2007 KEYSTONE COUGAR — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KEYSTONE COUGAR. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH HE DROVE OVER A BUMPY ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER HAD BEEN AFFECT. HE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION HE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME HAD EXTREME CORROSION AND BEGAN TO BREAK AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE USED AND WAS SHIPPED BACK TO THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,500.

EXPERIENCED RAPID LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE ON A BF GOODRICH COMMERCIAL T/A LT225/75R16 ALL SEASON LRE TIRE WHILE TRAVELING ON A 4-LANE HIGHWAY. TIRE WAS ONE OF A SET OF 4 INSTALLED ON A 5TH WHEEL. BOTH MYSELF, AS WELL AS THE ROAD SERVICE THAT CAME TO MY AID, THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY APPARENT TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE WAS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD AND HAD AROUND 16000 MILES ON IT. I RETURNED THE FAULTY TIRE TO MICHELIN FOR INSPECTION. THEIR REPORT CONCLUDED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE EXACT CAUSE OF FAILURE. SPECIFICALLY, THEIR REPORT STATED "WHILE WE DID NOT FIND ANY DEFECTS IN DESIGN, MANUFACTURE OR MATERIALS IN THE TIRE WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED IT TO BECOME UNSERVICEABLE, NEITHER COULD WE FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF MISAPPLICATION OR MISUSE". IN THE INTEREST OF CUSTOMER GOODWILL, MICHELIN AGREED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR REPAIR COSTS TO MY 5TH WHEEL, PAY A 75% PRORATED REPLACEMENT COST ON A NEW TIRE AND COVER THE DEFECTIVE TIRE SHIPMENT COST. WHILE I'M GRATEFUL FOR MICHELIN'S ACTIONS ON MY BEHALF, I AM WONDERING IF THE PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED IS PART OF A LARGER PROBLEM. SPECIFICALLY, IS IT SOMEHOW RELATED TO YOUR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 12T019000 RECALL? THAT RECALL IS FOR THE SAME TIRE, BUT SPECIFIES DIFFERENT SIZES. I AM METICULOUS ABOUT WEIGHING MY 5TH WHEEL TO STAY SAFE, ALWAYS MAKE SURE I MAINTAIN THE PROPER AIR PRESSURE IN MY TIRES AND USE A TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE, PRIOR TO THE INCIDENCE. *TR

VERY VIOLENT TIRE BLOWOUT ON TRAILER----THIS IS THE SECOND TIRE BLOWOUT UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES IN LESS THEN 3 MONTHS. BOTH TIMES WE WERE NOT OVERLOADED AND TIRE PRESSURES WERE 73 TO 75 LBS ON THE FIRST ONE AND 80LBS ON THE SECOND BLOWOUT. ( I HAVE PICTURES IF YOU WANT THEM). *TR

WHILE PULLING MY 5THWHEEL TRAILER EXPERIENCED A VERY RAPID BLOW-OUT OF R/H REAR TIRE. AND EXTREME DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER, THE TIRES WERE POWERKING TOWMAX ST225/75R15 TIRES THE MANUFACTURE IS GPX INTERNATIONAL TIRE CORP, TWO INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALERS CONFIRMED IT WAS A DEFECT, AND NOT CAUSED BY LOW TIRE PRESSURE CONDITION AND THERE WAS A QUARTER SIZE HOLE IN THE UPPER TREAD AREA.WITH NO SIGN OF SIDE WALL FAILURE. I'M ALSO A AIRCRAFT MECHANIC AND KNOW IT WAS NOT A LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON MY PART,I CAN ACTUALLY BE ACCUSED OF OVER MAINTENANCE OF MY VEHICLES, ALSO I'M POSITIVE NOTHING WAS HIT ON THE FREEWAY HAVE BEEN PULLING TRAILERS FOR 20 + YRS AND FIRST BLOW OUT LIKE THIS. ALSO HAD THE L/H REAR TIRE GO FLAT 20 MILES LATER WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE TRAILER BUT ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE STRESS FROM R/H TIRE RAPID BLOW-OUT, AGAIN IT WAS NOT CAUSED BY TO HIGH OF A SPEED,I'M AWARE OF THE 65MPH MAX SPEED RATING OF THESE ST TIRES, I'M PULLING AT 55-60 MPH MAX. ALSO TO KEEP TIRE TEMPS DOWN,, TIRE PRESSURES ARE ALWAYS MAINTAINED BEFORE EVERY TRIP,ALSO THERE WAS PLENTY OF TREAD DEPTH LEFT AT LEAST 6/32S THE SAFETY MARKER IS AT 2/32S THE TIRES HAD ABOUT 9,000 MILES ON THEM. THE TIRE DEALER REPLACED THEM ALL FOR NOTHING BECAUSE THERE WAS PLENTY OF TREAD THERE. IT WAS VERY UNNERVING WHEN THE SECOND TIRE FAILED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PLACE TO GET COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD. MY HOPE IS THAT SOMEONE ELSE DOESN'T HAVE A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THANKS FOR CHECKING TO SEE IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURES. ALSO, THE TIRES WERE MADE IN CANADA WITH A 2007 DATE WAS ON THE DOT CODE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. *TR

DOMETIC RECALL ON RV REFRIGERATORS. *TR