2015 Newmar DUTCH STAR: complaints, problems and recalls

VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN DEALER'S LOT AND CAUGHT FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. INVESTIGATION BY FIRE MARSHALL, AND SUBSEQUENT INSURANCE ADJUSTERS BELIEVE THIS LOSS TO BE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE COACH. THE COACH HAS BEEN DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS...UPDATED 10-20/15*BF UPDATED 12/4/2017*CN

Owner-reported narrative. 2,235 miles reported. Look up ODI 10735331 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR IN THE RESTROOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT SCREWS HAD COME LOOSE IN THE FUSE PANEL; ALLOWING THE ELECTRICAL WIRING TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,500.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10823446 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN I ENTER MY VIN, YOUR SITE SAYS THAT "ONE OR MORE PARAMETERS ARE INVALID". I'VE USED THE SITE BEFORE, AND THE VIN IS VALID. WHEN I PUT IN THE VIN, IT SAYS 17/17 AT THE END (INDICATING THAT ALL 17 CHARACTERS WERE ENTERED).

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11084662 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER WHEN ENGAGED AT LOW MEDIUM OR HIGH SPEED BUT IN THE CASE IT FAILED AT LOW SPEED. THE WIPER ON DRIVER SIDE GOES OFF WINDSHIELD TO SIDE MIRROR AND FAILS. *DT CONSUMER STATED PRODUCT MALFUNCTIONED DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. UPDATED 10/9/18*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 24,569 miles reported. Look up ODI 11131473 at NHTSA ↗

I was driving home this weekend in my motorhome and noticed smoke coming out of rear of vehicle. I thought we were on fire. Fortunately I was able to get off the road and no injuries occurred. However, there will be many injuries if this problem is not recalled. The vehicle has a Cummins ISL Diesel motor. Vehicle has 33K miles. The #1 fuel injector line fails. If you look online this has happened many of times. Cummins also has a TSB for failure. Also, the "revised" part comes with a new bracket to prevent future failure. So Cummins is aware of…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11435626 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2015-11-30 (November 30, 2015)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ventana and Dutch Star motorhomes and model year 2014 Mountain Aire and Essex motorhomes manufactured May 31, 2015, to January 21, 2015. The affected vehicles have cargo door lock actuators that may overheat and melt the actuator housing.

Consequence: A door lock actuator that overheats may increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and dealers will install a new low voltage disconnect module and wire harness for the door lock actuator, free of charge. The recall began on January 4, 2016. Owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300.

Reported: 2015-12-01 (December 1, 2015)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 King Aire, 2009-2014 Essex, 2011-2015 Mountain Aire, Ventana, and Dutch Star, 2012-2014 Ventana LE, 2012-2015 Canyon Star, and 2015 London Aire motorhomes. The affected vehicles are equipped with refrigerator door latches that may inadvertently lock without the operator's knowledge.

Consequence: If an individual climbed into the refrigerator and the door inadvertently latched, the person would not be able to open the door, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and dealers will install a new replacement door latch that will not automatically latch, free of charge. The recall began on January 24, 2016. Owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300.

Reported: 2016-04-28 (April 28, 2016)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Dutch Star, Mountain Aire, Essex, and 2015-2016 London Aire vehicles manufactured March 27, 2013, to October 16, 2015 and built on a Freightliner chassis. On certain recreational vehicles built with a heavier, adjustable foot pedal, the brake activation signal to certain towed devices may not deactivate when the service brakes are released.

Consequence: If the brake activation signal to a towed device remains active when the motorhome chassis service brakes are released, the brakes on a towed device may remain engaged depending on brake configuration of the trailer. As a result, the brakes would drag and possibly overheat potentially resulting in a fire. Additionally, following drivers may be confused by the motorhome's actions, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and Freightliner dealers will modify the affected assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2016. Owners may contact Freightliner/Daimler Trucks North America LLC at 1-800-547-0712 or Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300. Newmar's number for this recall is 16V-204.

Reported: 2016-06-08 (June 8, 2016)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Dutch Star motorhomes manufactured from June 5, 2014, through October 16, 2015, and built on a Freightliner chassis. In the affected vehicles, the steering box may have been manufactured with an incorrect spacer with insufficient height that can cause too much play, causing the connection to wear between the steering wheel and the front axle.

Consequence: The steering wheel's connection to the front axle could fail resulting in a sudden loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and Freightliner dealers will inspect and replace the steering box if necessary, free of charge. Note: Owners are urged not to drive their vehicles until they have been inspected. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact Freightliner customer service at 1-800-547-0712 or Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300. Newmar's number for this recall is 16V 366.

Reported: 2016-06-28 (June 28, 2016)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Dutch Star and Mountain Aire and 2015-2016 London Aire and Essex motorhomes manufactured January 28, 2013, to December 14, 2015 and built on a Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) chassis. The throttle pedal position sensor on the affected vehicles may not return to zero, causing the engine brake to suddenly not activate as expected, reducing the vehicle's deceleration ability.

Consequence: A sudden loss of an engine brake without warning on a motorhome may lead to a reduced brake capacity, potentially increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and DTNA dealers will replace the throttle pedal, free of charge. The recall began on August 5, 2016. Owners may contact Newmar Customer Service Department at 1-800-731-8300 or Daimler Trucks North America LLC at 1-800-547-0712, or by e-mail at DTNA.Warranty.Campaigns@Daimler.com. Newmar's number for this recall is 16V 321.

Reported: 2016-10-07 (October 7, 2016)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain model year 2015 Dutch Star motorhomes manufactured July 24, 2014, to September 10, 2014 and built on a Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) XCM, XCR, or XCL motorhome chassis. In these vehicles with a heavier, adjustable, straight foot pedal, the brake activation signal to certain towed devices may not deactivate when the motorhome service brakes are released.

Consequence: If the brake activation signal to a towed device remains active when the motorhome chassis service brakes are released, the brakes on a towed device may remain engaged depending on brake configuration of the trailer. As a result, the brakes would drag and possibly overheat potentially resulting in a fire. Additionally, following drivers may be confused by the motorhome's actions, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and Freightliner dealers will modify the affected pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300. Newmar's number for this recall is 16V 654.

Reported: 2017-06-30 (June 30, 2017)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Newmar Dutch Star and 2015-2017 Newmar Ventana motorhomes. In the affected motorhomes, the driver side and passenger side powered night shades can be lowered by using the remote when the ignition is in the ON position.

Consequence: If the vehicle is being driven and the button on the remote is pushed, the night shades may lower, blocking the driver's view, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners and dealers will install a relay to disable the operation of the driver and passenger night shade by the remote when the ignition is in the ON position. The recall began on July 28, 2017. Owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300.

Reported: 2017-08-09 (August 9, 2017)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain 2014 Moutain Aire and 2014-2017 Dutch Star recreational vehicles built on Freightliner XCR chassis manufactured by Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). These chassis have a battery cable mounting bracket may not have been installed correctly, as a result, the improperly routed and clipped battery cable can contact the frame rail, possibly chafing and short circuiting.

Consequence: A battery cable short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and DTNA dealers will inspect and revise the battery cable mounting bracket and cable routing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on September 20, 2017. Owners may contact Daimler Trucks North America at 1-800-547-0712 or Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300. Newmar's number for this recall is 17V-451.

Reported: 2017-12-15 (December 15, 2017)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling various 1995-2018 motorhomes. A list of the affected vehicles available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V809-2309.pdf. These motorhomes are equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers that may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or excessive force may be needed to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

Consequence: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and instruct them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began on February 7, 2018. Owners may contact Kidde customer service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information or owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-574-773-7791. Newmar's number for this recall is 17E-062.

Reported: 2018-03-27 (March 27, 2018)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Newmar Ventana, 2011-2017 Newmar Dutch Star, and 2011-2014 Newmar Mountain Aire vehicles, built on Freightliner XBR chassis and equipped with Cummins ISL engines. The power steering hose on the affected vehicles may be routed incorrectly, and, as a result, the hose may rub against the power stud on the starter motor, possibly causing electrical arcing and a power steering fluid leak.

Consequence: If the power steering hose contacts the power stud causing a power steering fluid leak, additional steering effort may be needed increasing the risk of a crash or an electrical arc may occur, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and Freightliner dealers will reroute the power steering hose, free of charge. The recall began on May 24, 2018. Owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300. Newmar's number for this recall is FL-762.

Reported: 2018-04-18 (April 18, 2018)

Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Newmar Ventana, 2015-2016 Newmar London Aire, and 2013-2017 Newmar Dutch Star motorhomes. When switching from using the low beam headlights to the high beam headlights, the low beam headlights go out when the intention was to have both beams illuminate.

Consequence: Without the low beams also illuminated when the high beams are on, the driver may have reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and dealers will correct the vehicles so that the low beam stays illuminated when the high beam is switched on, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2018. Owners may contact Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300.