2003 Damon Intruder: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2003 Damon Intruder
On the 2003 Damon Intruder, the failure owners report most often is other brake problem, with 5 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 20,000 miles. Overall it scores 78 out of 100, severe risk for a 2003.
Severe risk for a 2003 — 22nd riskiest of the 330 2003 vehicles we can rate. 17 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2003 Damon Intruder
Owners have reported 8 named failure modes on the 2003 Damon Intruder, and the three most-reported carry 59% of everything filed.
Other brake problem leads with 5 reports and about 11 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other visibility problem follows with 3 reports, median 5,000 miles.
Overheating follows with 2 reports, median 55,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (5), glass (3) and cooling (2).
At what mileage it happens
14 of the reports on the 2003 Damon Intruder came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 20,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 86% by 50,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 10,000 and 20,000 miles, which alone holds 36% of the dated reports.
86% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Nothing in the reports on the 2003 Damon Intruder mentions a crash, a fire or an injury. That is the ordinary case and it is worth stating: most defect complaints are about a car that stopped working, not one that hurt somebody.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.41, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other brake problem at $300–$1,800, other visibility problem at $150–$1,400, overheating at $400–$3,500 and other steering problem at $350–$2,400. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
12% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other brake problem | brakes | 5 | 5 | — | 20k | — | 10.8 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 2 | — | 7k | — | 6.5 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Overheating | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 56k | — | 4.3 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 2 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 4.3 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 4.3 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 19k | — | 2.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 2.2 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 19k | — | 2.2 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2003 Damon Intruder draws about 37 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 95th percentile of complaint rates among 2003 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 465 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2003 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other brake problem
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 damon intruder. When the brakes were depressed, the vehicle would shake badly. The dealer stated that all four rotors were cracked. The manufacturer stated that there were not enough complaints for them to proceed with any type of assistance. The VIN was verified, but appears to be inaccurate. The failure and current mileages were less than 20,206.
1. No accident occurred, luckily. 2. While traveling through the houston area in stop and go traffic, the brakes suddenly turned to "mush" and I could not stop. Luckily the vehicle in front of me moved again just as I was about to roll into them. By leaving plenty of extra space and pumping the brakes 3 or 4 times I was able to keep from rolling into the vehicle in front of me. Eventually after getting out of the stop and go traffic the brakes returned to "normal" and I have not had this happen again although this was not the first time this occurred. Roads were dry, temp was in the 90's and sunny. 3. Since I do not know what caused the situation and the brakes have performed fine to date, nothing has been done to correct the problem. *tr
Other visibility problem
Traveling on interstate whistling noise started around windshield area inspection found windshield coming out of mounting. Pushed windshield back for duration of trip. Windshield is a major safety hazard. This coach only has 12.000 miles on it. The windshield continues to pop out. *nm
Recalls on the 2003 model year
NHTSA has issued 6 recall campaigns covering the 2003 Damon Intruder, affecting an estimated 1,229 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover service brakes, hydraulic, equipment:recreational vehicle/trailer, exterior lighting and electrical system: instrument cluster/panel. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
2,415 vehicles 2009-06-16- Defect
- Damon is recalling 2,415 motorhomes equipped with axles that include bosch zops or zoht pin slide hydraulic disc brakes. When combined with occasional or seasonal vehicle operation may experience calipers sticking in the applied position. This can result in abnormal heat generation at the wheel end causing brake drag.
- Consequence
- The driver would normally detect the brake drag but if undetected the temperature increase at the wheel end can eventually lead to soft pedal conditions due to brake fluid boil, and possible extended stopping distance increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the necessary components free of charge. Workhorse is handling the remedy and owner notification for this campaign please see 09v-110. Owners may contact workhorse at 1-877-246-7731.
EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER
25,128 vehicles 2007-03-20- Defect
- Certain travel trailers and motor homes equipped with a two-door refrigerator, manufactured by the dometic corporation, may have a defect in the boiler tube. Pressurized coolant solution could be released into an area where an ignition source (gas flame) is present.
- Consequence
- Release of coolant under certain conditions could ignite and result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Damon will be working with dometic in order to repair these refrigerators (please see 06e076). Dometic will repair these refrigerators by installing a secondary burn housing, a thermal fuse, and a melt fuse free of charge. Dometic has retained stericycle inc. To manage this campaign. Stericycle will assist you in locating dealerships or service centers and will provide assistance with scheduling of appointments. Owners may contact dometic/stericycle at 1-888-446-5157 or damon at 1-800-860-3812.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2,618 vehicles 2007-01-30- Defect
- Certain motor homes fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps reflective devices, and associated equipment." these motor homes were built without the red rear reflex reflectors and some motor homes were built without the side rear red reflex reflectors.
- Consequence
- During night driving conditions or while the motor home is parked, the rear and side marker lights will not provide any reflex reflection to mark the vehicle's location in the dark increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Damon will provide the owners with a kit containing the missing reflectors and instructions for applying them to their vehicle. Owners may choose to have their dealers do the repair free of charge. The recall began on july 9, 2007. Owners may contact damon at 1-800-860-3812.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
1,705 vehicles 2006-04-24- Defect
- Certain motor homes built on workhorse chassis and equipped with actia corporate instrument clusters fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 101, "controls and displays" and no. 105, "hydraulic and electric brake systems." if the brake fail input falls below a voltage of 1.5v, the brake failure lamp and alarm will be activated. Also activation of the ABS telltale when the ABS is not properly functioning does not always occur.
- Consequence
- At night the instrument cluster lights may fail and the driver may not be able to see the instrument panel gauges and the brake warning light indicator which could increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Damon is working with workhorse to contact the owners and remedy this campaign . Workhorse will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. Owners may contact workhorse at 1-877-246-7731 or damon at 1-800-860-3812.
EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER
125 vehicles 2003-03-21- Defect
- During the winterization process on certain motor homes from november 5, 2002 through january 6, 2003, the rv antifreeze used may have been contaminated with engine antifreeze.
- Consequence
- This poses a potential toxic hazard if ingested at high levels.
- Remedy
- Dealers will ensure that the water system has been properly flushed. Owner notification began april 7, 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 damon at 1-574-264-2900.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP
2,656 vehicles 2003-03-05- Defect
- Certain motor home chassis fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 105, "hydraulic and electric brake systems." the brake system warning indicator may not function as required by standard.
- Consequence
- In some of the affected vehicles, the brake system warning indicator will not illuminate when the ignition is in the start position or for a low brake fluid condition, if the body builder relied solely upon ford's ivm compliance statement for the brake system warning indicator.
- Remedy
- Dealers will repair the brake warning lamp circuit. Owner notification is began may 12, 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 damon at 1-219-272-9212.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2003 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2003 sits in the model line
Severe risk for a 2003 — 22nd riskiest of the 330 2003 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Where these figures stop being useful
17 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 17 reports, 14 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 82% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Damon Intruder?
The most-reported failures are other brake problem (5 reports, median 20,000 miles), other visibility problem (3 reports, median 5,000 miles) and overheating (2 reports, median 55,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2003 Damon Intruder reliable?
It scores 78 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 22nd riskiest of the 330 2003 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2003 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed