2011 Keystone Cougar

THE SPARE TIRE HAS A COVER AND THE TRAILER HAS ALWAYS BEEN STORED IN A TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED GARAGE. THE TIRE WAS INSTALLED ON THE TRAILER (IN THE RIGHT REAR POSITION) FOR THE FIRST TIME, PRESSURE CHECKED (65 PSI), AND DRIVEN 25-30 MILES ON I-25 AT 60-62 MPH BEFORE SUFFERING A CATASTROPHIC BLOW-OUT (ACCOMPANIED BY A VERY LARGE "BANG"). THE ENTIRE TREAD AREA PEELED OFF THE TIRE AND A LARGE HOLE REMAINED IN THE TREAD AREA OF THE CARCASS WITH JAGGED STEEL BELT CORDS PROTRUDING. WHILE GETTING THE TRAILER STOPPED, THE FLAILING TIRE (VISIBLE IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR) REPEATEDLY STRUCK THE SIDE OF THE TRAILER. THE WHEEL MOLDING ON THE SIDE OF THE TRAILER ABOVE THE WHEELS WAS TORN OFF AND DISINTEGRATED. THE ALUMINUM PANEL ABOVE THE WHEELS WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND COMPACTED INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE WHEEL AND IN FRONT OF THE ACCESS STEPS. THE STEPS AND MAIN ACCESS DOOR WERE ALSO DAMAGED. THE UNDERBODY AREA WAS DAMAGED IN THAT THE BELLY COVERING AND INSULATION WERE SHREDDED. THIS TIRE WAS A POWER KING TOWMAX STR SIZE ST225/75R15 IDENTIFIED BY DOT 83B4GPB1010.

I OWN A 2011 KEYSTONE COUGAR 5TH WHEEL THAT INCORPORATES A SLIDE-OUT BUMPER / BIKE RACK THAT THE SPARE TIRE IS MOUNTED ON. THE SAME PRODUCT WAS USED IN SIMILAR 2011 KEYSTONE 5TH WHEELS THAT WERE THE SUBJECT OF A KEYSTONE RECALL #12-178 INVOLVING THE NHTSA. OUR BUMPER HAS FAILED IN THE SAME MANOR DUE TO METAL FATIGUE. THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION THAT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THROUGH SALT LAKE CITY ON 6 LANES OF TRAFFIC TRAVELING 80 MPH. THE BUMPER HOLDING THE SPARE TIRE & OUR 2 BIKES ON THE RACK WERE HANGING JUST ABOVE THE PAVEMENT. FORTUNATELY, SEVERAL DRIVERS ALERTED ME TO THIS & I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. WHILE DEALING WITH THIS, I WAS NEARLY KILLED BY SEVERAL LARGE TRUCKS THAT NARROWLY MISSED ME. AFTER TAKING THE SPARE TIRE & THE BIKES OFF, I SECURED THE BUMPER WITH STRAPS AS BEST I COULD & CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION OF LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE DAMAGE & POSSIBLE DEATH THAT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE ASSEMBLY HAD FALLEN OFF. KEYSTONE MANAGEMENT MADE A DECISION TO DECLINE TO DO ANYTHING & SAID I NEEDED TO DEAL WITH LIPPERT COMPONENTS, THE SUPPLIERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. THEY ALSO DECLINED TO DO ANYTHING. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY NHTSA DID NOT REQUIRE A RECALL ON ALL 2011 KEYSTONE COUGAR PRODUCTS THAT INCORPORATED THAT EXACT SAME ASSEMBLY.

THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (TIRES) FROM A KEYSTONE COUGAR TRAILER. IN A TWO WEEK TIME FRAME (AUGUST 2-14, 2015) WHILE ON VACATION, 4 TOWMAX TIRES ST22575R15D BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. THESE TIRES WERE APPROX. 4.5 YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN A TOTAL OF 6,000 MILES.THE SPARE THAT BLEW HAD LESS THAN 1,000 MILES. WHEN PARKED, THE TIRES WERE COVERED AND NOT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. I FEEL THESE TIRES WERE/ARE DEFECTIVE AND A EXAMINATION SHOULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THE POTENTIAL OF A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT HAPPENING.

TIRES ARE APPROXIMATELY 1.5 YEARS OF AGE BASED ON "0111" DOT CODE AND HAVE APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES OF USE (NO SIGNS OF DRY ROT OR OTHER FAILURE PRIOR TO TREAD SEPARATION 1ST INCIDENT MAY 24TH 2013 WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON A FARM TO MARKET ROAD I HAD A POWERKING TOWMAX ST235/80R16 TIRES BLOWOUT AND TREAD SEPARATION. REPLACED TIRE AND RETURNED HOME (~150 MILES) CONTACTED DYNAMIC TIRE CORPORATION AND AFTER SHIPPING THEM THE TIRE THEY FOUND NO APPARENT DEFECT TO THE TIRE AND PAID FOR THE REPLACEMENT TIRE AND THE REPAIRS TO MY TRAILER. (~$2000 IN DAMAGES) HOWEVER DID NOT PAY TO REPLACE THE OTHER 3 REMAINING TIRES. 2ND INCIDENT AUGUST 14TH 2013 UPON PICKING UP THE UNIT AFTER REPAIRS WERE MADE, I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD A SECOND BLOWOUT ON THE POWERKING TOWMAX TIRES AGAIN APPROX SPEED 60 MPH... THIS TIRE HAD THE SAME DOT CODE OF 0111 RESULTING IN ANOTHER $2000 IN DAMAGE. SHIPPED THE FAILED TIRE PLUS THE OTHER 2 UN-FAILED TIRES TO DYNAMIC TIRE IN BRAMPTON ON, CANADA ... THEY ARE NOW TELLING ME THIS IS CAUSED BY POSSIBLE UNDER INFLATION, SO ONE TIRE OF THE 4 HAS NO SIGNS OF WHY IT SHOULD FAIL. ... YET ~159 MILES LATER THE OTHER FAILED TIRE PLUS THE REMAINING 2 UN-FAILED TIRES "EXHIBIT SIGNS OF UNEVEN TREAD WEAR AND OVER DEFLECTION" TIRES WERE CONSISTENTLY MAINTAINED AT 80PSI SO UNDER-INFLATION WAS NOT THE CASE. AND THESE ARE THE OE TIRES FROM KEYSTONE ... SO THEY SHOULD BE RATED FOR THAT TRAILERS WEIGHT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KEYSTONE COUGAR RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FURNACE FUEL LINE WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE FUEL LINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000. UPDATED 01/02/2013*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE LINE WAS RAN OVER THE FRAME, UNDER FLOOR, AND WITH BODY SHIFTING THE COPPER 3/8S LINE WAS CRUSHED AND CRACKED. THIS ALLOWED 17 GALS OF FUEL VAPORS TO LEAK INTO THE CAMPER LIVING AREA, UNDER BELLY, AND THE STORAGE AREA. CAMPING WORLD TOOK PICTURES OF THE PROBLEM FOR KEYSTONE TO PAY THE BILL. KEYSTONE ONLY PAID HALF AND REFUSED TO LOOK INTO A RECALL. CAMPING WORLD WOULD NOT GIVE THE CONSUMER ANY PICTURES NOR THE COPPER TUBING. CAMPING WORLD CLAIMED THEY NEED TO SEND IT TO KEYSTONE BUT WOULD KEEP THE PICTURES ON FILE..UPDATED 1/7/2013 *JS

2011 COUGAR 26 SAB. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO REAR BUMPER FAILURE AND RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED. RECALL # 12V355000. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED A PASSERBY INFORMED HIM, THAT HIS REAR BUMPER WAS ABOUT TO FALL OUT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE METAL WAS EXTREMELY THIN, AND HE WANTED THE BUMPER REPLACED WITH A HEAVY DUTY BUMPER. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE BUMPER WOULD HAVE TOE BE REPLACED WITH THE SAME BUMPER AS BEFORE. THE CONSUMER THEN WENT TO A WELDING SHOP AND HAD SOME BRACES PUT ON. THE WELDING SHOP, INFORMED THE CONSUMER IT MAY BREAK AGAIN, DUE TO THE THIN METAL.

THE 2011 KEYSTONE COUGAR XLITE 26SAB BUMPER IS SEPARATING FROM THE RV FRAME ALONG THE WELD JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RV CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR THE BUMPER, SPARE TIRE CARRIER, AND SPARE TIRE TO SEPARATE ENTIRELY THE FRAME. THE BUMPER IS USED ONLY FOR THE SPARE TIRE AND IT'S MOUNTING BRACKET. UPDATED 06/27/12 *BF RECEIVED PHOTOS. UPDATED 06/27/12 UPDATED 07/26/12*LJ UPDATED 07/30/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KEYSTONE COUGAR EQUIPPED WITH POWER KING TOW MAX TIRES. THE TIRE SIZE WAS 235/80/R16 AND THE DOT NUMBER WAS 83B5GPB1210. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE WHEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. UPDATED 02/07/12 *BF WHEN THE TIRE EXPLODED, IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KEYSTONE COUGAR FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS IN OPERATION, THE MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER WOULD TRIP AS A RESULT OF A WIRE SHORTAGE. IN ADDITION, THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL HAD BECOME EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH. THE FAILURE RECURRED FREQUENTLY. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V606000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS). THE REMEDY WAS NOT SUFFICIENT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.