NEWMAR Complaints

LTR FM R. MILLER (LA) OWNER OF A DUTCH STAR MOTORHOME, RECALLED VEHICLE TO REPLACE FRONT TIRES TO IMPROVE CARRYING CAPACITY OWNER REQUEST RECALL REPLACE ALL TIRES NOT JUST FRONT 2-TIRES SUGGEST NHTSA INVESTIGATE.*MR (RECALL#04V037000) *JB

CONSUMER'S MOTOR HOME TIRES WERE BEING RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER. HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNAVAILABLE. NEWMAR, THE MANUFACTURER, WAS NOT VERY MUCH HELPFUL, EXCEPT TO SAY THAT THEY WILL DO IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WHICH WAS 6 MONTHS IN TO THE RECALL. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY 28, APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES SOUTH OF SALMON IDAHO, THE ENTIRE FRONT WINDSHIELD BROKE LOOSE AND ENTERED INTO THE CAB. IT WAS STOPPED BY THE TV AND STORAGE UNITS. BOTH WINDSHIELDS, DRIVER, AND PASSENGER WERE DESTROYED, AND THE CENTER SUPPORT BRACKET BUCKLED. WAS ABLE TO INSTITUTE SOME TEMPORARY REPAIRS AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE HOME. ONCE HOME, I FIRST CONTACTED THE FACTORY, WHO ASKED ME TO TAKE IT TO THEIR DEALER AND HAVE THE OPENING OF THE WINDSHIELD MEASURED, AND TO HAVE THE DEALER FAX IT TO THEM. THEN CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR MY BRAND OF COACH,BRETZ RV IN MISSOULA, MONTANA, WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM, AND THEY STATED THAT THE SOONEST THEY COULD LOOK AT THE UNIT WAS JULY 9, WHICH I AGREED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD SEEN OTHER UNITS LIKE THIS, AND HAD, AT THAT MOMENT A BRAND NEW UNIT, WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT OF THE UNIT NEEDED TO BE REFIRBISHEDR GLASSED, AND A NEW, STRONGER CUT OUT WOULD BE UTILIZED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ONLY PLACE TO GET THIS DONE WAS AT THE FACTORY, AND THAT THE FACTORY WOULD PAY TO PICK UP THE UNIT AND AND RETURN IT. LATER IN THE DAY, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM BOTH THE DEALER, AND SEPERATELY FROM THE FACTORY, WHO TOLD ME THAT NOT ONLY WOULD THEY NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THAT THEY HAD NO INTEREST IN EVEN LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM. THE REASON THEY GAVE WAS THAT THE UNIT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND TOO OLD. THE UNIT IS A 1995 NEWMAR MOUNTAIN AIRE WITH 34,000 MILES. IT WAS MADE BY THE NEWMAR CORP. UPON HAVING THE WINDSHIELDS REPLACED, THE GLASS COMPANY TOLD ME THAT THEY SEE THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEM OCCURRING QUITE REGULARLY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS STYLE OF DESIGN, WITH THE CERTAIN STRUCTURAL SUPPORT FEATURES LACKING, IS NOT ONLY A DESIGN DEFECT, BUT IS VERY DANGEROUS. I THINK IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, THAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO LLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.*AK

LTR FM RAYMOND MILLER (LA) RE THE NEWMAR CORP. RECALL OF THE 1997-2000 DUTCH STAR MOTORHOMES & THE 2001-2002 KOUNTRY STAR MOTORHOMES TO REPLACE THE FRONT TIRES, HE FEELS THE BACK TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED.*MR *NM

THE REAR DRIVER'S OUTER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-60 MPH. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONSUMER WILL PROVIDE PICTURES, TIRE MANUFACTURING SIZE. AND DOT #. *AK *SC *JB

PROBLEMS WITH TIRE EQUIPMENT ON 1999 DIESEL DUTCH STAR MOTORHOME.*MR ANOTHER MOTORIST INFORMED THE CONSUMER ABOUT A RECALL REGARDING THE FRONT TIRES, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD REPLACED THE REAR TIRES AS WELL. THE CONSUMER STATED IF ONLY THE FRONT TIRES WERE TO BE REPLACED, HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ROTATE THE TIRES. *JB

VEHICLE SAFETY CONCERN COMPLAINT REGARDING 2000 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR MODEL 3665 COACH.*MR ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE CONSUMER HIT ROAD HAZARDS WHICH CAUSED THE MUFFLER TO BECOME LOOSE AND SUBSEQUENTLY IT FELL ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE EXHAUST PIPE WAS TOO LOW ON THE VEHICLE. *JB

RECALL 04V037000 CONCERNING TIRES. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL PROCEDURES. THE MANUFACTURER WANTED TO REPLACE THE FACTORY TIRES WITH TIRES BIGGER THAN THE REAR TIRES. MANUFACTURER WAS ONLY REPLACING THE FRONT TIRES. *AK

THE MOTORHOME'S ENGINE WAS BUILT BY FORD. THE OWNER BROUGHT TO FORD'S ATTENTION THE FACT THAT THE ENGINE'S DIP STICK WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED. FORD TOLD THE OWNER THAT HE MUST PURCHASE THE CORRECT STICK SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *NM *NM

THE REPLACEMENT TIRES FOR RECALL 04V0370000 HAVE NOT BEEN AVAILABLE FOR 2 MONTHS, AND DEALERSHIP DOESN'T NOT KNOW WHEN THE TIRES WILL BE AVAILABLE.*AK