NEWMAR Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR IN THE RESTROOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT SCREWS HAD COME LOOSE IN THE FUSE PANEL; ALLOWING THE ELECTRICAL WIRING TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,500.

THIS FALL AS IN PAST FALLS I PLACED MY MOTOR COACH IN WINTER STORAGE. AT THAT TIME I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE BATTERIES AS WELL AS THE HOUSE BATTERIES. APPROXIMATELY FOUR WEEKS LATER DEC 6TH 2015 I WAS CALLED BY AN OBSERVER THAT MY LEFT SUPER SLIDE WAS EXTENDING AND RETRACTING ALL BY ITSELF. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE COACH IT WAS OVERWHELMING TO SEE THAT THE SLIDE EVEN THOUGH THERE NO POWER BEING SUPPLIED TO IT HAS ATTEMPTING TO GO IN AND OUT BENDING THE HEAVY STEEL LOCK LITERALLY IN TWO. I CALLED NEWMAR CORP AND THEY ADVISED ME TO TAKE MY COACH TO A US AUTHORIZED DEALER IN MOUNT CLEMENTS MIC WHICH WAS LITERALLY 500 MILES CLOSER THAN MY CDN DEALER. AFTER WEEK THE THE DEALER RV GENERAL CALLED ME TO INFORM ME MY COACH HAD BEEN REPAIRED.I PICKED UP THE COACH AND PAID THE INVOICE OF $775.00 IN US CURRENCY. ON DEC 27 2015 I HEADED OFF TO FLORIDA, MY FIRST AND SECOND NIGHT ON THE ROAD THE SIDE DID NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. ON DEC 229TH 2015 I WAS ON I 95 SOUTH BOUND NEAR THE ORANGE FLORIDA CUT OFF WHEN THE SLIDE DEPLOYED ITSELF AS WE DROVE DOWN THE FREE WAY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TAKE THE EXIT THERE WITH A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY. I DISCONNECTED THE FUSES AND HAND CRANKED IN THE SLIDE AND WENT TO MY DESTINATION. I CONTACT NEWMAR AND THEY WERE QUICK TO POINT OUT YET AGAIN THIS ISSUE IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. TO WHICH HAS SHOCKED ME NOW THREE TIMES, AS MY CONCERNS WAS THE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT THIS COULD PRESENT INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE. I WAS ALSO SURPRISED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH NEWMAR AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS BLOGS ON THE NET ABOUT IT. I TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS WITH NEWMAR BUT THEY SIMPLY KEPT REFERRING TO WARRANTY AND NOT SAFETY. THUS I SUBMIT THIS COMPLAINT.

THE WEIGHT RATING FOR THE FRONT AXEL IS NO MORE THAN 13,700 POUNDS. THIS IS TOO LOW. THE AXEL CARRIES MORE WEIGHT THAN THIS WITH OCCUPANTS AND VIRTUALLY NO CARGO ON BOARD. IN FACT, THE PORT FRONT TIRE CARRIES MORE WEIGHT THAN IT IS RATED FOR WITH OCCUPANTS AND A LIGHT LOAD OF CARGO. THIS IS AN UNSAFE SITUATION OF WHICH NEWMAR IS AWARE. IT CAN (AND MAYBE HAS) RESULT IN A CATASTROPHIC SITUATION INVOLVING FRONT TIRE FAILURE, OR FAILURE OF THE FRONT AXEL. IT HAS LED TO PREMATURE REPLACEMENT OF SEVERAL FRONT SUSPENSION PARTS, INCLUDING BALL JOINTS, AIR BAGS AND TIRES. PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

I WAS DRIVING N/B ON US-89 FROM JACKSON, WY AND ACCELERATING TO 55 MPH WHEN MY RV BEGAN TO SWAY APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 FEET FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING OUT OF CONTROL. I SLOWED AND THE SWAYING SUBSIDED BUT WHEN AT 40 MPH BEGAN AGAIN WHEN I DROVE OVER A DEFECT IN THE ROAD. I STOPPED AT A CAMPGROUND AND WHILE EXAMINING MY RV I DISCOVERED THE BRACKET THE HOLDS THE REAR SWAY BAR TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE AXLE HAD BROKEN. THIS IS THE SECOND DEFECT FROM THE BRACKETS THAT HOLD THE SWAY BAR TO THE REAR AXLE, THE FIRST TIME WAS REPORTED TO NHTSA ON 11-20-2012. THE FAILURE OF THE SWAY BAR BRACKET ON THE FORD MOTORHOME CHASSIS CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING ON A LESS THAN PERFECTLY SMOOTH ROAD.

THE BALL JOINTS FAIL PREMATURELY ON SPARTAN CHASSES. THEY ARE SEALED UNITS, WHICH DO NOT ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL GREASE TO BE ADDED TO THIS VITAL COMPONENT WHILE SEVERAL OTHER COMPONENTS ON THE CHASSIS REQUIRE ROUTINE LUBRICATION. THE BOOTS FAIL AND THIS ALLOWS GRIT INTO THE JOINTS. ONCE THIS HAPPENS, THE JOINTS CAN FAIL AT ANT TIME. THERE IS NO REMEDY TO THE OEM PARTS EXCEPT REPLACEMENT AT SOME $2500. FAILURE TO REPLACE CAN BE CATROSTOPHIC AS BOTH THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING ARE AFFECTED. SPARTAN STATES IT IS NORMAL FOR THE BOOT TO FAIL AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND RHWY HAVE REPLACES A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THESE PARTS AT OWNERS EXPENSE. POLYMER TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN AVAILABLE FOR DECADES TO MANUFACTURE A BOOT THAT DOES NOT FAIL FOR DECADES. THEY SHOULD HAVE USED THIS TECHNOLOGY WHEN SPECIFYING THE MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOOTS. ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE IS TO SIMPLY MAKE THIS A GREASE JOINT TO ALLOW FOR ROUTINE LUBRICATION AS IS DONE FOR THE OTHER SUSPENTION PARTS. THE PARTS WITH PROPER LUBRICATION FITTINGSOR THE BALL JOINTS ON OTHER CHASSIS WITH PROPER MATERIAL OF CONTRUCTION DO NOT HAVE THE FAILURE RATE OF THE BALL JOINTSON THESE SPARTAN CHASSES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND GOING OVER A DIP, THE FRONT WHEELS FRACTURED AND DETACHED. IN ADDITION, THE REAR PORTION OFF THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER WAS UNDER RATED FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE COACH. AS A RESULT, THE NEW SHOCK ABSORBER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,832. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

2012 NEWMAR CANYON STAR CLASS A RV MODEL 3920 ONE OF TWO REAR TAILGATE CABLES SEPARATED ALLOWING THE REAR RAMP TO FREE FALL AT THE FORCE PROVIDED BY ITS SEVERAL HUNDRED POUND WEIGHT. THE TAILGATE NEARLY CRUSHED ME, STRIKING MY FACE, KNOCKING ME BACKWARDS ONTO THE GROUND, STRIKING MY LEFT FOOT BREAKING SEVERAL BONES. I ALSO SUFFERED A BLACK EYE. I LATER DETERMINED THAT THE THREADED CABLE BOLT COUPLING DID NOT HAVE ANY THREAD LOCK APPLIED TO THE CONNECTION ALLOWING THE COUPLING TO EVENTUALLY DETACH. UPDATED 09/25/15*LJ

VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN DEALER'S LOT AND CAUGHT FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. INVESTIGATION BY FIRE MARSHALL, AND SUBSEQUENT INSURANCE ADJUSTERS BELIEVE THIS LOSS TO BE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE COACH. THE COACH HAS BEEN DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS...UPDATED 10-20/15*BF UPDATED 12/4/2017*CN

VEHICLE RUNNING NORMALLY, ACCELERATED TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC, ENGINE BEGAN TO MISS THEN BACKFIRED. MISS CONTINUED AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T ACCELERATE PAST 55 MPH. PULLED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD TO CHECK FOR ANY VISUAL PROBLEMS, NONE NOTED. ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY AND I FINISHED THE 30 MILE DRIVE HOME. CHANGED FUEL FILTER, AIR FILTER AND MAF SENSOR. ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY AND I TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE. AFTER 20 MILES WITH NO ISSUES I ATTEMPTED AN ACCELERATION AND AGAIN IT LOST POWER, SKIPPING/MISSING AND BACKFIRED. PULLED INTO A REST AREA AND SHUT DOWN FOR 20 MINUTES. ON RESTART A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. OBDII INDICATED THAT IT WAS A P0342 CRANKSHAFT POSITION INDICATOR SENSOR ISSUE. A MECHANIC INDICATED THAT GM DID A RECALL ON THE 2001 8.1L VORTEC FOR THIS ISSUE AND THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE EXTENDED TO THE WORKHORSE W22 CHASSIS WITH THE SAME ENGINE BUT DIDN'T. I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD HAVE EXTENDED TO ALL 2001 8.1L ENGINES. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AS IT LEADS TO AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHERE THE VEHICLE FAILS TO ACCELERATE OR STALLS WHEN MERGING OR PASSING. ADDITIONALLY, THE SHUTDOWN OF THE ENGINE REMOVES THE POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING CREATING AN INCREASED HAZARD TO THE OCCUPANTS AND THOSE AROUND THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NEWMAR VENTANA MOTOR HOME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS CONCERNED FOR HIS SAFETY SINCE THE FUEL LINE RAN RIGHT BY THE TIRES AND WERE EXPOSED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT IF IMPACTED BY ANY DEBRIS, IT COULD CAUSED A LEAK AND ULTIMATELY A FIRE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.