2003 Dutchmen Aero Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 Dutchmen Aero, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Steering150.0%
- Tires & wheels150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING OUR DUTCH STAR MOTORHOME ON NORTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101 AT 55 MPH IN THE LOS ANGELES CA. AREA AND IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE OF THE 4 LANE FREEWAY, THE COACH SUDDENLY VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND I HAD NO STEERING CONTROL AT ALL. THERE WAS A VERY LOUD SCREECHING ROARING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE AS THE COACH INSTANTLY CROSSED ALL OF THE REMAINING 3 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC AND IMPACTED THE CONCRETE CENTER DIVIDER AT FREEWAY SPEED AND AT APPROXIMATELY A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE COACH WAS DEFLECTED AFTER IS SLAMMED INTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER AND THEN SLID ANOTHER 300 FEET ALONG THE WALL UNTIL IT CAME TO REST ON THE WALL IN THE CENTER MEDIAN. UPON LATER EXAMINING THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE MOTOR HOME ONCE IT WAS TOWED TO THE IMPOUND YARD AND PLACED UP ON BLOCKS, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING CASTING THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL TIE ROD HAD BROKEN ALLOWING THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL TO IMMEDIATELY TURN TO THE FULL LEFT TURN POSITION WHICH CAUSED ME TO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO STEERING CONTROL AS WE VEERED TOWARD THE 4 LANES OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANES THAT WERE TRAVELING AT AROUND 65 TO 70 MPH. MY WIFE AND I WANT TO WARN OTHERS OF A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN OTHER STEERING CASTINGS OF THE SAME DESIGN THAT COULD CAUSE ANOTHER WRECK WITH THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATH. THE MOTORHOME WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
CARLISLE TIRES ON TRAVEL TRAILER, HAD 1 TIRE BLOW OUT WHILE TRAVELING,LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON THEM. SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS KILLED. DAMAGE TO NEW TRAILER AND COSTS OUT OF MY POCKET FOR JUNK TIRES. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .