1999 Newell Motor Coach 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 1999 Newell Motor Coach, 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
- Electrical1100.0%
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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE MOTOR COACH STOPPED RUNNING AS I WAS DOING ABOUT 30MPH. I PARKED AS BEST I COULD, BUT TRAFFIC WAS HAVING TO USE LESS THAN THE NORMAL LANE WIDTH. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART WITH THE IGNITION KEY IT WOULD NOT START. I USED THE AUXILIARY START SWITCH IN THE REAR COMPARTMENT AND IT STARTED. AS I WAS PREPARING TO GET BACK IN AND MOVE THE MOTOR COACH TO A SAFER LOCATION I WAS ALERTED TO BILLOWING SMOKE BY THE SCREAMS OF MY DAUGHTER. I ELECTED TO TURN THE SWITCH OFF AND LUCKILY THE SMOKE DIED DOWN AND THERE WERE NO FLAMES, BUT IT WAS CLOSE. A LITTLE LONGER AND THE RED HOT WIRING WOULD HAVE IGNITED ANY COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL IN THE AREA. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE MANUFACTURER NEGLECTED TO ADD FUSE OR CIRCUIT BREAKER PROTECTION FOR THE AUXILIARY START SWITCH. HERE IS A QUOTATION FROM THE EMAIL OF THE PRESIDENT OF NEWELL COACH CORPORATION. "WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE CIRCUIT POWERING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT STARTER SWITCH SHOULD BE PROTECTED BY A 20-AMP FUSE. NO SURPRISE THERE. WE ARE NOW WORKING THROUGH DETERMINING THE RANGE OF COACHES INVOLVED AND DEVELOPING A PLAN TO ADDRESS AND RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND THAT COMPLIES WITH THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY REGULATIONS. ONCE A VEHICLE IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD, THE RULES ARE DIFFERENT, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION." I WOULD LIKE TO SEE NEWELL COACH CORPORATION REQUIRED TO ADDRESS REPAIRS TO ALL THE OTHER COACHES OUT THERE THAT THEY MANUFACTURED WITHOUT ANY PROTECTION ON THE CIRCUIT INVOLVED IN MY MELTDOWN. HAD MY DAUGHTER NOT BEEN WATCHING CAREFULLY I BELIEVE THE MISSING FUSE/CIRCUIT BREAKER COULD RESULT IN A FIRE ENGULFING THE ENTIRE COACH AND ANYONE INSIDE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE TIME OR MOBILITY TO ESCAPE. *TR
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 .