Recall 16V286 covers 360 1998-2016 Great Lakes Drywall Pup trailers with rear impact guards too narrow. Free retrofit at franchised Great Lakes dealers.
Great Lakes is recalling 360 1998-2016 Drywall Pup trailers under recall 16V286 because the rear impact guards do not extend within 4 inches of the trailer sides. That missing coverage fails the rear impact protection standard and raises injury risk in a crash; the dealer repair will be free once Great Lakes makes it available.
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What's wrong?
The rear impact guard is the low bumper-like structure across the back of a trailer. On a Great Lakes Drywall Pup trailer, it is supposed to help block a following vehicle from riding under the trailer in a rear impact. The guard also has to reach close enough to the trailer sides so it covers the rear width required by the safety standard.
On affected 1998-2016 Drywall Pup trailers, the guard was built too narrow. It does not extend within 4 inches of each side of the trailer, which means the outside rear corners have less guard coverage than required. Great Lakes traced the problem to the original design and construction process, when the required rear impact guard specifications were not applied.
There is no warning sign before failure. This is a fit and compliance problem with the rear guard, so an owner or driver is not given a dashboard light, noise, leak, or handling change before the issue matters in a rear impact.
Who's affected?
Covered model years run from 1998 through 2016, with body structure and bumper-related body structure listed separately.
| 2010 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
|---|---|
| 2009 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2009 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2016 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2016 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2003 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2003 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2002 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2002 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2001 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2001 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2000 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2000 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2015 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2015 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 1998 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 1998 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2014 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2014 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2012 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2012 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2011 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2011 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2010 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2007 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2007 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2008 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2008 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2004 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2004 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2013 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2013 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2006 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2006 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 2005 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 2005 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| 1999 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body structure |
| 1999 Great Lakes Drywall Pup | body or structural component |
| Units affected | 360 |
| Field incidents | NHTSA has logged 1 field incident to date. |
A matching year and model does not guarantee inclusion. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific trailer is included.
What's the safety risk?
The rear impact guard is meant to help manage a rear impact. If it does not stretch the required length, crash protection is reduced and injury risk increases in a crash. Confirm whether your VIN is included and arrange the retrofit when available. Repair will be free at any franchised Great Lakes dealer once available.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 1998-2016 Great Lakes Drywall Pup is included in this recall.
- Use the Great Lakes owner notice mailed on June 29, 2016, to confirm the recall path for your trailer.
- Contact Great Lakes customer service at 1-920-842-2012 and reference recall number 16V286 when you call.
- Ask your Great Lakes dealer whether the free rear impact guard retrofit is open for your trailer. The retrofit corrects the guard width issue tied to crash-injury risk.
- Keep extra following distance around traffic until the rear impact guard retrofit is complete.
What happens at the repair
The listed repair is a rear impact guard retrofit. Once the dealer repair is available, a Great Lakes technician will install a new rear impact guard on the affected Drywall Pup trailer so the rear impact protection reaches the required side coverage. The dealer repair will be free once available, including parts and labor. Because this campaign is listed as under development, confirm with the dealer that parts and repair instructions are ready before arranging service.
Timeline
| May 6, 2016 | Dealer notification began |
|---|---|
| May 11, 2016 | NHTSA published the recall |
| June 3, 2016 | Dealer notification ended |
| June 6, 2016 | Interim owner notification (was planned for this date) |
| June 29, 2016 | Owner notification mailed |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 16V286?
Recall 16V286 covers 360 1998-2016 Great Lakes Drywall Pup trailers with rear impact guards that do not extend far enough toward the trailer sides. That condition fails the rear impact protection standard and increases injury risk in a crash. Great Lakes said dealers would retrofit a new rear impact guard for free.
What should I do if my 1998-2016 Great Lakes Drywall Pup is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific trailer is included in recall 16V286. If it is, contact a Great Lakes dealer or Great Lakes customer service at 1-920-842-2012 to arrange the rear impact guard retrofit. Reference recall number 16V286 when you call.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Great Lakes' recall remedy says dealers will retrofit a new rear impact guard free of charge. Parts and labor for the recall repair are covered, so you should not pay the dealer for the required guard retrofit tied to recall 16V286.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk is higher injury risk in a crash. The rear impact guard on the affected Drywall Pup trailers does not extend close enough to the side of the vehicle, which means the trailer does not meet the required rear impact protection standard.
What if I bought this Great Lakes Drywall Pup used?
The free recall repair still applies to the trailer, not the first owner. If you bought the Drywall Pup used or never received a letter, check your VIN and call Great Lakes customer service at 1-920-842-2012 with recall number 16V286.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/16V286000 |
|---|---|
| Great Lakes customer service | 1-920-842-2012 |
| NHTSA recall # | 16V286 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 16V286000 |
Source documents
-
Download Owner Notification Letter (PDF) - Download Owner Notice (PDF)
- Download Recall Report (PDF)
- Download Quarterly Report (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 31, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →