NEWMAR Complaints

Blowout and tire separation, Drivers front, traveling N on I-25 mile marker 7, south of Trinidad Co. Using Tire Patrol sensors on all motorhome tires and tow vehicle. After replacing tire and rim and on our way back home I noticed a low tire pressure on the right front tire. On inspecting the sensor I noticed a partial separation of the sensor which presumably allowed the tire to partially deflate. I re-inflated the tire and replaced the sensor with one from the rear tag tire so we could monitor the pressure and complete the trip. The morning after returning home I found the right front tire completely flat and the sensor had separated and was found beside the wheel on the concrete. After thinking about all of this I have come to the conclusion that the original blowout was likely due to a failure of the sensor on that tire allowing the tire to deflate and ultimately blowout and separate. I would not have thought about this had it not been for the other two sensors doing something similar. Luckily no-one was injured in this episode but there was moderate damage to our motorhome and the result could have been substantially different. I have contacted the manufacturer and they are aware of my concerns. I have a complete description of my actions and timeline. I have multiple photos of the damages as well as the two sensors that failed. The original sensor and valve stem extender on the drivers front tire that blewout were not found.

The cable supplying 12V power to the RV generator (the house generator in the front of the coach) shorted out while driving causing failure of 12V chassis control systems and accessories including: Transmission control (i.e. could not shift gears) Instrument panel Turn signals Horn Rear view camera Engine brake control. The vehicle air brakes were operating and I was able to pull over to a safe location. While the vehicle engine could be restarted, none of the 12V accessories at the drivers station were functional particularly the gear shift control, rendering the vehicle inoperable. The Freightliner repair facility found the shorted cable inside the generator enclosure. Their opinion was that the cable was too long, so that when it moved due to vehicle motion (potholes) it rubbed against a stud used to hold insulation in place. The shorted cable in turn caused the failure of the Freightliner "PDMs" creating the numerous failed systems.

Vehicle was operating normally when dash lights up with bars stating "check Engine and Low DEF." My dash (digital) locked up and I could not access any error codes. I checked my DEF tank and it was 80% full. I contacted Freightliner Custom Chassis who advised that it needed to go to a dealer. They gave me two dealers, one 30 miles away and the other was 60 miles. Contacted both. Neither on could say if the engine would go into de-rate mode and leave me stranded. I asked for a mobile tech and neither had one. I was five miles from my destination and made it there. I found a mobile tech on my own who came out and assessed that the def system indicated a malfunction. He worked with it for hours and finally got the codes to clear and I was able to make it home. This system has been problematic from the start. This failure of this system can leave the vehicle stranded on the side of the road, cause it to decelerate in traffic lanes creating a safety issue for other drivers and passengers in the vehicle. This is an industry wide known problem yet nothing has been done to resolve the issue.

Driving west on Interstate 80 in Iowa heading to South Dakota, when smoke started to appear in rear of motor home outside . Pulled over to find that diesel fuel was spraying all over the motor, very fortunate that it did not catch on fire. It is a Cummins 8.9 diesel motor # 73844606 . Had it towed to a licensed repair shop and the mechanic found that the # 1 fuel injector line had a hair line crack causing the fuel leak. Contacted Cummins on this issue and they said there is no recall on this problem , because there is not enough engines having this problem. I found on a RV Forum that this issue has happened to other RV owners. The forum also stated that there are other injector lines on Cummins diesel motors that have failed. The new injector part has a bracket on it to stabilize it to the motor, so they do know about this issue. I am not sure why these injector lines are not being recalled by Cummins, this is a Safety issue that can effect property and life . The repair shop is JRS car and truck repair PO Box 193 3500 freedom st Suite B West Liberty IA 52776 phone # 319-627-4731

Four times since taking possession of this 2022 RV, a red warning was displayed on the screen saying “Park Brake Not Set”. This requires the operator to insure the brake is actually set, chock tires and act to prevent movement. This exposes the operator and those nearby to potential injury or death. In addition, the “Steering Effort Control Disabled” yellow warning appears with the previous warning. Freightliner and Newmar states that a red warning requires immediate corrective action. While this problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, multiple owners of this model year have stated this occurs. This vehicle has not been inspected as the dealership advised to just “monitor’ the problem and log any reoccurrence. Warnings in red and yellow appeared on Feb 11, 2022, April 34, 2022 and June 30 2022. Photos of both warnings are uploaded.

Anti-Skid light on, Hill Start Assist Not Available Light on and Cruise Control inoperable. Come to a stop, turn engine off. Restart engine, Anti-Skid light still on, drive away and within 100 yards Skid light will turn off and cruise control will work. Within 5 miles Anti- Skid light back on and cruise control cuts out. Repeat procedure again. Same results. At times, no problem for 150 miles. At times, light will not shut off. This is a serious problem as anti lock braking might be affected in wet conditions, also no cruise control and no Anti skid available.

The contact owns a 2020 Newmar Bay Star Motorhome built on a 2019 Ford F53 chassis. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the front windshield started moving side-to-side. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the motorhome to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front of the motorhome to be repaired. The motorhome was not repaired. The contact attempted to notify the manufacturer but was unable to speak to a Representative. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

On Friday, May 13th 2022 my wife and I were returning from a camping trip in our 2022 Canyon Star motorhome. We were getting close to home, we heard what sounded like a loud bang and the passenger side window had suddenly shattered. It appeared that the epicenter of the shatter was a circular spot behind the outside mirror about 2" from the bottom of the glass. We were not in any traffic and there were no cars near us. We did not see any debris that got kicked up at all. It appears to have just shattered for no reason. We suspect that there was an UNSEEN defect in the glass. The only good news is that the inner piece of safety glass that was right next to my wife did not break. We were trying to get to the dealership with it still intact as I hoped that there was a laminate to keep it together. I had reduced speed and moved over one lane to the far right lane to be as safe as possible. Unfortunately, the glass shards loosened and fell to the roadway. We were able to finally reach the dealership safely. What remained of the window was inspected by the service personnel at the dealership. Pictures were taken and were to be sent to Newmar. Because it was a shattered window, there is nothing really available for additional inspection. Pictures have been attached. Had the inner safety glass shattered as well, my wife could have been seriously injured as the window was just to the right of her head.

Service advance trac ABS light In cross winds the system fails. Wind from either side The important stability control fails when you need it the most. ABS light is self explanatory. Called Ford and lady said she hears this issue a lot She mentioned that eventually it will disable the Rv. I’m in places where there is no phone service. Will be taking it in, but most people reported they throw parts at it and no fix.

My dual pane windows are delaminating causing foggy windows. All windows seem to be defective accept front windshield.