The contact owns a 2018 Keystone Cougar. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and towing a fifth wheel trailer, the trailer was rocking up and down on the king pin of the trailer. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. When the contact stopped and entered the trailer, he noticed that the interior walls had buckled. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed that the floor had buckled. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had the vehicle taken to the manufacturer who diagnosed that the walls needed to be straightened. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received a recall notice from the manufacturer that braces needed to be welded on the outriggers to keep the frame from bending. The contact related the recall to the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
The worst 2018 Keystone Cougar problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Body2
- Brakes1
- Electrical1
- Suspension1
- Wheels1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Body2
- Brakes1
- Electrical1
- Suspension1
- Wheels1
Recalls 4
Structure: frame and members
- What is wrong
- Keystone RV Company (Keystone) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Keystone Cougar 368MBI trailers. The frame rails do not have enough cross support, which could cause them to buckle under certain side-load stress conditions.
- Risk
- A buckled frame rail can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will add cross braces between each spring hanger and an outrigger between the tires on the off-door side of the vehicle, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2021. Owners may contact Keystone customer service at 1‑866‑425‑4369. Keystone's number for this recall is 21-411.
Recall number 21V380000 · Recall details
Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer
- What is wrong
- Keystone RV Company (Keystone) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Keystone Cougar recreational trailers equipped with an outdoor propane grill. The outdoor propane grill is installed in a wooden assembly that may not have enough clearance from the heated area.
- Risk
- If the wooden assembly is exposed to high temperatures, there would be an increased risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Keystone will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wooden assembly with a metal assembly, free of charge. The recall began on July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Keystone customer service at 1‑866‑425‑4369. Keystone's number for this recall is 18-322.
Recall number 18V383000 · Recall details
Equipment
- What is wrong
- Keystone RV Company (Keystone) is recalling various 2003-2018 Crossroads, Dutchmen, and Keystone recreational trailers equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or excessive force may be needed to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit:
- Risk
- In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Keystone will notify owners and instruct them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2018. Owners may contact Keystone customer service at 1‑574‑535‑2100, or Kidde customer service toll-free at 1‑855‑262‑3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Keystone's number for this recall is 17-307.
Recall number 17V755000 · Recall details
Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer
- What is wrong
- Keystone RV Company (Keystone) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Keystone Cougar western edition recreational trailers. The stabilizer jacks may not have been properly welded to the chassis frame, possibly resulting in the jacks detaching from the trailer during transit.
- Risk
- If the stabilizer jacks separate during transit, they could be a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Keystone will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the mounting of the four stabilizer jacks and install appropriate fasteners, free of charge. The recall began on December 5, 2017. Owners may contact Keystone customer service at 1‑866‑425‑4369. Keystone's number for this recall is 17-306.
Recall number 17V673000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Keystone Cougar 11
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This is the repair instructions for KSB-191007
- Letter to dealers for KSB-191007
- This is an email to dealers for advisory 19-356
- This is the revised repair instructions for advisory 19-356
- This is the dealer revised letter for advisory 19-356
- This is the repair instructions for advisory 19-356
- This is the letter to dealers for advisory 19-356
- This is the owner notification letter for advisory 19-356
- This is the repair instructions for KSB-181206
- This is the REVISED repair instructions for advisory 18-318
What 2018 Keystone Cougar owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2018 Keystone Cougar Trailer. The contact stated that the spring hangers fractured without warning. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 21V380000 (Suspension, Structure) however, the part to do the recall was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated that parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact to take the vehicle to a Keystone dealer however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
My 2018 keystone cougar has had a electrical short in the bedroom slide. What has been of real concern is that the wires going through the trailer into the slide was incorrectly installed at the factory. The plastic protective grommet between the wires going from the trailer to the slide was left unsecured and allowed the wires to rub into (against the trailer frame)...until a short occurred. The really bad thing was that the fuse in the panel did not blow depending on the position of the slide going in and out. It allowed the spring (holding the wires) underneath the bedroom slide to overheat to the point one couldn't touch it, and yet didn't blow the fuse sometimes. Extremely dangerous fire hazard in my opinion. It was fixed, but I have concern the rest of the electrical on the trailer should be checked, but have yet to receive a response from keystone about that request. Trailer was parked in a rv park.
We have two issues with the fifth wheel camper in question. We only felt it neccesary to contact the federal safety agency because the manufacturer refused to remedy the obvious problem when we were at an authorized service center and asked them to in the interest of our safety and that of other motorists. The fifth wheel came with the wrong size wheel and tire with three being larger tires on 16' rims and one being a smaller tire on a 15' rim. It caused the unit which is a 40' long fifth wheel. A new unit from the dealer. When we realized what was going on we stopped at the nearest authorized service center. Keystone refused to do anything about the issue at the time leaving us in another state on the side of the road not knowing what to do. Our dealer told us this is common.
Compare the 2018 Keystone Cougar
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Questions about the 2018 Keystone Cougar
Is the 2018 Keystone Cougar reliable?
Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2018 Keystone Cougar, fewer than a typical Cougar model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Keystone Cougar?
Body and structure, with 2 complaints. Next is brakes (1).
How many recalls does the 2018 Keystone Cougar have?
4 recalls, covering structure and equipment.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Keystone Cougar body?
Yes, 1 recall: 21V380000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
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