U.S. public vehicle records

Newmar AMERICAN STAR problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

5 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

39,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1997 to 2005 model years. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 5 complaints (40.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	1	20.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer

Tires:Tread/Belt

Engine

Equipment

Service Brakes

Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer: 2; Tires:Tread/Belt: 2; Engine: 1; Equipment: 1; Service Brakes: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 3 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2007

2008

2013

2018

2007: 2; 2008: 1; 2013: 1; 2018: 1

Pattern summary

Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11090015 · 2018-04-25 (April 25, 2018)

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11090015 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

1997: 1; 1998: 1; 1999: 1; 2000: 1; 2001: 1; 2002: 1; 2003: 1; 2004: 1; 2005: 2

First model yearSecond model year

Year-by-year records

Newmar AMERICAN STAR model-year comparison
Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Change in recalls
1997	0	1	Not available
1998	0	1	0
1999	0	1	0
2000	2	1	0
2001	0	1	0
2002	0	1	0
2003	3	1	0
2004	0	1	0
2005	0	2	+1

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

5 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

40.0%Usable mileage2 / 5 records

100.0%Valid incident date5 / 5 records

100.0%Valid filing date5 / 5 records

100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates5 / 5 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	2100.0% ODI 10253392 TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NEWMAR AMERICAN STAR. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2852. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V366000 (EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE). HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE REMEDY TO INSTALL A SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING, A THERMAL FUSE, AND A MELT FUSE, WAS NOT A PREVENTIVE REMEDY. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT THE REMEDY LISTED WAS ALSO INSUFFICIENT IN THE EVENT A FAILURE SHOULD OCCUR. THE EQUIPMENT WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, HE RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT A… Look up ODI 10253392 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Tires:Tread/Belt	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	266.7% ODI 10205006 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 Look up ODI 10205006 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Engine	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 11090015 · 76,000 mi 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. Look up ODI 11090015 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Equipment	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	150.0% ODI 10253392 TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NEWMAR AMERICAN STAR. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2852. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V366000 (EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE). HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE REMEDY TO INSTALL A SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING, A THERMAL FUSE, AND A MELT FUSE, WAS NOT A PREVENTIVE REMEDY. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT THE REMEDY LISTED WAS ALSO INSUFFICIENT IN THE EVENT A FAILURE SHOULD OCCUR. THE EQUIPMENT WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, HE RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT A… Look up ODI 10253392 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Service Brakes	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 11090015 · 76,000 mi 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. Look up ODI 11090015 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer	Too few reports for a range	2,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10501317 · 2,000 mi RECALL ON DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR MODEL RM3862 IN MY NEWMAR 5TH WHEEL HAS STARTED TO LEAK A YELLOW COOLANT FROM THE BACK OF THE REFRIGERATOR TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE TRAILER THROUGH THE VENT HOUSING , IT ALSO DEVELOPED AN AMMONIA SMELL INSIDE THE TRAILER. THE TRAILER WAS BARELY USED AND LOOKS LIKE NEW EVEN THE CARPET , FURNITURE WOULD SHOW WEAR IF USED. THIS UNIT WAS LISTED IN THE RECALL AND THE ORIGINAL OWNER WHO SOLD IT TO ME LAST JULY 2012 STATED THAT THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED . AFTER READING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS ON THIS UNIT I REALIZED THAT E… Look up ODI 10501317 at NHTSA ↗
Engine	Too few reports for a range	76,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11090015 · 76,000 mi 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. Look up ODI 11090015 at NHTSA ↗
Service Brakes	Too few reports for a range	76,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11090015 · 76,000 mi 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. Look up ODI 11090015 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

2004: 0 complaints · 2005: 0 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2004	0	0	0
2005	0	0	0

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
2004	0	0	0
2005	0	0	0

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer	Tires:Tread/Belt	Engine	Equipment	Service Brakes
Equipment:Recreational Vehicle/Trailer	—	0	0	1 ODI 10253392 TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NEWMAR AMERICAN STAR. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2852. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V366000 (EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE). HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE REMEDY TO INSTALL A SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING, A THERMAL FUSE, AND A MELT FUSE, WAS NOT A PREVENTIVE REMEDY. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT THE REMEDY LISTED WAS ALSO INSUFFICIENT IN THE EVENT A FAILURE SHOULD OCCUR. THE EQUIPMENT WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, HE RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT A… Look up ODI 10253392 at NHTSA ↗	0
Tires:Tread/Belt	0	—	0	0	0
Engine	0	0	—	0	1 ODI 11090015 · 76,000 mi 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. Look up ODI 11090015 at NHTSA ↗
Equipment	1 ODI 10253392 TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NEWMAR AMERICAN STAR. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2852. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V366000 (EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE). HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE REMEDY TO INSTALL A SECONDARY BURNER HOUSING, A THERMAL FUSE, AND A MELT FUSE, WAS NOT A PREVENTIVE REMEDY. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT THE REMEDY LISTED WAS ALSO INSUFFICIENT IN THE EVENT A FAILURE SHOULD OCCUR. THE EQUIPMENT WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, HE RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT A… Look up ODI 10253392 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	—	0
Service Brakes	0	0	1 ODI 11090015 · 76,000 mi 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. Look up ODI 11090015 at NHTSA ↗	0	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

0 patterns with matching reports.

No narratives match the published patterns.