2003 Newmar American Star 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 Newmar American Star, 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
- Tires & wheels250.0%
- Brakes125.0%
- Engine125.0%
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
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NEWMAR AMERICAN STAR RV (TOW BEHIND). THE VEHICLE HAS CONTINENTAL GENERAL, SIZE 29575R225 TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE DRIVER SIDE REAR, PASSENGER SIDE FRONT, AND REAR TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRES. NEWMAR INFORMED THE CONTACT TO GO TO SEARS. SEARS STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT RATED FOR A TOW TRAILER. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. UPDATED 01-15-08. *KB THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT THE APPROPRIATE SIZE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAVEL TRAILER. UPDATED *JB
2003 AMERICAN STAR TRAILER. THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRES. CUSTOMER STATES THE TREAD SEPARATED 3 TIMES ON DIFFERENT TIRES. THE THIRD TREAD SEPARATION CAUSED BODY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *KB THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT THE APPROPRIATE SIZE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAVEL TRAILER.*JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NEWMAR AMERICAN STAR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE NEWMAR MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NEWMAR AMERICAN STAR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE NEWMAR MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
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 .