2000 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR Complaints

RECALL NOTICE ON MY 2000 DUTCH STAR MOTORHOME W/MICHELIN 255/80R22.5 TIRES. JUST NOTIFIED BY LTR DATED 1-26-04 FROM NEWMAR CORP. I HAVE ATTEMPTED 3 TIMES TO CONTACT THEM, AND THEY REFUSE TO RETURN CALLS OR ANSWER THEIR PHONE OTHER THAN AUTOMATED.TIRES FAILED W/LESS THAN 27,000 MILES IN OCT 2002.*AK

WHILE DRIVING A 2000 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR DIESEL PUSHER THE RIGHT REAR INSIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WITH APPROXIMATELY 29,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED MICHELIN'S CONSUMER CALL CENTER TO INFORM THEM THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND BLOWOUT I EXPERIENCED ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THAT BOTH TIRES HAD THE SAME MANUFACTURING DATE CODE. THEY RESPONDED BY ASSERTING THAT THE TIRE DAMAGE MUST HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY LOW TIRE PRESSURE. WHEN I MAINTAINED THAT PRESSURE HAD NEVER BEEN LOW, THEY THEN RESPONDED THAT THE TIRE MUST HAVE BEEN OVERLOADED. I REMOVED ALL SIX MICHELIN TIRES FROM THIS MOTORHOME AND REPLACED THEM WITH GOODYEAR TIRES. I HAVE SINCE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE ALMOST 40,000 ADDITIONAL MILES WITHOUT INCIDENT. *LA

WHILE DRIVING A 2000 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR DIESEL PUSHER THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WITH APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. A MICHELIN DEALER, AFTER A CURSORY EXAMINATION, CLAIMED THE TIRE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY LOW TIRE PRESSURE. THE DEALER'S ASSERTION WAS NOT ACCURATE AS THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TIRE LOAD/INFLATION SPECIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY MICHELIN TO THE CHASSIS MANUFACTURER. *LA

FAILURE IN THE DUTCH STAR MOTORHOME WITH SPQARTAN CHASSIS ELECTRICAL WIRING CAUSES LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL. BECAME APPARENT WHEN TURNING IN FRONT OF CAR ON 2 LANE ROAD - CAR HAD TO BRAKE HARD TO AVOID ACCIDENT. HAS REOCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES.*AK

I HAVE A NEWMAR MOTORHOME WITH MICHELIN TIRES. IT HAS 25000 MILES ON IT. IN THE LAST 1400 MILES I HAVE BLOWN THREE TIRES OF THE 6 ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD THE VEHICLE WEIGHED AND IT IS NOT OVER THE RATED MAXIMUM WEIGHTS ON EITHER AXEL. I HAVE BLOWN TWO FRONT AND ONE REAR TIRE SO FAR. (YOUR LIST OF MICHELIN TIRES DOES NOT NCLUDE THE XRV SO I WILL CHOOSE ANOTHER TYPE JUST TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED) THIS SHOULD INTEREST YOU: TWO MICHELIN DEALERS WHO SERVICED ME WHEN THE FIRST TWO TIRES BLEW SID THAT THE XRV TIRES THAT MICHELIN MAKES FOR MOTORHOMES ARE "A PIECE OF CRAP". ONE OF THEM TOLD THAT TO MICHELIN HQ IN MY PRESENCE IN A PHONE CALL. MICHELIN GAVE ME ONE REPLACEMENT TIRE AFTER I HAD BLOWN TWO IN A WEEK. MY TIRES ARE NOT OLD AND THE DEALERS DID NOT SUGGEST THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING I DID THAT MADE THEM BLOW. I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE TRIES FROM A BAD BATCH OF TIRES. TO HAVE THREE OF THEM BLOW WITHIN 1400 MILES SUGGESTS THAT THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. I AM CONVINCED THEY ARE UNSAFE AND I AM REPLACING THE THREE THAT HAVE NOT YET BLOWN WITH OTHER TIRES TOMORROW. I AM REPLACING THEM WITH THE SAME TYPE OF TIRE THAT MICHELIN GAVE ME AS A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT, THE XZE TRUCK TIRE.*AK

WHEN TOWING THE VEHICLE IT IS VERY HARD TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE MOTORHOME. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

TWO BLOWOUTS WITH ORIGINAL MICHELIN TIRES ON MOTORHOME. 1ST FAILURE AT 12K MILES WITH INSIDE LEFT REAR AND 2ND FAILURE AT 14K MILES WITH INSIDE LEFT FRONT. CONSUMER STATED THAT TIRES WERE TOO SMALL AND IMPROPERLY RATED FOR THE LARGE MOTORHOME. TIRE INFO: MICHELIN XRV 255/80R22.5 ORIGINAL. *TT

CONSUMER STATES THE HEADLIGHTS SUPPLY VERY POOR VISIBILITY. THE CONSUMER HAS TO USE FOG LIGHTS TO SEE PROPERLY AT NIGHT. THE MOTORHOME WAS CHECKED BY THE DEALER WHO OFFERED NO SOLUTION. *SCC

AT 60MPH FRONT TIRES BLEWOUT, CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK MICHELIN RADIAL SIZE 25580 225 *MJ

THE VEHICLE DRIFTS TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT, THERE WAS A SQUEEL IN THE LEFT FRONT AND REAR WHEELS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING FORWARD. *YH