RoadVitals

2023 Bigtex 16GN

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Jul 19, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jul 11, 2022
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 Bigtex 16GN, most frequently naming the body & structure and brakes categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Body & structure150.0%
  • Brakes150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
22V498000

TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

Jul 11, 2022
1,724 units potentially affected
The defect: Big Tex Trailer Manufacturing, Inc. (Big Tex Trailer) is recalling certain 2003-2022 16GN trailers. The spare tire mount allows the spare tire to vibrate, which can cause the joint between the spare tire mount and the trailer to fatigue and eventually fail.
The risk: Spare tire mount failure can allow the spare tire to detach from the trailer and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will relocate and reinforce the spare tire mount, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 9, 2022. Owners may contact Big Tex Trailer's customer service at 1-800-594-5637.
Big Tex Trailer Manufacturing, Inc.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Body & structure
Filed Jul 19, 2025

This trailer left the factory in an extremely unsafe condition and this seems to be common with Big Tex Trailers. I'm the 2nd owner but the trailer is pretty much brand new. I was looking around underneath and happened to see a bad weld. I inspected the trailer underneath and found a bunch of welds either completely missing or so poor they might as well be missing. On some welds the joint was completely missed. The most concerning is that several leaf spring hanger brackets were only welded in 1 spot. If this trailer was loaded to capacity there is no doubt it would cause an accident. Big Tex clearly has no quality control and someone is going to be seriously injured if something isn't done to stop it. This form only allows 10 pics to be uploaded and there are more than 10 structural welds missing

NHTSA ID
11674706
Incident
Jul 8, 2025
Brakes
Filed Jul 10, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Big Tex Utility Trailer. The contact stated that the unloaded trailer was being towed by a 2018 Forest River Forester RV built on a 2017 Ford E-450 Chassis. The contact stated while driving and releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle began to roll, however, the trailer brakes failed to respond upon engaging the brake controller. The trailer was taken to the dealer, where an electrical tester was used to diagnose, but no issues were found. The contact stated that the electrical tester was not adequate for the diagnostics tests because the trailer was equipped with drum brakes; therefore, the electrical tester could not detect a mechanical failure. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who inspected the trailer brakes and informed the contact that the trailer brakes did not have self-adjustment capability, as advertised by the manufacturer, and the brakes needed to be adjusted manually. The mechanic manually adjusted the brakes and informed the contact that he needed to manually adjust the brakes as needed. The trailer was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1.

NHTSA ID
11531429
Incident
Aug 10, 2022
Mileage
1 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

CA-001

EQUIPMENT; STRUCTURE

The Customer Advisory instructs that the spare tire should be removed from the spare tire mount due to metal fatigue caused by road vibration.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Bigtex 16GN by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023Viewing210—
2022010—
2021010—
2020010—
2019010—
2018010—
2017010—
2016010—
2015010—
2014010—
2013010—
2012010—
2011010—
2010010—
2009010—
2008010—
2007010—
2006010—
2005010—
2004010—
2003010—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.