Keystone preliminary evaluation PE15018
Emergency Exit Obstruction. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the recreational vehicle/trailer on 6 model years (2013–2014). Opened May 1, 2015, closed Jul 21, 2015 after 3 months. It led to safety recall 15V409000, 15V499000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a complaint of a partially obstructed emergency exit window on a 2014 Montana trailer manufactured by Keystone RV which alleged the roof ladder impeded full opening of one of the two rear emergency exit windows. ODI notes that these trailers are equipped with as many as three (3) emergency exits, often including the window adjacent to the rear window in question. ODI further notes that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) do not apply to this case, as no emergency exits are required for this vehicle. However, the window is clearly marked as an emergency exit, yet may not function as one. Misleading signage may lead to a delay in occupant egress and pose an undue risk to safety. Keystone's recall (15V-409) to remove the label marking the window as an emergency exit or to replace the window will eliminate the risk of an occupant mistaking the subject window as an emergency exit and result in one of the functioning emergency exits being used. Keystone's actions resolve the issue raised by this investigation and therefore this investigation is closed. The ODI reports cited in this investigation can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification number:10692688. Note:Complaint number 10583668 was erroneously associated with this investigation when opened.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2013 Keystone Montana; 2014 Keystone Montana; 2013 Keystone Montana High Country; 2014 Keystone Montana High Country; 2013 Keystone Montana Mountaineer; 2014 Keystone Montana Mountaineer.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE15018 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 15V409000, 15V499000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE15018 still open?
No. It closed on Jul 21, 2015 and led to recall 15V409000, 15V499000.
Which vehicles does PE15018 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 6 model years: 2013 Keystone Montana, 2014 Keystone Montana, 2013 Keystone Montana High Country, 2014 Keystone Montana High Country, 2013 Keystone Montana Mountaineer, 2014 Keystone Montana Mountaineer. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.