NHTSA Complaint #11354123 — 2017 NEWMAR DUTCH STAR

WE HAVE HAD TWO DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF) HEAD FAILURES THAT HAVE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE DEF HEAD UNIT. THE FIRST SITUATION RESULTED IN A DERATING OF THE ENGINE, LIMITING OUR SPEED TO 4 OR 5 MPH WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED 200 MILES TO A SERVICE CENTER, THEN IT TOOK A WEEK TO OBTAIN REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE SECOND SITUATION HAPPENED WITHIN 5 MILES OF A SERVICE CENTER AND WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER. HOWEVER, WE ARE SEEING HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR SITUATIONS BEING POSTED TO RV FORUMS ON VARIOUS SOCIAL NETWORKS. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE MADE FOR ALL CUMMINS ENGINES THAT HAVE DEF SYSTEMS. AS PART OF THE SOLUTION, THE DESIGNS NEED TO BE CHANGED SO THAT THE ENGINES CAN CONTINUE TO RUN WITH THE DEF ERROR CODE RATHER THAN SENDING THE ENGINE INTO A DERATE SITUATION AS THIS PRESENTS A SEVERE HAZARD TO OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE, AS WELL AS OTHER TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD. RV BUILT ON A PREVOST CHASSIS ALLOW NORMAL OPERATION OF THE ENGINE AND RV SPEED EVEN WITH THE DEF ERROR CODES.