NEWMAR Complaints

DOMETIC RECALL FOR REFRIGERATOR IN 1998 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR RV. CONSUMER WANTS DOMETIC TO SUPPLY A NEW COOLING UNIT. *NJ THE RV HAD A CRACKED BOILER TUBE WHICH CAUSED AMMONIA TO LEAK OUT. THE CONSUMER LEARNED OF A RECALL # 08E032000. *JB

MOTOR HOME IS NEW. WINDSHIELDS WIPERS WERE TURNED ON DURING A RAIN STORM. ON THE FIRST SWEEP BOTH WIPER ARMS EXTENDED TOO FAR TO THE LEFT. DRIVERS SIDE WIPER ARM WRAPPED AROUND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CURVED WINDSHIELD WHILE THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER ARM ROTATED APPROX 180 DEGREES. WIPERS ARMS FROZE IN THAT POSITION. WIPER MOTOR WAS BURNT UP, FUSE WAS BLOWN, AND SPLINES IN THE WIPER ARMS WHERE MOUNTED TO WIPER ROTATING SYSTEM WERE GROUND SMOOTH. WIPER ARMS AND MOTOR WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND TIME WIPERS TURNED ON DURING A RAIN STORM THEY OPERATED APPROXIMATELY 24 CYCLES AND DID THE SAME THING. CHECKED THE NEWMAR OWNER SITE ON IRV2.COM AND FIND THAT MANY OTHER NEWMAR OWNERS REPORT THE SAME / SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH WIPERS. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS ON SECONDARY ROAD. MINIMUM TRAFFIC, NO PLACE TO STOP SO PROCEEDED WITH DIMINISHED VISIBILITY. SECOND OCCURRENCE OCCURRED ON BUSY I-80 IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY SEMI TRUCK TRAFFIC. AGAIN NO PLACE TO SAFELY STOP SO PROCEEDED WITH GREATLY DIMINISHED VISIBILITY UNTIL COULD SAFELY STOP AND WAIT FOR RAIN AND WATER THROWN BY TRAFFIC TO CEASE. CURRENTLY WAITING FOR NEWMAR TO FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN ADDRESS PROBLEM. *TR

ABS BRAKE FAILURE AND LOSS OF CRUISE CONTROL. HAPPENED DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. CALIPERS HUNG UP AND OVER HEATED BRAKES BURNING OUT ABS SENSOR. SAME PROBLEM ON 2002, 2001 WORKHORSE CHASSIS. RECALL SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED 2003 AS PROBLEM IS THE SAME. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT SAME YEAR AND SAME SITUATION AS MINE. WORKHORSE SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED OWNERS TO LUBE CALIPER SLIDES IMMEDIATELY. *TR

OUR DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR FOR OUR RV MODEL#NDR1062 S/N24200040 LEAKED ALL OF ITS COOLANT FROM A FAILURE IN THE COOLING TUBES AND DOMETIC REFUSES TO REPAIR THE LEAK - DID NOT ADMIT ON PHONE THAT THERE WAS ANY FATIGUE IN THE WELD AND NOW WE FIND THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS REFRIGERATOR DUE TO WELD FATIGUE BUT THEY FAIL TO REPAIR OUR REFRIGERATOR AT THEIR COST. *TR

RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER LOCKED UP ON WAY TO CAMPGROUND ON NARROW ROAD WITH OUT ROOM TO PULL OFF. TAPPED BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES WITH SMALL SUCCESS IN FREEING CALIPER. ABOUT 3 MILES FROM CAMPGROUND WE CONTINUED TO PARK UPON ARRIVAL BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND OIL BLEW OUT OF WHEEL BEARING. CALLED WORKHORSE BUT RECEIVED NO HELP. FINALLY FOUND A MECHANIC TO DO ON SITE WORK COST $828. *TR

TWO ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PRODUCT FAILURE RESULTED IN FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURE DENIED FURTHER RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR RV. THE CONTACT AND HIS WIFE SMELLED AMMONIA IN THE VEHICLE, BUT DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT ORIGINATED. THE SMELL PERSISTED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, CAUSING THEM BOTH TO SUFFER SEVERE HEADACHES. HE INSPECTED THE UNIT AND NOTICED AMMONIA BLOWING OUT OF THE COOLANT SYSTEM. THE FAILURE CONTINUED UNTIL ALL OF THE COOLANT SYSTEM WAS EMPTIED. THE CONTACT'S NEIGHBOR INFORMED HIM ABOUT THE POSSIBLE FAILURE WITH THE DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR IN THEIR VEHICLE BECAUSE A WEEK EARLIER, THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED IN THE NEIGHBOR'S VEHICLE. DOMETIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE UNIT. EVEN THOUGH THE UNIT CAUGHT FIRE, DOMETIC WAS ONLY WILLING TO INSTALL A HEAT SHIELD AND THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.

MOTORHOME IN FOR FRONT END ALIGNMENT AT 39K MILES AND FOUND ALL FOUR OF MY BRAKE ROTOR HAD SEVERE CRACKS, SOME COMPLETELY THROUGH THE ROTOR. ALL BRAKE COMPONENTS ON ALL WHEELS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT, ROTORS, CALIPERS, PADS ETC. *TR

FAILURE OF WORKHORSE CUSTOM CHASSIS HYDRO MAX (REDUNDANT BRAKE SYSTEM) DUE TO BLOWN BRAKE LIGHT FUSE. THE POWER ASSIST FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS RUN OFF THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND SHOULD YOU LOSE THE SERPENTINE BELT OR THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN THERE IS A REDUNDANT ELECTRIC MOTOR TO PROVIDE POWER ASSIST TOT THE BRAKES. BUT, SHOULD YOU LOSE BOTH YOU HAVE NO BRAKES PER SI ON A 26,000 MOTOR HOME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER BRAKE CALIPERS FAILED TO RELEASE AND PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROAD FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THE BRAKE CALIPERS AUTOMATICALLY RELEASED. HE NOTIFIED WORKHORSE AND THEY STATED THAT THE CALIPER PINS NEEDED TO BE LUBED ONCE A YEAR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,713 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,721. UPDATED 03-06-09 *BF