2002 Keystone Cougar Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Keystone Cougar, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Tires & wheels233.3%
- Body & structure116.7%
- Engine116.7%
- Other / unspecified116.7%
- Suspension116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
COUGAR 5TH WHEEL CAMPER CUSTOMER HAS HAD SEVERAL TIRE REPLACEMENTS AND BELIEVES THAT THEY SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE TIRES AND DAMAGE DONE TO CAMPER**CC THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE TIRES FOR THE CAMPER WERE UNDER RATED WHICH WAS THE REASON HE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE TREAD SEPARATION AND TIRE WEAR. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT STATED TWO TIRES BLEW OUT ON FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER. THE TREAD SEPARATED. THE FIRST TIRE BLEW OUT IN OCTOBER 2004. THE SECOND TIRE BLEW OUT IN OCTOBER 2005. ANOTHER TIRE ALMOST WAS READY TO BLOW. OUT. HE REMOVED IT FROM VEHICLE. THE DEALER WHERE HE BOUGHT THE TRAILER TOLD HIM THEY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH CARLISLE, THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRES. CARLISLE WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *AK UPDATED 12/27/2005. BOTH TIMES THE TIRE SEPARATED IT DAMAGED THE RIGHT REAR LOWER SECTION OF THE TRAILER. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
A STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE FRAME - OUR 2002 KEYSTONE MONTANA 5TH WHEEL TRAILER MODEL 2955RL, VIN#[XXX] HAD MULTIPLE WELDS BREAK AND CRACK IN THE KINGPIN AREA AND UNDER THE BEDROOM OF THE TRAILER. THIS ALLOWED THE SIDEWALLS TO DROP AND THE KINGPIN TO OSCILLATE UP AND DOWN LIKE IT WAS ATTACHED TO A DIVING BOARD. THE OSCILLATION CAUSED A PARTITION TO BE PUSHED THROUGH THE CEILING. THIS FAILURE MADE THE TRAILER UNSAFE FOR TOWING UNTIL EMERGENCY REPAIRS WERE MADE. PICTURES OF THE WELD FAILURES ARE AVAILABLE. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE WE WERE 300 MILES FROM HOME IN BAKERSFIELD, CA. THE ONLY DEALER IN THE AREA WAS RELUCTANT TO REPAIR VEHICLES SOLD BY OTHER DEALERS. TEMPORARY REPAIRS WERE MADE BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHICH WAS RECOMMENDED TO US. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
POSSIBLE ENGINE STALLING IN 1999 THROUGH 2002 MERCURY COUGAR.*MR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
DOMETIC RECALL 06E-076, MANUFACTURER STATES THEY ARE NOT GOING TO REPAIR THE DEFECT, THEY ARE ONLY GOING TO COVER IT UP SO WHEN IT DOES FAIL IT WON'T BURN MY TRAILER DOWN. THE RECALL NOTICE STATES THAT IT MUST BE SHUT DOWN AND NOT OPERATED UNTIL THE UNIT IS FIXED. I WANT MY UNIT FIXED NOT PATCHED . DOMETIC HAS ADMITTED THERE IS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD WITH THIS UNIT AND IT CAN CAUSE DEATH OR INJURY IF USED . *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
5TH WHEEL TRAILER. AFTER DROPPING SOMETHING ON THE GROUND CONSUMER NOTICED CRADLE THAT HOLDS THE FRONT AND REAR LEAF SPRINGS TOGETHER, BOLT IN THE FRAME WAS COMING OUT.*AK *YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .