NHTSA Complaint #10258572 — 2002 NEWMAR KOUNTRY STAR

ON DECEMBER 29, 2008 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM THE NEWMAR CORP. CONCERNING MY DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR IN MY 2002 NEWMAR KOUNTRY STAR 5TH WHEEL CAMPER. I CONTACTED DOMETIC THE SAME DAY AND THEY SCHEDULE A LOCAL RV SERVICE COMPANY TO LOOK AT PERFORMING THIS RECALL AND INSTALLING A PART TO PREVENT FIRES. YESTERDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE RV DEALER SERVICE MANAGER AND HE ADVISED ME THAT MY DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR COOLING UNIT HAS FAILED AND I NEED TO REPLACE IT AT A COST OF $700 TO AS HIGH AS $1000.00. I CONTACTED DOMETIC THIS MORNING (FEBRUARY 13, 2009) VIA TELEPHONE AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO REPAIR/REPLACE THIS COOLING UNIT THAT IS NOT WORKING. DOMETIC HAS IN THE RECENT PAST REPLACED THESE COOLING UNITS IN CAMPERS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I FEEL DOMETIC KNOWS THEY HAVE A HUGE LIABILITY AND ARE NOW REFUSING TO FIX OR REPLACE THESE COOLING UNIT FAILURES BECAUSE OF THE COST INVOLVED. THEY ARE JUST FIXING THE UNITS WITH A SAFETY RECALL, BUT THOSE UNITS THAT HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED A FAILURE THEY ARE WASHING THEIR HANDS OF THIS PROBLEM AND PASSING THE COST ONTO THE CONSUMER. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER AND WHERE THERE HAS BEEN COOLING UNIT FAILURES BECAUSE OF THIS RECALL DOMETIC BE REQUIRED TO BEAR THE COST OF THE COOLING UNIT REPLACEMENT. DOMETIC STATES THAT THE FAILURES ARE LESS THAN 1% OF THE TOTAL. BUT IN MY CAMPGROUND AT SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE, VA WE HAVE ALREADY HAD 2 CAMPERS HAVE THIS TYPE OF COOLING UNIT FAILURE AND JUST YESTERDAY ANOTHER NEIGHBOR OF MINE ALSO HAD HIS COOLING UNIT FAIL. THERE ARE ONLY 83 CAMPSITES AT THE LAKE AND WE NOW HAVE FOUR (4) IDENTICAL FAILURES OF THESE DOMETIC COOLING UNITS.... I AM REQUESTING THAT DOMETIC BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS FAILURE TO MAKE A RELIABLE PRODUCT FOR THE CONSUMERS AND NOT ALLOW THEM TO HIDE BEHIND A WARRANTY PROGRAM WHEN THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THEY HAVE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM FOR THE COOLING UNIT FAILURES OR WORST CASE OF A FIRE INSIDE ONE OF THESE CAMPERS. *TR