electric jacks fail on voltage at the motor and stripped gears. Before you buy: Full cycle on firm ground; look for fluid on the rams.
Hydraulic leveling 3D lab · Slides and leveling lessons
12 volt and 120 volt electrical: 1 recall
Recall 17V620000 (04/10/2017): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Grand Design RV, LLC (Grand Design) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Imagine recreational trailers. The wires at the air conditioning unit may detach from the connector and the loose wires may short circuit.
Fix: Grand Design has notified owners, and dealers will change the existing wire connectors for the air conditioning unit to positive retention wire connectors, free of charge. The recall began on October 23, 2017. Owners may contact Grand Design customer service at 1-574-825-9679. Grand Design's number for this recall is 910010.
What a tech checks: Voltage drop, grounds, the converter and the transfer switch. Melted shore-cord plugs and bad grounds cause most of the electrical complaints techs actually see. Before you buy: Battery at rest, converter output on shore power, GFCI test, every outlet.
12 V electrical lessons · 120 V and generator lessons · Wiring diagrams
Structure, roof and leaks: 1 complaint
What a tech checks: Roof sealant, seams, window and slide seals, and the frame. Water intrusion shows up as delamination, soft floors and stained ceilings months after the leak started. Before you buy: Press the sidewalls and walk the floor; look at every seam and seal.
Roof, leaks and body lessons · Seals and leaks guide
Tires: 1 complaint
What a tech checks: Age, load range and pressure. RV tires age out before they wear out, and an underrated tire on a heavy trailer is a blowout waiting to happen. Before you buy: Read the DOT date and the load range on the sidewall.
Chassis, towing and tires lessons · Trailer guide
What owners reported to NHTSA
10/28/2019, SUSPENSION: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GRAND DESIGN IMAGINE TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THE LEAF SPRING FLATTENING OUT, THE TIRES WERE RUBBING AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE SHOULD NOT OCCUR BECAUSE THE TRAILER WAS NOT OVERLOADED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED T
09/23/2019, SUSPENSION: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GRAND DESIGN IMAGINE 2600 RV. AFTER TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MILES, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT BOTH OF THE VEHICLE'S AXLES HAD LOST THEIR CAMBERS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS FOR THE AXLE MALFUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND AGREED TO COVER THE COST TO REPLACE BOTH THE AXLE AND SPRING SETS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE COST
09/23/2019, TIRES: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GRAND DESIGN IMAGINE TRAVEL TRAILER EQUIPPED WITH LIONSHEAD WESTLAKE TIRES, SIZE: SP225/75/R15 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 64 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE DAMAGED THE MARKER LIGHTS ON THE SIDE OF THE TRAILER AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER SIDE FENDER. ALSO, THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE ELECTRIC SLIDE WAS RIPPED APART DUE TO THE SUDDEN TIRE FAILURE. THE CONTACT W
08/27/2019, SUSPENSION,WHEELS: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 GRAND DESIGN IMAGINE TRAILER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PERFORMING A SAFETY INSPECTION OF THE TRAILER, SHE NOTICED THAT THE REAR TIRES WERE BALD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO D AND G CUSTOM CONVERSIONS, INC. (383 BURGNERS ROAD, CARLISLE, PA 17015, 717-249-8875) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AXLES WERE FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE TRAILER REPAIR CENTER WOULD BE PROVI
08/12/2021, EQUIPMENT: The contact owns a 2018 Grand design Imagine. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V393000 (Equipment) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienc
07/24/2025, STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER: I have stress/ flex cracks on both passenger and drivers side I beams near the suspension parts.07/2024. This is the first report, I have not contacted the manufacturer.
Looking at a 2018 Grand Design Imagine?
The Buyer's Check walks you through it on your phone: what to ask, the outside walk-around, water damage, every system on every power source, with the recalls above built in. You get a report that says what's a walk-away and what to negotiate on.
Checked against NHTSA 2026-10-23. Recall repairs are free at an authorized dealer. Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA and are not verified.