RoadVitals

2015 Newmar Essex

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Aug 12, 2021
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
14
Latest Dec 15, 2017
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2015 Newmar Essex, most frequently naming the electrical category. 14 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 28 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • 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.

Safety recalls

14 campaigns cover this model year

View all 14

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
17V809000

EQUIPMENT

Dec 15, 2017
34,699 units potentially affected
The defect: 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
The risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
The 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.
Newmar CorporationManufacturer number 17E-062View on NHTSA.gov
17V378000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

Jun 14, 2017
210 units potentially affected
The defect: Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain 2012-2015 King Aire and Essex motorhomes built on a Spartan Motors chassis. A component within the starter motor may break, potentially resulting in the starter motor overheating or drawing excessive current.
The risk: A starter motor that overheats may increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and Spartan Motors dealers will replace the starter, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2017. Owners may contact Spartan Motors at 1-800-543-4277 or Newmar customer service at 1-800-731-8300. Newmar's number for this recall is 17012.
Newmar CorporationManufacturer number 17012View on NHTSA.gov
17V195000

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

Mar 22, 2017
595 units potentially affected
The defect: Newmar Corporation (Newmar) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Dutch Star, 2016-2018 Mountain Aire and London Aire, and 2012-2018 Essex and King Aire motorhomes built on a Spartan Motors chassis. The ball joints on the independent front suspension (IFS) modules can loosen and separate, leading to a partial loss of steering.
The risk: A separated ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Newmar will notify owners, and Spartan service centers will remove, clean, apply thread locker, reinstall and torqued the ball joints, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 3, 2017. Owners may contact Spartan at 1-800-543-4277 to locate a qualified service center or contact Newmar customer service at 1-574-773-7791. Newmar's number for this recall is 17004.
Newmar CorporationManufacturer number 17004View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Electrical
Filed Aug 12, 2021
Fire reported

The contact owns a 2015 Newmar Essex RV. The contact stated the RV trailer was parked plugged in an RV local dealer, in which the dealer had notified the contact that the trailer caught on fire due to the inverter system melting down in the trailer which caused a lot of black smoke installation damage in the interior of the trailer and fire damage to the undercarriage of the trailer. No one was injured. The contact was unaware of how the fire was extinguished. The contact was unaware of the fire department came out or a fire report was filed. The local dealer diagnosed the inverter system melted while the trailer was plugged in and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximate 40,000.

NHTSA ID
11428826
Incident
Nov 20, 2020
Mileage
40,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB466Amended

EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL

Check for proper torque of all mounting bolts on all electric slideout motors. If any bolt is under- torqued, remove the bolt, and add blue LOCTITE® thread sealant to the bolt threads. If there is no washer on the nut side of the bolt, add a flat washer. Reinstall and torque all 5/16” bolts to 19 ft. lbs. and all 3/8” bolts to 33 ft. lbs.

TSB472Amended

EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL

Check for proper torque of all mounting bolts on all electric slideout motors. If any bolt is under- torqued, remove the bolt, and add blue LOCTITE® thread sealant to the bolt threads. If there is no washer on the nut side of the bolt, add a flat washer. Reinstall and torque all 5/16" bolts to 19 ft. lbs. and all 3/8" bolts to 33 ft. lbs.

PIB 538

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Newmar has made a change to the water pump circuit fuse on certain coaches to improve customer experience. In most cases, the 10 amp fuse installed by the factory is sufficient. However, some coaches equipped with a ShurFlo water pump (Newmar part # 127488) blow the 10 amp water pump fuse.

PIB 495

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE; FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK; STEERING; WHEELS

Daimler Trucks North America LLC, on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, has issued field service campaign SF546AB. In response, Newmar is publishing PIB 495. Issue: On certain coaches, a check valve is missing on the auxiliary air tank, causing the tag axle steer tires to remain in a turned position when stopping the vehicle during a turn and shifting into reverse. In addition, some of these vehicles also require an air line retrofit.

PIB 494

EQUIPMENT

If the coach's HWH leveling system has intermittent issues when operating, check for corrosion or loose mounting bolts. Torque the mounting bolts (if needed) to 30 ft. pounds. A ground cable may also be installed to improve the overall grounding of the HWH pump assembly.

TSB 493

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL; ENGINE

Daimler Trucks North America has issued field service campaign SF543A. In response, Newmar is publishing TSB 493. Issue: On specific vehicles equipped with Stoneridge light bar control units (LBCU), the instrument panel odometer value may reset and no longer match the engine ECU odometer value.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Newmar Essex by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000—
2026000—
2025000—
2024010—
2023030—
2022040—
2021160—
2020080—
20191140—
20180170—
2017090—
2016070—
2015Viewing1140—
20140130—
2013080—
2012070—
2011030—
2010030—
2009030—
2008030—
2007150—
2006030—
2005070—
2004090—
2003050—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.