NHTSA Investigation PE15018

Emergency Exit Obstruction

The 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.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.