NHTSA Complaint #11187441 — 2016 COACHMEN LEPRECHAUN

EXIT DOOR LATCH FAILED. I AM LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A YOUTUBE VIDEO SHOWING THE PROBLEM HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/T6R5C-SMXZQ NOTE I AM AN ENGINEER AND KNOW THE NHTSA SYSTEM. AS I WRITE THIS, I AM IN THE VEHICLE BUT THE EXIT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. I HAVE LEARNED THE PART IS TRIMARK LATCH 060-0650. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS POSTED ONLINE. THIS FAILURE HAS POTENTIALLY FATAL CONSEQUENCES AS SOME MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE IN CASE OF FIRE OR ACCIDENT. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE ATTACHED PICTURE FROM TRIMARK ON-LINE CATALOG, THEY ALREADY KNOW OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT CONTACTED OF THE THOUSANDS OF AFFECTED VEHICLES. BASED ON THE VIDEO AND MY BACKGROUND AS AN ENGINEER I FULLY EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THE EXIT DOOR SOMETIME LATER TODAY. I AM CONCERNED THAT NOT EVERYONE MAY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE, TOOLS OR PHYSICAL CAPABILITY NEEDED TO OPEN THE EXIT DOOW AS SEEN IN THE VIDEO. I WOULD REQUEST YOU HAVE TRIMARK TAKE ACTION BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO WITHDRAW THE COMPLAINT AS THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A LOOSE SCREW INSTALLED BY COACHMAN AND NOT CAUSED BY LATCH FAILURE. *JS