2002 Accubuilt Van

PONTOON BOAT TRAILER, MANUFACTURED BY HAWKEYE LEISURE TRAILERS LIMITED, HUMBOLDT, IA 50548, MODEL # MH20RS, V.I.N. [XXX], MANUFACTURED FEB, 2002. *NM ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 9, 2004 WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 50 MPH ON A RURAL IOWA HIGHWAY NEAR WESLEY, IA THE RIGHT WHEEL FENDER OF THE TRAILER FELL OFF. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO OTHER VEHICLES. THERE WAS A VEHICLE FOLLOWING ME BUT THE FENDER WENT TOWARDS THE DITCH INSTEAD OF REMAINING ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER RECOVERING AND INSPECTING THE FENDER I FOUND THAT IT HAD ONLY 5 SMALL SPOT WELDS ALL OF WHICH HAD FAILED. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE LEFT FENDER SHOWED THE SAME SITUATION WITH 5 SMALL SPOT WELDS OF WHICH 4 HAVE FAILED. HAD THE LEFT FENDER FALLEN OFF THERE IS A VERY HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF VEHICLE DAMAGE AND INJURY. ALTHOUGH THE TRAILER IS 2 YEARS OLD IT HAS BEEN USED VERY LITTLE WITH LESS THAN 300 HIGHWAY MILES. THIS INCIDENT DESERVES INVESTIGATION. THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS INCIDENT THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY. I HOPE THIS WAS A FILED QC PROBLEM AND NOT ROUTINE CONSTRUCTION. AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOAT DEALER, THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS INCIDENT ON MONDAY MORNING OCTOBER 11, 2004. ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED AS REQUESTED. AS OF THIS TIME THERE HAS BEEN NO INDICATION THAT THE MANUFACTURE IS WILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE NOT RETURNED SUBSEQUENT PHONE CALLS. UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)