NEWMAR Complaints

2007 NEWMAR KOUNTRY STAR WINDSHIELD WIPERS INOPERATIVE. *TS THE COACH HAS A ONE PIECE WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WILL NOT REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THE WINDSHIELD WHEN THERE IS THE SLIGHTEST WIND. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR INTAKE LOCATED NEXT TO THE ENGINE CONSUMES WATER IN RAINY WEATHER WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INSTALLED A BONNET AROUND THE AIR INTAKE WHICH EXTENDED THE AIR INTAKE. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ALSO INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATES. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THESE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

WHILE TRAVELING IN OUR 2000 DUTCH STAR MOTOR HOME, DIESEL PUSHER, THROUGH HOUSTON TX, ON MARCH 23, 2006, WE EXPERIENCED AN INNER REAR TIRE BLOWOUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS TIRE HAS A "ZIPPER" FRACTURE OF 14 INCHES ON THE SIDEWALL. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A SAFE STOP AND EXITED FROM THE HIGHWAY. WE HAD THE TIRE REPLACED WITH A MATCHED MICHELIN TIRE. ON APRIL 1, 2006 WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH ELMIRA NY (1600 MILES LATER) ON INTERSTATE 86, WE EXPERIENCED ANOTHER BLOWOUT ON THE INNER REAR TIRE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MOTOR HOME. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A SAFE STOP. HOWEVER THE REAR LEFT FENDER SKIRT WAS BLOWN OFF BY THE RUPTURING TIRE. THIS "ZIPPER" FRACTURE WAS 12 INCHES IN THE IDENTICAL TIRE POSITION AS THE FIRST RUPTURE. WE WERE UNABLE TO GET AN IDENTICAL REPLACEMENT TIRE FOR THE BLOWN TIRE AND WE MADE THE DECISION THAT ALL FOUR REAR TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED SINCE IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO HAVE MISMATCHED TIRES. WE REPLACED THESE REAR TIRES WITH AN H RATED TIRE BY GOODYEAR 275/70R 22.5 G670 RV. IN 2004, NEWMAR (MANUFACTURER OF DUTCH STAR MOTOR HOMES) HAD A RECALL AND REPLACED ONLY THE FRONT TIRES ON THIS MOTOR HOME WHICH WAS BUILT ON A FREIGHTLINER FRAME. THE NEW TIRES WERE MICHELIN XZA1 275/70R 22.5 WHICH IS HIGHER RATED THAN THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE HAD THIS MOTOR HOME WEIGHED ON AT A FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSN. (FMCE) RALLY. THE FOUR CORNERS WERE WEIGHED AND WE WERE WITHIN THE RECOMMENDED GVW (GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT) OF 27,900 LBS. WE WERE NOT OVERLOADED. THE TIRE PRESSURE ON THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES WAS 105 LBS. EACH WHICH WAS RECOMMENDED. IT IS OUR OPINION THAT THE TIRE FAILURE ON THIS UNIT WAS DUE TO HAVING INADEQUATE REAR TIRES AND THAT WHEN THE RECALL TOOK PLACE IN 2004, THE REAR TIRES SHOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN REPLACED AT THAT TIME. *NM

WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON 2005 NEWMAR MOTOR COACH HAVE NOT OPERATED SINCE PURCHASED NEW. BEEN TO AUTHORIZED REPAIR FACILITY SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT A PERMANENT FIX. DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR LAST FALL THAT SEEMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THAT TIME. HOWEVER, WHEN I NEEDED THEM IN A RAIN STORM RECENTLY THEY WOULD NOT WORK AND STILL DO NOT WORK. THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM THAT NEWMAR CAN'T FIX. I HAVE A VIRGINIA SAFETY INSPECTION DUE SOON AND IT WILL NOT PASS. *JB

2005 KOUNTRY AIRE HAD A SUSPENSION PROBLEM THAT RUINED A TIRE. *TS THE SUSPENSION PARTIALLY COLLAPSED OR SAGGED AND ALLOWED A SLIDE-OUT SUPPORT RAM THAT WAS PLACED CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THE TIRE TO GOUGE THE TIRE TO THE STEEL CORD. THE CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED THE BENDING OF THE AXLE STRUCTURE ON THE FRONT AXLE. *JB

MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT TO ODI # 10126325, I DID NOT KNOW THAT A NHTSA SAFETY RECALL # 03V-488 HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR MY MOTORHOME. I CONTACTED NEWMAR IN MAY, 2005 THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY MOTORHOME AS EXPLAINED IN PREVIOUS COMPLAINT. ALTHOUGH, I HAVE HAD MY MOTORHOME CHECKED REPEATEDLY, NO ONE EVER CHECKED TO DETERMINE IF THE RECALL HAD BEEN DONE. I HAVE NO STICKERS ON MY MOTORHOME THAT WOULD SHOW THAT THE WORK HAD BEEN DONE. BUT THE PAPERWORK FROM FREIGHTLINER SAYS THAT THE WORK HAD BEEN DONE. A MECHANIC IN DEL RIO TEXAS, SHOWED ME THE STEERING STOP BOLTS WERE MISSING THE NODULE AND WERE HITTING THE AXLE AND THE STEERING WAS DECREASED. I UNDERSTAND THIS IN RETURN EFFECTS THE STEERING GEAR BOX. ALSO OTHER STEERING COMPONENTS CAN BE EFFECTED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE RECALLED WAS 12/03 AND WAS SUPPOSE TO BE CORRECTED 01/04 BEFORE THE MOTORHOME WAS SOLD IN FLORIDA TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I SPOKE WITH NEWMAR CUSTOMER RELATIONS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE RECALL. SINCE I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH RECALL PROCEDURE, I DO NOT KNOW WHO THE RECALL WOULD GO TO IF THE MOTORHOME WAS SETTING ON THE LOT OF INDEPENDENCE RV DEALER IN FLORIDA. *NM

REAR SLIDE ON 2005 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR RETRACTS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE. LUCKILY WE OR OUR PETS WERE NOT INJURED. THIS OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AUTOMATIC JACKS WERE DEPLOYED, BUT HAVE NEVER WORKED PROPERLY SINCE THE UNIT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN AUG 2005. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THERE IS PLAY IN THE STEERING. THIS OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING ON NORMAL ROADS. IT DOES NOT OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT; ONLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN STRAIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

AUTOMATIC SLIDE LOCKS FAILED TO CLOSE ON SLIDES. THEY HAVE A CHEAP SCREW THAT THEY BEND TO MAKE CONTACT WITH A MAGNET. VERY POOR DESIGN. *NM

DRIVING ON I-90 IN SOME RAINY WEATHER, ERROR CODE LIGHT CAME ON. I STOPPED CHECKED ALL FLUID LEVELS & CONTINUED ON. A FEW HOURS LATER THE ENGINE BEGAN TO INCREASE IN SPEED ON ITS OWN .RPM'S WERE AT 2000 & THE COACH WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP. THE CHASSIS CONNECTOR ( CONNECTS COACH TO ENGINE AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) FILLED WITH WATER AND CAUSED SHORTS,CROSSES,AND GROUNDS IN THE WIRING AND CAUSED THE MOTORHOME TO INCREASE IN SPEED ON ITS OWN. THE BRAKES WERE HOT AND SMOKING WHEN WE FINALLY GOT STOPPED. TECHNICIAN PULLED CONNECTOR APART, USED COMPRESSED AIR TO REMOVE THE WATER & A CONTACT CLEANER TO CLEAN THE PROBES & CONTACTS IN THE CONNECTOR. CONNECTOR WAS PLUGGED BACK TOGETHER, ALL SHORTS, GROUNDS, AND CROSSES WERE GONE. TECHNICIAN CLEARED ALL ERROR CODES, PUT SILICONE ON CONNECTOR TO KEEP WATER OUT UNTIL CONNECTOR CAN BE REPLACED. UPON LEAVING THE SHOP TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT UP UNTIL RPM'S WERE AT 2000. IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO 6TH UNLESS IT IS DONE MANUALLY. *NM