NEWMAR Complaints

I PURCHASED THE UNIT WITH 25,000 MILES. THE DEF SYSTEM FAILED ENROUTE TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM AND FAILED AGAIN AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MILES AFTER REPAIR. THE ENTIRE DEF HEADER WAS REPLACED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES IN TO DERATE. MY MOTORHOME IS 53,000 LBS AND 45'. ADD A TOW VEHICLE AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I WAS HEADING TO LAS VEGAS NV FROM QUARTZITE, AZ WHEN THIS HAPPEND ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY. NO PLACE TO PULL OVER TO EVEN CHECK ANYTHING. THESE DEF SYSTEMS CONTINUE TO BE EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC. THERE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATION IN TO HOW TO KEEP THESE SYSTEMS OPERATING PROPERLY.

I OWN A 2017 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR MOTOR HOME ON A FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS. THE DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF) SENSOR (DEF HEAD) HAS FAILED TWICE. THE FIRST FAILED AT 14,795 MILES AND WAS REPLACED ON 9/24/18. THAT HEAD LASTED ANOTHER 15,000 MILES AND FAILED AT 31,218 AND WAS REPLACED ON 11/25/2020. EACH HEAD LASTED ABOUT 15,000 MILES OR 2 YEARS. THE PART IS MADE BY SHAW DEVELOPMENT WHICH HAS NOT ANSWERED REPEATED ATTEMPTS FOR INFORMATION. AS PART OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM, FREIGHTLINER HAS REPLACED BOTH HEADS UNDER THE 5 YEAR FEDERALLY MANDATED WARRANTY ON EMISSION SYSTEMS. CUMMINS (WHICH MAKES THE ENGINE) ALSO IS INVOLVED IN EMISSIONS. THE THREE SEEM TO PASS THE BUCK FROM ONE TO THE OTHER LEAVING THE CONSUMER TO DEAL WITH THE SAFETY ISSUE OF DERATING AND COST AFTER THE WARRANTY. WHEN DEF SENSORS FAIL, THE ENGINE CAN GO INTO DERATE WHICH IS 5 MPH. THIS PROBLEM IS LEAVING MANY LARGE DIESEL ENGINE OWNED VEHICLES STRANDED, FROM MOTORHOMES TO LARGE OVER THE ROAD TRUCKS. I BELIEVE THEY ARE NOW ON GENERATION 6 DEF HEAD, AND FAILURES CONTINUE TO BE COMMON. SHAW DEVELOPMENT REFUSES TO TAKE CALLS OR EMAILS REQUESTING INFORMATION REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE NUMEROUS ONLINE POSTS OF SIMILAR ISSUES AND THOSE INVOLVED IN THE REPAIR BUSINESS TELL ME THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT DEF SENSORS MEASURE DEF CONCENTRATION PER REGULATIONS PASSED BY THE EPA IN 2016. THE PROBLEM IS THAT SHAW DEVELOPMENT HAS NOT DEVELOPED AN ADEQUATE TOOL TO FOLLOW THIS REGULATION WHICH IS CAUSING SAFETY ISSUES AND EXPENSE TO CONSUMERS.

THE ON-GUARD SYSTEM WILL ACTIVATE ON GHOSTS AND FREQUENTLY DOES NOT RELEASE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN-MOTION. IT CAN BE ACTIVATED BY GUARD RAILS ALONG HIGHWAY, BRIDGE BUTTRESSES, CONCRETE BARRIERS, VEHICLES THAT ARE PULLED OFF THE ROAD. ONCE ACTIVATED THE SYSTEM MAY KEEP APPLYING THE BRAKES UNTIL YOU HAVE ALMOST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. TWICE WHEN RUNNING ON A INTERSTATE, I HAVE HAD TO PULL OFF ON THE SHOULDER TO AVOID BE REAR ENDED BY A BIG TRUCK, 80,000# TRACTOR TRAILER. IT HAS BEEN TO SERVICE CENTERS MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE ISSUE REMAINS. I ASKED TO HAVE IT UNPLUGGED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE.

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BRIGHTNESS CANNOT BE ADJUSTED, CAUSING GLARE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER IT IS IN-MOTION OR STATIONARY. AS SUCH, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 101, "CONTROL AND DISPLAYS." THE ONLY WAY I CAN DRIVE AT NIGHT IS TO COVER THE GLASS DISPLAY SO THAT I DO NOT GET THE GLARE REFLECTING FROM THE SIDE WINDOWS AND WINDSHIELD. WHEN THE GLASS DASH IS COVERED YOU LOSE CRITICAL INFORMATION INCLUDING VEHICLE SPEED. THE GLARE OBSCURES SEEING OUT THE WINDSHIELD, SIDE WINDOWS, OR MIRRORS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE I TOOK DELIVERY AND LIMITS OPERATION TO DAYTIME ONLY.

PASSIVE STEER TAG AXLE UPPER RIGHT HAND FASTENER FAILURE. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED NHTSA

AFTER FEELING AND LEAVING FLYJ THE STEERING LOCKED UP IN A SLIGHT TURN. AFTER SOME EFFORT I MANAGED TO UNLOCK AND MAINTAIN DIRECTION. I EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING A FEW MORE TIMES AS I WAS ONLY 10 MIN FROM HOME. AFTER I INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THE UPPER TAPERED BEARING IN THE 90DEGREE GEAR BOX HAD FAILED DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATIN. UPON DISASSEMBLE I FOUND THERE HAD BEEN MOISTURE IN THE UPPER BEARING RACE CAUSING THE ROLLERS TO FAIL A SUSUQUENTLY THE CAGE CAUSING THE LOCKUP. I FOUND THE GEARBOX WAS FULL OF FLUID TO THE UPPER FILLER PLUG. HOWEVER THE DESIGN IS SUCH THAT THE FLUID WILL NEVER REACH THE UPPER BEARING TO LUBRICANT IT. THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL LEAKAGE EVIDENT AND I CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL ANNUALLY. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WITH NO RESULTS I CALLED NEWMAR WITH NO HELP FROM THEM. I REBUILT THE BOX AND INSTALLED A GREASE FITTING AND PURGED IT WITH GREASE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE.

WHILE DRIVING MOTORHOME GOT FLASHING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND DEF WARNING MESSAGE. STOPPED VEHICLE AND CALLED SPARTAN (THE CHASSIS MANUFACTURE) WAS TOLD TO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE AS THE DEF HEAD HAD FAILED AND A REPLACEMENT WAS NEEDED. SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT WORK. VEHICLE HAD 3,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE LIMITED TO 5MPH IS I ATTEMPT TO DRIVE IT FURTHER.

MY VEHICLE IS BUILD ON A FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS AND HAS AN OPTIVIEW DIGITAL DASH. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THE DASH DISPLAY LIGHTS CANNOT BE DIMMED.

DEF SYSTEM FOR DIESEL ENGINE STARTED TO FAIL CAUSING REDUCTION IN PERFORMANCE OF MOTOR HOME. IF I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET DIRECTLY TO A FREIGHTLINER SERVICE CENTER, I WOULD HAVE ENDED UP ON THE INTERSTATE ABLE TO GO ONLY FIVE MILES PER HOUR AND NEEDING TO BE TOWED. THIS IS AN ON GOING KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES MANUFACTURED BY CUMMINS. THIS PARTICULAR PART IS FAILING ON A REGULAR BASIS ACROSS MANY CHASSIS MAKERS CAUSING A POTENTIAL DANGER TO THE OWNERS OF THESE COACHES. THE PARTICULAR PART IS CALLED A DEF HEAD THAT REGULATES AND METERS THE POLLUTION REDUCING DEF FLUID. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED AND IF IT DOES FAIL, A BETTER SOLUTION NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED THAT DOES NOT DERATE THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE TO THE POINT OF BEING DISABLED LEAVING PEOPLE STRANDED.

WE HAVE HAD TWO DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF) HEAD FAILURES THAT HAVE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE DEF HEAD UNIT. THE FIRST SITUATION RESULTED IN A DERATING OF THE ENGINE, LIMITING OUR SPEED TO 4 OR 5 MPH WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED 200 MILES TO A SERVICE CENTER, THEN IT TOOK A WEEK TO OBTAIN REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE SECOND SITUATION HAPPENED WITHIN 5 MILES OF A SERVICE CENTER AND WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER. HOWEVER, WE ARE SEEING HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR SITUATIONS BEING POSTED TO RV FORUMS ON VARIOUS SOCIAL NETWORKS. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE MADE FOR ALL CUMMINS ENGINES THAT HAVE DEF SYSTEMS. AS PART OF THE SOLUTION, THE DESIGNS NEED TO BE CHANGED SO THAT THE ENGINES CAN CONTINUE TO RUN WITH THE DEF ERROR CODE RATHER THAN SENDING THE ENGINE INTO A DERATE SITUATION AS THIS PRESENTS A SEVERE HAZARD TO OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE, AS WELL AS OTHER TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD. RV BUILT ON A PREVOST CHASSIS ALLOW NORMAL OPERATION OF THE ENGINE AND RV SPEED EVEN WITH THE DEF ERROR CODES.