NEWMAR Complaints

COACH 97545 MOUNTAIN AIRE RV. THE REVREATIONAL VEHICLE WAS BUILT ON A FORD FRAME AND CANNOT BE FIXED. *MR *CB *JB

I HAVE A NEWMAR MOTORHOME WITH MICHELIN TIRES. IT HAS 25000 MILES ON IT. IN THE LAST 1400 MILES I HAVE BLOWN THREE TIRES OF THE 6 ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD THE VEHICLE WEIGHED AND IT IS NOT OVER THE RATED MAXIMUM WEIGHTS ON EITHER AXEL. I HAVE BLOWN TWO FRONT AND ONE REAR TIRE SO FAR. (YOUR LIST OF MICHELIN TIRES DOES NOT NCLUDE THE XRV SO I WILL CHOOSE ANOTHER TYPE JUST TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED) THIS SHOULD INTEREST YOU: TWO MICHELIN DEALERS WHO SERVICED ME WHEN THE FIRST TWO TIRES BLEW SID THAT THE XRV TIRES THAT MICHELIN MAKES FOR MOTORHOMES ARE "A PIECE OF CRAP". ONE OF THEM TOLD THAT TO MICHELIN HQ IN MY PRESENCE IN A PHONE CALL. MICHELIN GAVE ME ONE REPLACEMENT TIRE AFTER I HAD BLOWN TWO IN A WEEK. MY TIRES ARE NOT OLD AND THE DEALERS DID NOT SUGGEST THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING I DID THAT MADE THEM BLOW. I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE TRIES FROM A BAD BATCH OF TIRES. TO HAVE THREE OF THEM BLOW WITHIN 1400 MILES SUGGESTS THAT THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. I AM CONVINCED THEY ARE UNSAFE AND I AM REPLACING THE THREE THAT HAVE NOT YET BLOWN WITH OTHER TIRES TOMORROW. I AM REPLACING THEM WITH THE SAME TYPE OF TIRE THAT MICHELIN GAVE ME AS A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT, THE XZE TRUCK TIRE.*AK

WHEN TOWING THE VEHICLE IT IS VERY HARD TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE MOTORHOME. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS LOCKED UP WHEN THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT WAS MADE. *JB *TS *JB

THE INTERIOR STEPS COLLAPSED IN THE MOTORHOME. *MR *TT WHILE STANDING THE FLOOR COLLAPSED AND THE CONSUMER FELL INTO THE STAIRWELL. TT *JB

NEWMAR CORP ARE WERE USING INFERIOR AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS ON DUTCHSTAR MOTOR HOMES IN THE YEARS 1999,2000 AND POSSIBLY OTHER YEARS . UNABLE TO SEE TE ROAD AFTER DARK. *AK

3 GOODYEAR MARATHON TIRES ON MY CAMPER WENT FLAT WHILE DRIVING THROUGH MARYLAND, WHILE ENROUTE TO MASSACHUSETTS FROM FLORIDA. I BELIEVE THESE TIRES ARE A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY HAD LESS THAN 2,000 MILES ON THEM. I HAVE HAD NINE OF THESE FAIL IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. *JB

PROBLEMS WITH FRAME OF 2001 RV. *MR WHILE TRAVELING THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RV WAS RUNNING RIGHT OF THE CENTER. THE MANUFACTURER INSTRUCTED THE CONSUMER TO GO TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND FOUND THAT IT WAS OFF BY 3 1/2 INCHES OUT OF LINE. (NEMAR HAD THE FRAME CUT BETWEEN THE FRONT REAR WHEEL TO SHORTEN THE FRAME FOR A 34' RV) WHEN THEY WELDED IT BACK TO THE RIGHT SIDE, IT WAS 3/4 INCHES LONGER THAN THE LEFT SIDE. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. (THE MANUFACTURER COULDN'T FIX EITHER) THE MANUFACTURER REFERRED THE CONSUMER TO A DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED 2 REAR SPRINGS. THE MANUFACTURER TACKED A 38 INCH PLATE WITH A HOLE FOR A SPRING CENTER BOLT. THE RIGHT REAR AXLE HAS PULLED FORWARD 3/4 INCH AND CORRECTED THE TRACKING. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THE PLATE MAY BREAK LOOSE FROM THE SPRING PERCH AND CAUSE THE AXLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD. *SCC *JB

TWO BLOWOUTS WITH ORIGINAL MICHELIN TIRES ON MOTORHOME. 1ST FAILURE AT 12K MILES WITH INSIDE LEFT REAR AND 2ND FAILURE AT 14K MILES WITH INSIDE LEFT FRONT. CONSUMER STATED THAT TIRES WERE TOO SMALL AND IMPROPERLY RATED FOR THE LARGE MOTORHOME. TIRE INFO: MICHELIN XRV 255/80R22.5 ORIGINAL. *TT

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, I NOTICED THAT ONE OR BOTH FRONT BRAKES WERE DRAGGING. THIS WAS EVIDENT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATION WAS REDUCED, THERE WAS A SMELL OF HOT BRAKES, THE VEHICLE DID NOT ROLL WHEN ON A HILL WITH THE BRAKES RELEASED, THERE WAS A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL, AND THERE WAS REDUCED FREE PLAY IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE FRONT BRAKES, THE RIGHT ONE WAS VERY HOT. I TAPPED ON THE CALIPER WITH A HITCH PIN THAT WAS AVAILABLE, AFTER WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE. I DROVE THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 130 MILES TWO DAYS LATER WITH NO PROBLEMS BUT I DID NOT RUN INTO HEAVY BRAKE USAGE AT THAT TIME. *JB