1999 Newmar Dutch Star: common problems

Owners of the 1999 Newmar Dutch Star filed 23 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 23

What fails most often

1 Tires 43% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
5 Visibility 9% of all complaints
6 Engine 4% of all complaints
7 Exterior lighting 4% of all complaints
8 Structure 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Tires: 10 complaints (43% of all).
Electrical system: 3 complaints (13% of all).
Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (9% of all).
Fuel system: 2 complaints (9% of all).
Visibility: 2 complaints (9% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 23 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 9%
steering or power steering problems2 · 9%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 9%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 4%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 4%
stalls while driving1 · 4%
warning lights, check engine1 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Tires	10	0	0
Electrical system	3	0	0
Engine and cooling	2	0	0
Fuel system	2	0	0
Visibility	2	0	0
Engine	1	0	0
Exterior lighting	1	0	0
Structure	1	0	0
Suspension	1	0	0
Wheels	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

This hydraulic system is also part of the power steering system. Upon being towed back to rapid city, sd there was another dutchstar (a 2000) at the freightliner dealer with the same failure. Replacement parts consisted of a hydraulic drive motor, radiator and intercooler plus all the replacement fluids for both.
Engine · 2019-07-19 · NHTSA complaint #11233258
Had bad fuel leak caused by use of ultra low sulfer diesel fuel.(uldf). Replaced fuel transfer (lift) pump p/n 4935007 old pumpwas available.
Fuel system · 2007-06-11 · NHTSA complaint #10192968
The service center stated that a fire previously occurred because the wiring melted. The contact did not smell anything burning nor did he see any flames. He did not know when the fire occurred. The current and failure mileages were 70,000. The consumer stated the damage was located at the rear compartment.
Electrical system · 2007-05-01 · NHTSA complaint #10189367
The vehicle partially lost power, but kept moving. The vehicle was not seen by a dealer. Prior to this incident, the air intake tube had been replaced by a service dealer due to the same issue, but the problems persisted.
Engine and cooling · 2006-12-08 · NHTSA complaint #10175590
Driving on I-90 in some rainy weather, error code light came on. I stopped checked all fluid levels & continued on. A few hours later the engine began to increase in speed on its own .rpm's were at 2000 & the coach was almost impossible to stop.
Electrical system · 2005-10-06 · NHTSA complaint #10138940
There were three different tire blow outs. The first one occurred before the recall. Consumer had to find that size tire so he called the manufacturer, and they said to put the recall size on the tires. Manufacturer reimburse consumer for that tire.
Tires · 2005-07-20 · NHTSA complaint #10129481
The dragging tail pipe had been pulled from the muffler, breaking the weld for the tail pipe attachment. (nar)
Engine and cooling · 2004-07-30 · NHTSA complaint #10066984
On the date below, I had the right front tire blow out on my 1999 newmar dutch star with michelin 255 80r 22.5 tires. The tire pressure was well maintained, the day was fairly warm in montana, and I was driving slowly going up a steep hill when the blowout occurred. I read on an rv forum that this is very common.
Tires · 2004-07-29 · NHTSA complaint #10082963

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19991
20002
20012
20022
20031
20049
20052
20061
20072
20191

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 7,735 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Dutch Star has 7 complaints (26 years in the data). This year has 23, above average.

What to check before buying

Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Newmar Dutch Star?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 23. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (9%), steering or power steering problems (9%), tires: bulges, blowouts (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Newmar Dutch Star?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1999 Newmar Dutch Star from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.