The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: TRAILERS EQUIPPED WITH DOTSCO COUPLERS AND SAFETY CHAIN/FASTENER ASSEMBLIES. THE COUPLER LOCKING PIN THAT ENSURES THAT THE COUPLER REMAINS LOCKED CAN BE MISPLACED AND NOT INSTALLED BY THE OPERATOR. THE COUPLER LOCKING PIN ALSO HAD A SAFETY PIN, WHICH COULD BE MISPLACED OR COME LOOSE AND FALL OUT.
The risk
SHOULD EITHER SITUATION HAPPEN, THE LOCKING MECHANISM OF THE COUPLER CAN MOVE UPWARD THUS ALLOWING THE LOCKING JAWS OF THE COUPLER TO OPEN ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE COUPLER TO RELEASE FROM THE BALL ON THE TOW VEHICLE. THE SAFETY CHAIN ASSEMBLIES MAY ALSO HAVE AN INADEQUATE FASTENER, WHICH COULD ALLOW THE SAFETY CHAIN TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE TRAILER IN THE EVENT THE TRAILER BECOMES UNCOUPLED, ALLOWING THE SAFETY CHAIN TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE TRAILER.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A COUPLER AND SAFETY CHAIN/FASTENER KIT TO THESE TRAILERS.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Featherlite 4950 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 |
| Featherlite 4951 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 |
Components: TRAILER HITCHES
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Featherlite 4950 | 1997 | 0 | 1 |
| Featherlite 4950 | 1998 | 0 | 1 |
| Featherlite 4950 | 1999 | 0 | 1 |
| Featherlite 4950 | 2000 | 0 | 1 |
| Featherlite 4951 | 1997 | 0 | 1 |
| Featherlite 4951 | 1998 | 0 | 1 |
| Featherlite 4951 | 1999 | 0 | 1 |
| Featherlite 4951 | 2000 | 0 | 1 |
Other trailer hitches recalls in 2000
18 of the 541 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2000 concerned the trailer hitches; FEATHERLITE, INC. filed 17 campaigns in all.
| 00V398000 27 Nov 2000 | COACHMEN RV COMPANY |
| 00V265006 2 Oct 2000 | WESTERN RV, INC. |
| 00V265004 29 Sept 2000 | FEATHERLITE, INC. |
| 00V265002 20 Sept 2000 | SPECTRE MANUFACTURING INC. |
| 00V265001 12 Sept 2000 | COACHMEN INDUSTRIES, INC. |
| 00V241000 24 Aug 2000 | GLENDALE RECREATIONAL VEHICLES |
| 00V213000 4 Aug 2000 | KEYSTONE RV COMPANY |
| 00V169000 19 Jun 2000 | JAYCO, INC. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2000