NHTSA Complaint #10851808 — 2011 KEYSTONE COUGAR

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.