2003 Coachmen Santara

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer08V639000
Filed Dec 4, 200813,662 vehiclesCoachmen Rv Company, Llc

Defect. COACHMEN IS RECALLING 13,662 MY 2002-2008 MOTOR HOMES, FIFTH WHEEL AND TRAVEL TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH GLASS SHOWER DOORS AND MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 15, 2001 THORUGH AUGUST 6, 2007. WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE TOWEL BAR ON THE GLASS SHOWER DOOR, THE EDGE OF THE BAR MAY CONTACT THE GLASS.

Risk. GLASS BREAKAGE MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy. OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH NEW MOUNTING HARDWARE FOR THE TOWEL BAR AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. IF AN OWNER IS NOT COMFORTABLE REPLACING THE HARDWARE THEMSELVES, A DEALER WILL INSTALL THE HARDWARE AT NO COST TO THEM. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT DECEMBER 19, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT COACHMEN AT 1-574-825-5821.

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator03V081000
Filed Mar 5, 2003109 vehiclesCoachmen Rv Company

Defect. ON CERTAIN CLASS C MINI-MOTOR HOMES, THE GENERATOR EXHAUST PIPE MAY HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED AND INSTALLED INCORRECTLY RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE TO OR CONTACT WITH THE CHASSIS FUEL FILL TUBE.

Risk. WHEN OPERATING, THE GENERATOR'S EXHAUST PIPE MAY REACH TEMPERATURES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY MELT AND/OR IGNITE THE FUEL FILL TUBE. SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A FIRE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL DISASSEMBLE A PORTION OF THE GENERATOR EXHAUST PIPE ASSEMBLY, TURNING ONE OF THE BENT COMPONENTS AROUND 180 DEGREES, REASSEMBLING THE EXHAUST PIPE AND MEASURING TO ENSURE A MINIMUM OF 3" AIR GAP WITH SURROUNDING COMPONENTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 24, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT COACHMEN AT 1-800-453-6064.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Dec 13, 200930,000 milesAZ

WE PURCHASED AN 03 COACHMEN SANTARA RV WITH THE FORD F450 TRITON V10 ENGINE IT HAD 28500 MIL. WHEN WE BOUGHT IT IN OCT. 08. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY WORK DONE TO IT AND THE ENGINE RAN FINE,WE HAVE TAKEN A FEW TRIPS IN IT AND IT HAS RAN FINE. WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO HOLBROOK FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY IT RAN FINE WE DECIDED TO DRIVE BACK ON FRIDAY AM ON OUR WAY BACK THE ENGINE RAN FINE WE GOT ABOUT 20MILES OUTSIDE OF PAYSON AND WITHOUT WARNING A LOUD BAG CRASH!! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!! AND WE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER I VEERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I WAS ABLE TO GET SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. WE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME MONDAY AND ADVISED THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE HEAD,I NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING THEY TELL ME THE ENGINE HEAD IS FAULTY OK, THEN MY WARRANTY COMPANY STATES THEY WON'T COVER A SPARK PLUG ISSUE WHAT!!,WELL IT JUST GETS BETTER, I GO ONLINE TO FIND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING AND FORD NOR THE WARRANTY COMPANY'S WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE A BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY AND THEY WON'T COVER A THING. STATING IT'S A SPARK PLUG PROBLEM AND FORD STATES THE SAME EVEN AFTER THE MECHANIC'S ARGUE THE FACT THAT IT IS NOT A SPARK PLUG PROBLEM IT IS A FORD DESIGN ISSUE WITH THE ALUMINUM HEADS. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE GOING UP OR DOWN HILL, MY FAMILY AND I MAY NOT BE HERE AND THESE ISSUES HAVE CAUSED NUMEROUS FIRES. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE LOSS OF LIFE HAPPENS. I JUST WANT

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1999
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20060100Routine
20050600Routine
20040600Routine
2003 — this page1200Routine
20021210Routine
20012200Routine
20002200Routine
19995200Routine
19985100Routine
19973110Routine
19962100Routine
19953100Routine
19943200Routine
19932200Routine

Compare every Santara year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Dec 4, 2008. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.