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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE20-021: Trimark 060-1650 Door Latch Failures

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-021 on November 23, 2020 and closed it on December 13, 2024. NHTSA's investigations file lists 26 models from 8 makes for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE20-021 (also written PE20021)
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status
Closed December 13, 2024
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturers
Thor Motor Coach; Forest River, Inc.; Ford Motor Company; Winnebago Industries, Inc.; TriMark Corporation
Component
Equipment
Vehicles and equipment
26 models from 8 makes, including the Thor Motor Coach A.C.E. and Thor Motor Coach Challenger

A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-021.

try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.

On November 23, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE20021 to investigate allegations of inoperative Trimark THP 060-1650 door lock/latches originally equipped on model years (MY) 2015-2017 Class A and Class C motorhomes.

ODI received forty-six Vehicle Owner’s Questionnaires (VOQs) describing consumers being locked in or out of their vehicles.

The door latch, containing a die-cast zinc plunger, was produced by Equality during calendar years 2014-2016. The die-cast may become porous and brittle over time and can break without warning, causing the vehicle owner to be unable to open the recreational vehicle door equipped with the latch.

If the motorhome does not have any other doors such as some Class A models, occupants could be trapped inside, needing to climb out using the emergency exits. If locked out, owners would be unable to easily get in and retrieve children and pets. ODI analyzed the data provided by Trimark in response to its January 27, 2021 information request letter.

Although an elevated failure rate was evident on a specific combination of plunger bolt, door lock/latch assembly and door, the data showed that most failures occurred within the first two years of service on the affected 2015-2017 vehicles.

This data suggests that component failures generally would have already occurred.

Further, ODI data reflects a downward trend in complaints after calendar year 2018 and for post- MY 2016 vehicles.

This downward trend may be attributed Trimark's actions in 2016 such as changes in the manufacturing process of its zinc plunger component for the relevant population and its 2016 decision to switch to a steel plunger. In view of the nature of early-life failure, and failure rate trending downward for model years 2017 and newer, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.

The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-021. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

A.C.E.

  • A.C.E. 29.2

    • 2013

Ford

All Ford recalls

Forest River

  • Forest River Berkshire

  • Forest River Forester

  • Forest River Forest River

    • model year not given

  • Forest River FR3

  • Forest River Georgetown

  • Forest River Sunseeker

All Forest River recalls

Thor

All Thor recalls

Thor Motor

  • Thor Motor Hurricane

  • Thor Motor Outlaw

All Thor Motor recalls

Thor Motor Coach

All Thor Motor Coach recalls

Trimark

  • Trimark Left Hand Door Latch

    • model year not given

  • Trimark Striker Bolts

    • model year not given

Winnebago

All Winnebago recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE20-021

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.